I'm institutionalised, same job, 25 yrs, where to start?

[elsaandanna]

I have been a childminder for 25 years.
Hopefully a good one. I'm rated outstanding and I'm full with a waiting list.
I make nearly £40,000

But I have lost my love for it. Menopause etc. My own kids have moved out.

I saw a civil service work coach job advertised £30k. I spent all weekend wondering if I could afford a pay cut. I missed the deadline to apply while I was deliberating and it's really upset me. I wanted to try for it more than I knew.

I have no idea how to make a change. Who would want me?
I don't want to work with children. I can't take much of a pay cut.

And I live rurally so this massively limits my options

How do people get jobs now?

Here is a bump! I think I'm on my own

Hi. You're not alone - almost identical situation but a teacher. I very much need a change and can luckily manage a pay cut to start.....now I just need to be brave!

Hi. Do you have any idea what you would like to do? Presumably the work coach role appealed. Is that a DWP job. What was it that appealed?

The work coach job served a purpose - it got you thinking and helped you realise you want to make a change.

Did you read the criteria being assessed? Would you have been able to meet the requirements? Where are your gaps?

@Groovykindalove I think so. It looked fairly straightforward and childminding has some transferable skills, like record keeping, liaising with outside agencies, being self motivated etc.
I did some admin in jobs the 1990s!

@Rockonteur my DD has just started an education studies degree. I don't think she realises the workload that will come with teaching.
What sort of things are you looking at for a job change?

£40k is a good wage and you are unlikely to find any entry level jobs paying that. What are your skills? Are you secretly a hobby coder, do all your own accounts with a qualification, have a HGV license etc? What job you can get will depend on what skills you can bring or gain now.

You have a great employment history as a CM.

Have a look at jobs that are remote, as well as ones in your local area, to widen the opportunities available to you.

Two important things to remember when applying for jobs.

1. If you think you might want the job, just apply. The time to decide whether you want the job or not, is when they offer it to you. Apply for jobs you think you might want, and you will benefit from the interview experience. Along the way, you will probably learn more about whether it's an organisation you actually want to work for.ot not.

1. Don't let it out you off if your skills don't exactly match the criteria. Did you know, women are much more likely than men to read the criteria for a job, think "oh, I only meet 9 out of 10 of the criteria, they won't want me". Men, on the other hand, are much more likely to just go for it if they want it, even if they don't match all the criteria. And, so they have much more of a chance of getting a job. Approach this with the confidence of a mediocre man!

Good luck :)

@yetanotherdaytoday

Nothing! No hidden talents other than children love me and so do their parents. I'd probably be a good holiday camp entertainer! Or stand up comedian.

I sort of like the idea of working quietly at home. Or maybe in a small office where I could speak with adults. I sometimes spend ages chatting to the postman just to talk about something grown up.

I don't really know where to start looking.
My admin job before childminding I found on a card in a job centre.

I looked at NHS admin jobs and they are £25k. I'm 55 years old. I'm the breadwinner. I cant drop that far.

I just need a break from the mental load of teaching. I've loved it for many years, but menopause changes things. I'm hoping for something that doesn't involve planning at home and dreading opening emails. I'm getting some good advice here - I wish you well @elsaandanna x

You've probably already thought of it, but civil service jobs include paid annual leave, sick pay and a pension that you won't be getting as a self employed childminder. However, the employee pension contributions might mean an even bigger gap in take home compared with your current income.

Keep looking, you might see something else come up, there's a huge range of jobs, well beyond what you probably imagine. Alternatively, would you be interested in being an OFSTED inspector?

Civil service yes, work coach role NO!!!! Dreadful, but you should register on civil service jobs and look for EO or HEO roles in other departments. You do not need certain experience for most of the roles, just transferable skills which you'll have loads of from working with children and running your business.

@theysaiditgetseasier why no to the Work Coach job? It looked ok.

One other long term childminder I know went to work in an old people's home. Which is essentially the same as childminding! Wiping bums, keeping people safe and entertained. I can't face that.

I just need a job fairy to wave a wand. I never intended to be a childminder long term, time passed too quickly, now I am stuck.

I did the job for 15 years (work coach) it's relentless and depressing, seeing up to 18/20 people a day.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the reality of being a work coach for this government is not so much grateful clients embarking on fantastic new career paths but sad, demotivated and sometimes unwell people being forced into jobs they don't want / can't do. There's a lot of emotional baggage that comes with that (or there would be for me).

I think your best bet would be to speak to a recruitment agency. They can help you understand they types of tiles out there in your area, what skills you'd need and how your experience could be recorded on a CV to show that its transferable. They'll also know what salary is realistic for different work.

You know you have a lot to offer, but sending your application direct might result in no interviews because sadly your age and lack of experience outside childcare could count against you at short list stage. A recruiter who has spoken to you would be able to have an initial conversation with an employer and advise them they'd be wise to see you because you can bring xxxx skills. And getting the interview enables you to then show how capable you are. Good luck!

I think going from 40-30k wouldn't be so bad once you include annual leave,sick pay, NI contributions and pension.

Have you looked into LA early years roles/family workers/ nursery manager or surestart.

What part are the country are you in?

That job is absolutely appalling. Why on earth would you want to do it?

I agree with people suggesting Civil Service roles which are often remote. The package is very generous so you may not see a difference in take home salary. It may be worth it just to boost your pension if you have not built that up as much as you had hoped. I would look at HEO level roles, possibly in education/early years divisions or an Ofsted inspector as someone else suggested. Look at DfE as well as others which may relate to early years. There are also family courts which look interesting eg Cafcass. Not sure where you live in the UK?

@PosterBoy it looked interesting.
I could do all the job specifications
Why do you think it's horrible? I dont have any experience of the real world work market in the last 25 years.
So I'm interested to know what is out there for me.

@SaintJuliette no so much that of what you described. There is a huge amount of support and funding for people who want to work as well as lots of support for people who are unwell and can't work (we do not force people who can't work into work, that's the media and it's unbalanced reporting).

If I had a £1 for the amount of times I've heard "I've got kids so can't work or only want to work 10-2pm despite being offered 85% towards wrap around care. A lot of wasted opportunities with excuses such as "I forgot" when people don't turn up to fully funded training placements with accredited qualifications plus travel expenses all paid. A lot of "my wife can't work as she runs the house", it's quite depressing.

@theysaiditgetseasier
I think I could do that job very well. I already support people going to work by looking after their children! I know about childcare and funding. I have worked with other agencies, schools, social services, speech therapies and health visitors. I have life experience that I could emphasise with some situations.

I'm so annoyed with myself for not picking up on the deadline