Options for retraining that lead to a concrete, tangible job role within a year

[AreBearsCatholic]

Because of AI and funding cuts I need a new career for my remaining two decades.
I have a TEFL, a good BA and MPhil in a humanities topic and 25 years of increasingly niche experience in a job that doesn’t really exist anymore in the humanitarian/development field (I can’t say what it is as it’s that niche). Transferable skills are attention to detail, writing, presenting.
I speak 6 languages fluently and have worked as a translator, though I am aware what a pointless skill this is these days.
I can invest some time and some money in retraining, I just draw a complete blank as to what. Ideally the training would be for a fairly concrete job that can be done remotely.
Really grateful for any ideas at all, especially off the wall ones. The gov.uk career quiz suggests things like data science, but the path to that doesn’t seem very clear to me.

Is there anything you're keen on, or keen to rule out? Teaching in schools/FE with your languages and TEFL experience could be an option - but I'm sure you've thought of that already!

I was going to say the same!

Online tutoring

The most obvious one year option is a PGCE, but as the other poster says you must have already thought of that!

Interpreter for LA/NHS services?

Social Worker in hard to reach communities that use the languages you are proficient in.

Marketing with target language audience? Or bringing products from those areas to UK.

There are actually a lot of online/ remote teaching jobs advertised in the TES, but they're probably mostly self employed and paid by the hour, as tutoring is, so relatively insecure.

Grant writer for a charity? Applying to Trusts and Foundations for funding. This is an area that has a shortage of good staff - we always struggle to recruit. You need to be a good writer, be able to tailor info and be excellent at building relationships with contacts at the trust. Have a look for part time courses. Might be something online at the Centre for Charity Effectiveness at Bayes Business School.

Your 6 languages is powerful.
I read that humans are still 💯 better than AI for this.
What an amazing skill.

I‘ve read too many posts on here by people leaving teaching to consider it at all, but thank you for the suggestions!
I had considered grant writing but AI will be having the same effect on that as it is on my current work and at a similar rate. Ideally I’d like to avoid retraining again in 5 years.
I translate one book a year and this year the AI was just as good as a human when I did some comparisons, at least on that book, so I don’t think that’s a productive avenue unfortunately.

Googling a few things people have mentioned has led me to AI governance, which looks interesting, I will have to find out how I could acquire and display competence in that. It’s a good match for humanitarian skills because of the ethical aspect apparently.

It's a bit of a catch 22 if you absolutely have to work remotely as a career changer with a one year retraining route because remote jobs which don't rely on decades of experience are exactly what AI will be able to replace.

The remote jobs that remain will be the ones requiring complex human skills and a wealth of experience. Obviously this will eventually be it's own problem further down the line as eventually there will be nobody left with that experience, because the entry level jobs weren't available, but that's a separate issue.

Future proof jobs will be hands on or very people focused - things a computer programme can't do because a body is needed, or a skillset that can't be programmed...

Social work? Needs strong moral compass and values which your humanitarian work would be a match for.
it’s a two year post grad but you could get part time work in social care while qualifying which would help you gain experience

Agree with catch 22 comment. I was thinking in-person interpreter. Perhaps in a healthcare setting or something.

I think it has to be a path where my 25 years of experience count for something and somehow complement the new job, I just need to look at potential starting points away from what I do now to see where potential matches might be.

Not teaching. There’s not enough jobs for ECT (new) teachers. And old teachers are too expensive to move around. Obviously schools need more teachers, but there’s no money for them. It’s dire.

Have you thought about looking at recruitment adverts? It might give you an idea of what interests you but maybe you need training or study to close the gap? There must be recruitment trends published? Or recruitment online conferences? That let you glean an idea of what AI is replacing and hence the roles that need humans.

I had a portfolio career moving into different industries and very different roles. But each one acted as a bridge to the next one and I finished in a very different role to that where I started. (My employers provided any short term training that was needed). My role or subject speciality wasn't even invented until my last 25 years of working. Maybe that approach could work for you?

Bonne chance!

You have masses of skills.

PS some less well known job search sites for info.

https://www.jobs.ac.uk/search/languages-literature-and-culture
and
https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/

I wonder if the police/MI5 could use someone that speaks 6 languages "listening" to communications (digital spying). No idea how you get into that though! Similarly some sort of diplomacy role.

Edit to say here you go:
https://www.mi5.gov.uk/careers/opportunities/languages?adhoc_referrer=59118510010

Do a 1 year law conversion course and become a paralegal?

AI governance is a super interesting field to go into. Happy to share some insights on this field if you want to DM me. I work in an adjacent field. Also - my partner speaks five ancient languages and struggled to find a job - successfully retrained as a developer after he had a brainwave that programming is just another language to learn. If you’re interested in languages and AI it’s an interesting time to move into development as AI is embedding in the software development lifecycle so essentially a new higher order langage for coding! Could be interesting ! Alternatively / if you’re good at l
maths / foundational LLM programming could be a very interesting shift for a linguist 😊

I have no advice at all but I just wanted to say wow! You speak SIX languages fluently, that’s amazing. I am in awe of you.

Honestly, it’s not difficult if you want to do it. The first one is the hardest but after that you can apply a lot of learning strategies to the new ones. I was lucky to have a really good language teacher at secondary school who understood it’s all about mindset and enabled us to develop a good one. But as they are all European languages it’s not much of an advantage. Great against Alzheimers though apparently.

Unfortunately people who speak the languages I speak are ten a penny, but thank you.

I have been looking at adverts but as I didn’t have a particular job title in mind it was too wide and chaotic a net. Now with some concrete ideas it will be more helpful I‘m sure

Academic skills tutor in a university?