A bit stuck and largely unemployable

[Tinygreenfroghop]

Any advice for the following situation?
ive made some really poor choices and now I’m stuck in a low paid, low qualified role.

Im 40, ideally I’d like to work no more than 30 hours as I am a single parent and have two young dc. Currently I’m doing 34 hours, but working more like 38-40 for a charity. I’m supporting young people and children in a mental health capacity - despite no formal training. I have a heavy overlap with family support and I’m also often picking up where CAMHS won’t. I lead a small team of 8 staff.

I previously was a teacher but didn’t go back to it post children - and wouldn’t want to. I had several years out of the work place when my children were small which hasn’t helped me (poor choices).

I could do with something better paid and with some progression but at my age and with few relevant qualifications I am basically unemployable. I don’t have the money or time capacity to retrain.

Any suggestions where I go from here? I’ve done some free level 2 courses but even fitting those in is a stretch if I’m honest, and I don’t know how much more employable they make me.

The first thing I’d suggest is sticking to your contracted hours. If they want you to work more then it’s overtime, and paid as such.

Why are you unemployable?

Lots of job adverts will list qualifications but experience is as relevant, arguably more so. A qualification shows you can learn the theory and answer questions about it, experience shows you can do it.

Are you applying for any jobs or are you stopping when you see the qualification requirement?

I'm in a senior role in Cybersecurity, no qualifications beyond A-level 20+ years ago and none of them were relevant to a Tech/Compliance role. If I match about 50% of a job spec I'll apply for the job, I write my CV to evidence how I can fulfil the job spec and I've never found lack of quals to be an issue.

There are lots of roles out there with a requirement for team leadership experience. And your teaching experience will open some doors too. I think if you look at your experience and what you do now, you actually have lots of transferable skills. I think your biggest issue isn't skills, it's confidence. The question is what kind of work do you want to do?

What’s your degree in?

To add, I'm a business analyst with a software company. I had virtually no qualifications until I finished an OU degree at the age of 40, and I got my job based on years of customer service experience and knowledge of my industry. I know next to nothing about software development, I'm learning that stuff on the job as I need to.

I don’t think you sound unemployable at all. It is said to be easier to get a job if you are already in a job so that’s a positive. Also, on the face of it, I’m not clear why taking some time to look after your own children when they were small is a poor choice and any less valuable than being paid to look after and educate other people’s children. If you have years of teaching experience (which is a really hard job) and now manage a team and work in a demanding sector, children’s mental health , you sound like you would have a lot of people management skills and evidence that you are a hard worker.

I would just look broadly at what is available within a feasible commuting distance for you and be confident. Stick your neck out and apply for things you think you don’t quite have the background for because you sound a bit underconfident to me, maybe fake it till you make it a bit. See if there is anything exciting even if you think you don’t quite fit. I applied a few years ago for something I knew I didn’t have the experience for and they didn’t give me that, but gave me a job the next grade down with hours of my choosing.

Maybe look at your local authority’s website and search by your town (if a large rural county) and/or look at all education jobs for eg, there are roles where they want QTS/eduction experience that are not teaching. Or look at a charity jobs website to build on your charity experience. Or look at NHS roles, ‘NHS jobs’ website in case something relevant. Possibly an apprenticeship if you want progression but might not work financially as a single parent but you would get paid. Depends really how low paid your current role is. Good luck!

I don’t understand why you’re unemployable either. You’re a qualified teacher with extensive experience of working with young people. The issue is more you don’t want full time.

How on earth are you unemployable?

How about civil service?

Work with unaccompanied minor refugees or trafficking victims?

Tutoring?

Offender manager in a young offenders institute?

You have a degree and tonnes of relevant experience. You just need to think outside the box and find interesting roles.

University mental health support role? Manager in a university support service? Main part time job and a top up with after school or evening tutoring, face to face or online. Eg after school F2F if you were a primary teacher and have tutoring space in your house, or in student’s home if you can leave your children. Or evening online maybe if you were A level teacher and can work when your kids are in bed. Apply for full-time jobs and negotiate hours down, or work compressed hours, some/all wfh, core hours with some done flexibly? I found 5-7am a productive time to work when my kids were at primary and then I’d get them up and to school.

Please how did you get into cyber security. I'm 43 and haven't worked for years due to having a child diagnosed with special needs. Do you think I can get into it.

You’re leading a team now thats an extremely good and transferable skill, coupled in with your teaching experience I’d say your highly employable. Maybe have a look at different team lead/management roles outside your field. Sell yourself on your CV about your skills rather than your actual field of work. There are some great CV writing tools online even chat GPT can help.
Management in customer service can sometimes pay quite well, and a-lot of a hybrid contract so you can get some days at home.
Best of luck and have some faith in yourself!

You are very employable! Stop working extra hours! Have you asked work for training, or doing a course, or even a qualification?

Agree with other suggestions above. It sounds like you have some great experience.

However, you are working full time but not being paid for it. Please stick to your hours and use that time to apply for other jobs.

Another voice in the chorus of “you are plenty employable and full of skills!!!”. It sounds like you are in a real rut. The work you do is very hard, and very under-resourced. I TOTALLY get why you put in extra time.
I think you need a mentor. I bet you’ve come across some brilliant people who you admire in the course of your working life, who are doing interesting things you like the sound of. Reach out to one - ideally another single mum with older kids now, but not necessarily - and ask if you can have a chat, say you are feeling stuck career wise and can you have a coffee to ask them about how they got where they are, how they got through the years with little kids. Most people love to share their experience!
You can do this! You’ve not made poor choices, you’ve made very caring ones- supporting your family, supporting young people in great need, supporting your team. These are not poor choices, although some of them may well make life a bit harder for you…