Desperate for work at 59

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Please help.
im 59 and desperate for work. I’ve had the odd shop job. I don’t have any skills, years ago I did design, well I can do design but my photoshop and illustrator skills let me down.
im supposed to retire and I can’t, ever I don’t think.
is it ridiculous to apply to be a teacher? By the time I get in the course I’ll be 60.so that’s stupid, I’d have to do maths o level too.
what can I do? Is there some sort of help out there? Are there courses? Not degree but just something to get me into a job. I’m so stuck and lost and anxious. It’s causing massive riffs between me and Dh. I don’t know how I got to this age without a job, I get the odd bit of freelance but it doesn’t last. I’m too anxious to think straight.

In the nicest way - is the job thing coming from you OP or is it your DH who is pushing this? I just ask because lots of what you write is about him and what he wants and the result of that is that you are anxious and panicking. I hope he isn’t bringing you down OP because that is not right.

I think the supermarket and NHS ideas are amazing and think you should look at these. Once you get going with something you might get a bit more breathing space to consider what you do and don’t enjoy and what courses might actually help you.

You could do some teaching assistant type work and see how that goes as well. Or reception/admin in a school? Not necessarily that well paid but you could do that part time mixed with one of the other jobs.

good luck OP.

Are you up to date on Microsoft Office? Excel, Word etc.

I would prioritise doing something about your anxiety over finding a job.

Your posts all seem very tied up in your DH. What's going on there?

Thank you all! Great ideas, I have a morning teaching in term times so I’ll look after that. I am not sure what I can do in terms of office stuff but will definitely swat up on Microsoft office. At the weekend.
I do want to work passanotherjaffa ake I sometimes wonder if the challenge is just losing confidence over the years. Dh wants me to get a ‘proper’ job which means when I do get a waitress, shop, it’s quite difficult. I put my foot down with this teaching job, it’s only a Friday morning.

All jobs are 'proper'. That's an insult to people doing waitressing or shop jobs or similar.

Sorry, he means a career, I think. Or a job where I earn enough so he can start his own business.

Not to upset you but you aren't going to walk into a 'proper' career without experience or qualifications, your husband isn't being realistic.
I think you are doing the right thing in trying to gain experience and develop your confidence
It's a tough job market out there, do any training you can, definitely brush up on your Microsoft office skills, work on your confidence and do what job you want to not what your husband wants you too.
If he is that bothered about your career he should have supported you sooner
Good luck

What is your "teaching" job? It seems you are drawn to that? What is it about it?

My advice would be get the Maths O level anyway. It will boost your confidence to have it and open up more learning and work opportunities. And it probably wont cost you anything to do.

You have to be realistic about beginning a career and how quickly that will allow you to earn and earn well.

Your husband sounds like he's been a pain in the arse/very old fashioned and unreconstructed about the work you have had and dismissive of its value, which would mean I would want my own income tbh.

I also think proving you can hold down something responsible for a decent period of time is key. Also someone wiser than me once told me that it is a lot easier to get a job when you have a job. (someone thinks you are employable!).

Apologies, I have to come back to the husband again. You’ve listed all the things you’ve been doing that weren’t prioritising “a career” and they are all valuable and worthwhile things (with transferrable skills to boot) but he now seems to be expecting you to walk into a career at this stage of life in order to support him further to start his own business?

Do I have this correct? Because it makes a big difference to what I may say next.

My dad always used to say that and I have to say it's true!

Working in a shop or restaurant is a career to some people. I used to work in a shop, and then after a few years I was assistant manager, that was my career at the time.

Your DH sounds very old fashioned and controlling. I'd be telling him to stick it.

restless.co.uk/

"I got the odd shop type job but Dh would make it very difficult to go"

How would he make it difficult OP? He sounds quite nasty and controlling from what you've written.

Thanks everyone. I know I’ll not walk into a career, always have done. Dh thinks I’m being lazy, or was. Now I think he’s just despairing. I’m not going to get into a Dh moan, tho tempting! I had a career before kids but that was aeons ago. The teaching is just to adults as a fun course, I love it and find it rewarding. I’m not a teacher though, just have a certain amount of knowledge.

Sorry cross posted!

So first your DH sabotaged your attempts to work, which helped to destroy your confidence, and now he's insistent that at the age of 59 you have to magic up not only a job but a career from nowhere, all to support his wish to start his own business? Why can't he save the money to start his own business himself? WTF does he think the rest of us with no spouse to support us did when we started our businesses?

For your own sanity you really need to calm down, take some deep breaths and work out what you want, not what he wants you to want.

I got made redundant during lockdown from a job I loved, my confidence totally crashed after a year of being home alone home schooling. The first interview I went to after was an absolute train wreck.
I ended up interviewing for a part time role as a showroom advisor at b&q - basically designing kitchens and bathrooms. I absolutely loved it! Although the retail element was hard.I gradually built up my hours to 30 per week.
I’ve just recently left and started with Howdens, doubled my salary and absolutely loving every single day.
with graphic design skills, something like this may suit you? B&q employ lots of older people, they’re really good like that and are a great employer. Yes you’d be working with teens too, but you’d be surprised how many older people there are!

When my kids all went to school, I started doing volunteer work for my local CAB, after a while I applied for a job in the organisation and got it, have never looked back. I've always thought some of the best workers were (usually) former teachers and a lot of the volunteers and staff are of a slightly older age group. If you can have a look at the citizens advice web site.

I have just hired three administrators and was looking for older women (though could never admit that obviously). I find them reliable, natural organisers, more likely to enjoy admin and the office environment, and good company. It may be difficult to get into if you have never worked in an office but if you fancy trying, do a basic Microsoft office skills course and just apply. I used the Indeed website.

There are private companies that are funded by the government who can support you with your options and can act like an employment agency for you. The local one here is called the Growth Company, if that's not near you then there will be an equivalent.

I work in a school on SLT. Don't do it. I've seen many a teacher is crisis and meltdown mode a various stages of their careers. It's simply not worth it. What is your husband's career since it's so important to him? It sounds like you may be really anxious. Maybe starting to volunteer or work in a small team maybe as a suppt worker doing one to one. Befriend a child? Things like that?

Any job is a proper job if it pays money. It sounds like your DH has held you back from developing a career and is now snapping at you to suddenly find a career at nearly 60 because he has ideas about a business.

It can take 5-10 years to develop a 'career' so he's being a bit of an arse.

You seem to love the teaching. You could be a TA or could you do tutoring in the topic you teach?

What's with your dh? He made it difficult for you to work before and now he's pressuring you into it?
I know you said you don't want to moan about him but you seem to be in this anxious situation entirely because of him and what he wants.

Wow, thank you .
tribpot it’s not quite like that , though it’s nice of you. He obviously has to leave his salary to start and it would be nice to have a cushion.
I agree I need to do what I want, not always that easy!

• puffeylovett* well done! I have applied to do that!, I think I’d be good, but my application just vanished into one of those awful b and q/ wickes websites and I got a no ta months later, you did very well! I will try again, or maybe I’ll just go and see them.
• rosalind I’ve just downloaded an application! I saw somewhere on here that they are great for office practice and nice people. Well done!
• mistopholes that’s good to know. I’ve worked in an office, but not really admin. I will do some office courses.
• Elephant* I hadn’t heard of theses, I will Google.

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