Job hunting with min experience + aged over 40

[autumnreset]

What would be your first stop when looking for new employment, if you have been looking after children and only have had a small craft business for many years?

I feel so out of touch of the job market. The last time I was applying I was spending hours filling in/ sending applications for ads on websites like totaljobs, and I was not getting any replies.

Please share how did your land your entry level jobs (especially if you got them recently and/or at age 40+).

Many thanks

Running a business, even a small one, generally has transferable skills: basic book-keeping, admin and record keeping; marketing; customer-facing skills if you sold at craft fairs or fetes etc. Have you made enough of that in your CV and applications? Entry level admin jobs for example aren’t hugely complex, employers mostly want to see that you understand prioritisation, document management, can use the main Microsoft programmes fairly competently.

Can you ask somebody to look over your CV and some past applications to see where you need to focus? That’s where I’d start.

You could get work as a carer with the elderly. Then maybe onto working in the office organisational/admin side if the client side isn't for you.

Alternatively you could volunteer for a while in the charity sector, which may open doors.

Do you have any interests?

Thank you both.

I'm not sure who I can ask to go through my cv but it is undoubtedly good advice - thank you.
I'm also keeping an eye on local volunteering positions.

I've only been selling on Etsy.

Pre dc I had an office job and had strong IT skills (not sure if I'm a bit out of date now).
I have two BA degrees - again, not sure how relevant they still would be.

I'm quite good at learning and would be happy to retrain (if affordable).

2 separate issues really, one is getting back to work, the other is what do you actually want to do?

I was a SAHM for years. Went back into the workplace as a carer in a care home at 45, hard work but also ‘easy’ to get into. Gets something on the cv.
There was potential to train up within the care sector but that wasn’t something I wanted.

What I decided I wanted was to work towards becoming a paramedic. So I looked at the entry level roles in the ambulance service. With my care work on my cv, that helped with working with the elderly for eg.
Started as an Emergency Care Assistant (ECA) last year at 47. Starting the training to move up to emt next year, will be 50 during the course.

but, you need to decide what kind of job you want, mobile/static, people/not front facing, etc. then work out the steps to get there. Break it down into achievable sections. And good luck!

Thank you @LivingInaBuiltSite
You sound like you're doing amazingly- good luck!

Very good points and lots of things to consider.