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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

to try find a new career direction at 43?

20 replies

EnoughAlready43 · 10/10/2016 17:15

Posting here for traffic.

I retrained as a teacher a few years ago. It's the wrong job for me.
I can last this year but after that, I honestly cannot do this anymore. I'm not in the UK. It actually makes no difference where I am because I simply do not want to lead and teach classes to children anymore. I have lost interest. I chose the wrong job.

Could anyone please give me advice on jobs they went into after teaching?
Thanks.

OP posts:
VladmirsPoutine · 10/10/2016 17:19

What was your background prior to this? Might help to shed a bit more light wrt your transferable skills of which there are many in teaching.
Do you speak the language of your current country? if so you could look into writing/translation in the mean time or indeed teaching English privately whilst you find your feet.
That said, don't see it as a downer - I've had quite a few different 'careers' in the course of my life and I always looked to see the good in them.

EnoughAlready43 · 10/10/2016 17:23

I worked in admin.
I wasn't keen on that either but I would definitely prefer it to teaching.

No - I simply do not want to teach anyone ever again in any capacity. I want to get on with my own work and leave everyone else get on with theirs. I do not want to ever supervise anyone's learning again.

I'm in an English speaking country.

OP posts:
Happyinthehazeofadrunkenhour · 10/10/2016 17:37

Worked as a teaching assistant for years..now I'm doing an access to nursing course..same age as you. Loving it too..and not the oldest on the course either..Whoop !

EnoughAlready43 · 10/10/2016 17:40

Nursing is out.
I can barely handle a paper cut.
Thanks though.

OP posts:
VeryBitchyRestingFace · 10/10/2016 17:43

What do you like doing, OP? What subjects were you good at? Would you have the opportunity to access FE/HE where you are?

SoggyBeachDays · 10/10/2016 17:45

Obviously if you hate teaching you can't continue to do it.

It's a tough one though. I'm in a similar position - ditched a well paid and on the face of it good career (which I hated) a few years ago. I've been a SAHM ever since, which wasn't really the plan, but I'm scared to commit to retraining as I'm just not sure I've found what I want to do (and I can't afford to get it wrong again).

Could you book some sessions with a life coach and try to really explore what motivates you? This is my next step I think, in the absence of brainwaves. I suspect mid-late forties is about the cut off point for starting again and really having a good shot at a brand new career.

VladmirsPoutine · 10/10/2016 17:46

Right, let's take stock. Would you be willing to move countries? Do you have dc or a dp?
What in an ideal world would you like to do?

willconcern · 10/10/2016 17:49

I retrained as a solicitor - but I was still in my 20s then.

Could you use your admin skills and teaching skills to work for a company that does something like create/collate resources for schools to access online? Or work in a museum creating resources. Or is that still too close to teaching?

I would also advise seeing a life coach/careers advisor to see what you might like to do.

BewtySkoolDropowt · 10/10/2016 17:51

So what are you keen on? What makes you happy? You really haven't given enough to go on, so some more info about what kind of person you are would help.

TheProblemOfSusan · 10/10/2016 18:00

Can you get careers advice from your last university? A lot of them offer it at reduced price or free for alum (in assuming a degree as you mention teaching).

Also, changing careers is totes reasonable - in the UK you might have 25 ish years to retirement, time for a change!

EnoughAlready43 · 11/10/2016 14:48

Yeah i think i need to see a careers advisor.

OP posts:
mothattack · 11/10/2016 15:34

If you have hte health, I'm going to suggest gardening/ horticulture as an alternative. I can totally relate to not wanting to teach anymore; especially when you said about wanting to get on with your own work and leaving everyone else get on with theirs. I could live without having to give constructive criticism or cajoling/ motivational talks ever again!

Plants are great because they require some care and nuturing but are so peaceful and you can be part of a bigger picture. Perhaps something like that would suit you?

Sancia · 11/10/2016 16:12

Coding! Any good at computers? There are lots of courses around for beginner's introductions to HTML, CSS, Javascript, Ruby and more. From there you might look for more intensive training like a bootcamp, or if you're quite driven, online-learning like Treehouse or Maker's Academy Ronin.

I'm heading for bootcamp next year; this year I still have two full-day workshops to attend plus a conference, and I've done 5 or 6 workshops the past few months. It's been great fun and there are lots of people re-training, from graduates needing a new direction to mid 30s and 40s career-changers. As there's a big drive to get more women into tech, you may find there are discounts and scholarships too.

EBearhug · 11/10/2016 17:20

When you see a careers advisor, it will have been good to have done some preparation.

What initially attracted you to teaching? What did you think it would be like?
Were there any bits you did enjoy? Think about the subject itself, planning, working with children, whatever else.
What has put you off? Bureaucracy, lack of time to yourself, the children, whatever else.

What was it about administration that made you want to leave?
What is it about admin that makes you now feel it's better than teaching?

What things would be important to you in a job? Think about flexible working - hours or ability to work from home, money, responsibility, predictability, commute, autonomy, working with others, working alone, variety, problem-solving, talking to people, planning, decision-making, creativity, processes, using your hands, indoors, outdoors, active, desk-based... and lots more things that go into making up a job.

Focus on things you really don't want, things you really do want, things you just don't know about. Don't think about job titles at this point, but the actual things, tasks you want to do - and really don't want to do. Obviously most of us have to make some compromises to pay for a roof over our heads and food on the table, but if you're doing something which is full of things you hate and none of the things that make you feel good, then the balance is all wrong. And if you're going to talk to a careers advisor, it will help to have identified some of the ways you are out of balance job-wise now.

EBearhug · 11/10/2016 17:23

If coding doesn't appeal, there are loads of other roles in IT. You will definitely have transferable skills, and we need more people entering tech in any case, not just women (though we do need women.)

And it's Ada Lovelace Day today!

Undersmile · 11/10/2016 17:25

What about an education allied profession? Speech and language therapy, data management, counselling, business manager etc?

EnoughAlready43 · 15/10/2016 17:12

Yeah teaching has no redeeming features for me. it's just to earn a crust. that's all.
it's going to put me in an early grave or make me ill if i don't leave soon. the kids are fine but i just hate it. i hate all of it.
i'm going to see a careers adviser. it's the only way out. i'm saving hard to have a cushion so i can get out of it in june.

OP posts:
CauliflowerSqueeze · 15/10/2016 17:15

The problem is that all you have said is what you hate.

Focus on explaining what you enjoy doing and people will be able to come up with suggestions perhaps.

Rosamund1 · 15/10/2016 18:38

I just read an article in the week about a woman who retrained as a scientist in her 40s and in her 60s recently made a breakthrough by inventing a type of rat poison which is not dangerous to humans. Something like 12000 American children attend hospital each year for accidental poisoning with rat pellets (which are normally sweet tasting and brightly coloured) so that is no small feat. What if someone had said to her 'YABU to retain'?

Rosamund1 · 15/10/2016 18:38

Dr Mayers is her name.

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