Any suggestions - thinking of a career change but it’s complicated.

[ActonBell]

Currently work as a university lecturer. Have lots of qualifications in my field but my job is damaging my health. Certain universities are not good places to work at the moment - extreme pressure, threat of redundancy, impossible targets and no time or credit for the actual rewarding work with students.

I’m hopefully going on maternity leave again at the end of the year with no 2 (had an ectopic prior to this pregnancy so I’m still anxious something will go wrong).

I’m thinking about what happens when I come back. I will need to continue in my role for a bit in order to avoid paying back maternity pay but I’m wondering about a career change longer term.

Will be 38 this year, which feels old but I guess it’s not. So looking for a career change around 39/40.

I have lots of arts/humanities qualifications and 12 years+ experience in various education settings. Worked with school kids for a year as well as with uni students.

I’m passionate about making a difference to marginalised people. The best bits of my job have been supporting students in really difficult situations see their way through to the end of a qualification and then go on to do the job they want.

I don’t want to stay in education and I want to work with people rather than primarily in admin. I’ve always been interested in palliative care and helping people in very difficult situations. But I think swapping a job I find extremely stressful for retraining in nursing would be out of the frying pan into the fire!

I did volunteer for a local charity last time I was on maternity leave but I found it difficult to balance with everything else, even though it was a small role, so I’m not sure I got a real taste of what that would be like.

Any thoughts? Where could I start looking for inspiration?

Thanks!

I know you've said you don't want to work in education but have you considered roles in Widening Participation? Or within university counselling services/student welfare teams? Your academic experience would be a huge asset and it might be a way to dip your toe into that kind of work in an environment you're already familiar with.

Otherwise helping people in difficult situations makes me immediately think of areas like social work, probation, debt advice etc. Or other advisory-type roles like careers advisor?

If you find a coach they can help you work out your strengths, weaknesses, values, what you’re looking for in a job, and help you come up with ideas. You’re unlikely to hit jackpot with an anonymous MN suggestion. I’d suggest someone properly qualified though (like an organisational psychologist) as the coaching field is unregulated and a bit Wild West.

Thanks - that’s really helpful. I hadn’t thought about a coach. It feels like a bit of an indulgence and like I should just know what to do next but that’s more to do with my baggage than reality.

I guess I’m not thinking of education because every bit of the system is so stretched at the moment. Everyone’s exhausted in my experience. But maybe I need to take a fresh look.

Most times student welfare staff are incredibly limited in what they can do because of lack of time, resources and institutional support. We’re facing a rising tide of major mental health issues for young people at uni and the institutions can’t or won’t invest to the degree needed.

I think there was a thread about getting out of academia in the Academic Common Room section, in fact more than one! Might be useful to look there