What kind of job can i do?

[tropicalsound]

I'm mid 30s and have only had warehouse and retail jobs. I left a job recently with another one lined up, but the new job turned out to be so awful I left after a few days.

I'm looking for something else now and there seems to be hardly anything I'm capable of doing. I've got good A levels but no degree or any other qualifications (dropped out of uni). I've applied for some retail and admin work but just get rejected straight away. Tbh i would rather not work in retail again because I'm very bad with people and find it incredibly stressful having to smile and talk all day (i have very bad anxiety/depression, and suspect i have asd but never been assessed for it).

I'm looking at doing a course or volunteering to get more skills, but i will need to find a job that i can do at the same time. I'm not claiming any benefits because i assume i won't be eligible having left my job voluntarily. I'm looking for jobs every day and applying for anything i can, but I'm feeling increasingly hopeless about my prospects. Has anyone been in a similar situation and found a way out?

What was so bad you left the job? It may help posters understand the sort of workplace culture you are looking for

What do you enjoy? Where do you feel happiest? What are you good at? (Not necessarily in a work context)

Can’t help with the job but as regards courses you may find the new ‘Mature Study and Retraining’ board helpful, or at least encouraging:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mature_students

There are probably loads of potential jobs you could do, but it's hard to advise without a bit more information. What kind of things do you like doing? What are your computer skills like? I know it was a while ago, but what subjects/grades were your a-levels?
I know several people with very successful careers in accountancy/financial services who dropped out of university, but got a place on a training programme with their a-levels. Just one example...

But of cross referencing for you, OP:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mature_students/4403894-Great-resource-National-Careers-Service-Online-careers-info-and-skills-assessments

Unless you train and get skills in something there probably isn't much you can do other than manual labour or retail. Id be looking at what I can and want to study rather than what job I can find right now.

What were your Alevel subjects? Are you an art / languages person, creative, STEM etc??
Have you thought about taking up a trade e.g. joinery, plastering, brick laying apprenticeship where you'll get trained on the job? I reckon a female "handywoman" would never be short of work!

If you are a people person, think of health care (band 2, NHS) you can easily move through the care certs paid for by work and move up the bands to nurse associate in a year or so?

Then the world's your oyster really, there's lots of different specialisms and you could top up to degree/RGN.

You could think of mental health support worker, similar training pathways but you could become a RMN or mental health support worker, or social worker.

Both have good pensions, and reliable pay.

And later some interesting options for higher up, training/teaching/team leading.

Just a thought...obv its emotionally and physically pretty demanding (and the small issue of a pandemic)

Ah sorry op just read that you'd rather no work with people, sorry (I have baby brain!)

Thank you all for the replies, I'll try to answer all the questions:

I left my last job because i never felt like i fitted in there and a lot of things were changing in a way i didn't like, and it made my anxiety worse. The new job i went to seemed like it would be okay, but when i started the place was really chaotic, i hardly got any training, and then got treated like an idiot for not knowing certain things.

The things i enjoy doing are mostly creative stuff; writing, crafts etc. I'd quite like to have a craft business but that's more of a long term ambition. I have thought about doing a course in some kind of trade, but i will still need to find some other job while i do the course.

My A levels were in english lit, english language and history, and i have good computer skills but no qualifications in IT, not even GCSE.

Look for jobs in a library, museum or gallery? Maybe something people facing but in more of a support role rather than selling? (Receptionist? Incoming call centre? - ‘unsociable’ hours might allow you to retrain?)

Have you thought about an apprenticeship?

Although they're most popular with school leavers, they are open to other ages, and you can earn while getting training and education in a new job or trade.

www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/apprentices

Would librarian appeal? It's a public facing role, but very different to working in retail. A friend of mine is a school librarian and writes in her spare time - she finds it the perfect job and hobby combination - her first children's book is being published next summer.

I would love to work in a library but those jobs come up very rarely in my area. Same with museums and galleries, even the low level roles are filled with people who have master's degrees because there are so few jobs.

I hadn't thought of looking at apprenticeships because i assumed i was too old - i remember applying for one when i was about 25 and being told i was too old then. I will have a look to see if there are any that would take me now.

Why is a craft business not something you can do now? You can start really small and sell on Etsy or similar and build it up. Much more lockdown proof than a lot of other options if that's what ends up happening again.

How about working at a local auction house? A combination of beautiful things and retail.

It's a myth that working in a library setting is quiet and stress free, you're still dealing with the biggest stress factor on the planet, namely people!!! (Speaking from 20+ years experience here, though not in public libraries...) however there are settings that might suit you, like a hospital library; you could start as a Band 3 and work your way up if you wanted; or something like trainee medical coder maybe might suit? Have a look on NHS jobs to see what type of jobs are out there and bear in mind new jobs are added every day (though Christmas to New Year isn't the best time to look since most recruitment departments will be running on a skeleton staff if that).

Another option is to see if your local library or museum has volunteer openings to get some experience, it might help the day job be more bearable? Also some library jobs have extremely silly titles these days, so don't let that put you off, look at the person spec to see if your experience might fit. (It doesn't always have to be in libraries, it's often more about the customer service skills. And could you do an ECDL or similar at your local college? Some have grants available depending on income.)

Admin? You write really well

Do you have a LinkedIn profile yet?

Can you drive? And can you do shifts or night work may be better pay and less people Delivery jobs may not involve as much people contact ? Dog Walker? Window cleaner or cleaner maybe more industrial places. Security guard oOur local colleges offer a lot of free level 2 distance learning courses in a lot of subjects. You would need to check locally . Think about a job that could just keep you going until you can get some further experience - work history. or opportunity to use your creative talents

Communications officer, social media manager, marketing, proof reader?

You seem to be setting your sights quite low. Can you go back to uni and get a degree in English, even part-time? That would open doors in the media/publishing/communications etc.
If I wanted job security I’d work in the NHS, they are crying out for people. But you would have to work with people and it’s undoubtedly stressful

A friend of mine works as an activities coordinator across a chain of care homes for adults with learning disabilities. Her background was similar to what you've described: good a-levels, very creative, left uni after a few weeks, worked in retail because it's what she could get but never really liked it. In her early 30s she started volunteering at a care home doing arts and crafts with the service users. She loved it and eventually it lead to a job there. Good luck whatever you decide, OP.

I think you could try sn online marketing/social media apprentice. There's also proofreading and those sorts of jobs but they'll ask for a degree and most likely experience. I think you could try WFH call centre type of roles
Other option is Amazon, if you get a degree you can climb the ladder and salaries are quite generous (in management).

If you like working along any job where you work on a computer all day would suit and with more of these being from home it would involve no social interaction. A friend of my dd has done a few computer/ secretarial courses and now works from home supporting small businesses who don't want to hire a full time secretary. She is very busy and the work is flexible as she can do it in the evening/ weekends as long as she gets it done and back to her clients..so to be clear she is self employed.
Is there any social welfare in your area that pays for courses to encourage people to come off supports and get into work. In lreland we have back to education support. Do Welfare provide career advice?
Also here we have bookkeeper courses which has possibilities for the future.
But definitely try apprenticeship as never too late if they will accept you seeing you could spend those 3 years moving around unsuitable jobs while you could have been getting proper training for a career.