when people advise you to just 'retrain'

[nuttybiscuit]

AIBU not to get it?
What is this legendary training and career goal that will materialise at the end of it, if you haven't already succeeded?

I see it a lot on advice threads, whenever someone is struggling - can you not retrain ? new career, etc.

Take my friend for example, has run a successful business for 20 years but has been hit hard by pandemic. She is still doing ok but not near enough to keep up her outgoings (rent, travel, materials, etc). She is stumped as to what to do but at 49 can't see what career she could go into now that would be very different to her old work (graphic design).

How easy is it really to do that, to just retrain altogether and get onto a completely different and good career path after 40?
Wouldn't it be better to take the already existing skills and try to branch out?

Is it realistic or are the ones advising it just full of bs?

It’s the internet, many people talk rubbish and feel no consequences. You’re right of course.

Has she considered taking in some ironing?

Retrain in Salesforce. Loads of jobs. Good pay. Flexible.

Maybe sell a few things on ebay, start childminding, walk some dogs...

People generally say "retrain" if the person's current job is going nowhere and there is not an obvious alternative career path for which they have entirely transferable skills. so an element of "retraining" is necessary, whether that's doing actually training, or simply applying for a new job without all the necessary skills and seeing if they will provide training for the gaps.

When people say retrain, they don’t mean do something random, they mean find a field that uses similar or transferable skills in which jobs are plentiful and move there.

If your industry is dying, you need to jump.

I don’t think people really mean retrain when they say it though - it’s more, you need to think outside the box and explore less obvious careers.

I’ve switched careers at 35 having spent 15 years in one industry. I’m retraining into a job I didn’t even know existed at 20 years of age.

And really, what’s the alternative? At 49 your friend has conceivably got 21 years of work ahead of her - is she really not going to improve/update/change skills in that time?

I changed careers at 43, but did focus on my transferable skills as a PP mentioned, once I did that I shored it up with some new qualifications culminating in masters degree. It is possible but is daunting and you have to be determined.

I think people mean to do something new (achievable) rather than, say, jumping from vet to barrister.

It’s about finding something that is a strong career path that is doable.

E.g. accounting, in demand field with ample opportunity. Many people I worked at Big 4 were older having chosen something different. You have to be smart, confident, and show you have the ability

@ShirleyPhallus

Has she considered taking in some ironing?

😂

I know what you mean OP. I always think it's ridiculous. The people that say it must be in a position of privilege. How can you "retrain" unless you're well off and can afford to chuck in your current job, and have zero income whilst you're "retraining".

Surely a graphic designer would have to go to uni to become an accountant, and with fairly basic maths skills......

I am in a similar boat, most of our circle are artists of some type or another, most to masters level, some went into teaching. If i were to change path now I would be screwed outside of the arts. I did once complete a person centred counselling course but that was many moons ago! I don't even think they do PCC anymore, only cognitive.

My friend is more likely, I agree, to either expand her business or take on extra work, which again may or may not require skills.
The question would be whether she would want a good wage or not, and if so, some training would be necessary.
But in what, I have no idea!

Accountancy doesn’t require a related degree (or a degree at all), which is why it’s often suggested. Big 4 is pretty hard core (been there, done that) but going in as an unqualified accountant somewhere in industry if you’re capable of percentage calculations is not a bad shout.

interesting.
I always had a secret fantasy of becoming an accountant
I chose to follow an arty path, and whilst there are massive drawbacks (volatile earnings, no mortgage) I have been really happy with that for decades.
It depends, and we are all different with different life choices and priorities.

I would love to have a secret life as an accountant though, but I was terrible at maths. Would prob be ok at it now but it shall have to remain a fantasy!

Accountancy will be more than full time with studying and most training contracts with the big firms will say if you fail more than one exam you are out. Not ideal for a career change for anyone with other responsibilities.

Retraining isn't easy but it's definitely possible. I did an IT conversion course and there were people from all different careers, many in their 50s. It makes most sense to use your prior skills and pivot careers but people start from scratch all the time.

Well my friend would hate accountancy, so that's no problem!

Myself, I can't even imagine what i would do if I had to retrain.
I've been lucky and had a bit of privilege behind me to choose an art career, but at this point in my life, it isn't always plain sailing. There's something to be said for going to work for an employer, a stable wage for one.
I love what I do, but the market decides what I earn, so whilst it is nice to make a living out of painting and illustration, there's nothing to fall back on apart from my savings.
I don't regret it for one moment, but if i had to retrain I'd be truly confused. How could one take fine art into a new career?

Thankfully at the moment i don't need to worry, but who knows.

Don’t know about other people but it’s not something I say lightly - and I did a postgrad degree and started a new career in late middle age.

It may appear to be mentioned here a lot (mostly by me!) because of the few-months-old Mature Study and Retraining board:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mature_students

There’s a difference, I think, between believing at, say, 35 - after years of child rearing and no experience of any career - that you’re ‘too old’ to do anything, and wondering what one might do after decades in a satisfying creative career …

@TottersBlankly

Don’t know about other people but it’s not something I say lightly - and I did a postgrad degree and started a new career in late middle age.

It may appear to be mentioned here a lot (mostly by me!) because of the few-months-old Mature Study and Retraining board:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mature_students

There’s a difference, I think, between believing at, say, 35 - after years of child rearing and no experience of any career - that you’re ‘too old’ to do anything, and wondering what one might do after decades in a satisfying creative career …

I didnt know that section existed, thanks!

For many of us, it would be difficult to fund a degree at middle age without either 1) total domestic security) or 2) savings.

I have a good nest egg but can't imagine how much another degree and/or masters would cost me. I could afford it, but would be unable to be certain that I could recover the costs. It feels different in late forties to take that risk than when i was 20.

It works for many people though - we have a friend who went back to uni at 50 after being widowed and is now a psychologist. She was fairly well off though.

As you rightly say OP it’s a very big difference being 28 no kids, maybe shared flat and deciding you are leaving digital marketing and going to be a nurse, to being 51 say with a husband , large mortgage and 2 teenagers. I can see it’s slightly easier if you are made redundant and have a cushion of cash or a high earning partner— but lots of people have neither

Personally I think it's unrealistic unless you have lots of money to (a) pay for the training, (b) live off whilst you are training, and (c) live off whilst you find a job / set up your own business and find clients. I've read it works well in countries which have social benefits that provide a minimum income standard and/or free on-going education.

I did end up re-training later in life - to something I enjoy that brings me great pleasure, but I've had to go back to the shitty jobs I was doing as an unskilled 19 year old just to bring some money home. I think what you re-train as is an important part of the discussion. There are jobs that may be satisfying but just don't bring in enough money to live on.

I have a feeling, OP, that you’re not aware of the existence of Government Postgraduate Loans?

www.gov.uk/funding-for-postgraduate-study

Available to anyone under 60 who already has an undergraduate degree - for pretty much any academic subject at a recognised academic institution. Game changer …

There are quite a lot of things where there's a specific piece of software or program you can get trained on and it opens doors.

Eg doing Prince2 for project management, training in stuff like Salesforce, doing entry level accounting skills etc.

I think a lot of people who suggest it aren't aware of the financial cost that comes with fully retraining. It used to be relatively achievable to do a 2yr full time or longer part time course, eg a master's or similar professional qualification (eg for healthcare, finance, IT) and go into a new role. Now pretty much any course will mean 18-30k of debt just on fees, before taking into account the loss of earnings while studying. Given the wages of a lot of jobs havent risen with inflation the investment just isn't viable any more. There are a few exceptions but usually for jobs that not many people want - secondary school teaching for maths and science, social work etc.