Finding a new (significantly better paid) job or total career change at 50.

[Mymadworld]

I enjoy my job, it's rewarding, the role is flexible & pretty much remote unless I want to go in, my colleagues are lovely but for a graduate with nearly 30 years working experience, the pay is seriously shit - £27k FT and I live in an expensive part of the SE & earnt more in my 20's than I do now.

It's not much more than entry level and bar a couple of burnt-out teachers having a career change, it's mainly youngsters at the start of their career or passionate about the cause. I could do the job in 3 days but just spread it over 5 & after 3 years here, I've got lazy & complacent and it's neither challenging nor stimulating. I'm actually quite embarrassed saying that out loud but it's suited me well whilst I navigated DC through GCSE's & A-levels & struggled through a fog of pretty awful peri-menopause.

I feel like I'm coming out the other side and need to move. Either a proper jump up the career ladder (although I don't seem to be qualified for any more senior roles) or get out of the poorly paid charitable sector altogether and find a more lucrative career. I've got another 15 years of working life and can afford a few months possibly out for training but can easily fit something alongside my current role but couldn't do a long year + FT course so clearly limited in my options! Slightly frustrating in that this is a new career for me that I almost fell into me when I need to get out of the cut-throat world of travelling sales so bit loathe to leave the sector, but can't keep earning less per hour than my 18 year old son! I would never go back to sales, but can see this job just isn't enough anymore.
Anyone done this with success at 50+? Is it bonkers to give up the world's easiest job ? And any practical career / job suggestions very welcome 😁

You want the

Mature Study and Retraining board

You should find plenty of ideas, inspiration, experiences of the challenges involved …

Try thr civil service. They have plenty of roles that night be suitable that pay better?

Thanks @ANagsHead that retraining board is really useful.

I've been looking at CS but read some of the job descriptions and just struggling to see how I'm qualified for anything! I'm also hoping for no more than 2 days in the office so unless it's one of the rare remote roles, it doesn't sound likely.

Try sales adjacent roles like customer success. Those roles need commercial acumen and relationship building skills.

What is your role specifically? That will help us think laterally.

The civil service are all about transferable skills, and a lot of jobs are hybrid working now. Don't be afraid to apply for jobs that you don't think you're qualified for! Nothing to lose.

Also come over to the job hunters lounge where lots of us are in similar positions.

I have a history degree then spent my first 3 years in PR/Comms before chasing the money - c.15 years in field sales. Had DC worked PT as a childminder for 10 years and am now working for a charity in a role that is about 50% project admin and the rest spread across volunteer management, community engagement & grants admin.

@Iamblossom will look at customer success thank you as I'm definitely a people person.

My background is sales and I am in CS, the skills are very transferable. Happy if you want to PM me

The civil service is now hybrid, but you have to spend 60 per cent time in the office and the rest you can work from home. There are plenty of roles where you can use transferable skills. And if you don't mind retraining, there are programmes like civil service fast stream where you can train for about 3 years, I think, at about 34k salary if I am not mistaken. So it could be worth a look.