Re-training VERY late in life

[IamAporcupine]

I work in medical research as a SRA. It is supposed to be a great rewarding and chanllenging job, but I am starting to come to terms with the fact that I do not really enjoy academia. I am tired of feeling not good enough for the field and judged for lacking drive.

I am starting to think I should change jobs or even re-train.
I am 50.
I think I might be slightly delusional
I blame menopause

Where and how do I start?!

What do you want to do as work, instead? In 12-15 years you'll be 12-15 years older anyway. May as well enjoy those 12-15 years.

www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jul/04/re-educated-by-lucy-kellaway-review-straight-to-the-top-of-the-class

I don't know what you want to do, so can't really help on that front, but this book may inspire you.

I am not retraining at just over 50 but I have set myself some goals and new skills to try within academia and outside as well, and I feel a lot chirpier.

Good luck- what do you think you might try? What are the parameters for money/time/location?

Retrain to be a food inspector? One year course, 2 days a week, fees are about £6k and great job prospects at the end of it. 2 courses offered, Coventry and Bham.

One of my friends has just done it (at Coventry) and loved it. Apparently you can start tomorrow if you get your act together (another friend of hers has just enquired and they're accepting late admissions for the rest of the week). Can you tell she loved it?

I've just looked it up. It's called the certHe in food control.

They have apprenticeships for adults.
www.bestapprenticeships.com/adult-apprenticeships/

Thanks everyone!

I am not sure if I will really go ahead with this, but the ideas so far are:

• become a Scientific Writer/Editor
• re-train as a teacher
• dedicate to the Arts (?!)

@JuneOsborne - hmm not sure about food inspector...but thanks!
@OnwardsAndSideways1 - looks interesting! I will have a look

I finished my NHS HCP degree at 46, (now past 60) as we are now expected to work far longer you definitely have time to retrain. Life's too short to be bored at work!

Why not explore moving into university professional services? Research support etc.

I retrained at 54 for a more challenging post. I love it. Depending on what you want to retrain for, 50 is not too old.

@qudylogra - I guess that would be an option but they have such a bad reputation! Every researcher I know hates PS...

@AllTheSunshine - can I ask you what you did?

I guess that would be an option but they have such a bad reputation! Every researcher I know hates PS...

I think that says a lot more about academics than it does about PS staff.

Oh, interesting …

D’you mind if I cross reference you with this thread:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/site_stuff/4327788-Is-there-a-specific-Mature-Study-Retraining-board?msgid=110096218

Is it the university environment that's the issue rather than the job? It sounds like you don't enjoy the environment rather than the work. Could you go into industry?

[quote IamAporcupine]@qudylogra - I guess that would be an option but they have such a bad reputation! Every researcher I know hates PS...

@AllTheSunshine - can I ask you what you did?[/quote]
Disappointed to hear that as I know how hard research support staff work. :(

[quote IamAporcupine]@qudylogra - I guess that would be an option but they have such a bad reputation! Every researcher I know hates PS...

@AllTheSunshine - can I ask you what you did?[/quote]
I think that might vary from university to university, academics at my institution revere PS staff, particularly the research support team. They are fabulous!

Pharma and related consultancies are crying out for good medical writers and the like at the moment - can't recruit fast enough. If you're decent at writing for a range of audiences, have a good eye for detail and can interpret, critique and write scientific literature they'll bite your hand off.

@tinierclanger, @GCAcademic

You are probably right, and I have to apologise - my comment sounded very rude.

[quote Edmontine]Oh, interesting …

D’you mind if I cross reference you with this thread:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/site_stuff/4327788-Is-there-a-specific-Mature-Study-Retraining-board?msgid=110096218[/quote]
Many thanks for this - I will have a look now!

@SpikeDearheart

Pharma and related consultancies are crying out for good medical writers and the like at the moment - can't recruit fast enough. If you're decent at writing for a range of audiences, have a good eye for detail and can interpret, critique and write scientific literature they'll bite your hand off.

As you can probably tell English is not my first language, but I still think I am a decent scientific/medical writer. I struggle a bit more with a blank page but I am very good at editing. And I really enjoy it actually

I think I should ry this

Your English seems flawless to me, I never would have known that it was not your first language!

I agree with FeelingBored, I couldn't tell that English isn't your first language and the nature of my job means I'm usually pretty sensitive to that!

My advice would be get yourself on LinkedIn and start following some of the consultancies, then you'll get to see who is hiring and make further connections. Just looking at my network, some names I'd suggest are IQVIA, Costello Medical, Oxford PharmaGenesis, OPENHealth/Pharmerit, HEOR Ltd, Decision Resources Group, Envision Pharma, Evidera, Cytel, Alchemy, Helios, Amiculum, Axon, BresMed.

Thanks @FeelingBored, and wow @SpikeDearheart that's extremely helpful, thank you!

You're welcome. Don't be put off by company location, many are now welcoming fully remote working. Freelancing is also an option but I think that's hard to do without at least a couple of years in-house work first tbh. It's also worth checking out the MedComms Networking group, they have really useful webinars and publications.

Thanks again @SpikeDearheart. Yes I am hoping for fully remote working.

Now I have no option but to spend some proper time on this!

Hi OP, I'm just wondering whether you made any progress with investigating becoming a scientific writer/editor?

I'm in a similar situation I think, I worked in academia as a named researcher on a programme grant for a number of years and now working as a research scientist in a small biotech company. I'm mid-50s and similarly menopausal and feeling as though I don't fit in so well as the company grows and becomes full of younger, more ambitious people.

I would love to work remotely and not have to face a gruelling daily commute to the lab so wondering whether medical/scientific writing would fit the bill.

@SpikeDearheart you say that pharma companies are looking to recruit people who can write but I'm not sure if I have the necessary background/skills? I have lots of first author papers but not much experience of writing for a lay audience. I've looked at some of the companies you've mentioned but still not sure if I'm what they're looking for. Sorry if I should have started my own thread rather than hijacking this one!

@justmeand2DC - no I haven't yet!
I need to sit down and look into it properly but I am going through a difficult situation at home and have no energy left.

We seem to be in very similar positions - let me know how you get on!