Teacher/nurse/midwife/paramedic/social worker

[Niffler29]

I am looking to go college/university next year. I am nearly 30 and I am a single parent to 11 year old DS. I have always wanted to return to education as my current job, as much as I love it, offers no progression and is poorly paid. I just don’t really know 100% what I want to do and any friends I talk to in the above professions don’t sound very happy there 🫣.

I know they all come with extreme difficulties but there are a few for each that concern me slightly more:

• Teaching - I’ve been reading online that newly qualified teachers are struggling to get permanent positions are their first year and end up having to relocate. This wouldn’t be an option for me and I would be worried about working my ass off for years to just not be able to get a job at the end of it.

• Nursing - I’ve read and heard a lot about bullying in the workplace being really common which is the main thing that puts me off.

• Paramedic - Friend’s have advised me that in the beginning when you get a position your shift pattern can be all over the place as you will almost be covering colleagues holidays until a permanent shift pattern opens up.

Can anyone who works in those professions shed any light on their experiences? I want to find a career where I am helping people in need, something that I can be proud of doing and that will make my son proud of me but preferably something that doesn’t destroy my mental health at the same time. If such a thing exists! Thanks in advance for any advice.

What you think these jobs are and what they actually are are probably quite different.

Not many people understand what a children's social worker does day to day. It is absolutely not going out working with families delivering support all day. While there is an element of that its basically an office job where you occasionally see children. The paperwork is immense and there is a ridiculously high rate of burn out, staff turn over and mental health issues amount staff. Lots and lots are off sick with stress. This is a high pressure job where you have to prioritise people at the expense of others. You will view life through a lense you never knew existed and see things you never thought possible. It can be extremely traumatic. But mostly its frustrating. Its not 9 to 5 if you work in assessment or cp, which is where most people start out. You need to see families after school and often crisis happens in the evening. You could be out till 10pm despite having started at 8am. Its unpredictable in these teams. The pay is not fantastic for the amount of work and stress. Its known as one of the most stressful careers for a reason. You have limitations to what you can do because of the law and budget constraints but your expected by other professionals to work a miracle. Often parents are understandably distressed and so you get shouted at and sometimes threatened or even assaulted.

There are good points too. Its fast paced, diverse, you will never be out of work as there is a national shortage and staff leave left right and centre, it is always interesting, it changes you in a good way.

Social work degrees can open many doors. I have never worked in adults but im told its slower and more predictable. You could go into mental health roles etc its a hugely diverse career with many doors.

think dental hygienist, dental therapist or dentist are great career options

I would agree with that for dentists-my sister is one and works 9-5, is very well-paid and has scope for part time, choosing her own hours and overtime.

I was under the impression that hygienists/dental therapists were not well paid though; what do they earn?

This site has a good guide to caring careers
www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Careers-in-care/Think-Care-Careers.aspx<a class="break-all" href="https://www.skillsforcare.org.uk/Careers-in-care/Think-Care-Careers.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Think Care Careers

Have you considered being a speech and language therapist?
There is a shortage of them in the hospital where I work. I can imagine it could be a really rewarding job, albeit with the difficulties that come with working in the nhs.

I’d go for social work, the shifts aren’t anywhere near as extreme as the other careers, you can easily go part time and even move across and into other fields.

How about occupational therapy or one of the other allied health professions? Same pay as nurses but many jobs are 9-5, Mon-Fri.

Working in a zoo or teaching at an FE college something like Animal Management might be more appropriate. I wouldnt recommend teaching in a secondary or primary but you can get a role as a cover supervisor to get some experience but like nursing there is more and more being expected of less and less people.

I'm moving to a civil service type admin job, hybrid which means whilst teen DD doesn't need childcare I'll still be home in the holidays when she gets home from being with her friends etc. There is progression available and whilst the pension isn't as good as my teachers one it is still very good in comparison to most workplaces.

This ^ I'm an AHP and don't work any antisocial hours, but lots of patient contact and helping people

I think you are coming up against the same conclusion in all your suggestions - they're public sector, and public sector is currently badly funded (ie not enough workers even when all posts are unoccupied), hard to recruit to (so some posts are unoccupied making it worse) and dealing with very demanding challenges (which is stressful in itself, but also means that managers naturally don't want to risk getting it wrong for the vulnerable, hence the possible scrutiny working in schools, the bullying in NHS, which have all been mentioned).

As a way to structure thinking, decide first what interests you most:

Animals or kids or health

Then get on a generic degree in that area rather than training for a particular profession, and use it to explore and gain experience.

Education can convert into speech and language, SEN support, charity work.

Health can convert into many types of nursing (school nursing, practice nurse with GP, vaccination clinics are all very different from A&E or a hospital ward, for example).
etc etc

I think that once you are on that pathway, you'll spot opportunities that you never knew existed and one of those will be right for you.

I always say this on these threads - consider AHP roles. SLT, physio, OT, radiographer, pharmacist, dietitian, podiatry, ODP etc - much more autonomy and pay progression and often static day shifts and flexible working.

I'm an SLT, work with adults with a range of conditions including cancer and dementia and it's incredibly rewarding helping people swallow safely and communicate.

@bakewellbride

Paramedics are definitely underpaid, but he shouldn't be paying any more tax overall for working overtime, even if the payroll department class it as a separate job.

Secondary employment tax isn't a tory specific policy, its been around for as long as I can remember. It's to simplify taxes and try and avoid people getting big tax bills at the end of the year (back when it was worked out yearly) but overall he should pay the same income tax. His NI will vary as each income will be classed separately- although at his income level this is likely to be in his favour. There's a guide here: .

www.reed.co.uk/career-advice/second-job-tax-how-much-will-i-have-to-pay/

or here:
restless.co.uk/money/everyday-finance/how-much-tax-do-i-pay-if-i-have-a-second-job/#:~:text=Your%20personal%20allowance%20will%20be,the%20basic%20rate%20of%2020%25

That isn’t how it works.

get on a generic degree in that area rather than training for a particular profession

Thats a nice idea but the professions you list will require an additional degree. A generic degree on its own is not the key to a qualification. Something to consider if time and finances are factors.

I'm an ED nurse, i still love it after many years

I'm an AHP and if I had my time again I'd choose SALT. The difference you guys make to patients is mind blowing. Never worked with a SALT who wasn't a grafter, either!

I'm a teacher. Which subject would you teach?

The thing with teaching is that you don't know until you try it. So many people tried to put me off but I went for it and still love it many years later. There are ups and downs, as there are for any job, but the lack of support and the sense of entitlement from some parents is the trickiest part I find. Good luck with whichever role you eventually decide on

@BranstonTickle thank you!! I love it. SLTs are a great bunch of good communicators which makes coming to work much easier! The NHS isn't the best at times but I've never regretted my career choice.

I'd be looking at teaching on an animal/science FE course by the sounds of it, or possibly look at special schools, PRUs and APs as they also sometimes take unqualified instructors for vocational courses and train them up.

With teaching, would it be primary or secondary, and what subjects could you offer? Secondary physics or chemistry and you would have your choice of jobs anywhere, primary in the north west you'd likely find a very competitive job market (for example).

Adult's social work is a completely different game to Children's social work. You might well find a 9-5 job with not too much stress in Adult's. No chance in Children's, I wouldn't recommend it unless you're prepared to work very long hours. They're paid the same though, at least in my local authority.

Paramedic work is very family unfriendly, it is not simply the shift patterns (or lack of) but the frequency and variabilty in length of late finishes. You will be relying on a lot of family support for childcare, so these relatives need to be totally flexible and very patient.

Unless you are planning on doing a Masters at some point, you will be working 12 hour shifts and unsocial hours for the rest of your career. If you choose to do your Masters, you will no longer be covering the high acuity calls, mostly working as a cut price GP. If you are one of the tiny minority who go on to do the MSc (Critical Care) Advanced Practice route, you will be continuing with the shift work, especially as more and more Ambulance services and Air Ambulance services are increasing EMRTS cover to 24hours. Or you could end up working shifts in ED.

If your intention from the start is to go on to do a Masters then do nursing, accept that you will have a few years of ward work (which may or may not appeal) and you will have far more career choices and development oppurtunties open to you as a nurse than a Paramedic.

Then you have the problems of studying to be a paramedic right now. You will spend a significant amount of your placements and your NQP period stuck outside A&E waiting to offload seeing one or two patients a shift not 6 to 10 as it used to be/should be. I've been on the road for 17 years and the skills decay I'm suffering at the moment scares the crap out of me, and I have many years of experience of busy varied shifts pre bedblocking/hospital delays.

Basically don't do it.

The thing with teaching is that you don't know until you try it.

Yes, and the school you work in makes such a difference. I'd actually adore teaching if I taught one or two classes fewer. It's the workload that's the killer. If I worked part time over 4 or even 5 days, I'd love it. Can't afford that at the moment (huge mortgage!) but one day...

Police Officer/Direct Entry Detective in the Police? For a detective you'd do around 12 months in uniform and then go into the Detective arena so the earlies/lates/nights changeover of shifts soon ends and you'd deal with serious and complex crime - Rape, Robbery, GBH etc. you could specialise in Child Protection so still get that helping children buzz.

Most forces offer it - check out their websites, also the College of Policing for what it involves.

Not for everyone but it's on the job training - full time wage and they'll put you through the degree whilst you work.

Look at AHP roles like speech and language therapy, physiotherapy or occupational therapy. Flexible working and mon-fri daytime hours. There is the stresses of working for the NHS but the roles are so varied. You can work in schools, clinics, hospitals with adults or children, mental health and there is the private sector too. You get the choice of adults or children that you would be restricted with in nursing or teaching with friendlier hours and we're usually a nice bunch to work with

Social worker? Have a look at this thread:

AIBU to want to be a social worker? http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/amiibeingunreasonable/4571137-aibu-to-want-to-be-a-social-worker