I've screwed my career up- anyone else?

[Minkdeville]

It's probably more of a rant than anything.
I qualified as a secondary school teacher 10 years ago back when it was just 1 NQT year and not 2 ECTs.
I'd done a languages degree prior to that, my placement school offered me a fixed term contract but I declined it to go and teach abroad.
I did 3 years abroad teaching in different settings which was great. Came back to try and do the NQT but struggled to get interviews so took on TA/Cover Supervisor and supply work for the next 5 years, as well as tutoring.

I have enjoyed the work I've done but I just wish I did my NQT year 10 years ago. 2 years ago I entered the Civil Service for a change as an Admin Officer. I earn £26.7k a year and make it up to 29 with tutoring and the odd scrap of overtime we have to fight for.

I can't even seem to make it to EO (Executive Officer), which is embarrassing. I got onto a reserve list for 1 role which then expired, and I've made many applications, one personal statement I scored 5s and a 6 but still didn't make it to interview.

Not just applying in my own department but others, EO is a very competitive entry level grade. I honestly feel embarrassed..if I'd stuck with teaching I could possibly be on the Upper Pay Scale by now.

Would a school realistically take on someone to do their ECT 10 years later? My subject is languages which I know is a shortage but still.

I'm honestly pretty down about this and feel like I've wasted everything. Civil Service has an annual pay increase but not always in line with inflation, the application and interview process is challenging and no reflection on your performance or experience.

I know the pension is very good but I actually don't have any other benefits (no flexi!).

Are you sure you WANT to return to teaching? I agree with the poster above, if you were out on a support plan it suggests you struggled and it could be very hard on your mental health - no judgement, I've been through it too and realised teaching wasn't for me.
try not to compare yourself to 18 year olds too much and strive to do something you enjoy, even if it means a new sector.

I reckon you need a strategy. What do you want to be earning, what do you want your life to look like, what do you like doing.

I’ve got a similar story, where I took time out to have kids, and my pay plummeted. Then I started applying for jobs, with multiple degrees and high level experience, yet I didn’t even land beginner roles (had freelanced for the childhood years and my CV / age / whatever, just didn’t fit).

I plugged at it and for a year I made it a mission to get a decent job. This did in fact take a year. I’m now moving on from that job into what I hope will be my dream job. But it was , at times, incredibly disheartening during the “search” period. Very best of luck op!!

Sorry just reading through all the replies now, thanks everyone

I’ve screwed my career up worse - did a teaching degree 20 years ago, had some health problems so did supply teaching, applied for jobs and didn’t get an interview. The 5 year limit passed so I switched to classroom assistant, then had kids and no childcare so was a SAHM, then more chronic health problems followed. Now I’m in a position to return to work but with no way back. No references so can’t even really get on any courses because even those seem to want references, can’t even get voluntary work because they also require references!

So just know that I would rather be you than me right now!

Behaviour hasn't got better in schools.Really experienced teachers are stressed and wanting to leave.If you were put on a support plan before really think about why you are going back to teaching.If it's simply for more money that sounds like a bad idea.If it's because you genuinely loved it and feel you can manage the behaviour now go for it.

Have you looked into being a tutor and working for yourself.?

Do you want to teach? It can be very rewarding, but it can also chew people up and spit them out (ask me how I know). I also have a language degree and it hasn’t helped my career at all to be honest.

After I dropped out of teaching I retrained in something else related to my hobby, and I now earn half an income from that (well, maybe a quarter). I also went back into teaching in specialist provision settings, for which there is increasing demand. That work is 1:1 or small groups and is much more manageable IME than mainstream teaching because the pressures are different. You might also consider adult ed or other settings like prisons, YOI etc.

The hobby job has led me into further retraining and I’m soon to qualify, it’s work I love and which really brings me joy, so it’s worth the hard work and poor money. Could you explore other options like that?

Could you do something completely different? Not teaching/not civil service. What are your strengths in your current job? Could working for a smaller private company have more opportunities for progression?

Thank you. It doesn't have to necessarily be mainstream MFL teaching, just teaching where there is progression through a scale and a permanent role preferably.

I've found HEO roles usually require some sort of leadership experience which I've never had and don't know how to get, or very niche experience. I'll keep looking though.

I've got an interview for a line manager role in a call centre, starting on 30k but at least it's leadership experiences and good bonus which I definitely do not get atm. I'd be lucky to see £100 bonus despite apparently achieving very well.

I'll just keep looking.

If you like teaching, look at further education colleges, they need support teachers, functional skills tutors. Could you do an ESOL teaching qualification? Depending where you are, local colleges might need that. You could maybe teach business admin type stuff at entry level, through to level 2. You don't need NQT for FE! You need to be hard working, enthusiastic and personable.

I've had people say leaving the Civil Service is a stupid idea, I know many people love it but I don't think it's all it's cracked up to be. Progression isn't that easy or available and you are treated like children often in AO roles.

This may not be helpful, but the job market overall is in the doldrums currently and many more people are applying for each role, which could account for you being pipped at the post.
I would be careful about going into teaching purely for the salary bump. Certainly from the posts on here from teachers, nobody has a good word to say about it, except maybe if you are able to get a role in an independent school.
Sorry that all seems a bit negative. The good news is you have a role which should be fairly secure to provide a base to progress from. I don’t know much about the civil service, but is it possible to get a mentor or ask your manager for some coaching on how to bolster your applications?

This thread has given me some encouragement and ideas so thank you.

Having a look on the TES, I'm in the Merseyside area though I imagine teaching posts won't really come up yet, possibly next month.

Just to say, OP, I’m a teacher (11 years experience, secondary school) and have been a cover supervisor before I qualified, and I found the CS role sooooo much harder and more stressful than being a regular ‘official’ teacher. It’s just a lot harder to impose authority as a cover supervisor, even in a school you are familiar with. Honestly it’s a nightmare job, so don’t let it knock your confidence if you feel you struggled with it. Being an actual teacher is much easier when it comes to maintaining discipline. Thats been my experience, anyway. I was crap at being a CS but I’m great at being a teacher!

I hear you!
I really wish the govt would do some sort of get back to work programme for mum's who had to make these choices years ago and now have a CV like swiss cheese. I have so little confidence and it feels like I'm not good enough for any jobs. I've got a science degree and used to work in some very demanding jobs until I had kids! I can't believe I'm unemployable at 40, just because I had kids.

I have friends working as teachers and in CS. Be very certain about moving back to teaching - it is a lot of work and noone does it for the money. Look at the whole picture, quality of life - your salary may be higher in teaching but the stress, weekly working hours and lack of flexibility will no doubt be very different from CS.

If you've only been in the CS for a couple of years, I wouldn't rush to leave yet, and maybe keep looking / thinking unless you are dead set on teaching.

In your position, I’d consider volunteering with Girlguiding. They ask for references, but it’s character references not work references so friends are fine to use. Great experience for getting back into teaching - and there are loads of teachers in guiding, too.

I've managed to flatline my career in the civil service. Got to SEO relatively easily, 2x mat leave and a sideways move to a second SEO role and I'm stuck. New role is really interesting but incredibly specialised and I'm not building the transferable/management skills needed to make the leap to G7.

Now surrounded by loads of SEOs much younger than me which is a bit depressing. I have 2 DC with SEN so rely on the flexibility I have though.

Offering a different perspective. People put everything in to their career, invest tens of thousands into qualifications and end up leaving them because they hate it.
I had a career in HR, worked my way up and for a great company but it was soul destroying everyday.
I gave it all up and set up a dog walking business, it's absolutely amazing and I earn more than what I did in my 'good job'. Good luck with what you choose.

I can't profess to having any expertise in teaching roles, but one thing's for sure, you would be better looking at alternative options to languages. I have a close friend who is completely fluent in 3 languages and used to have constant sources of work (translating and as an interpreter) but their work is noticeably drying up due to AI.

on that note.... why not use AI creatively as your career coach. ChatGPT is my preferred option for things like work challenges, it's really good with natural language conversations and prompts like "what alternative career options can you suggest for me? I have x qualifications and y years of experience".

You may not agree with everything you get back but it's good to bounce ideas around with.

This is reassuring! I had a great freelance career from 25-35 but a lot of the work has disappeared (the industries and roles just no longer exist, killed by internet, AI, covid, budgets, etc). Then I had kids and now it feels almost impossible to get back to the level I was at but in a salaried role – everywhere I interview comments on how I seem too senior and experienced for the role, but I don’t get a sniff when applying for the senior roles! I did interview for a Head of role but didn’t get it due to my managerial experience being in fixed-term and contract positions or from too long ago, pre kids.

Currently earning a pittance with the only benefit that it’s 0.6 FTE and flexible so I can shift around primary years and nursery hours, holding on until both children are in one place and I can free up more availability. In the meantime applying for a couple of better jobs a week but it’s so disheartening because I know from the other side of things, our crappy jobs attract 350+ applicants so anything good is truly off the scale.

At 44 it does feel like I’ve missed the boat and everyone around me is higher up, with the same flexibility because they’re senior/established, I’m bored out of my skull at work in a junior grunt role and not earning enough, but the job market is dire and my opportunities to stuff my pension with cash are dwindling. Aaaaargh.

I don’t know if you’d be open to another overseas move but I’m in Sydney and language teachers are always in short supply. My sons go to a very good private school and they had to cancel one language as although the demand was there, they couldn’t get the teaching staff for it.

Plus tutoring is very very common and popular here, you could run language groups, small classes, one on one. Because not many people speak European languages it’s seen as a real plus if you do.

I don't agree that in all cases, you need to spend £000 on training. It depends at what point you are in your career, what skills you bring and to some extent the business need - some of the cost of training is borne by the employer..

FE/adult Ed and work your way up.

And it's never too late to change career - just look at Judi Dench!