How to find a career you love.... -suggestions please!

[WisteriaWoman]

I'm in my late 40's and work as a PA at a university. It's pleasant, nice people and fits in with school pick up but it's just not what I really want to do.
The trouble is I don't know what I want. In fact I've never known what I wanted to do - and I still don't! Is 48 too late to start again???! I would really like to be an expert at something......

Wisteria, don't have any answers for you but am a bit spooked as I was coming on here to ask something similar - and am also 48!! So if nothing else, this will bump for - would love ideas as to where grown ups go for career advice, esp if taking a change in direction.

Hi Lil, maybe we should just talk to each other about our "mid life" crisis!!
I'm thinking that perhaps I could go part time to 4 days a week and do one day week volunteering - which may plug a gap of stimulating my grey matter. However, I would like to earn proper money doing something that really fires me up - so that doesn't really fit with volunteering.

Being a PA is nice as it's so family friendly but I don't want to be stuck in it forever. (I've been doing it for almost 10 years). BTW before I get flamed I realise how incredibly lucky I am to have a job in a recession plus one that fits around school hours and in a really nice environment with nice people.

Lil - what sort of area are you thinking of moving into (in an ideal world)....
WW

What would you really LOVE to do??

(BTW am nurse,overwoked underpaid and all that jazz but it is the most amazing job ever in terms of being varied,meeting so many different people,sadness and happiness,never a dull moment

Wisteria, it's hard isn't it when you know you want to do something different, just not sure what.I too would LOVE to do something really worthwhile. I wouldn't need to be paid a fortune but do need to earn some money as DH already does a "worthwhile" (ie underpaid) job.

I think I'm a closet teacher - is what I intended to do after uni but ended up doing something completely different. However, I know loads of teachers, none of them happy, and all of them stressed, so I'm not going to gamble what it would cost me to go through teacher training (in terms of time and money) at this time in my life when the likelihood is I'll end up stressed & unhappy.

I think I'd like to do something with young people who have been disadvantaged in some way (even if through their own actions e.g. teenage pregnancy/crime) to help them have a brighter future.

I don't want to say too much about what I do now as it would be easy for people who know me to identify me. I do have a lot of "transferable" skills, but appreciate I might need to gain some specialist skills/qualifications - just not sure where to start!