To hate being a cleaner. How can I quit?

[givemehopepls]

I've been cleaning for a year now. I hate it. Money is bad, customers are terrible and the actual work is draining.

I've been a sahm for 4 years and my highest qualification is 1 year at university. My partner is moving up in his career despite having no formal qualifications. I'm resentful and feel I should be happy for him.

I've been looking at apprenticeships but I feel I'm too old (27) without relevant experience to apply.

I don't know where to go from here. I don't want to clean until my last days.

What other work experience do you have?
Would you be interested in an admin role for local government perhaps? Not exactly high flying but there may be room to move up and your pension would be good at least.

Could you go to college and train full time instead? Or part time if you need to clean to pay the bills. What do you want to do as a career? Do you need to go to university? Could you train on the job? I don't think all apprenticeships have an age limit if you showed the right mind set and skills. Hard to give you advice when we don't know what job you want to do?

I did an internship in whilst at university in recruitment administration. My CV is not great to be honest. I have a few stints in retail and bar work. Trying to get some volunteering work with no luck

Definitely not too old to apprentice. See if job centre or similar offer cv coaching to frame your experience in the best light and then head for whatever you think will make you feel ok in your life. Good luck!

There is no way you are too old! See what else is out there that you like the sound of.

musicalmama

I can't afford to do a course right now and I'd like to give university a miss as I don't want the debt.

I'm interested in finance, technology and social research. Something that requires me to analyse, problem solve,/find solutions. I also like working with people (sharing ideas, project work etc.).

Something where I can gain professional qualifications as well

Can you run your own business? What do you like doing? If for example you like gardening could you go to college and build up own bus and subsidise with a spot of cleaning?

You're a mere whippersnapper.....don't be despondent!! I think recruitment/HR is a relatively straightforward career to get in to. Start at the bottom. You should be able to find a hr or recruitment admin role fairly easily and then work your socks off. Study, learn, read, watch, listen and prove your worth & then start to build from there.

Cleaning is a lonely job with no prospects.

My confidence is low right now and I need to find a way to prove to employers that I have the skills on paper and in person so that they'll take me on.

Ruggypeggy

Well, I hated that internship. I'd never work in hr/recruitment again.

What about frontline IT support? You'd have to do an evening or online course to get basic skills in Microsoft

The company I work for does degree apprenticeships, they pay for the degree that you study for alongside working at the company, I think the pay about £17k pa and then the degree on top, something like that would be worth thinking about as you are also likely to be taken on after and have good progression imo

Ps this is tech for a big financial company

Clymene

I can't afford to pay for a course and I'm not eligible for funding.

maddening

Do you think I stand a chance with my lack of experience in this area. I can only demonstrate my interest in tech from what I've read.

The tech apprenticeships are based in Glasgow, London, Northampton or near Manchester

The fact that you already started uni must mean you have the required a-levels too.

Microsoft online courses are all free. If you did some of those to show interest and willing, you'd be in a much stronger position to apply for paid degree apprenticeships

Pm me and I will send a link as obviously don't want to do so publicly. I don't know what they look for but as an apprenticeship I don't think they are expecting experience.

Volunteering should be easy - I've always found it so. The Red Cross is usually looking for admin and frontline people (not just bucket rattlers!) and gives full training. Local libraries often need volunteers. National Trust runs on volunteers. Got any first aid skills? There may be a "first responder" arrangement with the NHS ambulance service in your neighbourhood. Any of those can build up your CV easily and often lead to opportunities to convert to full time.

As PPs, loads of free tech training courses online that can lead to certification (usually costing a couple of hundred quid for the exam, check before getting on it as they may not be worthwhile) - that's definitely an inroad to junior jobs in support or software development.

Starting a lower paid job with a big company is a good way to go. I used to work for a bank, moved into a job within the financial department and applied for funding for my accountancy exams. The bank paid for my exams and whilst I had to put a lot of effort into working full time plus studying, it was well worth it in the end and gave me great career prospects.
I only had GCSE's when I joined on £6.50 an hour and I'm now a chartered accountant, so it can be done!

Currently I work in a Project Management role, and we are hiring apprentices. I can send you a link if you want, alternatively you could google Apprentice Project Manager - it is London based mostly, salary ~£20k rising to £27k on completion of the 2 year course. Someone with a bit of life experience would actually be ideal for the role.

Would you consider being a TA at a special needs school?
It's very rewarding!

You don't need qualifications and it's a lot more 'nurse' than it is 'teaching' especially for PMLD children but it's a great job!

What county do you live in? There's recruitment days where I live at the moment there might be where you are.

Look at nhs admin roles. Low paid but good starting point