Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5

Original poster

Jobs for quieter people with a 'gentle' nature

107 replies

Weareunlovedd · 03/10/2022 22:42

This is what I've been told I have, and I am accepting it as a part of me.
I'm currently looking at teaching roles as I have a PGCE, or Civil Service.
I've applied for an ECT role with a deadline of tomorrow, and I'm applying for border force and probation, also ACAS helpline advisor.
I have considered being an officer in a male prison as there's a good starting salary, but first of all I'm worried about the danger element. I don't want boiling water mixed with sugar thrown over me. Secondly, I don't know if I'm 'tough' enough for it.
Not long ago there was a thread on it here, and a female prison officer was complaining there were too many 'young girls' starting and often you needed a 'big bloke' to sort things out, so that put me off.
I know I passed the pgce but I'm worried I'm not strict and firm enough to be a teacher, though I'm willing to try.
I'm in my early 30s but get told I look younger, I'm just worried about not being taken seriously and being seen as inexperienced

OP posts:

Thefriendlymoth · 04/10/2022 17:21

I work in primary education and there are absolutely some gentle, quieter teachers - obviously the environment is not calm and chill 😂 You can be authoritative without being shouty or aggressive and it’s something that you find you will pick up on the job (I’m sure if you have your PGCE you are aware to a point what is required). Failing that maybe look into more pastoral roles in education, there are options you could explore with counselling, send support which might lend itself to your nature rather than trying to control an unruly class of infants 😊

FluffMagnet · 04/10/2022 17:24

Roles in education outside the classroom. There are plenty of educational charities and related businesses, such as exam boards, museums, the church, university presses etc where you may not even need to interact with children but work to educate.

Nolongerteaching · 04/10/2022 17:26

Early years is gentle.

one to one as an intervention teacher?

TheCatsPyjamas1 · 04/10/2022 17:30

coffeeschmoffee · 04/10/2022 00:00

I'm a fairly gentle, introverted person and teaching didn't work out for me either

I work for the civil service now, in one of the "gentler" departments (i.e. not Home Office, Foreign Office or DWP) I love it. CS has so many different types of jobs, am sure you'll find one you like.

I could’ve written this exact same post!

I would describe my personality as being similar to yours coffee and OP; I tried teacher training (and couldn’t hack it!!) so you’ve already gone far beyond what I achieved, OP - well done!

I now work in the Civil Service, similar to coffee, in one of the ‘gentler’ departments too - the one that deals with the law and police, but don’t want to say its exact name, to avoid being too identifying. It’s quite a big department, so has lots of roles available. I think its focus on social policy can make it a particularly interesting and exciting place to work. I’ve also found it a very friendly and inclusive workplace.

Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or anything, OP :)

properdoughnut · 04/10/2022 17:31

Auditing?

WonderingWanda · 04/10/2022 17:32

Librarian maybe?

How did you find the teaching op? Are you primary or secondary? All new teachers worry about behaviour and being taken seriously but that can come as your confidence grows. The key thing is did you enjoy it. Did you feel like you were doing well and making progress on your pgce? No one is the finished product when they finish a pgce which is why there's a continued programme of support. The key thing is to pick the right school.

properdoughnut · 04/10/2022 17:32

Massage therapist?

PenCreed · 04/10/2022 17:36

Librarian maybe?

Not if you're introverted - librarians in public libraries are over-worked, under-paid and deal with people constantly, it's not a quiet job. Librarians in academic libraries also deal with people constantly, including frustrated students and academics. Gentler than being a prison officer, mind you.

reigatecastle · 04/10/2022 17:37

OP have you thought about working in a library or for a library service? You could work in a school - you could even work in a prison library, but it would be somewhat different to being a prison officer. Or you might be able to get a job with a school library service as you are a teacher. You don't have to have a library qualification and you can do qualifications as you work.

Another option might be careers adviser or similar in a university.

reigatecastle · 04/10/2022 17:40

Not if you're introverted - librarians in public libraries are over-worked, under-paid and deal with people constantly, it's not a quiet job

I think it's ok depending on the library. Some library staff will be social workers, but others will do nothing more stressful than running the summer reading challenge. Baby rhymetime and storytime can be an ordeal if you are not outgoing though. However, I thought a school library might suit the OP, although it is a poorly paid role compared with teaching. And schools are getting rid of their libraries (appalling in my view).

JenniferAllisonPhillipaSue · 04/10/2022 17:40

Work in the background/head office of a large part of the civil service or a government department. I work in long-term planning in a non-civil service organisation, and I would definitely describe it as gentle.

Thepeopleversuswork · 04/10/2022 17:41

Are you good at written work OP?

There are lots of editing/writing jobs which don't require you to come into contact with people much at all.

JWR · 04/10/2022 17:44

Have you looked at university jobs? The PGCE could be a bonus is academic support or Ed Tech roles but there are so many different pathways available.

2reefsin30knots · 04/10/2022 17:45

Special needs teaching in many, many settings requires a strong, robust, resilient personality and the ability to continually multi-task and risk-assess. You often have a large team of TAs to manage and that can be just as challenging as the children.

What about class teaching in a small prep school.

Toyingyu · 04/10/2022 17:46

My friends husband teaches kids online who aren't in mainstream education for whatever reason. The kids can be anywhere in the world, a lot are in China. He loves it.

LondonQueen · 04/10/2022 17:55

If you have a gentle nature you will be eaten alive by students, from a teacher. I also can't imagine a less gentle role than a prison officer! You'd be better off with a WFH job or a quiet office maybe in an admin role.

sueelleker · 04/10/2022 17:59

I've always been 'quiet and gentle' and have had a very happy life working as a pharmacy technician.

autienotnaughty · 04/10/2022 18:00

If you are wanting education a university may be a better fit. I'm a librarian, I love it and we are all odd!!

ParsleySageRosemary · 04/10/2022 18:04

reigatecastle · 04/10/2022 17:37

Another option might be careers adviser or similar in a university.

The number of people suggesting ‘librarian’ need to be aware at that is a dead profession now. There are hardly any professional librarians in public libraries, as they were replaced by cheaper non-professional routes some years ago. There are fewer in academia too as posts are routinely downgraded at every opportunity. Schools were never well paid and now are an absolute joke, also expecting ridiculous amounts of extra work for nothing. What work there is in libraries rarely pays well - cleaners and retail staff get paid more. If you can retrain with current uni fees op I would try the health professions.

CremeEggsForBreakfast · 04/10/2022 18:08

I'm a gentle sort of person and work as a nanny! I love it! If you find the right personality in a family it can work and make use of your teaching degree/experience. Maybe a family that homeschools or a child with additional needs who needs extra tutoring?

You could also work as a tutor instead/in addition to the nannying.

riotlady · 04/10/2022 18:10

I’m quiet and work in the civil service- there are loads of back office jobs that are much less tough than the prison service! I do 60% from home which is ideal for an introvert

bloodyunicorns · 04/10/2022 18:13

You're in your early 30s. That's surely old enough to have some life experience and to know what you want to do? Why do a PGCE if you don't want to teach?

Noteverybodylives · 04/10/2022 18:17

It depends how gentle you are.

There’s a difference between being gentle and timid.

My gentleness as a teacher has resulted in me now working with teens with special needs and behavioural issues who’ve been expelled from their mainstream school.

I do not shout or get angry but I am firm and have set rules.

You cannot control 30+ students or 6’5” males with anger issues if you aren’t firm but you do not have to be loud, bubbly or aggressive.

I too have wanted to be a prison officer but again it depends just how gentle you are.
I also thought it was crap money for what you actually have to do.

I cannot do primary teaching as I feel I would be way too soft on them.

I found my PGCE was different to my NQT teaching experience as there was always another adult in the room so you didn’t need to be as firm as you do when you’re on your own.

Why not try a small village primary school which has a TA?

You will learn to get firmer as time goes on but don’t be ashamed to use your gentle nature to your advantage.

Postapocalypticcowgirl · 04/10/2022 18:21

If you've got through your PGCE, you're clearly capable of teaching- was it primary or secondary? If you couldn't control a class at all, you wouldn't have been allowed to pass.

There are plenty of schools where students wouldn't eat a quiet teacher alive, and there's a difference between being quiet and gentle and being a complete pushover. I'm a secondary teacher, and I know with some students, a quiet and gentle approach is actually better, because if you start shouting etc, they will just shout back. Whereas if you are firm, but don't raise your voice, that's less likely to escalate the situation, and they can respond better to this.

I'd look for a school with a good centralised behaviour policy, but I wouldn't rule teaching out.

What did you train to teach?

ButterfliesnWaterfalls · 04/10/2022 18:26