Retraining at 42 - is it worth doing?

[whattodoat42]

Any advice or words of wisdom would be so welcome, thank you. I’m 42, 2 dc (14 & 12) and stuck in admin work due to being too shy/scared to go to uni when I was a teen, not having a clue what I’d do anyway, my dc coming along and the years just rolled by. A few years ago I felt it was now or never to do something about it. I think I would be suited to a career where I could ‘make a difference’. If I could turn back time I’d be looking at things like social work, speech and language therapy or educational psychology but none of these are available distance learning and my nearest uni is a 100-mile round trip, which is impossible. So I decided distance learning was my only option and enrolled on a distance learning business management course as a stepping stone to a distance learning HR degree. I’m 2/3rds through the business course and it’s been a complete struggle - it’s not for me at all but I’m trying my best to finish it.

So my question is, am I dreaming at the age of 42 that I can have a ‘career’ and turn this rut I’m in around. I realise that my dc’s are getting older and more independent and I really feel that I will need something to keep me busy and happy once they leave home. Has anyone got any suggestions/ideas of careers that I could look into?

Thank you

Well it's doable, I did an NHS degree in my 40's, now 57 and got a good career out of it.

Thanks for your reply, it’s encouraging to hear that. Was it a distance learning course you did?

I retrained at 40 in Nutrition - it's never too late!

Your nearest uni might be 50 miles away, but some colleges run degree programmes accredited by universities, it might be worth investigating what’s available near you.

YOu've probably got more working years ahead of you , than behind you, so go for it

Courses like social work and SaLT usually involve placements, hence not being distance learning. Retraining can be worthwhile, but I'd consider undergraduate distance learning courses carefully, as you may find they aren't a step up without gaining experience through volunteering / internships / placements.
Have you looked into NHS careers? You might get lucky and find a paid role that comes with training. I used to work in the NHS until last year and we had a few staff who started in healthcare assistant type roles, who were seconded to study occupational therapy, nursing and physiotherapy degrees. They still received salaries whilst training.

I was 43 when I took the plunge into a new career - did a PGCE & became a teacher.

Go For It!

I'm 47 and finished my teacher training course today. Its been a tough year but ive learnt so much and i feel alive again. I've already got a teaching job lined up for September.

My dad retrained as a lawyer when he was in his 40s.

Nobody has a job for life these days. As we get older we must keep learning or we stagnate and it's not good mentally.

It's a bit American and cheesy but the book "Feel the fear and do it anyway" is quite good to motivate you if you're feeling scared of making changed or doing anything. Also, I follow Matt Haig on Instagram and find he has very wise advice. He suffers from anxiety but he has managed to overcome it. Don't let fear stop you from living your life. You just need to figure out what you want to do and then go for it. You're never too old!

Please do go for it. I left it too late (55) and it’s one of my very few regrets in life. 42 is really young.

Thank you all very much for taking the time to reply, it’s very much appreciated. Feel so stuck for options because of where I live really - 50 miles from a college or uni, so distance learning is realistically my only option as the dc’s are my #1priority. There doesn’t seem to be anything available distance learning that’s on the right path for me though.

What level is the business management course? Completing that might open more doors - for example, a business admin / office manager role in a health/ education/public sector/non-profit/ charity might be a stepping stone towards feeling your work has more value? You might then be able to complete an MA or similar in your new field of work after gaining some experience? Best of luck.

It’s a business management certificate, so the final year of the business management degree. It’s opened my eyes to know that office/business roles are not for me. I chose it because I thought it could lead to senior/managerial positions in admin and because it was available as a distance learning option. I can do it, I’ve been passing all my assignments, but it’s just not me at all and I think management would actually stress me out unfortunately.
Going to give all the replies some serious thought today. Thanks so much everyone.

If I had my time again I would do social work. There is a national demand, so guaranteed job and good scope for progression. Burnout is quite likely in this job so being in your 40's you have an advantage.

I'm doing a masters at 44.

Complete your degree, get a 2.1, then apply to one of the graduate social work training schemes like

thinkahead.org/ Which is mental health SW training. You get paid whilst you study.

Forties is an ideal time to retrain, you will still have 20 years of working life and your life experience will be an advantage.

Also 50 miles to the nearest uni or college is doable. Your kids are old enough to make some adjustments for your happiness.

Is it a degree or a certificate? They are not the same thing. Most degrees are not distance learning unless via the OU. They are somewhere to look. However qualifications are not necessarily a step up if you don’t have suitable experience.

Have you considered HR or sideways moves in your organisation? Look at Local Government that can be quite open to career changes. I think you need to narrow down what you might like and what is realistic because being an educational psychologist takes many years and many qualifications and you would need to be sponsored. So what job, at entry level, is attainable with the qualifications you are going to get? I would start from there but if it needs college/university attendance, you will have to be prepared to travel.