If you could retrain as anything what would it be?

[Embelline]

I’m 39 and self employed but I’m working in a dying industry. It’s got me thinking about retraining but I’m at a complete loss as what I could retrain as.
I have skills but suspect they are out of date now. I think I’d have to start from scratch which terrifies me.

if you could retrain as anything what would it be?

A special-effects make up artist

A vet, I’d specialise in natural holistic treatments and have a healing centre in the countryside somewhere….

But in your position, what about the creative industry? Freelance marketing, PR, content creator? Always plenty of people wanting someone to help them increase sales!

I’m kind of already in creative - I’m in writing, copywriting and magazines. But the work is drying up - magazines are folding, copywriting is increasingly going to people switching from other roles that have more expertise in specific fields rather than writing qualifications.

I would like to do something creative still but just feel at a loss as I always trained for this and always wanted to write for a living. I worked in social media a bit but it really wasn’t for me, was very bad for my mental health.

Perhaps a doctor if I were able to get over my squeamishness... Areas I'm interested are genetics, psychiatry and gastroenterology.

Or else a translator, working in Arabic or Russian. I'd have to learn these languages first 😂

If I had my time again I'd love to be a midwife.

I'd quite fancy being an orthodontist, creative technical and working with people.
What I actually did was retrain as an environmental health officer as there are various avenues to follow as a career, it was more attainable for me from the qualification I had (to do dentistry would have taken me an extra 2 years) and it is vocational so not just desk bound, you need technical expertise and people skills.

I would have liked to do something in scenery and set design and construction. I am always very interested in how it's done when I'm at the cinema or theatre and enjoy the DVD extras when they outline the ideas.
Very different from social work!

Funnily enough, I was thinking about this at the weekend. I'm in an office based role at the moment, but I'd love to retrain and do skincare, aesthetics, make up, massage... making feel good about themselves, meeting new faces every day, moving rather than sitting at a desk.

Intelligence analyst

Forensics. Problem is you need a car and to get lessons and run a vehicle you practically have to remortgage now.

So no driving for me as it's totally unaffordable so no career in forensics :(

I'm a AHP in the NHS and I'd love to be an archaeologist and/or historian esp social history.

I went for vocational with science base as it offers security but in my dream world I'm digging up old things in trenches in the sunshine, wearing a hat and shorts

Nurse

A painter and decorator

A Buddhist teacher or religious scholar

Nurse

Nutritionist/dietitian

Yoga teacher - I was meant to start YTT on 8 th January but I've had a shed load of health issues including cancer and two major surgeries in the last 11 weeks, so it's on the list for next year instead.

Midwife
Forensic Accountant

Policewoman. I'm too old though.

I just can’t think of anything I’d be good at!

Currently a nurse, which I love, but if that wasn't an option I think I'd retrain as a paramedic. Or police. Or in a different life if I could draw; an architect.

You can learn to be good at something though! What interests you? What do you enjoy?

I'm hoping to retrain as a Speech and Language Therapist in a few years - just have to save the money for the Masters.

In your case, have you thought about maybe Technical Writer, or maybe Communications.

A teacher, primary school level.
Or something to do with plants.

Barrister.