Jobs where you can progress starting at the bottom

[Lookingbackatme]

I’ve been a SAHM for 5 years and now want to go back to work. On reflection I feel like such an idiot for coasting along in a job I didn’t like and which had no progression opportunities (unless it was a team leader).

I’m looking for ideas on what sorts of job sectors can offer progression if you start at/near the bottom and can work your way up. I’m definitely not able or want to return to University (have a BA). I’m mid-40s so not young anymore either.

Maybe a career coach would be a good idea to help me hone what interests me? I get so many ideas floating around but how many are actually realistic is questionable - I wish I had become a nurse but that’s not possible now for a few reasons; charity roles do interest me if it’s more behind the scenes; I find what Buyers do interesting (I used to deal with them all the time) but I don’t have the financials smarts to be one but maybe Buyers Assistant instead (but then there is no further for me to go).

I do know that I am not interested in Sales of any type, or being on the phone a lot.

Unfortunately I need to earn reasonable money in the future so I can’t be one of those who do a job they love for little money - I need to find a job I am good at and enjoy, but also has the potential to pay well if I am able to earn a promotion. Or maybe I’ve missed the boat for this given my work background and age?

I worked in a global company for years dealing with large companies who purchased stock from us - so I had my own customers who I dealt with ie supermarkets, online & High St retailers so not the general public - processing purchase orders, queries, updating our product info on their websites, complaints, providing marketing info like images and copy, working with inventory for stock/forecasts, preparing reports etc. The job required a great deal of accuracy and dealing with many departments but I could kick myself for just plodding along (it paid very well).

I’m just feeling lost and annoyed with myself for being so unmotivated in the past

[Gwenhwyfar]

@helloiamnewhere

I agree re NHS jobs, started on a Band 4 £19k a year role just under three years ago, have quickly progressed and have now just started in a role where I am starting on around £40k.

Wow. How did you do that?

[ChloeR81]

I’m a massive advocate of retail careers. Sounds like you have good retail-facing experience (working with supermarkets from supplier side) so possibly a few options- Head Office or Stores routes. Buying jobs are pretty competitive and largely filled from graduate entry level but Operations or Business/Store support type roles could be worth a look.

Alternatively, career progression in stores from entry level are great if you’re determined and driven. Lots of Retail Directors/Area Managers on big salaries started on the shop floor and worked up.

[Lookingbackatme]

Thanks for all the comments, it’s made me think about a few options.

I think I am leaning towards NHS jobs and coincidentally saw a role advertised last week for a Band 3 Community Nursing Team Administrator in a small local hospital near me. I’m not sure if this sort of role would have progression though? The advert doesn’t tell you a lot about the role unfortunately- is this usual? Most roles for any jobs have much more detail.

@helloiamnewhere do you mind me asking what type of role you have progressed to?

[maxelly]

Yes it's very normal for NHS admin roles to use generic job descriptions and adverts that don't tell you much about the role - this saves time and trusts are keen on it so that (at least on paper) there is consistency between different roles on the same grade. You'll find out more and get a better idea of what it entails at interview...

It depends what you mean by 'progression', there is pay progression in most NHS jobs in terms of annual incremental increases in salary, if you mean will you automatically be given a promotion to the next band after a certain period of time, no, this basically never happens in the NHS. If you want a promotion you always have to apply for a different job at the next grade either within the trust or wider NHS - albeit it gets much easier once you are an internal candidate. As a guess, I would say that this job will be a good opportunity to get your foot in the door and build some experience on your CV (which as a first NHS job is pretty much all you want). I would say there is a risk of it being one of those quite busy operational and patient focussed jobs I mentioned above, where the department aren't truly interested in developing someone to enable career progression, they just want someone to do the job competently (there may be for instance a few administrators, then one single senior administrator or office manager who has been there 20 years, if you want promotion within the department you need to wait for that person to retire, kind of thing) - this doesn't make it a bad job per se or that they will actively 'block you', just that you will need to be a bit pushier/more determined about seeking out your own training and development opportunities rather than it being laid out for you/actively encouraged as it might be in a another job, and then be prepared to leave and apply for Band 4 jobs in 2 - 3 years, or potentially even sooner - if you want progression it's best to move jobs quite frequently I find, at least in the early part of your career as it shows you are ambitious and keen and prevents you getting 'stuck' in a dead end job (although I'm sure someone will be along to tell me in a minute that they expect 10 years + experience before someone changes jobs, and anything less shows a lack of commitment, sometimes it can be an opinions game ).