Retraining in my 40's

[Chickaletta16]

Hello ,

I would like some advice from you lovely wise people. I would like to retrain into something that will give me a good income. I have a degree in Business Mgt and graduated 20 years ago. I have held some good jobs in the past but took 10 years out to raise my young family. My youngest is now at school full time.

I am currently working part time doing admin work for a law firm. It's NMW and even though I enjoy it..I want to do something that pays well and offers career progression.

Looking at jobs available in the workplace..there don't seem to be many available that pay well and offer flexible / part time working. I've recently qualified as a beauty therapist but don't have the room at home to have clients over. I do offer mobile services as and when I can.

I've been looking into educational psychology , pharmacy technician, teaching.

Please could you give me your own examples if you've retrained - I'm at a loss as to what are the best careers that offer a degree of flexibility.

Thank you in advance.

Hi there. I’m v interested in this thread. I’ve been a SAHM for almost 8 years. My youngest started school in September so I’m looking at job options. I’m lucky in that I don’t have to work for us to get by. But extra money would definitely be useful as there’s lots of stuff that now needs doing on the house, could do with more storage/bigger house and only having one bathroom is becoming a problem etc. However I’m feeling a bit ‘stuck’ in terms of finding a job. In the time I’ve been a SAHM, my husband has been able to devote himself to his job: as I was at home he didn’t have to drop off or pick up kids or take time off to care for them when they were sick, or cover lengthy school holidays (actually in his job it’s v difficult for him to take leave anyway). He’s also been able to take a job with a long-ish commute to advance his career. So, even though I’m very proud of him and the whole family have benefitted from the arrangement of him at work and me at home, I am finding it very hard to find a suitable path for myself, now that I’m not needed between 9 and 3.30 (apart from school holidays and when kids are ill obviously). We have no family who live around here who can get here for 8.00am or whenever I would need to leave the house to go to work. My husband couldn’t do it because of his commute. And breakfast club is v oversubscribed (470 pupils but only 160 breakfast club spaces). This means I’d probably have to pay a childminder or someone at the start of the day (I’m told £10.00 for two kids for an hour is the norm) and then pay £18.00 (£9.00 per child) for after school club at the end of the day. So that’s up to £28.00 per day. The jobs I have seen advertised as part time or flexible don’t pay much more than this and obviously you would be working school holidays too (so more inconvenience and cost). However I would like to do some kind of paid work for a bit more money, self worth, pension etc although sometimes I think maybe it would be better for everyone if I just stayed at home long term! So, as I said, v interested in this thread.

However I would like to do some kind of paid work for a bit more money, self worth, pension etc

What about being a teaching assistant?