I need ideas for a new career that will see me through the next 20 years. Happy to retrain, but have little in the way of funds for retraining.
I've recently gone through a gruelling and intensive experience of retraining and successfully finding a job in a tech field (totally different to my original line of work) but I feel I'm just hanging on by the skin of my teeth, it doesn't play to my skills, and even though I've been in the role 6 months now I don't feel the fit is getting better - if anything it's highlighting to me how it's not right for me.
The job I'm doing is basically administrative, and I'm going through a later-life process of diagnosis for possible ADHD and autism. My executive functioning skills are pretty poor - I feel a disorganised mess and can't concentrate most of the time (menopause may not be helping). Jobs I've had in the past have had a very minimal administrative element, and I'm realising that this suited me.
I trained in a creative field (Illustration degree) and worked in a very niche creative-adjacent set of roles in London until our family needed to relocate north for my DH's work. My original line of work doesn't exist up here, so going back to that isn't an option (and it was poorly paid anyway).
I have school-age children (one still at primary school, so needs walking/picking up to/from school) and a DH who works long and unpredictable hours in a role that is a "calling", with sometimes emergencies, often evenings and always weekend work to deal with. So these need factoring in with any jobs. I mask well but feel immensely socially awkward and find office roles very stressful. Working from home or predominantly solo working suits me better, but I appreciate may not be possible to find. (My current role is wfh, which is one of the big advantages for me).
I want to find something that feels like a better fit for who I am and what I can do. I feel like I'm shoehorning myself into something I don't have an aptitude for. But I'm starting to doubt what I do have an aptitude for. I did so well at school, A's and top of the year in everything except maths. I seem to have lost all my ability and confidence. And I'm doubtful what I can go into at this stage in life - I feel like my current tech role isn't going to work so well at the age of 60 or 65, I'm worried I won't be able to keep up with the pace of change. But what jobs will suit a 60 or 65 year old? Modern jobs don't seem to be geared for older people. I'm not going to be in a financial position to be able to retire at retirement age - I'll have to carry on, probably more like until 70. It would be good to find something that I can "wind down with" - do part-time or on a consultancy basis later on perhaps.
Any ideas anyone? Things that aren't biased against older people and can be retrained-in without years and years of study and a second degree?