To try to retrain in a completely new career at the age of 35?

[AnnabelTheAntelope]

And where the hell do I begin?

Posting here for traffic really.

Backstory is that I have been more or less a sahm for the past four years, (but I do some evening and weekend shifts at a local gastropub). Prior to that, I worked in various admin roles and was fairly good at them and would have no major qualms going back into something like that.

But, as I have found out recently, these jobs are very competitive / oversubscribed in my area. I can’t see me getting anything all that wonderful in this field which I could hang on to. I was made redundant from my last job, (while on Mat leave with dc1); admin seemed to be among the first to go, as we were seen as fairly expendable in the industry I worked in.

Also, as things stand, if I went back to work on my pre dc salary, we wouldn’t be able to cover the costs of childcare, so it doesn’t make sense for me to go back into a weekday / admin role now.

Anyway, now we have a second dc (8mo) and we are due to have some ‘spare’ money soon. Not huge, huge amounts, but more than we’ve ever had all in one go iyswim. We could theoretically use (some of) this for me to retrain. I just don’t want to throw money at anything for me then to find I still can’t find a reasonably secure job at the end of it all.

I should also add, if it’s relevant, that I have a joint honours degree in Political Science and a European language from a very good university, but I haven’t actually used much of it at work yet... and I graduated over ten years ago .

Should I bother, or is it a waste of money, seeing as I can’t go back to full time weekday work till dc2 is at nursery, 2.5 years from now? With Brexit looming and the disruption it may cause, would we be wiser hanging on to our money? I can’t decide if this is the perfect time to train as I have spare time, but can’t go to work, so distance learning would be doable, or if it’s a completely stupid time to retrain and I should just forget it for a few years...

I'm not a fan of depending on someone else for money anyway, and given that you have experience of redundancy already I'd say definitely consider earning power as well as whether you'd like the job.

Someone mentioned physio, have you considered that? I don't like touching people () otherwise it's something I'd consider, as there's the potential for setting up in private practise down the line, where you can choose your own hours.

This is really interesting thread OP thanks for starting it, it's given me food for thought on my own situation.

I'm a qualified teacher but have been out of work for the last 5 years as a 'trailing spouse' and want to get back into something completely different. Trouble is I just don't know what! DH is a high earner so there's no pressure on me to do so but I think for my own sanity /self worth I need to.

So following with interest.......

Occupational Therapy? Lots of vacancies and salaries up to £45,000.

I'd be wary of training in some trades such as plumbing as it requires a degree of fitness and strength. My friend is a plumber in his mid-fifties and struggling physically with back problems so he's unlikely to be able to work as a plumber until pension age.

I imagine skilled jobs and professions would be more valuable than general administration (which, let's face it, can be done by almost anyone).

Exactly this^^! This is exactly what I realised when I was looking for work after the umpteenth move. Admin, at entry level, is massively oversubscribed because anyone who can use a computer can do it. And it’s sociable hours, so people like doing them.

I didn’t realise occupational health had many vacancies... I did do a lot of health and safety work in my last job, and did all the DSE ergonomic assessments etc, so that could almost be relevant! I have a cousin who is an occupational health doctor. I’m about to catch up with him next week anyway, so maybe can pick his brains...

I didn’t realise occupational health had many vacancies...

I think you might be getting mixed up there. Occupational therapy isn't really about health and safety. Have a look at this link www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/allied-health-professionals/roles-allied-health-professions/occupational-therapist

Haha whoops ! I even knew that, as my nan had an OT last year! Thanks for clarifying.

Have a look at operating department practice too. I believe there are a few 2 year courses which reduces the amount of money you need to borrow. You still qualify as a band 5 like nursing, OT etc.

Ex diagnostic radiographer here (with an arts degree, but I retrained when bursaries were still a thing). I’ve done a bit of googling and it seems to imply that second degree loans are available to all allied health professions, not just nursing. They are also looking to bring in health profession apprenticeships now that no-one can afford to train - so just bursaries by another name with millions of pounds spent to manage the change

Have you thought of therapy radiography? There’s a massive shortage, and used to be no night work at all (hopefully a therapy radiographer will be along to tell me if this has changed). The limiting factor is that you would need to be within commuting distance of a radiotherapy centre, which currently are mainly limited to the bigger cities.

Have a look at shortage occupations in the UK - the lists are for would be immigrants but show you where there is a niche to fill, meaning starting a career in your late 30s is very realistic.

Nursing is on there but people are right about the physical demands later.

Sonography is on there, as are certain types of radiography. IT jobs too, but specific ones and most of the IT shortages are of experienced staff so read carefully. An engineering degree would be a good choice too...

Hi OP. I just thought I would pop in and say you CAN receive a student loan for a second degree in a healthcare subject. (Such as nursing or radiography)
Best contact student finance or check their website.

Good luck!

It is very common to retrain as a nurse / have nursing as a second career. You certainly will not be the only mature student on the course and it isn’t a barrier to recruitment or progression as a newly qualified nurse, either. That said, I agree that you should get some HCA experience first. Nursing is undergoing some big changes at the moment and it is really tough out there.

There are also some new NMC standards coming that will affect the nurse education curriculum, so it’s interesting to see how that will pan out. I’d also look at the ‘new’ nursing associate role or maybe even physician assistant if you already have a degree (though maybe they want more recent graduates will a Science degree for PA). NA is less broad than RN but more hands on, in all likelihood RN will become a paperwork exercise, which saddens me.

I retrained and qualified in a new career at 35. I’m undecided about my earning potential in this new career so I’m looking to go into something that pays well instead. I don’t regret my retraining at all but I think I was naive about the job market and how willing I am to work for very little money (not very willing it seems).

I’d spend some time looking at careers and longevity if I were you. I’d also consider a masters that you can get a student loan for over forking out ££££ for another degree. You can do free university courses online on sites such as edu x which would give you a flavour of different subjects and whether you’d enjoy them.

I'm 43 and in the second year of a 3 year vocational course, though I'm abroad and the pathway is 20 hours a week of shift work in the field (healthcare) and 17 hours per week in the classroom. Obviously there are assignments, projects etc on top and it's hard going with kids to juggle when the rest of the class still live with parents (normal into your mud 20s here) and don't even have to do their own housework/ supermarket shop/ laundry let alone have children in their care to do all that for. I also have a language barrier which only one of my other remaining class mates has (the other foreigners dropoed out in year 1)

Still its very doable and there are so many jobs you'd have to almost go out of your way to avoid finding one after qualifying. My first year placement boss has already told me I have a job there on qualifying if I want but my second year placement is easier and more interesting so I probably won't go back

Hence choose a shortage subject.

Go for it. I taught a 66 year old retired veteran last year, he wanted to go to uni for the first time to study his true passion. I found it inspirational.

If you're interested in IT I wouldn't look at a degree course. As long you have basic knowledge you can look at a more specialised courses like coding, support or networks. There are huge amounts of free resources available for self study then you just pay for exams. A bit more niche but hugely in demand at the moment are Data Protection Officers which there are courses available for.

I know a few people who have retrained for new careers. I know a couple who have been 50+. I would research carefully. Each person has been successful, but they have put time, effort and enthusiasm in. Jobs like plumbing, electrician involve lots of travel.

Given your original degree subject, have you considered speech and language therapy?

How about contacting the National Careers Advisory Board? A friend did this at 31, after just having her first baby. She already had a degree but then got funding to study for a three year Social Work degree. She then got offered the first two jobs she applied and interviewed for. At your age, certainly not old but slightly more mature than most uni leavers, with an academic degree already under your belt and more life experience, I would think you would be successful in a change of career, providing you choose one with available jobs. Good luck.

I'd say go for it!
You have plenty more years to work yet!!!!
I went back to uni aged 37 and loved it - best thing is done since having children!

Podiatry?

I wish I had trained later TBH, being young in Podiatry isn't an asset IMO (though now I'm ancient I'm seen in a dfferent light but my back is going and I struggle carrying all my bags on home vists )

Scope for NHS/Private/Agency/ mix of all

• I've (not is) !!

Thanks for all of these^^.

Speech & Language therapy doesn’t actually appeal to me so much. I was trying to pinpoint why that is and I realised I would rather be doing things for patients, rather than teaching them, if that makes sense. I obviously could change my tune about that somewhere down the line, but that’s how I feel at the moment. What really appeals to me at the moment is theatre nursing, but I don’t know if that’s pie in the sky starting so late..? Don’t know.

I keep coming back to nursing. If I could just do a general nursing course, I suppose I could specialise later. The only issue with it is making the hours work round dcs.

I think the next step is to look for voluntary / HCA bank roles local to me.

What really appeals to me at the moment is theatre nursing, but I don’t know if that’s pie in the sky starting so late..?

It's really not! Did you look at operating department practice as I suggested above? You might be able to do this as a two year course. I was a band 6 within 2 years of qualifying. I would say that at least 40% of students are in their late 20s/30s and I had colleagues who trained in their 40s and 50s.

I am thinking of retraining. A bit sick of doing admin type jobs that outside of London really don’t pay that well! And are boring and dead end unless your company lets you move sideways to say, HR or project management and pays for your qualifications.

I do wonder how much longer admin jobs will be around. At the moment a lot of them seem to exist solely to keep people in employment.