Career change after children - your experiences please!

[DraggleTailedWench]

When I tell people my plans they just go quiet. Any advice seems to steer me towards a no-career path part time job. Are they right to make me feel crazy? I want to know what other people have experienced if they sought a career change after having or while having a young family. Did you study? Did you start at the bottom rung in a company and work up? Was it a good idea?

What I'm thinking of doing...
DD is 8 months and I'm planning on starting an MSc in the autumn part time. She'll be in nursery for a couple of days while I study. Planning on another DC in a couple of years. I don't want to be a manic career woman, I imagine having a part time professional job in about 5/6 years or so after study and possible full time work for a short period to establish myself.

I can give more details if you want them but right now I just want to read as many different cases as possible to hear what it is really like trying to handle career change and family! Thank you!

Wow, you don't check back on a thread for a couple of days and then come back to find so many fantastic responses!

Well said Jenner!

All of these stories are so inspirational. NaturalGeordie, chilled, Jenner, consort, Kimberley, Hearts it's great to hear about other people who have taken the opportunity to change direction. Especially being at the start of all this. I received the paper work to sign for my MSc application today, so I'm really going ahead with this. DD starts settling into nursery soon now too.

dustyblinds, if you do happen to check back on here, DP suggested I should go into IT about 8 years ago. I didn't think it would suit me and went into education. Turns out he was right. It just took another career and a bit of IT work experience to realise. If I'd gone this direction all those years ago I'd be established BEFORE children. Oh well, where would the fun be in that!

Thanks again to all who replied and I'd love to know how you are getting on if there are any updates to give if you check back on!

Good luck all!

Draggle, I'm sure you'll be successful! Motivation is an underrated contributor to achieving your goals. If you're motivated and committed you've won half the battle already, and from your posts I reckon you'll have plenty of that to bring the MSc to a good end.

I've just finished a full-time BSc with 3 DSs, albeit of school-going age. I used to study and go to lectures while they were at school, and in the evenings. Before studying I was always knackered at 9pm, but somehow during my study I found the motivation and the stamina to study some more after 9pm, when the DC were in bed. I have achieved a first degree and have already found a parttime job in my area of study, and I am applying for funding to do a PhD. I have just read the glowing reference my dissertation supervisor will give for the application, and I actually start believing I will be successful in my career switch!

It's hard work, but nothing worse than that, really. Good luck!

Good luck creeping. That all sounds fantastic! I'd love to do a PhD one day. Thanks for the motivation too!

Another 'yes, but not accountancy to lion tamer' career changer here!

I was teaching for about ten years and reached SLT level, but did not return after maternity leave and have now got a job in a voluntary sector organisation. I am doing an MA to keep my CV growing and am also doing some ongoing training in an area that could also develop into paid work.

If anyone on here is not sure what to do, then I recommend a session with a careers adviser. It was money well spent for me! It just helped to clarify those vague thoughts 'I could go into X, Y Z' as she could straight away tell me what that might entail or be like.

Oh, the book 'Transitions' is useful too!

But where do you find a good careers advisor? I ask as my Dh could do with one! I managed without but DH is in a different position, flummoxed and would love some guidance.

I completely retrained when DS1 started in yrR and DS2 was 3. DH is forces and often away (although very supportive) so childcare was very hard as neither of us have parents close to where we live. I did a DipHE in Operating Department Practice so it was a combination of time at university and practical time in hospitals so at times very strange hours.

It worked with a combination of school/nursery/au pair and a lot of evenings writing essays etc when the boys were in bed.