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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to not know what I want to do? I need career advice!

11 replies

Bogeyface · 09/12/2013 23:01

I just feel like a should know now, at 40, what I want to do!

The only thing I ever wanted to do was act but my parents put the kybosh on it when I was applying to college. They forced me into 6th form and when I got chucked out I thought "Fuck it, I am going to do it anyway" but then I had my son quite young. I was left with the impression from everyone around me that that was it, I couldnt do much now and definitely not acting. Of course I know differently now, but hindsight is not much use!

I have always worked in sales but the pressure was horrendous. I need to retrain. I want to retrain. But doing what?!

I am 40 with a large family, I cant just do vanity projects and see how it goes, it has to be something with a definite future to it. But what? I have talked to my sister about it and she is getting impatient with me, she just says "Pick something and do that!" but she has made a stellar career out of the only thing she ever wanted to do, so easy for her to say!

I am intelligent (no, really! Sometimes I can walk and chew gum :o), empathetic and caring, but sometimes a bit too much, I dont think I would be any good in the caring professions. I love my own kids but other peoples drive me potty so teaching is out! I am very good with numbers but thanks to parents (again) I only have Maths at GCSE because I would obviously have failed maths A Level so was being stupid to consider it Hmm

AIBU to not have a clue?!

OP posts:
Tapiocapearl · 09/12/2013 23:09

You need to spend some time on google finding careers questionnaires. Your personality, interests etc all need to be taken into consideration and there are some very in depth questionnaires about that you may have to pay for?

What about your leading? Lots of history and presenting stuff.

Tapiocapearl · 09/12/2013 23:09

Tour leading - various cities

Tapiocapearl · 09/12/2013 23:10

Working in s theatre?

Bogeyface · 09/12/2013 23:12

I think I would like tour leading but the family situation would make that impossible.

I did do a couple of career questionnaires and they both said I should be a doctor! Not quite sure where that came from but even if I wanted to, that is definitely out, unless I specialised in Geriatrics as I would be one by the time I qualified :o

I have thought about accountancy but it doesnt turn me on, iykwim! Perhaps I should do an Access to HE course so at least I am working towards Uni if thats where I need to go, while I work it out......

Did I mention that decision making is NOT one of my skills?! :o

OP posts:
LoveSewingBee · 09/12/2013 23:13

Theatre workshops for kids, theatre birthday parties, apply for a job at something like Stagecoach (acting classes for kids) or see if you can set up Stagecoach local to where you are. I know you say you think teaching is out, but maybe teaching something you are really interested in would be okay???

Notmadeofrib · 09/12/2013 23:13

Financial Adviser....

Bogeyface · 09/12/2013 23:18

FA's are often just sales people though arent they? I was very good in Sales but the environment was toxic. It was definitely expected that the job came first and I saw more than one woman managed out when she became PG. I hung onto mine in my pregnancy thanks to my excellent figures but resigned three months after going back from ML and got diagnosed with severe PND that was linked to my job. It was horrific. The idea of going back into sales now panics me a bit tbh.

OP posts:
Bogeyface · 09/12/2013 23:22

Just been chatting with myself, as you do :o

And I have realised that I need to focus on getting a skill, a marketable skill as I really dont have one! I cant sell myself as anything apart from an excellent sales woman who has the shivers at the thought of going back into a sales room!

I think thats why I was thinking accountancy. It is a skill, I could sell that either to an employer or to clients if I worked for myself.

OP posts:
Notmadeofrib · 09/12/2013 23:31

No not if you are a well qualified adviser. I'm fee only so I don't sell anything, well except myself. Yes there are 'sales' in certain areas, but I meet with lots of people and never complete a product transaction. I am self employed though - work for a bank and yes it's sales.

I've done 16 professional exams and I'm Chartered so I like to think I have a few skills too.

AAT would be worth a look though if you're thinking accountancy.

EBearhug · 09/12/2013 23:32

Bogey, I'm 41, and I'm still waiting to work out what I want to do when I grow up. And you know, there are loads and loads of us out there, but people tend not to admit it. Not everyone has clear focus and knows what they want to do from before they choose their GCSEs.

It is harder when you're older and have more commitments in life, though, as you've already found with things like tour leading.

Think about the things that attract you to tour leading - is it interacting with lots of people, passing on information and educating people, the history, or...

Stop thinking about job titles and roles for the time being.

What behaviours do you find most satisfying?

What do you really hate doing? Decision making, as a start. Smile
How do you feel about things like helping people, planning, organising, learning new skills, handling money, IT skills, persuading others and so on?
Do you like using maths, writing, practical work or theoretical/conceptual?
How do you feel about manual tasks, like lifting, moving around a lot? Office work, outdoor work?
What practical things do you need out of a job? Presumably you need some stability, because of the family. Full time, part time, office hours, shift work, on-call*? Work from home, single office location, travel in local area, country-wide, international? Team work, working alone, supervising others?

Think about all these things and more, think about all the things you've done in your life - work, family, study, voluntary work, personal projects (e.g. planning a big party, decorating the house) - what things did you find most satisfying, and what things most wound you up?

You should end up with a list of things you really want, and some you really don't, and from this, you should try to build a profile of your ideal job, and then look at which jobs will actually fit that profile, and then you can look at what you need to do to retrain.

  • I've just had a really bad weekend on-call. I don't recommend jobs with on-call just now...
Kafri · 10/12/2013 14:20

Have you thought about going to uni and doing a degree that would give you options at the end of it. So rather than doing midwifery which leads to being a midwife, doing English which could be used across the board.

I'm 30 and just started doing Criminology which is what I always wanted to do and from what previous students have said they've used it to kick start various careers.

Just thinking that you'd be working your way towards your goal without actually needing to know for certain what the end goal is iyswim.

Good luck, I'm finding it a challenge with family life too but the best thing I've done by far!!

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