To pack in my stable/flexible job that I enjoy

[RollerCola]

To re-train for a completely different career?

I'm 37 with 2 dcs 9&5 and married. I have a 2.2 degree and have worked in various aspects of finance within 5 diff companies over the last 16yrs. The last 9 yrs have been part time and i now do 4 days per week. I have a good knowledge in this area and quite a lot of experience now.

I've reached a point where I'd really like to further my career so the obvious path to take would be in finance again, maybe moving up the ladder within another new co, taking professional exams etc.

But I have a niggling ambition to study law and move into the legal profession. It's not based on anything in particular other than really enjoying the few modules of law I've studied in the past (not much), and the bit of litigation work I've done in my current job (again not much but I love it)

I have this romantic notion that I could re-train, find I'm brilliant and get excellent results, waltz into a training contract and a couple of years later be a fully-fledged solicitor doing satisfying, worthwhile work rather than number-crunching all day.

In reality I know a) it would cost a fortune b) training contracts are like gold-dust and perm jobs even more so, especially with little experience c) it's ridiculously hard work, long day, little flexibility ie the opposite of my current job.

I did look into it last year but changed my mind due to all of the above but it's still niggling away at me. There are loads of things against me (not great degree, no real experience, age) yet I'm telling myself that my work and 'life' experiences would count and my determination would get me there.

I'd happily do anything to get experience and I'm certainly not expecting to walk into anything with great pay for ages.

Oh and dh works for himself and earns v little, so no chance of him supporting us while I trained.

Now I've written it down it sounds ridiculous doesn't it? :-(

Has anyone done anything remotely like this and had a happy ending?

I'm afraid it is that harsh in many training contract application systems - a 2.2 means a CV wouldn't make it past the first cut by HR.

Also, bear in mind that particularly in the early years, hours can be very unpredictable. How would an unstable finishing time work for your family life. What would happen if you needed to work all night one night? Unfortunately, it is the case that the manner of working for the less experienced lawyers is really designed for grads with few commitments. That's not to say I would want to put you off on this ground alone, but it is something to think about.

There was an AIBU thread with a very similar OP a few months ago, on which the replies got into the hundreds. It might be worth looking for that as I recall that lots of practising lawyers posted on it with helpful advice.

sunshine your reply is interesting and has made me question what it is exactly that I want. I do feel that I'm not fulfilling my potential but I've deliberately put it on hold while my children are small.

Ideally I'd like to get a more interesting job and become more successful (and make more money) but I don't want to do it until I know I have more time to commit and my children are a little bit older.

I think changing profession completely is a bit unrealistic and as you say, do I know for sure that is what I want to do? If it was easier to change I'd give it a go but I honestly didn't realise how difficult it would be to get into. Reading the replies on here has brought me back to earth.

I do want to progress which will still probably mean leaving my current job as there aren't likely to be many openings in the next few years. I just hope I can find something different enough within finance for which I can make use of my current experience.

I have a couple of friends who work in corporate law and the amount of hours they work is crazy, one moved to a more family friendly firm as he has two small children but still works about 70+ hours a week and regularly has to pull all nighters. He is never able to go to school parents evenings, plays etc and normally has to be contactable 24/7 even on holiday. Does work for a top firm and is v well paid but sounds awful to me.

Agree there are too many law degrees currently and where you do your degree and what grade you get is very important. If you enjoy your job but fancy doing some law modules I'd keep your job and do some OU stuff. I enjoy studying and now and then do a course in something a bit different to stretch my brain a bit.

With your finance background, could you do an executive mba and move into business?

Agree with others, there are too many graduates of law and not enough training contracts so the companies can afford to be fussy.

Is teaching an option?

'Agree with others, there are too many graduates of law and not enough training contracts so the companies can afford to be fussy.

Is teaching an option?'

Did you mean that to be as insulting to teachers as it sounds?
Many areas of teaching are overcrowded, most PGCE courses require at least a 2:1 and all but the most challenging schools can afford to be fussy.
I also doubt that teaching is anything like the law career that the OP is dreaming of.
Why not suggest the police force? Or something that requires a love and knowledge of the law?

What about moving to one of the regulatory bodies?

I work in finance but not in the UK, but I would imagine there would be ways they could use your experience - poachers making the best gamekeepers and all that.

I think I'd look more at careers that have spun off from finance. Corporate governance type roles would certainly be worth exploring, company secretaries, auditors and risk managers come to mind. All would need more training (audit might not - most of the auditors I know are qualified accountants rather than qualified auditors) but as its mostly professional training it's the sort of thing you can do through distance learning or evening courses (e.g. I took some company secretary courses at London Met).

But the OP has considered that.

'I've reached a point where I'd really like to further my career so the obvious path to take would be in finance again, maybe moving up the ladder within another new co, taking professional exams etc.'

She wants to follow her dream!
The Law.

Just an option but if you did a part-time undergraduate law degree (rather than the GDL) and got a 1st in that I think (and can't promise) that would wipe out your 2.2. Probably work out cheaper as well.

However, what are your a-levels like? That might mean you don't get past the application stage either.

As others have said, go into it to avoid saying 'what if' i.e. be prepared to come out at the end without a training contract and have 'wasted' your money.

You will most probably (and sorry to be mean) end up doing either a paralegal job for a law firm or your current job. I'm retraining in law at the moment. I have options but am well aware that I might not get a TC. It's harder for mature entrants as there's a perception they are unmouldable and unable to start again from the bottom (because it is difficult to accept starting again from the bottom). I reckon at least 80% of the people on my current course will not get a training contract. That's the LPC for 12k down the drain. Everyone thinks they'll make it :)

But bur but: there is no need whatsoever to give up your current job. If you can't manage a part-time course on top of your current job then you certainly won't be able to manage the hours corporate law requires.

but but but not but bur but!

Lol thanks dustinthewind I have a dream of breezing into court with my gown billowing about, putting clever but witty proposals to the jury, making the perpetrators squirm at my cutting accusals, while the wronged leave with a high head knowing that justice has finally been done

It's all John Grisham's fault. If only I'd never read The Client

Back in the real world, maybe audit would be a good place to start. We've actually had incidents at my current work that wouldn't have happened if we'd had a good audit system in place so perhaps I should suggest some changes in that area.

bedubabe you see I wouldn't mind at all getting a para-legal job as I'd just see it as more experience but in the 'right' field. I guess I could do that, and once I had my foot in the door start training and move up from there? Still too hard to get into? Probably.

Sorry RollerCola - you'll almost definately need the legal training to get the paralegal job in the first place. They're hotly contested as well.

Putting aside the John Grisham, why do you want to be a lawyer? There's a lot of misconceptions about what lawyers do. The junior levels of law (partic corporate law) is an awful lot of time checking commas are in the right place and being generally anally retentive :)

Sorry the John Grisham ref was tongue in cheek, I know it's nothing like that. I want to be a lawyer because I like the thought of making sure things are done correctly, by the book, within the law. I am anally retentive in my current work and in my life. I want to stop fraudsters, I want to stop people fiddling, I want to ensure that rewards are gained for honesty and hard work, not for fraud and dishonesty.

I know it's a pipe dream but having read your replies I think there's a way I can satisfy some of the above by staying in finance so I'm going to focus my attentions there and start looking what's out there. Then I wouldn't have to completely retrain and start at the bottom.

I realised it was tongue in cheek :) From what you say you want and audit function is likely to be better. Whilst there is some of the law that stops the fiddling (not sure exactly what discipline to be honest) there would be a lot more opportunities to do something along those lines in audit.

RollerCola this thread is really interesting as I'm thinking exactly the same thing at the moment - that I want to retrain as a solicitor - but am having all the same doubts. I'm in a slightly different situation to you but like you, I'm worried about the lack of training contracts that seem to be available. I have a lot of friends who are lawyers but they all started straight from uni when there was seemingly rather less competition.

Have you looked into qualifying via the ILEX route? That's what I'm investigating at the moment. It seems like it might be a better option money-wise as you don't have to get a training contract - you do the first stages and then you can work in a qualifying job for two years and then qualify. I realise that finding a 'qualifying job' is probably still fairly difficult, but it's another route that might be worth looking into?

I like Zonkedout's idea of an OU in law, if you can afford it.
A friend of mine who works in insurance law, and has 3 DCs, finds it difficult to achieve a good work /life balance and that's based on working 3 days a week, so you might want to think about that, as it sounds as if you have a good balance at the moment.
I wish you all the best in whatever you decide. Let us know how you get on.

I would go for Company Secretary qualifications - has aspects of law, finance and corporate governance - the chartered body is ICSA at www.icsa.org.uk. You can do this by distance learning - Campbell's college are highly regarded, and you may be exempt from the first modules with your degree.

Hi, I'm a solicitor and it is seriously tough at the minute to get a training contract. Also, I do litigation which is (sometimes) a lot of fun, but I am SERIOUSLY jealous of the in-house bods who instruct me. They have a much better work-life balance and mostly all leave the office at 5:30pm, happy in the knowledge that I am slaving away to get the docs to them by 9am the next morning!!

Why not look instead at getting a "legal" post in your current company? This could involve compliance work, or instructing external counsel on litigious matters. That way you get to be involved in litigation but be in charge and boss all of us solicitors around! Sounds like a good way forward if you can wangle it with your current employer.

Also, don't be too envious of a solicitor's life - the hours are generally crap and some of the work is mind-numbingly tedious. Law firms are also ultra conservative places to work (they pretend not to be, but they are) which you might be find a real bind after 16 years in finance.

Best of luck.

there was a huge long thread about this recently (sorry can't find it), where there was loads of advice from solicitors to say don't do it. if you don't have a good degree or experience your chances of getting a training contract are next to nil. and even then they're pretty slim.

You completely misunderstood Dust. Lots of my friends are teachers and it is my understanding from previous stories I have read that there is a teacher shortage.

I presume you are suggesting a desk job in the Police and not actually as a Policewoman (as this is very different to what the OP would initially like to do). Consequently I cannot imagine the pay being very good at all. The most likely situation the OP would end up with would be at best a paralegal/assistant position due to the amount of people studying law and the economic climate (depending on which area of law she chooses).

I merely made a suggestion as an alternative because the OP already has a degree. I have a friend who got a 2:2 and is Head of Department, some people are better face to face.

My suggestion was nothing more sinister than that

Thanks for the suggestion but teaching isn't something I'd be interested in. Any I'm not sure there is a teacher shortage is there? Well not from what I hear from my teacher friends anyway.

Sorry, didn't mean that to sound flippant, but I don't think I have the right temperament for teaching at all. I'm far too grumpy!