What's a stable job I can train for quickly?

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I'm going through a divorce after 20 years as a SAHM. I've applied for 67 jobs so far, had two interviews and no offers. I'm applying for admin, reception type jobs. Can't do cleaning, catering or retail as I have disc problems in my back. No lifting, standing for hours or repetitive movements.

I have a BA and an MA in art history, an MA in creative writing and have published two novels in the last two years, but I don't make enough money from writing.

I need to find a career where I can make a decent wage (£30,000+) quickly. I have a little time to retrain if necessary, say two years, before the money runs out. What can I do?

I looked at teaching and shadowed a friend who teaches, but I don't think I'd be good at it. I looked at training as a therapist/counsellor but two people have said that the market is flooded with therapists. But I think I would enjoy and be good at that. What does Mumsnet think?

Any other ideas please?

All very competitive to get into - training takes at least 3 years for AHP degrees and even then the starting salary is £24k. Long days on your feet too

The critical point there is that you already had the HR admin job. There are 100 shiny fresh Grads wanting that job for every job available. The CIPD quals can take you further if you've already got the job but they won't make you competitive for the job on their own.

Not 30k though.

What about charity sector? Either comms or trust fundraising?

Relate is in administration.

Counselling is 100% not the route to go down. There's a reason that the stereotypical therapist is a middle-class woman of a certain age; it takes years and tens of thousands to qualify and more time to build up a stable practice. It's a job for people who are not the primary household income, to put it politely.

HGV driver. Trucks have power assisted steering, easy to drive.

Try looking in the engineering/construction industry. Jobs like document control, project controls (cost), procurement or contracts formation. You’re obviously smart and have your degrees already, you learn company systems on the job anyway. So look at things you wouldn’t have thought of such as above.

my mentor in project controls had an English literature degree and ended up a senior VP in the company.

Proofreader.

Sadly I wouldn’t recommend this profession. I’ve lost my mojo with it, but if you like being shouted at, have ridiculous deadlines and caseloads with little support or direction then go for it. But that might just be my LA.

it used to be creative and solution driven but that’s been beaten out of it. Now it’s about numbers and decisions. Local plans can be interesting but long term. There are various specialisms within the profession too.

many councils will offer an apprenticeship route.

im following this thread with interest!

No. No-one employs them now. I’m in a related field. There’ll be some freelance work, badly paid.

Not quite. I posted further up that it’s possible to train in just over two years. And it does not cost “tens of thousands’” to train.

In all honesty I think you're going to really struggle to find a decently-paid job after 20 years of not working.
But I hope you can 🙏

Another for a driving job or would you be any good at payroll? Was job hunting and so many jobs were payroll! Best of luck op, rom com writer here going through a possible break up after nearly 20 years married just back working in retail and loving the freedom it’s giving me in a time where life isn’t so easy and my writing is crawling (romance writing from someone disillusioned with romance is difficult!)

ps if your books aren’t put them in ku in Amazon, I get no sales but a decent amount of read through

And work for who, earning how much?

There are lots of courses available, sure. Lots of people want to be counsellors and "help people" and all that good stuff. The employed jobs don't exist and a diploma isn't compelling and isn't going to get you a private practice. The main money in psychotherapy is the money extracted from people for training courses in psychotherapy.

Phlebotomist? Everyone see seems to need to have blood tests these days - in the old days the doctor would take the blood while you had your appointment but now you have to go back to get a blood test at a later date which is a crazy waste of people's time & money...but because of this phlebotomists are in demand.

Hotel receptionist, in 2 years you could move up to front office manager which is £30k salary

Look, you obviously don't know what you're talking about and I can't imagine your post being helpful. There are jobs - not many - but there are some. The diploma absolutely is compelling, because that's what all counsellors and psychotherapists have to obtain to qualify. The vast majority of therapists, in private practice and as employees, have diploma's and a tiny minority have degrees, having effectively 'topped-up' their diploma's.

Depends where it is I guess. My HR admin job was easy to get. Terribly paid but had the training alongside it for free as the job was at a college

Police Control Room. You can easily earn what you need (although it is shift work). With shift pay, depending on location, you will get 30-40k relatively easily (more if you do a bit of overtime). You just need Maths and English GCSE and pass a typing test and some role play. Just google 999 control room or control room operator and look at Indeed for jobs available.

Following this!

Not true for proofreading and copyediting. Although AI is being increasingly used for both, it's nowhere near being able to provide the kind of service and results that a good editor can.

Have you thought about proofreading or copy editing? There's a huge new market of self publishing authors who need both.

Authors are also looking for coaching, MS critiques, etc., and many authors want to work with an editor who is also an author.

Why not check out the CIEP for courses and more info? www.ciep.uk/learn-and-develop/training-courses.html

Fundraising

It’s been bought by Family Action.

Full psychotherapy training is very expensive but counselling is not.

A friend of mine quit her job running a mental health clinic to set up as a therapist from home, having trained previously. She built up her clients very quickly, to her surprise and is working full time. If anything she has too much work.

Copywriting or editing is not a secure job. And from what I have experienced psychotherapy (as opposed to clinical psychology) is the Wild West. There are people out there who should never wver be allowed near vulnerable people - I know I've met them. Online mainly. One woman even had a glass of wine in the background! And I know someone who is basically a sociopath and offers herself up as a "healer". Be very wary.