To start a career from scratch in early 30‘s?

[LouiseJo90]

Any ideas? Inspiration…I would also need to do my maths and science GCSE to do further education? Anybody been in this position? I’m 31 with 2 kids 😊 I have a part time job but want more

I'm training as a social worker and I'll be 40 before I'm qualified! Professional courses like mine are full of older students, I'm nowhere near the oldest and there aren't many that are straight from school age at all

Such a wonderful thought OP. Love your ambition. Go for it. It's never too late

I did it, started an access course at 30 and then a 3 year degree. I would say though if you’re looking for good pay healthcare probably isn’t what you’re looking for. I’m on band 5 NHS pay and after tax, pension etc and childcare I was better off on benefits 🙈 (in the short term). Pay didn’t look so bad 5 years ago when I looked into it but since the pay freezes and the less than inflation singular payrise it’s a pittance.

I’m 46 and recently started retraining in a new career. Go for it and Good Luck

I’m worried about the GCSE bit, Uni says I need 5 GCSE’s but I will only have 4?

@LouiseJo90

I feel the jobs that pay well require a degree, but I also want to do something I like, nursing appeals to me.

My sister is a GP and says if she had her time again she would become a nurse practicioner - good rate of pay for nursing, and a more realistic timeframe for retraining

You are in your early 30s & might have another 40 years to work so definitely do it! I did a degree at night while working FT/long hours so it is possible. You will have to sacrifice some things (free time & a social life probably) but it will be so worth it!

I’m really worried about the GCSE side of things?

I went to uni at 29 and did a PGCE at 36. (Had my 2 children during this time) Taught for 25years until I retired 3 years ago at 62.

Go for it!

I spoke to the university and they said they will accept English maths and science with an access course

YANBU at all! Definitely go for it. Just find a college offering GCSE Maths and Science. I know a lot of nurses love their jobs but do bear in mind that it's a very full-on job for reasonably low pay though (with some exceptions).

I'm 34 and after having started a degree at 19 but had to pull out due to illness, I'm hoping to start from scratch this September.

Go for it!
You have at least another 30 years of working so you may as well work in a field you are passionate about. To be honest even if a person only had 5 to 10 years of working, it would still be worth it.

I look at senior managers in my organisation. They tend to continue investing in their careers, whether studying in-house, joining programmes, coaching, sitting on various boards.

If you want to move forward, take all opportunities that come your way.

I read a tweet yesterday that said it should be completely normal to have 4 or 5 different careers during your lifetime. The idea that if we’re not on the path to a particular thing by 25 then it’s passed us by seems crazy when you think about it.

You’re a mere pup. Go become a nurse!

My mum was the exact same age, single mum with me as a baby and had to do her A Levels, go to university and train as a teacher. She became the most respected early years teacher in the area, and has been dragged out of retirement twice! You can do it!!! Good luck!

Hi @LouiseJo90, we can see that you're getting some good advice and suggestions from other Mumsnetters here in AIBU, but if you'd like us to move your thread over to our (shiny, new-ish) Mature Study and Retraining topic, just let us know

Thanks everyone!

Of course YANBU. I started my career at 30, with a 7 month old baby. I'm 40 now and have another child and a career I love and which has gone from strength to strength.

My mum didn't even begin her career till her mid 40s and she has become very senior in her field

May I ask forcedfun what your mums field is? Her story sounds impressive

Absolutely, at early 30s you still have so much working life left.

I'm 30 and started retraining a couple years ago. I have degrees from university but fell out of love with my field. I decided to retrain in accounting and so happy I made the choice. I have a young daughter so self studying AAT to fit my own schedule.

@LouiseJo90

Any ideas? Inspiration…I would also need to do my maths and science GCSE to do further education? Anybody been in this position? I’m 31 with 2 kids 😊 I have a part time job but want more

You can start a new career - I retrained at 34 and was employed by 35 - but it really needs to come from you and not external suggestion. What you enjoy, what your skills are and what you're drawn to. Also please do choose something well-paid. There's no point going to all the effort just for 16k a year.

I went into software engineering. Most of the time when I tell peope how to get into this wonderful and high-paid industry they say 'oh i just couldn't' so I tend not to give specifics any more, but you can look up online what would be necessary to learn.

I saw a tweet the other day where a woman started studying law in her fifties and was called to The Bar at age 63! Inspirational and made me feel it's never too late.

I’m 38 and have been accepted into Uni to do my nursing, start in Sept.
I did an access course first and got a HCSW job in the local hospital which has taught me so much and given me valuable experience for starting uni.

Go for it!

@RitaMills can I ask what it was you did previously?

@EdithRea that’s wonderful! What is it that you did?

@EdithRea what course/retraining did you do? I'm 40 and would love to move into tech but don't think I can afford to do a full uni degree.