Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Mature study and retraining

Talk to other Mumsnetters who are considering a career change or are mature students.

Original poster

42 yo, re-entering workplace, looking for good money and work/life balance!!

57 replies

WoolyMammoth55 · 05/02/2023 12:04

...Am I kidding myself? :)

Seriously, I'd appreciate any supportive advice about where to start.

Nutshell: I was a very academic youngster, went from grammar to Cambridge and got a first in English Lit.
Then went to film school for a 2-year diploma, wanted to change the world with creativity (oh so naive).
Mum died soon after I graduated film school, so took on caring responsibility for younger siblings - did temping and childcare instead of anything exciting.
Once younger sibling was independent I re-booted film stuff, lots of unpaid fun projects, got an agent, went hard after a career in film for 5 years.
It was going well until I suffered appalling maternity discrimination when pregnant and after birth of DS1. Absolutely wrecked me and contributed to PND. Feel like I am done with trying to work in film, due to this experience.
Now have DS1 and DS2, 5yo and 2yo. Have returned to the kind of PA/admin work I did in my 20s to pay bills during this time (part-time, wfh).

So:
We live rurally in the South West so local jobs are limited, I need something that is WFH/hybrid - I could commute to Bristol but would like that to be max 1 day per week.
I will be working for next 25 years so want to find something fulfilling but also compatible with smallish kids - hence work/life balance.
I would like to enjoy what I do.
My CV is gappy as hell due to caring for siblings and now my own kids.
The film industry work isn't very "transferable" to anything else.
The admin/PA stuff is boring and I feel demoralised thinking this is it for me, career-wise.
After Uni I had a bunch of management consultancy/law firms make straight offers due to exam results, but those are 2 decades old now. Is there a route into this sort of work?

I've been considering:
2 years masters to train as a Speech and Language Therapist - we went private for DS1 and they are all hugely busy round here, it's nice work and helps people. But it means starting off with a financial outlay - bit scary.

Trying to work out if an English grad could work in tech/coding type stuff - it seems mega-lucrative and flexible - but I'm a long way off being qualified to apply for anything, don't really know where to start, and although clever am not sure I have the maths/science chops for this.

Wild card option would be re-purpose some of my film scripts as YA novels and see if I can earn a living as a creative person - I would love to model this for my kids! But also really want to contribute some financial security to our family and don't think this is the way.

Any thoughts? Very grateful for those who've read this far :)

OP posts:
CrkdLttrCrkdLttr · 05/02/2023 16:08

Hmm … Grin

I think if you really wanted to be re-purposing film scripts you’d be doing it already. I’d say it’s an option, but not a solid plan for keeping yourself and your family.

What financial outlay do you anticipate for a Master’s? It sounds as if you’d be eligible for a Government Postgraduate Loan which would cover your fees. You could conceivably continue to work whilst studying, if you have the energy.

The whole structure of training for the legal professions has changed recently; there are more routes in now - if you’re still interested. It’s not family friendly though.

No opinion on the coding possibility - not my area.

I do think you’re in a relatively strong position if you decide to push yourself forward in any direction.

NoSquirrels · 05/02/2023 16:13

What’s most important- money (a lucrative career), creativity or ‘helping people’?

Ireallydohope · 05/02/2023 16:25

You have a degree from Cambridge lots of companies will be more than happy to employ you for that very reason

Ireallydohope · 05/02/2023 16:25

Imagine you have just finished film school and what you'd advise yourself

DelurkingAJ · 05/02/2023 16:28

I work in financial services and am rapidly having to learn very basic coding. I’m amazed to find that, with a little brain applied, it isn’t anywhere near as difficult as I had suspected. I think you might find the same. I’d be tempted to see if I could find an apprenticeship in your shoes in coding and I suspect you’d be flying by the end of it.

Dyslexicwonder · 05/02/2023 16:30

The obvious one for me is a teaching role. Either via PGCE or you may be able to do a lectureship or teach in a private school or stage school without. Not stellar well paid but a steady wage. Training as a SLT will mean long hours and hospital placements, lots of older people who have had strokes and similar.....

Beachhutnut · 05/02/2023 16:33

Civil service or arms length body. The Environment Agency has head office in Bristol , would do hybrid working and very good work life balance for example.

Sucessinthenewyear · 05/02/2023 16:37

Dyslexicwonder · 05/02/2023 16:30

The obvious one for me is a teaching role. Either via PGCE or you may be able to do a lectureship or teach in a private school or stage school without. Not stellar well paid but a steady wage. Training as a SLT will mean long hours and hospital placements, lots of older people who have had strokes and similar.....

There is nothing flexible about teaching.

Hubblebubble · 05/02/2023 16:38

Digital copywriting

Hubblebubble · 05/02/2023 16:39

I went straight from am English degree to teaching English. Its awful. Theres a retention crisis for a reason. I wish somebody, anybody, had suggested that I write instead.

Spaghetti201 · 05/02/2023 16:47

You could walk straight into an English teaching job at a private school. Get the school hours and term time only benefits. They would snap you up! Better behaviour in private schools too.

fivetriangulartrees · 05/02/2023 16:53

AFAIK the BBC advertise all their roles (in Bristol and elsewhere) as potentially remote/hybrid now. Could there be a production/project/related role that combines some of your previous skills? Wouldn't be as well paid as coding though.

Thatsnotmybee · 05/02/2023 16:58

Law is more family friendly than it used to be. It depends on the area you choose but I work in litigation and work a 4 day week and hybrid. Only in the office once or twice a week.

When I first started in the profession I remember it was impossible for a working mum to make partner as she worked part time, but thankfully those days are over in most firms.

Redhothoochycoocher · 05/02/2023 16:58

Please please please ignore all suggestions of training to teach. You've expressed zero interest in your OP in teaching or working with children. Teaching is hard if you want to do it, never mind if you're not actually particularly interested in if. It requires a full time plis weekend and evening commitment. Every teacher I know who has become a parent has left because its so incompatible with family life.

I'm sure your interests have changed since you worked on film. What's your motivation for retraining? Money, career prospects etc?

ManyNameChanges · 05/02/2023 17:13

Teaching … but in a private school.

Otherwise, SLT is a good idea IF you are pretty sure this is something you’d really enjoy.
Think too whether you’d want to work privately or NHS etc…

BigGreen · 05/02/2023 17:22

Freelance producer for any kind of media project would work (animation, broadcast, even art installations).

pornyshroudofturin · 05/02/2023 17:27

Thatsnotmybee · 05/02/2023 16:58

Law is more family friendly than it used to be. It depends on the area you choose but I work in litigation and work a 4 day week and hybrid. Only in the office once or twice a week.

When I first started in the profession I remember it was impossible for a working mum to make partner as she worked part time, but thankfully those days are over in most firms.

Maybe once qualified and established, but not easy to get a training contract on 1 day/week in the office

doneitforthelulz · 05/02/2023 18:14

I'm 41 and applying to the civil service. No retirement age policy and good progression. I've been out of the workforce a few years, full time anyway, and been self-employed but want to meet people and focus on something. The money is good, it would elevate me massively as I am currently on benefits working part-time.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 05/02/2023 19:00

Beachhutnut · 05/02/2023 16:33

Civil service or arms length body. The Environment Agency has head office in Bristol , would do hybrid working and very good work life balance for example.

I work for the EA and was about to say this! (We also have offices in Exeter and Bridgwater). Our Comms and Engagement teams might suit you.

mobear · 05/02/2023 19:13

I work in compliance in a law firm but I’m not a lawyer. It might be a good first step to see if being a lawyer is something you want to pursue. The hours are very civilised in business services but not for the lawyers. There are also lots of ‘junior’ roles where they’ll teach bright people on the job and courses you can take at the ICA (which are easy to do around work).

GettingItOutThere · 05/02/2023 21:09

speech and language and healthcare degrees (nursing/OT/Physio etc), can get 2nd degree funding. So yes you are in debt but its minimal! you get very good loans and grants with kids +nhs bursary (7k with kids every year on top)

if you want to re-train look at this route - nhs are crying out for staff so funding 2nd degrees in healthcare the "same" as 1st degrees. funding wise

hope that helps

Original poster
WoolyMammoth55 · 05/02/2023 21:11

Just a big sincere thank you for all the advice. I realise I've been shoving down a lot of guilt and shame about my 'wasted potential' and 'failure to adult properly' that is not super helpful for trying to move forward... So it's definitely time to shake that off! :)

I have actually looked into teaching at private schools, would be nice having holidays when the kids do and also possibly get the kids a private school education...? But I think the gappy, confusing CV is a real pain for this, since DBS needs candidates with zero unexplained gaps on your CV... I've got 20 years of temp work and gaps to explain - which isn't going to look great :(

Thanks @Beachhutnut and @IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads for the EA heads up - that looks interesting! I'll keep an eye open for sure on what they have going.

And thanks @DelurkingAJ for the kind words about coding - I think I will definitely go deep on looking at realistic paths into coding, it's got the highest earning capacity of things that seem possible, and lots of roles seem very flexible too. I am grateful for the vote of confidence!

Thank you all x

OP posts:
BlurryVision · 05/02/2023 21:18

What was your film role? You could work in TV- production or creative. In Bristol there’s BBC and indies. Don’t retrain unless you really want to- you already have a good CV.

Hoppinggreen · 05/02/2023 21:21

Spaghetti201 · 05/02/2023 16:47

You could walk straight into an English teaching job at a private school. Get the school hours and term time only benefits. They would snap you up! Better behaviour in private schools too.

Maybe but a lot of Private Schools do require a teaching qualification as well

Paq · 05/02/2023 21:27

Lots of jobs in the arts if that is of interest, though they pay terribly. What about a non academic role in a university?