33 and changing jobs.

[Whatelsecouldibecalled]

Please can anyone advise or lend an ear (should that be an eye?!)

I’m 33. I am a teacher. Returned part time from maternity (first baby) in March. I hated it before but now I hate in even more. The people I work with are toxic. Poor management. Crazy workload even on part time.

I want to change. To anything. I would go full time if I had to. Would also consider a drop in wages even though my nursery fees would go up.

I feel so pigeon holed as I’ve only ever been a teacher. (Aside from a few different jobs through uni). I read person specs and think I could do the role but worried I would be laughed out of the place.

I guess I just need to apply and see what happens. The difficulty is I don’t want to tell my head I am applying but then as a teacher I can only leave at certain times at the year (or if head agrees to let me go)

I just feel very overwhelmed and anxious about it all.

Any thoughts.

Thanks

Your current thinking is over-shadowed by the toxic environment you're in, and so of course you would feel overwhelmed and anxious. In my (non-teaching) experience, being worked like a dog in a toxic workplace infects all aspects of your life, both asleep and awake it drags you down. You have my total sympathy.

Have you always worked at the same place, or do you mean you have hated all your teaching jobs? I know teaching is really tough, but usually the people around you aren't all dreadful. Any chance you might be happier in another school? As a substitute teacher? A private tutor?

If you've ruled out staying in teaching then OF COURSE you aren't too old to switch jobs. Blimey you're only 33, you'll probably be working til you are past 70!

Contemplating a big job change is always scary, but that shouldn't stop you trying. What would you advise your pupils, if they faced a situation like this? I'm sure you'd encourage them to have courage and take charge of their own future.

If you are committed to leaving, then why not talk to the HT about your plans? I suspect you are worried it will make things worse and you'll face a backlash, and I suppose only you can judge if it will make things unbearable (depends if the HT is instrumental in making the environment toxic, or if HT is just generally a bit useless). But you might find the HT has some sympathy, and by raising your concerns about workload and certain working relationships you are paving the way for handing in your notice. An honest dialogue might predispose the HT to agree to let you leave early, rather than force you to serve your notice in utter misery.

In short: have courage, be confident, take action.

Very random suggestion, but have you considered management consultancy?

I work in fintech consultancy: we have recently taken on a couple of former teachers as BD associates, and they are EXCELLENT - a few months' of training to get up to speed, but lots of transferable skills and, given that teachers tend to naturally be quite 'peopley people', they hit the ground running.

The money is good, the hours can be long, but generally speaking, they can be managed in a way that a more traditional 9-5 cannot.

I know it's not for everybody, but it might be worth some consideration. The Big Six have lots of resources about coming into consultancy from other backgrounds (Deloitte are on a biiiiig recruitment drive ATM), maybe take a look?

Oh, and stop letting imposter syndrome put you off applying - as the saying goes, your chances of winning the lotto are greatly increased by buying a ticket.

My rule is that if I can match ~60% of the spec, I'll pick the rest up as I go along.

Not wanting to be negative here but Management Consultancy will have massive workloads - potentially less toxic environment sure and good rewards but it is a long hours culture - no point in going in thinking you can have a lovely life balance whilst all your colleagues are killing themselves. Also if you thought parents were demanding clients want blood and you will have to give it to them.

Op, rather than worrying about what you hate, what parts of your job do you enjoy, the nurturing or the creativity or the children. What bits would you like to keep? Do you want to be proactive or reactive, commercial or caring, indoors or outdoors? Do you like or loath paperwork? Do you want routine or every day to be different? Are you extrovert or introvert? Are you a good listener?
Do you have a maths brain or an arts brain?

Try to identify your strengths.

You’re thinking is definitely being made more negative by being in a toxic environment.

I’m 32 and I used to work in a secondary school as a pastoral leader. SLT were unbelievably toxic. Anyhow I left and got a job as a learning disability support worker. Huge pay cut and the old ego took a bit of a hit lol, but gave me breathing space (and time to feel like a human again).

Best decision ever! After a few months there I applied for jobs here and there when I had the energy to do so and I’ve now secured employment with a mental health charity starting at 25k with yearly increments up to 30. You have loads of transferable skills, and switching jobs is so much easier once you’ve left education.

It’s an absolute palava isn’t it getting out of a school?

Good luck!

Your not you’re 🤭