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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To feel like mid forties is too old to retrain? :(

79 replies

SilverHype · 09/05/2019 21:44

I've been a carer for the last 10 years. Before that I was a medical secretary, before that, many McJobs.

I'm at a point now where I am in a position to study/retrain but I'd be almost fifty by the time I was employable. It's all a bit too late isn't it?

Any inspirational stories of retraining and dream jobs in middle age for me at all?

OP posts:

stressedoutpa · 10/05/2019 00:10

Never too late.

The biggest obstacle for most is funding it.

AutumnColours9 · 10/05/2019 00:12

I started training as an AHP aged 38. There are lots my age and older in all the health careers. Several in their 50s. Noone bats an eyelid.

joell75 · 10/05/2019 00:19

I'm 44 and left my job as a teaching assistant last year. I've completed an access to medicine course and have an offer to study medicine in September.

Gingerkittykat · 10/05/2019 00:25

Go for it, early 40s here and training part time to be a therapist and tonight convinced a woman of 49 she wasn't too old to continue.

You've still got a long working life ahead of you so why not do something you love?

It is hard working out finances, practicalities etc but achievable if you put your mind to it.

seesawteddy · 10/05/2019 01:52

It’s doable. Just do it in steps and see how you go. If I were you I’d do a psych degree, PGCE, then job as a sen teacher for a few years. Then apply for ed psych training if you still fancy it x

ReadWriteDraw · 10/05/2019 07:20

OP - if you have a degree in any other subject you can do a 1 year psychology conversion masters instead of a 3 year degree. There is a website called clinpsych which is for people who are training as clinical psychologists but they have a forum with lots of information on different conversion courses. Many of the conversion courses are distance learning.

The SEND route would be far easier. I don’t know where you are but in London SENDCOs are in great demand and the pay is excellent. It is a thankless and stressful job however compared to SEN teacher. I’ve gone back to the latter as I couldn’t cope with the constant stress from parents and other members of staff/senior management (and the horrendous amount of paperwork required.....)

ReadWriteDraw · 10/05/2019 07:22

Sorry - last point!! Birmingham university have a specialist ASD postgrad that looks really interesting. Their SEND masters programme is excellent. Ok - going now!!

Invisibleiink · 10/05/2019 07:27

Have you checked out "Now teach" - it's aimed at people with significant life experience moving into teaching? Not sure of the precise 'entry requirements' but could be worth a look - may be a route into SEN teaching?

Invisibleiink · 10/05/2019 07:34

Ah - just had another look at the website and I see it's aimed primarily at stem and mfl teaching. But - there are other routes into teaching - so if that's what you want to do I'd say look into it!

PurpleDaisies · 10/05/2019 07:37

Have you got a degree?

Sen teaching isn’t competitive to get into. It’s hard word but very rewarding. The pay is crap, but working as a TA with children with extra needs could be an easier way to avoid lots of retraining. It would be a way to make sure you definitely want to be a teacher.

avocadochocolate · 10/05/2019 07:39

A friend of mine started training as a doctor in her late 40s. She succeeded.

Hopeygoflightly · 10/05/2019 07:40

It’s never too late! If you retrain into something you enjoy you could be happily working at it for the next 20 or more years!
Think of not retraining and being a carer at 65 or until pension kicks in. Would you be happy with that?
My plan is to part time work after I retire ( or volunteer)

Hollowvictory · 10/05/2019 07:42

Executive assistants aka PAs in our company earn Up to £50k

RuffleCrow · 10/05/2019 07:45

I think just getting on to a course can be challenging after 30. Or maybe I'm just crap.

PurpleDaisies · 10/05/2019 07:54

I think just getting on to a course can be challenging after 30. Or maybe I'm just crap.

Not at all-especially in teaching. Loads of people go in later. The oldest on my pgce was 48.

ReadWriteDraw · 10/05/2019 07:56

Getting on a course is to do with experience and precious qualifications, I don’t think course administrators are agist....

SEN teaching pay is aligned with the main teacher pay scale so is poorer whereas SENDCo pay is leaderships and management scale. A good SENDCo role is upward of £40k in London. Specialist SEN teaching roles are not easy to find but SEN teaching assistant jobs as everywhere especially as many of them are only paid for in term time.

I’m pretty sure you don’t need to be a teacher anymore to be an Ed Psych. It is an incredible academically demanding demanding doctorate though - this has put me off doing it!!

willowtree66 · 10/05/2019 07:57

I had office/secretarial jobs after leaving school, including twelve years as a medical secretary. I joined the ambulance service when I was 40 and went through all the training, and now I'm a paramedic. If I can do it, you can too!

Timeistickingaway · 10/05/2019 08:08

I’m 58 and thinking of training as a counsellor! I must admit the cost of the course and the fact i will be 60 when I finish is daunting! I did the foundation course a few years ago.

fedup21 · 10/05/2019 08:11

As I read your post I was thinking, absolutely not too late-but just don’t do teaching!

Ilnome · 10/05/2019 08:14

My mum is 52 and just into a degree in languages. She nearly did it 5 years ago but was so ill she ended up in intensive care for a month. It is never too late, op

NurseButtercup · 10/05/2019 08:14

I'd like to be an Educational Psychologist or an SEN teacher.

Ignore anybody that tells you you're too old or it will take too long. It will be hard and you'll have days of "wtf am I doing"?? but it will be worth it.

You've got at least another 20 years at work so I encourage you to choose a career that you want instead of being stuck in a job that you hate, but need because you have to pay the bills.

Good luck

MumUnderTheMoon · 10/05/2019 08:29

When I was I kid I had a friend whose granny retrained and because a nurse when she was almost 60. She had retired by the time I knew her but she worked for many years before doing so.

Rain0ntheW1nd0w · 10/05/2019 08:32

You are never too old to do anything !
I know several people who have retrained in their late 40s

Ispywithmycynicaleye · 10/05/2019 08:37

I'm doing my teaching degree (primary) through the open university. I'll be starting my 2nd level modules after the summer at the age of 38. I have no previous experience working in schools except for 1 year volunteering one morning a week as part of my level 1 module.

There are many men and women studying this qualification who are much older than me. We all support each other through chat groups and tutorials. It is an amazing experience and I highly recommend choosing what direction you want to go in and go for it 😊

justmyview · 10/05/2019 08:40

working as a TA with children with extra needs could be an easier way to avoid lots of retraining

I agree with this. A good way to test the water, and if you did end up retraining, the experience would surely come in useful

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