Restarting work at 54?

[IchBinPapst]

I’m 54 years old, live in a rural area and have been out of the workforce for 23 years. I’m not going to go into the reasons for that as they are in the past and can’t now be changed. When I used to work I did unskilled shop/visitor centre type jobs with a short stint in the civil service. Education wise I just scraped my way to A level and went to art college to study textile design in my early 20’s but failed my degree.

My DH is the same age, in a successful career and has just had his final promotion before retirement in about ten years. He has provided for our family very well but now that my unpaid responsibilities have lessened I want to do something for myself again (and earn my own money) - don’t have the first idea where to begin though at my age and as things stand nobody would employ me.

I live in a very rural area and have been at home for so, so long I thought I might like to try something different like learning bookkeeping/admin skills and doing it part time somehow. With more time on my hands now I’ve taken to knitting and sewing prolifically but nobody wants to buy what I make so I’ve given up on trying to make even a hobby job of that. I have no computer skills atm beyond being able to shop online and use forums and would be unsuited to teaching the skills I do have.

I see many posts here just saying ‘get back to work’ which I think are usually unhelpful - I’m not going to react to posts berating me for not working now or in the past, it was right for my family and my future is secure with or without DH.

Is starting paid work possible at this point, and if so, bearing in mind its been 23 years, is there anything out there I don’t know to look for?

Would you consider care work or healthcare? In lots of hospitals you can join the bank to do healthcare assistant roles without any experience and it can give you flexibility to work hours and on wards that suit you. If you don't enjoy it then you're not committed to even a notice period, but if you do enjoy it then you will gain some experience for your CV which will help when applying for other jobs.

I was in your position, at age 53. I sent off quite a lot of job applications and heard back from none. I wanted an admin job and was targeting the public sector, NHS or local council specifically.

When I wasn’t getting anywhere I volunteered in an office in a local hospice to get some office experience and started applying for paying jobs after being there for about 8 months.

It was successful and I accepted a job at one of our local hospitals. Still there now and loving it. The pay isn’t great although I am now going to be getting a (small) pension in due course, but that wasn’t a top priority, I just wanted to earn some money and do a job I enjoy with no stress.

I would apply and volunteer in the meantime. Would the citizen’s advice bureau be something you would consider? I know a couple of people who started off as volunteers and then got paid work offered.

I don’t mean to sound unreasonable but care/health work is absolutely not something I would/could consider. Thanks for thinking of it though.

I'm younger than you but was in a similar situation a few years ago. 13 years out of paid employment and some this and that jobs fitted around caring responsibilities. I never really believed I could get back into 'proper' work but I have and I'm really enjoying it.

Are there any 'big local employers' where you are? This would probably mean in your nearest town so obviously it depends how close you are and how far you're willing to travel. In the nearest town to me there is a university, hospital and local government, all of which are great for someone in your position I think because jobs come up reasonably regularly, so you can just apply for loads of stuff, do interviews and get a feeling for the place. Also there is much more of a structure in bigger organisations and once you're in, sideways moves are often possible so if you view getting your feet under the table as a priority, it might be possible to change roles later as you get to know the organisation better.

In the meantime, loads of volunteering is great for the CV.

I've read that back and it all feels a bit blasé. I know it's a massive challenge after time out of the workplace and I'm also aware that for me I have fallen on my feet a little which doesn't happen for everyone - I still can't really believe it! But it was also very scary when I first started.

@IchBinPapstyou really, really need the MN Mature Study and Retraining board. It’s here:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/mature_students

Volunteering is a great way to get your foot in the door. Any charity shops nearby, causes you care about? Xx

I'm in a similar position (or was, until last summer) and age. Not yet in full time work, but last year I got a job as an invigilator at a nearby school. Very easy to get into- they're in short supply more or less everywhere I think! This is my second summer. No good if you need full time wages, but is useful for experience in the workplace.

I've also signed up to work for Age Uk- gardening and home help. Only one gardening job so far, and nothing on the home help side as yet but again, quite easy to get into and is a start in giving useful work experience for a CV.

Might either of those things be of interest?

Call centre jobs will train you. As you have no transferable skills at the moment this could give you a job, training and a wage.

You could also try the Restless job board which is specifically for the over 50s. https://restless.co.uk/jobs/

@JustAMiddleAgedDirtBagBaby There are no big local employers, when I say rural…I’m in the Scottish highlands and its a two hour drive to the nearest town, which doesn’t even have the usual high street shops, its mostly boarded up.

Here there are farms of various sizes, schools, hospitals and supermarkets, small light industrial companies, distilleries, castles and national trust estates.

As I’ve said, I will not consider any type care work or other work in a healthcare environment. I have recently tried many times to get a job in a supermarket and a local frozen fish factory but have never got past the video interview. In my day you just popped into a place and asked the manager for a job ☹️

At the civil service all those years ago I worked for DEFRA in finance dealing with the BSE crisis. I always thought I’d enjoy doing farm accounts or studying bloodlines, that kind of thing but then my life took a totally unexpected route and here I am 23 years later.

I recently also applied to volunteer (no specific role) at all the visitor type places I could find locally but they turned me down as they said they wanted people with a lot of teaching / customer service or other professional experience.

I know, I’m sorry I sound so defeatist, but that’s why I posted, anyone in this position does inevitably feel defeated! It is useful to hear already that I’m not the only one and that I’m not too old to find something though.

@ColdHenrietta

Thank you, I didn’t know about that!

I’ll be really honest, there are no charitable causes I care about. I’m quite suspicious of charities on the whole.

There is a British Heart Foundation charity shop and one for the local Romanian community in the village - they’re both absolutely foul places to be but I said to DH a few months ago I’d try anything so I did ask about volunteering, to my surprise they’re both fully staffed and wouldn’t even take an application.

There are no call centres - would that be working from home?

I think reading a few (dozen) threads will help to get you up to speed with new possibilities. Some of the jobs that were around when you were growing up no longer exist, and the entire working landscape has changed.

I can tell you that at your exact age I was studying for an MA in an entirely different subject to that of my previous profession. I’m not suggesting you should do the same - but the Mature Study board exists to support people who are often returning to work or study after decades away from those activities. And I think if you want to find satisfying work you should anticipate a period of study or training first. You’ll gain the skills to be competitive, become armed with a fresh CV, interact with new people - so you’ll know what to expect in a work environment, and find yourself plugged in to new networks, which will help you find the right kind of work. So read widely, then think about what sort of thing you’d like to learn / re-learn.

I don’t need full time work or wages, I’d mostly like ‘casual’ human contact (that doesn’t include caring) and maybe to get out of the house a few times a week to start with.

Earning some money would be the ultimate aim, but is not crucial just now. Its more important to find something I could enjoy to some extent. I’m drawn to technical / creative things, but I think most people are.

I wouldn’t mind light gardening although its not an interest of mine. Cleaning is a maybe but in the right setting - I wouldn’t want to do any ‘home help’ type work.

Does your DH work somewhere more populated? If so would there be more opportunities near his work so you could travel together?

Would working or volunteering in a museum or National Trust for Scotland (or similar) type of place be an option?

Have you considered using your experience in visitor centers at the castles and NT properties near you?

Thank you. I had no idea retraining for anything was possible at my age.

I feel ancient and due to the experiences I’ve had in the last couple of decades spend more time worrying about the end of my life than planning for a future.

I’ve made an appointment with a career/training advisor at a place run by the council in the far-away town and will look at those threads.

A relative has a successful business walking small dogs that can’t be walked with other dogs and dog/cat sitting. Would you consider that?
Are you in an area with tourists? Could you offer tours?
Alternatively maybe consider doing a course online that could lead to online work?

Yes, all of them within striking distance. They’ve turned me down repeatedly for every volunteer role I’ve applied for since before the pandemic.

If they hadn’t I’d definitely be giving that a go and wouldn’t be thinking of doing anything else at the moment, it would be my first choice.

If you’re near to national trusts what about working in the cafe there?

I think the online suggestion is the most realistic.

I’m in a farming / post industrial and very sparsely populated part of Northern Scotland that has no tourists and no market for dog walking walking or pet sitting.

Do you have local churches? Or a school? Could you volunteer to do work there?
I started as a Treasurer for my local church council as they were so short of help
(no need to be a church goer) and now I do self employed admin for them, and have added other churches to this. Its From home but I do get company as the vicar and other volunteers are local.
Or volunteer in a school. Hearing kids read, helping in class. Be a governor.
If you have finance skills lots of places are often in need of Treasurers. It will help with your IT skills and add to your CV.

Do you like kids? If there are schools you could volunteer to read/do art with the aim to become a teaching assistant or get known and see if you can get a job in the office.

Truly online jobs are few and far between. If you want human contact you're going to have to find work locally anyway.

Is it a cash rich time poor sort of place? You could market yourself more as a housekeeper willing to do cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, admin, walk the dogs, etc. You'd only need a couple of customers.