to retrain as a teacher, when I don't want to teach? If IABU, what else could I do?

[BuddyToBhaskar]

Because my only other career options, it seems, are in admin or care work - or possibly in "taking in ironing" (whatever the that means). I have a PhD in the social sciences-humanities interface, oodles of work experience and a neat handful of publications, but I cannotcannotcannot get a postdoc. I'm also the other side of 40 with numerous kiddies and am tied to an economically crappy area of the country by family. I need a professional or a skill which will tide me through to retirement.

Is teaching really that bad? What other options might I have?

How does OP know whether she’ll love it or not if she’s never done it?

Have you thought about adult education? I wouldn't say there were oodles of jobs out there, but there might be some work in your subject to do hourly paid work. The training isn't that long initially and can be done while you are working.

Well she says she doesn't want to in her title!!

How about being an administrator in a school or university?

Another one to suggest something in the civil service. Local government post?

Though I do agree you don’t have to have a burning passion to be a teacher. And perhaps you won’t be as jaded as some!

Accountant? Solicitor? Plumber even!? All are going to need retraining

Admin work can be interesting - it's not all addressing envelopes or whatever. I'm coming to the end of a PhD (well, I hope) and have worked in uni admin for years, and if you get the right role it can be really interesting. No ambitions to go into academia afterwards.

Have you thought about the not-for-profit sector?

Hunting, quite a few threads on here have warned about retraining as a solicitor. Expensive training with surprisingly bleak opportunities at the end of it.

I read it more as ‘best of a bad bunch’ chicken

It’s not worlds apart from my own motivations when I started teaching, if I’m honest.

My concern here though is a bit wider than the OP. If people think that before they can even apply to a training course they need to have a burning passion for teaching then it’s no wonder we are struggling with recruitment. And, for people who DO have that burning desire, it’s understandable going to be really upsetting if it isn’t quite as they dreamed.

You have LOADS of other options. Have you considered a career in the civil service or NHS administration? There are surprisingly senior roles outside of London sometimes, with national level teams dotted about.

Or what about professional services within academia? I know several people with PhDs who have gone down the road of knowledge transfer or management - pay and conditions are quite good.

Speak to the careers office of your University? they offer support for a long time post graduation,

Adult Education is the only one I would consider

I suggest you do what the rest of us mere mortals do - try to find a job that we like and then work our way up from the inside by proving our commitment and ability.

Yep, only way is get in at the bottom, work your way up, if there are no jobs appertaining to your degree.

I second adult education. At that how are your finances? - teaching isn't the route to riches.

My friend and I both have PhDs and trained as school teachers due to a lack of other alternatives. She lasted a year as a teacher before quitting to work in admin. I lasted for five years but cried every day because I was underpaid, overworked, disrespected and had no way out. In the end I got married and became a SAHM, which has bought me a couple of years to find an alternative career. I'm hoping to start a business of some sort because nobody will employ me due to being overqualified.

You do not have to have an overwhelming desire to teach. I think you need to like young people, enjoy sharing knowledge, have a sense of humour (vital!) and be quite a patient person - the latter was probably the biggest challenge to me when I first started.

I agree with that, and be a hard-working person who commits to what they do.
If you are still considering it, definitely arrange to go in and observe classes. Some people find it a huge shock and give up during training.

Accountant? Solicitor? Plumber even!?

You'd struggle to get a training job at your age, as you're competing with school leavers and graduates. Accountants and solicitors like 'em young to do the drudgery work. You'd also be committing to a few years of studying to take their professional exams to become qualified which is hard when working full time, especially alongside a family. With both accountants and solicitors, you need BOTH work experience and the qualifications to "pass" and become qualified - one without the other severely limits your job prospects.

Re. suggestions to enter adult education - budgets for post-compulsory education have been cut by £millions and they're getting rid of permanent jobs to replace them with hourly paid part-time staff who have no job security or benefits. Preparation and marking are unpaid (unlike at school where teachers get paid for those tasks). Many employers have capped salaries at entry level so there's no opportunity to progress or to earn any more than you got paid on the day you started. It's a very bad option and you don't want to get trapped in that sector.

There are plenty of people who have always wanted to teach but hate it either right away or after a short time. Maybe you should do some voluntary work in a school before deciding. Can't think how many people would enjoy teaching these days. Sounds horrific.

OP, I get what you're saying. I also live in a place with limited opportunities. I tried teaching and it was awful. I wouldn't recommend it. What about bookkeeping?

You'll hate it. Sell stuff online? Private tutoring for A-level students? Proofreading?

A few ideas

Specialist librarian at a university
Lab technician in a school
Sales for a medical or pharmaceutical company

Do you prefer working by yourself or with others? Do you want something you leave behind at the end of the day?

I apologise for the disrespectful tone of my OP. Any appearance of being snooty or snobby about manual work or the service industries was purely my own jadedness and fedupness about the years I myself served in such sectors. Thank you to those who have offered other ideas.

bibliomania
Didn’t know that. Interesting.

I don’t see why plumbing is a bad choice? Well paid. You can be self employed
Not sitting in the same office all day.

Hmm, I know someone who did this. She thought it would be good as you get long holidays and there’s lots of jobs. She had to get a degree and do the teacher training. It took her a number of years to qualify.

She’s now been working for about 3 years and since qualifying has worked part-time. It’s hard work and she’s already talking about jacking it in. She bangs on and on about performance related pay and how there’s no discipline in schools. She says there’s too much responsibility on teachers to safeguard children and not enough onus on parents to take responsibility etc etc etc...

I’m sure she’s right in what she’s saying but my point is she thought it would be an easy way take make a living and work part time with all those holidays. But actually she’s had a nasty shock. So I’d be weary of making the same assumptions and ultimately a big mistake.

OP - tell us:

• what appeals to you about teaching
• what puts you off teaching
• what are the most important attributes your ideal job has