A year to get ready for work.

[frecklejuice]

I'm 45 have two kids (15 & 10) and haven't worked properly since 2008. I had my first baby then we intended to have another one pretty quickly so as I wasn't exactly in an amazing career (social services admin) we decided I wouldn't go back as childcare would take most of my salary. Secondary infertility hit and it took 4.5 years to fall pregnant again but I did love that time with my first.

I ended up in 2017 working in my daughter's preschool for 18 months but since then I haven't done anything and I also developed debilitating anxiety.

Fast forward to now and my anxiety is under control but the thought of going back to work makes me feel sick! My youngest is going into year 6 so I'm giving myself a year to prepare to go back to work but I feel like I should do something with this year to prepare. I don't have any real qualifications, no degree or anything and to be honest I'm just going to be looking for an admin type job but I haven't worked in Admin for nearly 16 years!

If you were me would you try and do some courses over the next year? Will they help? Am I even going to be employable after all this time being at home?

I need to go back to work for my own sanity but I'm so nervous. Help!

Now is the perfect time to look at courses that start in September.
there are some initiatives as well that mean you may get them for free especially as you’re returning to work after a big gap.

Maybe look at an IT course, bookkeeping etc,

Admin may seem a lot different now especially as most places are paperless now.
The routine of a course will also help you get back into the working mindset!

Why don’t you do some courses and some volunteering. That would give you some work experience and you see if you enjoy the type of work. There are lots of free online courses offered that give you work relevant qualifications. They are funded by the government. See if there is anything you would be interested in.

It is hard without recent experience. I recommend finding a voluntary position this year so that next year you have that “recent experience”.

16 years out of work means you will definitely need to refresh your IT skills. I would enrol on some general admin type courses and maybe some basic bookkeeping. I would then try to find some volunteering role where you can use these skills.

I second volunteering because that often comes with training, that may give you transferable skills.

I became a school governor and when I went back to work after 15 years of being a SAHM, I had a list of training certificates as long as your arm and got the first job I applied for.

There are quite a few volunteer admin jobs OP. I have a retired friend who works for the NHS in the office of an intermediate care centre one day a week. She does phones, filing, record keeping etc.
Have a look on your local authority website for volunteering opportunities.
Doing this for a few months would get you back into the swing of working without the pressure of a paid position. It will also get you a reference and recent experience for your CV when you do feel able to apply for something more permanent.

Completely agree with this approach. I hadn’t worked for 15 years due to caring commitments. However I volunteered during that time as a school governor and fundraising for a school charity, The amount of transferable skills
you get in that time is huge, it will build your confidence too.
I also got the first job I applied for - it was the first one I had wanted to do too, not just a random one.
Reach2 volunteering is really good. Maybe also try Governors For Schools.

Thanks so much everyone and also for no judgement on the not working for so long (it's actually embarrassing).

No idea why I didn't think of volunteering but that would be great and also no pressure to be amazing at what I do.

I love the idea of the NHS admin volunteering so will definitely have a look at that.

I swear I used to be a confident human being but now I'm just a nervous wreck and am trying hard to imagine being of benefit to anyone in a working capacity.

Going to look at the government funded courses to see if I'm eligible for any of those, that would be a great help and look on the volunteer website @MegsNaiceJam mentioned.

Don't sell yourself short. You have had two children, organised a household, budgeting etc, you will already have a lot of skills.

Why not apply for a few admin jobs and see how you get on? If you don't get the job at least you'll have got some experience of interviews.

Glad to hear you're going to look into volunteering. After a break I did data entry admin in a vaccination centre (obviously during the pandemic) and that experience got me an admin job.

I also volunteered in a foodbank and ended up loving it so much I've stayed there for 3 years, in the actual foodbank not admin, and it gives me lots to talk about at job interviews.

Good luck!

Well done for thinking ahead & working out how to tackle this @frecklejuice
Volunteering in the NHS or a related charity (like Macmillan) could actually lead to a paid post. I'm sure they will snap your hand off, OP. Look at areas that you have an interest in and contact them.
There seems to be so many free online courses available now too.
Good luck.

IT and office skills course is essential unless you want to work in retail.

Volunteering is a great idea.

I've just employed someone who hasn't "worked" for fifteen years but in the last 18 months she did volunteer work helping a charity with admin.
It was clear she had all the skills that were needed and those who she had worked with in the charity couldn't praise her enough for her positive attitude and willingness to learn.