What can I do?

[unsurewhattodoo]

Please help me find a new career. I am late 30s, married to supportive DH, no kids so have flex to retrain.

My background is in marketing/communications. I am desperate to find a new career path. I am trundling along, not inspired and feel like I am wasting my years doing something I'm not passionate about.

Things I am good at:

I am really good at researching/finding out information. For example, if you said to me you had heard something about an old building in a random town, I could spend hours and hours researching and sourcing to find out every single bit of information to put the puzzle pieces together. My brain gets absolutely hooked until I feel like I have solved it.

I am also very good at planning things. Again, I love putting the puzzle pieces together and spending hours organising a trip itinerary until it's just right.

I am very good at standing up for what I believe in. For example, if I spotted someone doing something wrong in public I can easily pull them up on it, I'm very good at holding my corner when needed.

It would need to be something mostly office based. I would love to work for the police but not a bobby on the beat. Love the idea of working in the border patrol department at the airport, questioning people and searching luggage - but I couldn't do the unsociable hours. I do my best work when I'm working alone or 1-1, I do lose some confidence when I'm in a group but not a deal breaker.

What could I do?

Join the police on the fast track detective scheme?

Network Rail, some fab opportunities, join the careers site and have a look at what's on offer,
I think you'll be surprised.

Or what about a TV researcher role? No idea how you get into it but I bet someone on here would know.

Events planning?

Social research?

Thank you! Going to start looking into these now

Headhunter. They love research and sourcing information.

Absolutely not office based. Will definitely require a LOT of unsocial hours working and lots and lots of working with other people on jobs.

Totally unsuitable for someone who wants to drive a desk, work 9-5 Mon-Fri and on their tod.

OP, have a look at the Civil Service Jobs website for analyst and researcher roles.

As a current civil servant who’s always previously worked in the private sector, I’m struggling with the things civil servants have to do in order to demonstrate that they’re busy: reports, box-ticking, such a load of bollocks.

I’d look at a law degree. In fact, I am looking at a law degree (and I’m much older than you)…

There are investigative roles outside of the police and border force. Look at public sector (regulator or complaints body) type roles. Many have investigators who do interviews and there probably is some travel involved but less out of hours stuff. Alternatively look at caseworker roles in similar organisations or ombudsman, they either do desk based investigations or review the investigations done by other organisations on appeal.

All fair and true points - OP sounded v much like she is drawn to police work though and I was pointing out that bobby on the beat isn’t the only way in.

CPS has some interesting roles that might be a better fit?

Insurance fraud! You get to play detective

Clinical coder sounds right up you street. It's like doing a puzzle all day every day