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!).

I've lost a lot of confidence in myself as a teacher too. Whilst I have good subject knowledge and can plan engaging lessons and organise my time well I'm not intimidating to the kids (I know it's not about that but they have a lack of respect for me) I can enforce the behaviour policy and be firm but I sound like an idiot when im telling a class off, I don't want to be standing there shouting at and lecturing a class, but there doesn't seem to be an inn for teachers like me who are more reserved.
Also found some teachers think it's a popularity contest and want to be best mates with the kids.

Sorry I misunderstood your point. I thought you were saying to the OP not to bother. x

A previous poster has already mentioned this, but give prison teaching some consideration. It’s not all roses by any means and wouldn’t be MFL but there are real positives.

I’m the same age as you, OP, and am currently at uni studying for my career changing degree. I’m nowhere near the oldest, it’s never too late, and it’s certainly not too late at 35. Just go for it! If you don’t feel suited to teaching children/young teens, you could go into further or higher education. But I bet those discipline skills would come with time x

This is why I think a small private would work. Kids aren't as disruptive and being strict is seen as giving boundaries rather than being nasty. I generalise obviously but I don't think going into the state sector would suit you at all the way it is today. Maybe prison would indeed be a less challenging workplace!

I feel the same. I spent years languishing in a freelance job that I was good at and never short of work for as clients were pleased with my work, but the actual work itself made me miserable and severely impacted my mental health.

I now teach in HE after a brief stint in secondary teaching. I wouldn't recommend HE at the moment, I work very part-time so my take-home pay is a pittance and it's a struggle to get more teaching work at my institution, while our staff are being offered 'voluntary severance' packages and staff in other institutions are being made redundant.

My husband also tried secondary teaching for a while, but used it to get into learning technology, which seems (to me at least) to be much more stable than HE and they love hiring ex-teachers who want to use their skills.

I didn’t start my current career til your age, you have plenty of time. I felt similar to you when I made the switch. You have another 30 odd years of work ahead of you, so it really isn’t too late!

You know who hires ex teachers? Academic publishers… some of the bigger ones pay VERY well once you’re established.

OP, I'll PM you - I work in the civil service on teacher recruitment among other things. (On leave today!)

I moved to the CS in my 40s! You sound adaptable and a quick learner - as others have said, you should be looking at higher grades than EO. The competition can be less intense at different grades because they will be looking for specific skills/'behaviours'.

Do you have opportunities to be mentored where you are?

Also look at schemes like Tech Track - I think people join at HEO and get fully-trained. They will be looking for women in particular. Being good at languages will be a plus: TechTrack: revolutionising digital apprenticeships in the Civil Service – Government Digital and Data

For teaching options: look at the Assessment Only route to qualification, as a previous poster suggested.

Teach First do train people in their 30s, and MFL is a priority subject for them. You need to reframe your cover supervisor experience - it wasn't that you weren't up to it, perhaps just poor support/behavioural policies on their side, or the wrong school for you. If you look at this report, you will see that Teach First teachers are recruited in their 30s and 40s. Trainees also get specific training to move into leadership quickly: The progression and retention of Teach First teachers

Also: you can get one-to-one advice on routes back to teaching from the Get into Teaching service. They will know what is possible for someone with your background: Get a free adviser | Get Into Teaching GOV.UK

I have no doubt that you're working very hard at too low a grade. You need to figure out the right way forward - and then, just persist. Right now, it sounds as if you're pushing very hard at the wrong point on the lever.

... being able to offer French, German and Spanish is great, by the way, and should make you more competitive.

I wonder whether a multi-academy trust might look to offer German across sites, where lower numbers make it difficult to timetable at any single school.

Private schools have often better behaved kids who don't want to disrupt lessons or harsher punishments if they do. Alternatively, how about teaching in further education? I've taught adults and no one was ever disruptive and all wanted to be there and learn.

I don't want this to sound racist..it's just a cultural thing, I taught adults from the Middle East in a language centre. It was awful, they were paying so very entitled, thought they could walk in an hour late, quite argumentative and demanded things.

That's not necessarily down to culture or region-of-origin, though...

I'm also a former teacher at AO and earning the same and it's tough right now to get promotions in the CS! I'm also on several reserve lists and have been told that I am working above grade but the application process is rigid and there are so many applicants for each posts that it's not enough just to pass. I've been on a few temp promotions and got to HEO but then due to budget cuts I had to go back to my substantive grade. I would also try for HEO positions though because weirdly they can be less competitive.

You COULD NOT pay me enough to go back to teaching. Not for a million. Idk if you have kids but I wouldn't do that to mine. OK, I'm not earning much, it's a bad time for the civil service, and every interview I don't get is depressing, but I have a work life balance. I work (nearly entirely from home) 37 hrs a week, anytime I like so long as I'm there from 10-3. Any extra hours are kept to use as flexi another time or paid at 1.5. DD has a meet the teacher event at 3pm and I'll be there. I get to volunteer with her Rainbows troop. I go to her Nativity plays and her school fayres.

As for me, my disabilities are accommodated for with reasonable adjustments. I can ask for work that helps me improve on areas I need more experience of. I can volunteer within my organisation to take part in initiatives like diversity training and wellbeing events. I can even apply for a term time working arrangement, but currently I get 31 days of holiday (+ 9 days bank holiday/King's birthday) which I can take whenever I like.

Going back to working 60 hrs a week and waiting all morning to go for a wee, being spoken to and treated badly by kids, parents and staff, constant anxiety about the million jobs you can't possibly get done and guilt for not being there for my own daughter...just never, ever again. Teaching left my mental and physical health in tatters and did worse to my DH. He is still dealing with PTSD from some of the things that happened.

(Just to add, if you want a chat more specifically about what you can do with a teaching qualification in my organisation at HEO and higher levels, feel free to PM me. There are opportunities but you have to be ready when they come up. 😊)

I don't think you are suited to teaching.
Also you said this:
"I found the Cover Supervisor role challenging as even though I was in-house behaviour was awful, I got put on an informal support plan and left before it got to formal"

Behaviour is even worse than it was 5 -10 years ago.

I thinkk you should for other career opportunities rather than trying to get back into teaching again.

Have you looked at the fast stream in the civil service? Applications open around now.

Thank you, been rejected for Fast Stream 3 times sadly, I hear it's very competitive but will keep trying!

No advice but solidarity. I did a degree and started a career AI has replaced. Also had a child with additional needs so can't work full time but need that immediate flexibility and wfh ideally. which are only really in senior roles of which I can't obviously walk straight into.

Because I already have a degree further training is difficult and expensive. Plus the whole needing to be flexible and part time for my children. We have no family support at all (im the scape goat).

Meanwhile both my siblings are climbing The career ladder despite similar barriers I am facing but they have family support. Genuinely happy for them I just wish I to had some more options.

I just wish there was more help to get on a path with guaranteed ability to climb. I guess the world is really changing with AI so it's anyone's guess but my is it difficult not to feel like it's all pointless.

I've never come across an inn that bans reserved teachers. (Sorry - I couldn't resist.)

If you're not getting interviews it may well be down to how you write your applications. Have you had someone more senior look over them?

You could get some leadership experience through volunteering.

Being in the civil service is a good career. Try doing additional training outside of your job. Get a mentor to support you in professional development. If you any to use your languages keep it as a tutor online. Teaching in a private school could work but the pressure is immense if you're new. The grass ain't always greener.

If you like teaching, can you start a coaching business? Also offer some lessons on YouTube or promote through instagram / tik tok?

You did nothing wrong by teaching abroad for 3 years. Sadly, mainstream job world is very unforgiving.

Hi OP. No advice on teaching specifically, just wanted to say it's never too late to change roles/ careers. I was on a low pay customer service job at 32, took a chance and applied for a different role internally (no qualifications for it, just a real interest in the role), and 5 years later I'm head of my department earning almost 3 times more. You know what's possible where you are now, but you'll not really know what's possible/what you're capable of elsewhere unless you make a change! Also - the years spent working in customer service actually made me stand out more in my area with knowledge others didn't have - you might find that if you make a change, your experience it your current role will set you apart and you'll progress faster!

@firstcuppai'm in a similar position. It's crap! Currently not working but there's nothing out there that I'd look like a good candidate for. I had an awful experience at my last place of work and took redundancy which perhaps wasn't wise. It's really quite depressing looking at the job market