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?

There are high vacancy rates in SLT. Getting a job not likely a problem. Also some apprenticeships available and likely more in future to meet the growing need.

You could go into law, either as a solicitor or barrister, and specialise in labour law - or is that too like what you're doing now?

Alternatively you could do primary teaching with a postgrad, or if your degree subjects are suitable, secondary teaching. I'd do primary if I had it to do again.

Me too but I’m 70!

I really wish I hadn’t gone into teaching. The first decade or so was great, but it’s got steadily more hideous over the last decade and I will be leaving soon, unless a change of government manages to persuade me otherwise.

I wish I’d gone into IT, to be honest. All the people I know now in IT have a great work-life balance, mostly WFH if they want, good pay rises and TOIL if they have to do overtime.

@Jellytotsandwinegums I loved learning law but my daughter is a trainee solicitor so don’t want to mooch into her territory.

Im not a kiddy person so teaching is my worst nightmare 😂 Thanks for the suggestion though.

UX design.

I'd go for instructional design or something like: www.mtu.ie/courses/crhelde9/

I see so many mandatory training courses written by HR staff, so this would make you more employable if you want to stay in HR.

If money didn’t matter, butchery! I find it fascinating.

I'd be a neurosurgeon; I'm so fascinated with the brain!

Pharmacist. I'm job hunting and the most common job ad I see!

Take a look at the available jobs where you'll be moving to and see which course would be most beneficial.

When I was at school and college in the early 80's, we were told that we would be working less and less, so we should prep for all of our future leisure time. As it turned out, we worked longer and harder (hence the advent of the working time directive) but I do now really think AI will change all of that, we will have more free time, so I think how we fill that time will be a growth area, so I'd focus on that for happiness or being a forensic accountant for the money!

Pharmacist for me too! Partly because I know there's a shortage of them, but also I think I've got the sort of skill set that might make me good at it: meticulous, good eye for detail, people skills, numerate.

Thank you so much for the suggestion @Cornishmumofone , that's really interesting!

I'm not sure what I would re-train as but I definitely know that I wouldn't ever be a nurse again! 😖

An accountant!

Yup… same here!!

My god me neither. Was on shift yesterday and off today and sat here close to tears as it was so bad. Been qualified 26 years now and can hand in heart say im done with it.

Psychiatrist. Endlessly fascinating. Can get very well paid.

@OhshutupSandra I know exactly how u feel! Unfortunately I feel that these days it's not really a vocation anymore but just a job. I've been qualified 20 years and just so worn down and fed up. The thing I've found is once you are in the profession its very difficult to get out of 🙄.

@Nap1983 Think there's loads of us feel exactly the same! 🤔

Carbon literacy. I would love to do this.