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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To change career at 50?

34 replies

Searchingforaunicorn · 20/10/2023 08:18

Are there jobs out there which earn ~£60k+ involve mixed office /wfh, that do not leave you completely spent at the end of each working day and you can transfer straight into from an alternative industry? (education)
Just dreaming of a more balanced life! I’m in my 50s so wondering if I just need to plough on in the bed I’m in (which is ok just exhausting) or if there are alternatives?? Be grateful for any pointers/experiences you can share!

OP posts:
Newnamehiwhodis · 20/10/2023 08:25

I am 50, and have changed careers completely. I’ve gone back to graduate school online to support this- I’m not earning what I was, but I am much, much happier.
I work in a library now :)

it’s not unreasonable. It’s not too late. It can be more difficult if you have children - I don’t.

stress is so bad for one’s health, I do not for one second regret making a massive change- and I do not miss the life I left behind. The stress was making me ill.

YouCouldUseAFlakeOrTwo · 20/10/2023 08:32

I've just started a very similar thread! I think it would be very hard to have a complete career change and step into something brand new at £60k+.

You'd either be looking at a career that's closely related to what you do now (making the very most of all those transferable skills) or you'd be looking at a fairly hefty pay cut to start again in a new profession.

Agree with the pp that stress is a killer, though... I'm the same age as you and need to find the magic balance between having enough on my plate to keep me motivated and not working 60-hour weeks like I have done recently.

Rocknrollstar · 20/10/2023 08:36

I changed jobs at 50. I went from teaching in secondary school to working in a central unit in a University. It was probably the best job I ever had - lots of freedom to decide what to do and lots of overseas travel. However, it didn’t pay anything like £60k.

Original poster
Searchingforaunicorn · 20/10/2023 08:39

Great minds flake or two :0)

Maintaining the salary is key unfortunately, I took time off work when the kids were small and worked low paid for a while so my pension pot needs a boost. Single household income too.

OP posts:
theduchessofspork · 20/10/2023 08:40

Newnamehiwhodis · 20/10/2023 08:25

I am 50, and have changed careers completely. I’ve gone back to graduate school online to support this- I’m not earning what I was, but I am much, much happier.
I work in a library now :)

it’s not unreasonable. It’s not too late. It can be more difficult if you have children - I don’t.

stress is so bad for one’s health, I do not for one second regret making a massive change- and I do not miss the life I left behind. The stress was making me ill.

That is great, but do you earn 60k??

I’m guessing you can OP but it will take some proper research and planning -

Could you look at Tutoring (building up a full business online as well as F2F), an online training business - maybe combined with some consultancy of some kind, or an educational organisation like an exam board or a training organisation. I don’t know about Education depts in civil service? I would say education start ups but I think the arse has fallen out of some of them with AI - however, going along to Bett might be a good idea.

Career shifters is quite a good organisation for supporting career change

thirdistheonewiththehairychest · 20/10/2023 08:41

Have you joined the 'Life after teaching' group on Facebook? Lots of inspiration on there. I'm just about to qualify as a chartered accountant following a 20year teaching career.

Original poster
Searchingforaunicorn · 20/10/2023 08:43

thirdistheonewiththehairychest · 20/10/2023 08:41

Have you joined the 'Life after teaching' group on Facebook? Lots of inspiration on there. I'm just about to qualify as a chartered accountant following a 20year teaching career.

No, I haven’t, good tip, though that would alert half my staff friends that I’m looking to move I guess?

OP posts:
PimpMyFridge · 20/10/2023 08:45

Not if you make a burner account. 😁

Original poster
Searchingforaunicorn · 20/10/2023 08:46

Tutoring is an option but I’m in that catch 22 position that I haven’t got the time /energy to build that up enough to be in a position to take the leap. Thinking that’s something I’ll do if I stay in education but duck out a few years before I would otherwise. Definitely good for thought.

OP posts:
Original poster
Searchingforaunicorn · 20/10/2023 08:48

PimpMyFridge · 20/10/2023 08:45

Not if you make a burner account. 😁

Ooooh sneaky. Learn something new every day! Will investigate 🙂

OP posts:
TizerorFizz · 20/10/2023 08:59

What job earning £60k will be stress free? Do they exist? Plus if you are self employed there is NO employer contribution to your pension. You will need to put ALL the contributions in yourself and it won’t be as good as the teacher pension. You only will be paying in for a few years. Long term you would be mad to ditch your teachers pension. You could look for a MAT job or subject adviser job.

tttigress · 20/10/2023 09:04

Part of my would like a career change (I work in I.T. for a finance company not teacher), but what puts me off is thinking the grass isn't greener and I would end up working just as hard for less money.

Bubblesatbathtime · 20/10/2023 09:20

Newnamehiwhodis · 20/10/2023 08:25

I am 50, and have changed careers completely. I’ve gone back to graduate school online to support this- I’m not earning what I was, but I am much, much happier.
I work in a library now :)

it’s not unreasonable. It’s not too late. It can be more difficult if you have children - I don’t.

stress is so bad for one’s health, I do not for one second regret making a massive change- and I do not miss the life I left behind. The stress was making me ill.

Hi could I ask what course you did? I'd love to work in a library.

HidingFromDD · 21/10/2023 07:00

Honestly, you could spend 3/4 years getting somewhere near experience in another field to bring you up to £60k, but realise at that level there’s always stress, slightly different to teaching as often have more autonomy, but stress nonetheless. You’ll also realise in ten years time that you could have been thinking about retiring if you’d stayed teaching but now can’t afford to cause you’re pension is nothing like it would have been.

I have multiple teacher relatives who work extremely hard, including one deputy head. A few years ago we sat down and worked out how many hours, annually, we both worked. She was surprised to find out I worked more. We earned about the same then but she’s now retired on teachers pension and I’m still working until at least 67 as pension is crap

Netaporter · 21/10/2023 07:10

Not a teacher, but could you afford to take a sabbatical instead? I think I’m right in saying in Australia there is a saying at work ‘a rest is as good as a change’. When you step away from something for a while and give yourself time to really think about life/goals you may find clarity. I don’t think you should be a slave to a pension in life but having watched my own parents being able to have the option to retire at 52 because of decent workplace pensions (not teachers either but normal jobs) does make you realise that it is such an advantage not having to work until there is no time left to enjoy life a little!

EasternStandard · 21/10/2023 07:27

What is your salary now? Do you work in a university?

Newmumatlast · 21/10/2023 07:39

Most 60k jobs will be stressful. Like a PP said, sometimes it might be surprising to compare teaching to other high level jobs in that the hours may be the same or more and as stressful but in a different way. The grass isnt always greener. I wouldn't dissuade you from retraining but to walk into 60k and also have similar pension/less stress etc.

Original poster
Searchingforaunicorn · 21/10/2023 08:00

Thanks all, I’m not expecting a stress free life at that salary at all. Just to have the strength to go to the gym after work once a week or imagine any kind of social life midweek in term time - like friends in established other professions regularly do. There are many perks to the job but I’m finding the HIT style cycle of half term to holiday hard and just wondered if grass though may not be greener just might be more suitable elsewhere.

OP posts:
thirdistheonewiththehairychest · 21/10/2023 10:27

Searchingforaunicorn · 20/10/2023 08:43

No, I haven’t, good tip, though that would alert half my staff friends that I’m looking to move I guess?

Show quote history

Only if they're in the group too, in which case they would totally have your back!

Father1 · 23/10/2023 07:29

History probably

Z1hun · 23/10/2023 07:30

Insurance pays. You could consider education insurance - Ie insuring schools buildings, employers liability, public liability etc

GingerTravel · 23/10/2023 07:36

OP I was in a similar position to you, somewhat earlier in my career, and switched to become an ombudsman. The starting salary in 2014 was £60k, and they made a hefty pension contribution. Had I been 50 and not 35, I would definitely have stayed. While not easy to get in, they took people from diverse professions (I'm sure that included teaching, but for example a colleague of mine had been a police officer). What they were looking for was good decision making skills and ability to cope under pressure. However compared to the other jobs I've done, there was no stress at all.

Whatever you decide to do, look at the overall package, not just the salary. If you've been teaching in a state school for all your career (even with time off), there is unlikely to be a better pension scheme than the one you are on, and it's worth considering how long you would have to work to maximize your earnings under that scheme - it might not be too long. Then you could do something that you really enjoy up to retirement, even if it doesn't bring in as much in the short term.

decionsdecisions62 · 23/10/2023 07:42

I'm a senior lecturer. I earn over £60k and wfh about 3 days a week. It's still education.

Ohmylovejune · 23/10/2023 08:09

If you are in education then my first thoughts would be...

Inspection, eg OFSTED
Examiner.
Going part time and picking up marking work and tutoring as extra (probably wouldn't bring you up to your level now)
Identifying the most stressful part of your job currently and moving jobs to minimise/eradicate it - for example, if you are currently SLT with teaching responsibilities but teaching is stressful then look at larger school groups where the job is more management.

Some of these might not be possible but 60k is a high salary to just walk into something else that you have no experience in and, possibly, no qualifications either.