If you could retrain ... what would you do and why

[Kittea]

I am a trailing spouse and I spent the last 7 years abroad with DH. In that time I set up my own business which I have now closed.

It was very successful but I am done with business ownership and we are going home (Ireland) at the end of the summer so I am looking at Masters programs but I don't know what to pick.

My background is in strategic HR (resource planning) and I wouldn't mind doing an MSc in HRM but I could literally pick anything (STEM apart for obvious reasons)

If you had the opportunity of a clean slate. What would you retrain as?

An architect or town planner
clear visual solutions

Unfortunately, I think you'd need a time machine as well as a town planning qualification for that to feel in any way satisfying!

I'd either do medicine, and specialise in anesthesiology, or do a degree in art history and go on to specialise in restoration. Or work in forestry.

Yeah STEM isn't appealing to me and I wouldn't get into a Masters program as my Bachelors isn't science/tech based.

Forestry I would love but I am planning for the next 25 years of work and don't want 65 year old me traipsing about the woods! 😁

I'd love to retrain in agritech

The sight looming food shortages is terrifying. We have a fantastic opportunity of growing our produce without focusing on unreliable weather patterns from global warming. I love our farmers but putting all of our bets on their harvests is ridiculous. I feel this is an area where AI and technology could make a massive change in the coming years.

Edit: I already have a science degree

Civil engineer, though AI would concern me

Probably botany.

Either that or earth sciences/geology. I'm also fascinated by volcanoes.

I'd go for speech and language therapy. It's too competitive a field for it to be worth me retraining in, as I already have a degree so a SALT degree would be a waste of money unless I could guarantee a SALT job at the end. But if money were no object, that's what I'd retrain as.

I'd do something very arty to do with fine needlework. Wedding dresses or clerical vestments or textile restoration. No idea what qualifications any of that would need though and in any case, I'm retired now so a bit too late for me.

I am 7 weeks away from qualifying as a midwife after leaving my career in business management! So far no regrets.

my next move is sonography in a few years as I’m not getting any younger!

I'd love to run my own business, although I think most learning would be on the job rather than formal.

I always did want to be in charge!

Agronomy. This comes following 2 years of an adult nursing degree and hating every second...Picked the wrong path.

It's never too late to learn. What a nice hobby it will make!

Not sure what, but something that earns a damn sight more than occupational therapy 😬

Congratulations! What a complete 180, I am glad you are happy.

I am afraid of making the wrong choice. I don't have any interests that I would want to turn into a job. I did that with my business, took something I loved and made it into a career. I wouldn't make that mistake again. Now I can't even think about it after years of hard work in the field.

Audiologist

Pilot!

I retrained as a children's social worker in the last year, went back to uni and worked full time whilst i did, with young kids, was hard but worth it!

If I had to re train again, I would go for nutritionist or reflexologist!

Archeology or osteoarcheology, like Prof Alice Roberts, would have loved to have done something along those lines, or something historical like set dressing for TV or film, historical houses and museums.

Social history. Not sure what kind of job I could get with that, but am very interested in it.

There’s a few things.

Floristry
Children’s book illustrator
Interior Designer
Set Designer
Wedding Photographer

I was in a creative industry for many years.
I don’t regret my career path, as there were times I loved it…but I just knew deep down it wasn’t the right fit & I didn’t want to do it forever.

Carpenter, or furniture maker...or even tree surgeon. Basically, something that involved working with beautiful wood and fabulous tools and ideally a chainsaw

Instead I'm in consulting

Midwife

Do you know that you have to retrain in order to do something else?

I know a lot of people who have made big career changes without having to retrain (and others who spent a lot of money on retraining only to find they didn't enjoy the work at the end).

Could it be worth exploring new careers without thinking about a Masters until you know it's necessary?

@doyoulikemyyams Im trying to future proof myself.

I’ve got postgrad diplomas in Employment Law and Strategic Management. I could go MBA or MA in Law or even Operational Management.