Am I unattractive to employers?

[StillSmiling92]

I'm almost 28 years old. Average GCSE's, terrible A levels, good Access to Higher Education (level 3) qualification and university drop out.

I have a 4 year old who starts school in September and I've mostly been a SAHM living off my partner. I've also been cleaning part time for 1 year now and worked in retail prior to that.

So, being a mother and a university drop out I know that employers would likely throw my application in the bin (childcare and lack of expertise). Not for retail roles, but for professional roles such as accountancy or software development for example.

What can I do to improve my circumstances when I'm not eligible for any training or funding?

Please help

Really sorry but as a recruiter for professional roles you are not going to stand a chance against other applicants unless you actually train for that role. Also in the meantime if you are able to get a job in retail then do! One of the main things that put off companies I recruit for is people not working at all. They get that women have time out to have kids and that absolutely fine but they want to know that you are still able to arrive at work on time, work hard etc. Qualifications for the role and a good work ethic / experience are the key. I do think you would struggle to get into both areas without considerable training / commitment on your side. Also it’s a tad concerning how you mention a few times that your writing is not great anymore.

If you want a good-paying job with prospects you will have to a) work full time & b) get the qualifications.

The ONLY short cut, and if you are very lucky is if you know someone very high up, but remember point a) and be prepared to miss out on most achievements your child will attain - like all breadwinners sadly do!

It's all about the CV, how you structure it. Pull on your positives. You may have been a SAHM but there is alot of hard work that goes into it, and a lot of transferable skills.

I'm 43 and doing an apprenticeship (healthcare) , don't discount them as being only for school leavers.

Just to inject a dose of reality here... your age and the fact you are a parent would not hold you back from a career in accountancy, but your education is likely to.

Accountancy is competitive and exams are hard. We typically don't hire people we don't think can stick it out through their training contract, and you've not done anything to evidence whatever the challenges you had as a teen/young adult have since been overcome.

I wouldn't recommend self-financing a qualification as this might not lead to a job - being book smart with no practical experience puts you into a very awkward hiring bracket. If you go into accountancy, you really want to have an employer who will pay for your training (which would be the apprenticeship route).

Someone mentioned online courses and/or re-doing your A-levels - I think doing some kind of studying (doesn't have to be accountancy related, it could be one of those free MOOCs as long as it's not a short course) purely to demonstrate that you can commit to studying, and you can do it whilst balancing your commitments as a parent, would be an excellent idea.

One of the things I pay attention to in an entry level accounting position is what the candidate has done to display the kind of work ethic/positive attitude they will need to get qualified. That's absolutely something you can address, and that would instantly make you more attractive to employers.

Better yet, you say you have retail experience - retail are hiring right now. If you can balance a retail job, being a parent and studying for something, you have a powerful message that a smaller accountancy recruiter would listen to. When I hire graduates, I don't generally employ the ones with a first class degree who never did any part time work/volunteering. The ones with a slightly less good degree who showed they can juggle lots of things are the ones who get an offer.

Getting an accountancy entry level job right now is going to be hard - many places aren't taking on trainees in the current crisis - but you could absolutely work on becoming more employable.

First you need to decide what it is you want to do.
There are a lot of free vocational level 2 & 3 courses available.
I just signed up for a nutrition course as an add on certificate, as long as I finish it in the very lenient time frame it is completely free.
I already have 3 level 3's and a foundation degree so previous qualifications weren't a problem

Have you contact student finance?
I left university towards the end of semester 1 of the top up year to care for my partner and his daughter after he had an accident.
As I left for health and caring reasons I qualify for full student loans again if I wish to return.
I'm considering it if my mind handles this level 2 course ok.
There are a lot of financial incentives for NHS jobs at the moment, not just nursing, depends on your interests.

Open university rarely charge fees, especially if you are a parent, and will accept your completed first year to carry on to your second. I started my OU degree in criminology in my 30s and am just about to finish my final year. Good luck OP

If you're interested in accountancy then start your AAT qualification. To be brutally honest I used to work in recruitment and I'd be worried you were flaky and not able to see things through. Start the qualification, stick with the studies and prove them wrong. Good luck

Amazon web services have a retraining program for people in your position. It's a 12 week classroom based training program. No idea how or if they are running it during lock down but worth a look at if you're at all interested in technology.

aws.amazon.com/training/restart/

Also have a look at the AWS Tech Essentials course, it's one day and I think it's free...

aws.amazon.com/training/course-descriptions/essentials/

Definetly find an apprenticeship - many providers will take you on because they'll know you are serious and mature

Sorry I haven't RFT however, having gone back to the email with this topic listed on it, I found this link, to The 28 best UK online courses: how to gain new skills and qualifications from home which you may find worth exploring:

www.mumsnet.com/swearsby/best-online-courses?utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2020-04-16&utm_term=%22AIBU+or+is+this+not+the+right+time+to+say+I+love+him%3F%22&rei=944012&ei=27957

Take a look

I did my degree in my 40s, in order to change careers.

I had four primary-age dc so I studied in the evening on one day every weekend.

There were older people than me on that course, and we're all doing the job now, so she and parenthood are not barriers IME.

I would suggest identifying the job you want to do, researching the best route in, and then doing whatever training or studying is necessary to achieve it.

If you don't think you can commit to that, in terms of time or effort or money, then take an entry-level job for an interesting company and put your efforts into working your way up.

I have a friend who started working part-time on an M&S bakery counter, who is now on a programme to fast-track her into a management role.

• so I studied in the evening AND on one day every weekend.

• 'age' not 'she'

No one needs to know about your terrible A Levels or Uni drop out... you didn't complete them therefore there is zero need to mention it at all.

You need to overhaul your CV, only put on what is relevant in terms of qualifications, fill the gaps with "Mat Leave" and add your interests and transferable skills I.e delegation, communication and trouble shooting.

I’m your age OP with 2 young DC and decided to retrain at age 26 in IT. I was a paralegal with a law firm for 5 years straight from uni and then I took an entry level role on the firms IT help desk. I soon got promoted to software tester which I enjoy and my employers are paying for ISTQB course. If you are trying to get a foot in the door in IT without paying for any courses I would consider an entry level job in IT ops.

There are many roles in the NHS you could investigate. Admin, finance, facilities, IT and more.

I think your best bet would be to take an entry level role in a big organisation, work hard and be nosey and apply for secondments into other areas/keep an eye out for other roles. I’m in a big financial organisation, my friend moved her having zero relevant experience (ex professional athlete). Now on 6 figures by working her way up, she’s only 40 and joined us when she was about your age.

Lots of employers ask for qualifications and employment/caring history. If there are gaps they will ask why and what your educational qualifications actually are. There might be jobs where employers don’t care but not serious ones who are going to train you. So be honest and take some of the brilliant advice above.

Can't speak for more 'professional' roles (most people over certain age in retail probably have degrees - not me though ) but I was in retail for over 20 years until January, being a sahm mum an not having a degree would have made an application bin worthy (also illegal to do so - data protection and all that) at the moment the most important thing is flexibilty and how you present yourself at interview.

You could have amazing qualifications and turn up at the interview with a bad attitude and not get hired

I mean would NOT make an application bin worthy 🙈

Isn’t retail laying people off at the moment? Apart from supermarkets, what’s actually trading?

Have you ever considered working in payroll OP? It may meet the numerical/data type role you are keen on. Lots of scope to gain qualifications whilst working and progress your career. Lots of different enviroments that you could work in.

I work in TV and many broadcasting companies take on paid interns or apprentices in their Research departments. You don’t need specific experience but you do need to demonstrate an interest in research and a real passion for TV. You could also apply for some unpaid work experience in a TV research department to see if you enjoy it first too. If you are interested in data and analysing TV audiences and behaviour then it would be a really enjoyable job.

Has anyone mentioned Futurelearn with the OU
www.futurelearn.com/
They have free courses and short courses - should give you some ideas at least.

Volunteering is a great way of deciding on a career change if its an option for you. I ended up with a job in a completely new role that I wouldn’t even have been considered for an interview for had I applied from nothing. Volunteering meant that people saw what I could do and I was offered a paid job as soon as one was available. It also gives you the opportunity to see first hand if the kind of work suits you or not. Volunteering should benefit everyone involved. Contact your local volunteer centre and see whats available after lockdown has ended, they can offer advice as well, be proactive about it.