Career change / second degree at 40

[Ansjovis]

I think it's finally time to face that I don't want to be in my current line of work any more. I went into this area because people told me who I was and I believed them, to cut a long story short. I've had dreams of doing a second degree and retraining to work in the healthcare sector for a while now but I'm turning 40 soon and I think it has hit me that if I don't do it now I never will.

Has anyone done something similar? Am I mad for considering it?

Yes, I qualified as a teacher age 43 after returning to college to complete my PGCE.

Have a look at the Mature Study and Retraining thread.

you’re not mad at all! Do it! You’ve got a long working life left and if you are able to you should find something you really love
have you got any ideas what you’d like to do?

I started retraining around 40, I went to work in the mental health sector. It wasn’t easy juggling life but has definitely been worth it so far!

I retrained at age 50. You are a mere young thing - the world is your oyster!

I'm currently in FinTech (absolutely hate it - both the ageism and sexism are getting harder and harder to ignore) and I feel called towards children's nursing. I have over a decade of experience volunteering with children, including children with life limiting and terminal diagnoses, and I'm hoping that this might outweigh my first degree being in a completely different subject and my lack of recent study history.

@Ansjovisit sounds like you have some really valuable experience

You could also consider allied health professionals working with children e.g. occupational therapists / speech and language therapists

Have you checked out any courses?