wanting to retrain?

[stilldazed]

I am about to be made redundant and was obviously upset, shocked, feeling a bit rejected but after being with the company for 16 years i am getting a good package - 3 years salary.

This means I can retrain, I want to do something different (previously worked in insurance, dull as dish water but paid well) I am looking for a job that is interesting, sociable and family friendly does it exist??

If you could retrain for the ultimate interesting, family friendly job,what would it be......

I would love to retrain as a social worker or a teacher. Anything to escape from law! Have you considered either of those? Although teaching obviously doesn't end when the final bell rings, you could always take your marking and lesson plans home with you on nights there were no meetings etc to allow you to be around for the family if they needed you?

Teaching.

Absolutely had not realised how family friendly it was until I had my boy and have met other new mums. In contrast to them:

• I can leave work at 3.00 and do my prep after he has gone to bed, which means I get to spend some of each afternoon with him.
• I get school holidays, which means that I get long periods of time to spend with him each year
• It is a largely female profession, so people are really understanding about childcare. Nobody has flinched at my asking to go parttime. And, the logistics of what I can actually do in my 'part time' role are easier too- we just split some of the classes between two teachers and then teach different modules each
• Having children is of benefit to my career as I now understand the parents better
• It's a very interesting job. Every day something happens which is so funny that you either have to pretend you're not laughing (if in front of the kids), or you have endless funny stories to tell in the staffroom. Fulfilled? Sometimes I'm so fulfilled that I lock myself in the office because any more would make me emotional.

Downside:

• it's not a particularly respected profession. I constantly find people look down on me a bit (they pretend they don't, but they do).
• it is enormously stressful and emotionally exhausting.

Or you could try childminding?

I'm doing that! Been made redundant and going back to school. I'm doing my access to humanities and then onto University. I would like to work in Journalism or teaching. Journalism would be good if I could go freelance.

Good luck!

thanks for your post Tortu it's seems really balanced.

I've been thinking about teaching on and off for years. I don't have a degree so it would be 4 years...but then I suppose there is no rush.