To ask if you have changed careers in your mid 30s or later in your life?

[judybloomno5]

I am currently on maternity leave and I am considering changing careers.

I am currently in HR where I have worked in a call centre helpdesk environment and its recently been restructured so i feel my job has been downgraded and my skills will disintegrate. I have a good general business degree and I work for my DP part time (its not a business i could go into without us buying a premises which we aim to do but don't currently have the finances for, I just collect his receipts and manage accounts for him).

Have you changed careers at this stage in your life? What did you move to?

@Scottishthreeberry16

Oh I love how you've added content to my quote by using squared brackets . Clearly you know exactly what it [academia] is like!!

I'm 33 and in the process of doing a medical secretarial course, I'm currently a chef. The last few years I've suffered from ill health and can't maintain the physical, fast paced environment of the kitchen anymore. I am currently applying for voluntary redundancy from my current job, I'm a bit scared for the future, more so that I'll be overlooked at interviews due to lack of experience, especially because it's quite expensive to do this course and I'd hate for it to be in vain.

I am literally filling out an application form now as a result of this thread. I've had my eye on the job in question for a while and meet all of the criteria just had a feeling that I'm not good enough! It's a confidence thing.... I have found everybody's posts to be really inspiring! Wish me luck.

X

I would love to retrain but have no idea how people afford it!

Watching with big interest.
How do people find a change in career?
Me and dh both work full time but have three dc and I couldn't afford a pay drop. This is what has stopped me changing career path for 19 years but this year has really made me see I'm getting nothing out of the role anymore.
It's changed beyond belief in my sector of work and has sucked all the fun and creativity out of me
Need something not so wearing on the body (physical job long hours)and something g that I feel rewarding

I would love to be a kennel or rescue hand but I know most of the posts don't come up often and ones that do tend to be volunteering which although I would love,my finances and dh possibly wouldn't

fudging When I transitioned my career the first time I worked and studied. This time, to do an MBA I'm looking at taking a job at the school I want to study at so the tuition is heavily discounted. I'm perfectly happy to complete my MBA on a PT basis while working FT.

I left a career in PR consultancy in my late thirties and am now approaching the final year of my PhD (humanities). I absolutely love it and feel grateful every day. There is such calm and satisfaction in doing what you really want, and I feel very lucky to have found what that is for me.

Apart from that, a benefit that I often think about is being able to show my children that you can (and should!) follow your dreams, not to give up even if it is very hard work etc.

Shamelessly place marking, currently a teacher due to go on mat leave in a few months and having an 'I don't know what I want to do' crisis.

My husband moved from working in finance to retraining has a chiropractor. He has his own clinic now and sets his own hours days. The course was 5 years though and he is still paying the student debts off now, 10 years later. I worked in admin and nearly completed my training to be a Montessori nursery teacher. (This course is distance learning so easy to compleate). Although I have changed my mind now about childcare after having 4 dc myself. Might do something now from the open university....watching thread with interest!

Loving this thread. I'm a teacher and recently did a plastering course...

**I'm the only person that can make me happy so I've got the confidence to finally go out & achieve it

I love this line!

How long does your DP expect it will take till you'l be able to buy a business or premises? It's a positive idea to have something else on the go too for yourself.
Rescerch your ideas and hopefully one will seem like a practical path to take at this time.

Here's to a great and inspiring 2017

My brother did a PGCE at 50 and is now working in a primary school and loves it.

Yes! Did it just over 2 years ago and have never looked back!

Left a civilian shift work role with the police after 12 years which was sucking out my soul and devouring my weekends and my family time to be a kitchen designer!

Right place right time and I've been fully trained and I LOVE it!

Do it do it do it!

I nursed since I was 18 and stopped in 2007 when my lovely mum died . My son was 7 at the time so I worked at his school as admin/secretary. This year I did a 6 months course to return to nursing as I had been away for 7 years or so . tbh it's probably the biggest mistake I made , I loved nursing but feel the changes are just too much in my speciality , responsibility too much and overall it would not be a good move for me 😢 that in itself has taken time to come to terms with and now I don't know what to do . being at home is driving me insane and my confidence is low . any ideas , thanks for listening

totally agree with you , having just left nursing 😢

I was a Primary School Teacher and gave been a sahm for the past 6 years. I've just applied to do a nursing degree and I'm 39.
Writing down 39 has made me realise I'm 39 ffs!

Was an IT engineer for many years, 2 years ago I trained as an hgv driver, best thing I ever did!

Ive always wanted to be a social worker...im 36 have a 2:1 degree in social science but never felt good enough to even apply for a course. Been stuck in the same admin job for 13 years, i also have 3 kids (one a nusery) and a shift working husband so im not sure if i could afford it as i would still have to pay nursery fees. I did look into the frontline social work scheme but my a level results were terrible (i was 18 and party hardy!)

It all seems just a pipe dream now...sigh

Have you looked into 'step up to social work' 14 month course with £19,000 salary. They request a 2:1.

Angela56

Don't have the answer but Sounds like a tough time for you, being a nurse is a draining job. Are there other roles you can fill to unitise your skills? would be good to gain some rewards from your efforts

Oooh no i havent seen that one...i will have a google (other search engines are available).

Im just so scared of rejection...I once applied for a job but didnt respond to the phone call from them the day after my interview, I was terrified I would cry if they told me I wasnt successful. To this day I still have no idea if I got it or not...that was 10 years ago...I am pathetic!!

Thank you for taking time to answer me it is mych appreciated

What careers are out there where you receive a salary whilst training? Desperate to retrain but can't afford not to earn!

I'm on £29k training wage, had to have 2:1 degree as minimum to apply. Am working full time whilst training and doing post-graduate level NEBOSH paid for by the organisation. It's a lot of money for a training role, but it's also a lot of work and responsibility.

I can't stress enough that job hunters should look at the Civil Service Jobs website for inspiration. That's how I found this.

I took more than a £10k paycut, but gained my life back. I joined with 44 colleagues around the UK, some near fresh out of university, through to professionals changing career in their 50s. Ex teachers, coppers, various government departments, shop manager, all sorts.

Vivienne, what are you retraining as? Sorry, I have read the whole thread but just have missed what you said! I'm interested in the civil service actually. Will keep my eye on their page indeed. Is 40 too old to apply do you think?

I've left the police and joined the civil service. It's a bit too outing to say what the job is here I'm afraid as there aren't many of us nationwide! However you can read between the lines with the qualifications I'm doing .

40 is not too old at all, plenty of people considerably older than you join the CS for the first time.