To be quite wealthy but want to start at entry level in a corporate job at age 40 with 2 very young children?

[MLCMomma]

We have 7 figures plus in investments and assets. Combined with my husbands income there is no financial need for me to work and he is ok with this but will support whatever I want. We have two very young children. Over the years I have never known what I’ve wanted to do and have bounced around job wise and you could say I have not been successful in having a career. I have been a SAHM for a while and whilst I love my children, doing this long term is not for me. I would love to give another shot at a fulfilling career a go. The field I’m thinking doesn’t require extensive qualifications and I often see many jobs available, especially entry level. I imagine I would start on a very low wage and work amongst people much younger than me, but in the long term there is a clear direct path to progress. It would also mean my children would be in nursery/school probably from 8-6 which I don’t really like the idea of. There may be options to WFH since Covid but this is not something I’ve looked into. Sometimes I think because we have money I’ve lost drive and ambition, I’ve always wanted a successful fulfilling career but it hasn’t worked out for me thus far but I really want to give it another shot. I think if I worked PT progression would be hard/limited. Would it be crazy for me to do this when there is no financial need whatsoever? To sacrifice my children spending more time at home with me whilst they’re young? To be burnt out constantly and have very little time to myself? Is this just a dream and the reality is not so great? If I wait until my children are in senior school I will be closer to 50 and that’s too late.

@MLCMomma

Thanks for the replies. It's making me think that perhaps my heart really isn't in putting them in nursery and school 8-6 for an entry level job. I think I should let the corporate career dream (which is probably very much a dream) go, and find something PT that gives me more balance with the children, and then I can review things when they start senior school

Most large corporates run "return to work" schemes for women who have had career breaks. Well worth some research.

It's the exhaustion of doing it that would put me off. It's so much to do everything else life requires around those hours. And you don't need to put yourself through that. That would be my main concern.

If you need fulfillment from a career, I'd ask what is it about the corporate environment that attracts you so much?

@JuneOsborne I forgot to mention this too. Just the sheer burnout of everything life demands combined with a FT job makes me reconsider the whole thing.

I think this is really about me feeling like a failure having not succeeded in a career. Probably better I spend some of this money on a therapist!

I stayed home for a while with my dc and my dh had a good well paid job in a medical field. Our mortgage was paid and we had holidays etc. But l had loved my job so gradually went back to it. Then my dh got ill and very soon was unable to work so my job became very important in the family finances. That probably will never be you due to investments but l would go to work if you want. Get good help at home with a nanny and a cleaner and enjoy working. Around here lots of women in their 40s have got good public service jobs after their dc started school aand seem to really enjoy their work. They do have a system for working term time only with reduced pay which might be worth considering as school holidays are difficult.

Yanbu at all

But choose well - something you’ll enjoy doing as you progress

Depends on the job. Some Entry level work is targetted for young people in their early 20s as the company wants young hot shot grads without families to work long hours for fairly low pay. So you could interview well but still not get the job. A lot of entry level work actually requires 5 years experience - 3-4 at uni plus 1-2 in industry. So having a degree in your proposed new field is essential. If you have zero experience then after the degree you can get a trainee or grad position.

I would also be inclined, if money is no object, to look into voluntary work in your field of interest. That would also give you a chance to get experience if your circumstances were to change, as well as references from a supervisor.

I enjoy what I do, but I do need the salary for things like food, bills, car repairs, and contributing to keeping a roof over our heads!

If I were to come into money tomorrow though I would leave the current role and go and do something to help the community/society more directly, hopefully freeing up my existing job for a new graduate and/or apprentice, or someone else in the team who also needs to work to support themselves and might like some career progression.

Without being too outing, can you say roughly what the field is, and some of us may be able to help with more specific information.

I think you should go for it. I know that I would continue to work even if I won a huge sum in the lottery, I love my job and I love the stimulation it gives me (and I have been and am a trustee and they are in no way comparable). My grandmother also worked even though she was very wealthy.

I am lucky enough to be able to use cleaner/housekeeper and gardener, if I didn't have the flexibility to work around school hours then I think I would get a nanny

@turnabouttime in Audit at Big4

I guess it depends on how laissez faire vs involved you’d like to be with your kids - when they start having after school clubs and stuff. nanny may be needed to take them to these. Would you want your kids to go to private school and would they need support for entrance exams?

I know a business analyst who got a graduate job in her 40s when her kids were teens. There is a Qualification by British Computing Society for BAs that many do. They are common in tech companies but do not need coding expertise (they talk to customers/stakeholders and get requirements for projects). Some branch into project management/scrum master.

Yes, I would do this OP. You're still relatively young - think about where you could be by 50 or 55! In principle you still have 27 years of a career if not more. Do it for yourself, to fulfil your dreams, and because it will give you your own thing that will give you a huge pride of achievement.

What's the alternative? Stay what you're doing but In 10 or 15 years time when the children are older it'll be hobbies, some volunteer work and spending the money your DH made and that shitty transaction of propping up someone else's career and domestic servitude in return for SAH. No way!

@HoldMeCloserTonyDanza

I think that if this was really something that suited your skills and would make you happy, you would have gravitated towards it during your 15+ years in the workforce before having children.

I tend to agree with this. What is different this time OP? You say you bounced around jobwise and didn't really have a career before you became a SAHM. This time it will be harder as you will also have to balance the needs of your children and your feelings about that. So are you confident that you really have the drive this time around? Are you willing to make sacrifices if required? Or is this just a bit of a pipe dream? FOMO perhaps?

How about something not corporate but part time and in an area you are interested in? Working with animals, for a charity, with children etc and then go from there.

It’s not a good idea OP. Would have a massive effect on your kids (and marriage) for not much gain, as there is no way you would progress fast in a corporate job unless you can frequently work late evenings / weekends. With young children you’ll need soooo many days off too, you’d be seen as less reliable than a non parent and so progress slower. Plus in your forties, long hours and stress take a nasty toll on your health in a way that’s not a problem for someone in their early twenties.

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t work, just that you’re looking in the wrong place. You want an identity separate from the children, to not be 100% responsible for the house stuff, and perhaps to get a bit of respect in a culture that only respects career or celebrity. Those are achievable goals.

Have a think about what jobs you admire that aren’t on the long hours corporate track. Academia? Art/writing/acting? Lobbyist/politics? Counselling/teaching? What would make you proud to say “My job is…”

Absolutely go for it if that's what you want OP. At the end of the day of you don't enjoy it you can always walk away.

I struggle with working full time versus spending more time with young DC, it's not an easy decision and it is really hard at times. If you don't give it a go you'll always be wondering what if though?

@Skysblue whatever OP is going to do will have impact on her and her family.
Your judgmental tone is wrong because there are many women in their 40"s doing exactly what OP is planning! Are they all failures?

She has support of her DH and that is most important.
Everything else can be arranged.

No you didn't come across as boastful or anything op, I just mean that I think you have the dream setup.
I often wonder if I won the lottery if I'd be happy not working though. Obvs not in my current job, I'd find something I was interested in. It does read as though you need something for you, it really could be worth looking at voluntary work for a cause you're passionate about.

Tbh you're in quite a safe position so why don't you try it and see? There's no reason not to give it a go, it's ok if it doesn't work out, start part time and build up xx

The thing is you probably had your sights set in - husband, own hime, savings, children and you’ve now got those things you haven’t reset your goals.

Why not spend a year volunteering in different fields? Care, school, homeless, food banks and see if anything lights your interest? Or start a training coarse?

Use the time to your advantage.

Some things to consider

What happens if you divorce or separate ?

You need 35 years of National Insurance contributions in your name to claim a full state pension. You can check this if you are in UK on www.gov.uk via state pension forecast & your National Insurance number. You can claim child benefit NI contributions, but decline the money. You can also add via working or I think that you can pay some years.

You could start to work PT

There is no guarantee that you would climb the corporate ladder. In my experience it is much to do with WHO you know, not what you know. However, you could get involved with the added extras like; corporate charity days, first aid, volunteer days which are far more interesting

Be honest OP have you been watching Industry on the BBC and want to be a sexy twenty year old investment *anker??

I'm 40s in a corporate ish job and to be honest I would not like to join now competing with 20 year olds who have few responsibilities and can work all hours to progress their careers.

There is absolutely no way I'd work full time with young children if I didn't have to. It makes life frantically busy and stressful and tiring, even with paid help. And I wouldn't want to have children looked after by someone else full time if that wasn't necessary.

Much depends on what one considers ‘necessary’.

I consider it necessary not to be financially dependent on a partner. (Barring the unexpected, eg serious ill health or disability of one of us or the DC)

Lots of us didn’t find our ideal or even ‘pretty good’ job before DC or indeed after. Even in a ‘workaday’ situation of not enjoying work that much, paid work has many significant positive things.

What about volunteering? That way you can fit it around your children’s schedule - they still get your attention and you get to do something mentally stimulating and rewarding. If you have enough money there is also an argument that you could be taking a job from someone who financially needs it more.