If you could retrain in anything now, what would you choose?

[HelloGreen]

A friend’s just announced she’s starting a social work degree (at the age of 48) in the autumn and it’s got me thinking.

If you could choose a completely different career path to the one you have now, or just tweak it slightly, what would you retrain in?

Art therapy.

Id like to become a detective, but in this fictional reality, I wouldnt have to do the years on the beat beforehand 😆

I do have plans to become a full time potter / ceramicist.

Educational Psychologist. Not enough of them in my area and kids are suffering as a result.

Something renewable energy related.

Not because I’m interested in it, but there are lots of jobs/money in it where I live.

Art Historian or exhibition curator.

Think you can do it direct now!

A literary translator probably. But actually I find it hard to imagine doing anything other than what I do. I've been a teacher for 30 years and decided on my career when I was 12! Lord knows teaching has its problems, but basically it's who I am. I'm too old to change!

About to retrain in hair and beauty in mid 30s

I’d love to be a historian- I suppose I’m lucky in that I can study ( ie read things I like) in my spare time

I’m a physio with 30 years of experience - if I had to choose another career I would follow my ‘real’ childhood ambition of studying medicine.

Disclaimer: I love my job, it’s definitely my passion but would really enjoy the further scope of practice, depth of knowledge and better pay that being a doctor brings.

Current physio here - definitely not a good idea to retrain as one of us at the moment! There are simply no NHS jobs due to massive recruitment freezes and 1000s of new graduates are going unemployed. My own DD was planning on following in my footsteps but has been put off by this and the low pay. Band 5s start at £24k which definitely isn’t enough to live off these days.

Band 5s start at £31,049 these days!

Cultural historian or the person who predicts trends for retailers ( not sure what they would be called )

Anything NHS I’d stay away from currently, the recruitment freezes are in most departments.

Is Sonography a whole new degree or a top up? Well done btw! I've pondered over Midwifery but I have spinal issues - do you think it's realistic?

I did retrain as a speech therapist. Great decision.

Like most people who’ve watched Cause of Death, I imagine another life as a coroner.

does your local hospital ophthalmology dept see paeds? If so they should have a paeds nurse on the team. If a job comes up just apply for it. I'm a paeds nurse too and have worked in theatres, dermatology, a&e and as a practice nurse, where I see more adults than kids. It's much much easier for us to work in adults than adult nurses to see kids, most adult nurses are totally freaked out by them!
dont let being a paeds nurse limit the areas you work in.