To believe 24 is hardly too old to get into a new career?

[Bunraku]

In the past few years I have become interested in the human body, regarding how and why people die and the different ways in which it can happen.

I spent my younger days badly asI thought I wanted to work in IT but I actually hated it. I moved on to care work which I enjoyed but I stopped after becoming pg and never went back because the pay was not worth returning for with childcare expenses.

I have since decided that I would like to become a Anatomical Pathology Technician but I have no idea what sorts of qualifications I need or where to start really. Everyone I have spoken to has either indicate that they think there is something wrong with me for wanting to work in a morgue, and others have told me that it is too late for me to acquire the required qualifications because I should have decided this at school.

So aibu to think that being 24 does not mean I am too old and to think that there is nothing wrong, or weird about the path I want to follow?

And finally, would anybody be able to point me in the right direction?

Who decides they want to do that line of work while they're still at school?! Good for you. I still haven't decided what I want to do when I'm a grown up and I'm in my mid late 30s.

No, it's not at all old. I was in my early 30s when I left IT to do something different.

This idea that you decide your future career at age 16 and then go on to do same job until you retire is pretty outdated.

I'm mid-30s and have several friends who are in process of retraining - midwifery & teaching mainly.

24 is so young in career terms! Enjoy yr course

DH completely changed careers at 37.
If things were different financially I would have liked to have done something else too at the same age but it was easier for him and I wasn't sure I still had the commitment to study etc with DCs so made the choice to support his aims.
You are but a baby so go for it.
Can't help with route but surely Mr Google will assist.

I started working in a different career area at 48 and completed my counselling diploma at well gone 50. I took on a new job role 18 months ago and am on the verge of completing my career counselling diploma.

Of course you aren't too old. Find out where your nearest National Careers Service advice centre is and get some advice - its free.

I am 49 and retrained as a teacher last year. Now working in my new career and never been happier. 24 is a baby by my standards! Go for it!

No way is it too old! If you'd gone to uni & studied to be a vet or dr you'd only just have finished!

No idea how you can get into it though but what an interesting career choice!

Anyone who is telling you that 24 is too old is insane. For my 40th b-day, I went back to school to earn another degree. After his position was made redundant, my husband returned to school to retrain for an entirely new career at 48.

So, tell them to go pound salt, investigate what is available to you and what training is required (and importantly, the career path and forecast demand) and make it happen!

Thanks for all your answers! I am quite able to use google but I was hoping for a personal experience really. I've already seen a lot of material on NHS sites etc. I was just looking to see anybody had a journey different to the canned responses on the NHS site so I disagree with "poor initiative" as I am trying to get as much information from as many places as possible to make an informed decision on whether this is as right for me as I feel it is. But thank you all for your words :)

And I'm mighty glad to hear that there are more opportunities in life to choose a career aside from the choice made at 16!