To ask which careers are still open to someone graduating in their mid/late 30s?

[Cherryblossom7]

I'm currently in my early 30s and about to start a fairly generic (not career- focused) undergraduate degree at a Russell Group university this September.

I'm very aware that most people are well established in their careers by my age and just wondered which careers will still be open to me when I graduate in my mid-late thirties? (obviously with extra training/postgrad qualifications etc.).I know that most graduate schemes prefer applicants who are under 25.

(Oh just to add I wouldn't be suited to nursing related jobs due to my own medical condition).

Any career really... what is your degree in/previous work experience?

Any career, I had a career change at 30, post graduation and it did mean a paycut as I was starting at the bottom to gain experience but it's in a field I'm much more interested in with better progression

I know that most graduate schemes prefer applicants who are under 25.

I used to run one and this wasn't true at all. Our older graduates with previous work experience but the ground running faster, went further and needed far less hand holding. Our most successful hire ever was 32. He got promoted two grades within two years.

If you are interested in grad programmes, apply for them.

HIT the ground. I hate you autocorrect.

Jobs like nursing and social work, like candidates who have life experience. With a prior degree they can offer shortened courses.

Any career! I work in the third sector as a fundraiser and we have loads of people on their second/third career. I think the majority of the people in my office came to the charitable sector after doing other things. A 30-something new grad/in a more junior position wouldn't even raise an eyebrow.

Off the top of my head:
I used to work in the art world
Assoc Director of fundraising used to be a corporate lawyer.
Exec Director of Comms started out in an investment bank
One of my fellow Directors started in fashion and the other in museums
My PA used to be a nursery teacher and a children's ballet teacher
My direct report was a professional athlete and worked in sports for a few years.

The Civil Service are very good for applicants who aren't coming from the usual school->uni->work route. But you could apply for any graduate scheme, it would be discrimination if they placed an age restriction on it. For example, here's some one who joined an Deloitte to work on audits 4 years after originally graduating blogs.deloitte.co.uk/scotland/2016/11/think-its-too-late-to-apply-for-the-deloitte-grad-scheme-think-again.html

Do you have much work experience?

Accountancy is definitely open. I know a number who have trained as chartered accountants having come from military/ mature student backgrounds.
As is company secretary/ corp governance (although I think they prefer law or similar degrees).

There's also the police (including detective I think), civil service, supermarket management schemes (very good foot in the door even if you hate it), IT including project management, teaching, surveying etc.

Where do your interests lie OP?

There is a graduate trainee where I work who is great. She's 42

I retrained and did a masters in town planning at age 27/28. I'm a bit of an oddity as most go in following doing 3years of one degree +planning masters or a 4 year planning MPlan course...but I do think my previous experience has allowed me to progress faster and there is clear progression and career path

I also know others who have retrained as teachers in their 30s

I know someone who worked for Network Rail and said the grad scheme there was very diverse in terms of age and experience

Thanks everyone!

I started and left a degree (at the start of third year of a four year integrated masters) several years ago due to serious illness.

I'm looking forward to getting back into studying but I really want to have some idea of a career at the end of it; even if that's after a masters degree and potentially extra training/qualifications.

Originally I wanted to go down the Clinical Psychologist career route but not only does it take a long time (degree + masters + minimum of one year of clinical work + 3-year Doctorate) but apparently only 18% of applicants are successful in getting a place on the doctorate and of those about 90% are under 30 at the time of getting a place on the course.