When is too old?

[FragileTitanium]

Hi Everyone
Have an very successful career before giving up work to look after dd full time 4 years ago. Don't want to go back to my old career (prob not possible anyway) as the hours are just too long and I didn't really enjoy it anyway.

Am thinking of going back to to an MA to start a completely new career.

I would be starting at the absolute bottom, which I'm fine with. Just wondering what people's views are on whether it's realistic to start a completely new career...I'd be around 43 by the time I'd finished my MA? Is that too old? Any experiences/stories would be gratefully read.

I quit my job and retrained as a teacher at 43. Go for it!

Thanks for the response. I was beginning to think that absolutely noone had any stories!
Did you find it hard to get a job after you qualified? i.e. did you feel that your age was against you?

On the contrary! Many Heads apparently prefer older NQTs to younger ones, because of the extra life experience. Parents of my pupils had no idea that I was an NQT! so treated me as if I was more experienced. Having my own children helped too.

In any career, having greater life experience is bound to help. You know more about what you're getting into, having considered it more perhaps than younger people.

Caution Fragile. I did a PGCE after a very successful freelance career, starting at 50, which immediately hit the buffers when DH was seriously ill. I interrupted the course and resumed two years later, so qualified after three years. Four years on and I still have yet to get even an interview for an NQT post, and I suspect it's ageism, at least in part (although curriculum changes have not helped, and nor has being in the rural SW where teachers stay in post forever!) Forties is fine, beyond... beware would be my advice.