How did you find a better job, inspire me? Or any advice

[theJackofHearts]

I'm in my early 40s. . I've had a lot of bad luck career wise (worked for two companies that liquidated, been bullied out of various positions) and just never got my career off the ground properly. I've got a small business that does well but I'm totally jaded to be earning less than half of some of my peers.

I'm a qualified counsellor,I have a master's degree, L3 teaching qualification, tutoring experience, worked for the police for a while, good typist, decent with technology,good work ethic. Currently work for an Eap but the company ethos is just awful. I really need to get out and do something better but I just dont know what to do next. And of course the job market is unstable and dire at the moment.

Has anyone been in a similar position and found a good career? I cant afford to retrain nor do I want to really given I've already done that once to become a counsellor. I loved tutoring and would like to work doing something that uses my brain properly again but I feel totally stuck and demotivated currently!

Do as much free training as you can
volunteer in your field as a mentor or similar so you can up skill
Update your CV and get yourself on LinkedIn and look for opportunities - there’s bound to be networks in your field that will be helpful
register with loads of job sites and be proactive
nothing will fall in your lap
good luck!

I probably do need to update my C.V. I am on linked in, my field is sociology but I have been inactive in that for so long that I have probably lost all relevance. I'd like to lecture it but I know that's damn hard to get into (I last did it in 2008!), I will keep applying. I currently tutor one weekend a month for a counselling company so that is helpful for CPD etc but it just isn't enough to give up my day job obviously. Thank you so much for replying, feeling very jaded at the moment (and very unappreciated/underpaid in my current role which is difficult when I worked so hard to get the qualifications I have).

Would you consider some career coaching to help you gain some clarity over what direction you want to head in? I can be really useful to get an outside perspective. It does sound like you have lots of experience & transferable skills. Good luck.

Thank you, career coaching isn't a bad idea-I think I can get that through my current work too.