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.

Please consider a careers interview. Think about the lifestyle you want - opportunity for homeworking, decent pay? How about something in IT, law or finance. Have a look at the short courses on future learn and don't assume they're not for you.
Good luck

Sigh. It was a joke. I am a HCPC registered AHP and I used to be a careers advisor. I am hands on with my patients and work alongside PTs daily. No need at all to be so patronising and derisory about "the general public", especially when you've no idea who you're replying to. And someone else has already responded anyway.

Marmaduke is another one of your jobs policing the replies on a public board??
It was a daft response which clearly fell flat as a joke.

If you really have worked as a Careers Adviser then you would agree with me about unqualified people offering careers advice as you'd understand the many, many issues that creates.

Really good advice.

If you have already been to university then your previous university may be able to help as many offer careers advice for life. If not then see if there are any local schemes aimed at supporting women back into work or if you have the funds you could pay to see a private practitioner. Just make sure they are qualified and hold at least a level 6 qualification in advice and guidance ( but preferably a postgraduate qualification) and are linked to a professional body.

No, I'd actually advise talking to people who are in the careers you're interested in, rather than relying on a careers advisor. They're good for very generalised advice, CV work, interview prep etc, but nothing can beat an honest conversation with a member of "the general public" who's doing the job day in, day out. Or even - gasp - a student who's currently doing the course you fancy.

There's also nothing wrong with talking to different people generally to get a sense of things when you're starting out on considering a change. Or should we close internet discussion boards to everyone but the demonstrably qualified in each niche query? How boring. What a sad little life that would be, Jane.

Marmaduke so you've not worked as a Careers Adviser as you clearly don't understand what the job entails.

Yes, talking to people who work in the industry is valuable providing their knowledge is up to date. Speaking to students can also be useful to gain an insight into their experience but again their knowledge on various entry routes and labour market information is unlikely to be fully comprehensive ( and why should it be?). However, their information is unlikely to be impartial and is grounded in their own experience which might not be right for everyone.

Out of date and incorrect information is rife on boards like these!! It's not wrong to point that out.

Employers, Employees and the general public can be useful of course, but they are providing careers information and, at a push, careers advice but what the OP needs is careers guidance. That is why she needs a careers interview with a qualified careers adviser.

And who is Jane????

I was a registered nurse before retirement and although I enjoyed it most of the time it’s definitely a gruelling job. Long unsocial hours and ongoing training including revalidation every 3 years. Fortunately, I didn’t witness or receive any bullying, but to be honest my daughter thought about doing her nurse training and I talked her out of it.

Have you thought about training as a pharmacy dispenser? Pharmacy dispensers normally work normal hours and can often train while working in a pharmacy as a counter assistant. HTH.

Maybe consider therapeutic radiography. 3 year course, no shift work. A lot of departments 9-5. It's a great job

I'd recommend against going for nursing - I'm not convinced bullying is the huge problem you've suggested (has never been something I've come across in my fairly lengthy career) but it is poorly paid and the conditions for junior nurses are brutal. You wouldn't be able to care in the way you want because of the poor conditions. There are good reasons that nurses are leaving the profession in hordes.

@TheMoops . Why on earth would a qualified ( ie the course finished at least 6 months ago) careers advisor know more than people doing the job?
How can an advisor know every single avenue associated with every job ?

A careers advisers job is to keep up to date with the labour market. So, while a person doing the job will know more about the day to day aspect of the role, a careers adviser will know about various entry routes into that career, will understand the education system and any recent or upcoming changes and will know about the local and national labour market. They will work with a client to help the assess their suitability for a particular career and will help them explore alternative options and back up plans.

Despite what people think, a careers adviser does so much more than check CV's and prepare people for interviews.

As I said, employer insights are valuable but they should never replace careers guidance from an independent, impartial source.

In an ideal world employers and careers advisers work together.

Oh and at a university level, careers advisers and careers consultants are subject and sector specialists so they work closely with academics in their faculties to develop curriculum and work closely with specific employers linked to that subject/sector.

So for example, a careers adviser/consultant attached to a health sciences faculty will be an expert on health related careers.

I'm a nurse, I have a love hate relationship with my job, but overall nursing is a good career. Lots of flexibility and opportunity in different areas. I've had 5 different nursing jobs in the same hospital, and they've been completely different. I only disliked one, because the staff were bitchy and unsupportive, but everywhere else I've worked most of the staff have been lovely.

If you have a caring attitude and life experience, like it sounds like you do, then nursing could work for you. There is so much variety in jobs, and yes a lot of them have antisocial hours, but not all of them. Most of my friends I trained with are part time now and pick up overtime/bank/agency shifts to give them better flexibility.

Based on what you have said though, I would look at occupational therapy. Sometimes I wish I had done that instead, as I feel like the job satisfaction would be greater...though I'm sure an OT will come on to tell me I'm wrong!