Really well qualified but earning peanuts! Can I have a coaching session?

[CornishCaz]

I am at a turning point in my life / work and wondering how to move forward and what to do next. I probably need a coaching session but would love to get some advice and thoughts on this from anyone else on here!

I’m 43, have a DC who is 5, so had a bit of a “break” from work around her birth, Covid etc and since then nothings been the same. I’m not sure where I’m headed and feeling frustrated that I bring in so little money to the family pot. My husband works in a stable job (long hours) and has a much higher income which we rely on. I work really hard but feel my skills and areas of expertise are not valued or rewarded in comparison. So any thoughts about how I could develop or make more of my experience to bring in more income for our family?

I have a BA in English and Art, a PGCE in Secondary (Art) and an MA in education. I also have a certificate in counselling.

I was a successful Head of Year in secondary school for 10 years before burning out. After that I did my MA and set up a charity offering art classes to vulnerable adults and working in various spaces like prisons and alternative schools. I had a team of employees and our turnover was around £500,000 per year. We were able to offer a suite of qualifications to vulnerable people and were funded by the government to do this until they cut the funding (thanks Tories). So now the charity runs part time and we rely on small grants and donations.

I no longer take a salary for this as we don’t have large contracts any more, so I get paid on a piecemeal basis. To make ends meet I teach Art in HE but because I don’t have a PhD I am not able to progress further to lead a department so I am only basic teaching staff and max earnings are around £30k, though usually my timetable is part-time and I earn less than that.

I completed a certificate in Counselling in my evenings as I thought it could support my work with vulnerable adults but I would need to complete a full diploma with two further years plus many hours of placements to gain the qualifications needed to practice as a counsellor. I’m not sure I want to do 1-1 counselling anyway.

Practically speaking I have a 5 year old and no wider support so I am the one who does pick up, bathtimes etc.

The only thing I can think of to earn a stable higher salary would be going back into teaching but I left a long time ago (more than a decade) and it’s changed so much both in terms of the terminology and procedures (I’m probably obsolete) and in terms of how hard it’s become - even worse than ever. And I burned out after 10 years because I cared about it so much and devoted myself to really early starts and working every evening. Now I’m a mum I can’t think how I could do that! Also perimenopausal which isn’t helping!

I work so hard everyday planning projects for my charity, applying for grants and then planning and teaching, but have very little income to show for it.

What would you do if you were me?

Following as another ex teacher. I'm currently doing some Alternate Provision tutoring and did wonder if AP might be an area with your skills but then again I'd love a future earning more than 30k too...

I've done a level 2 intro to counselling and was wondering about level 3 but it would be quicker I imagine to do a postgraduate soemthing. I just similarly don't know if I want to invest in it if I don't know where it will lead.

You sound like you have so much to offer. Would you consider going back into teaching but going down the HOD route rather than HOY? I find it less emotionally draining than being a HOY, you can focus more on your subject and use your creativity (in as much as the exam specs will allow) and you are less involved in traumatic safeguarding concerns. It would require wraparound childcare, so it would depend how you would feel about using that. I'm a secondary HOD and DD went to an amazing childminder before and after school who she is still really close to, and I hope always will be.

Alternatively, what you currently do sounds fantastic. Is the reason you are frustrated because you feel you ought to be earning more, rather than because you need to? Would accepting your current situation be an option?

I wouldn’t personally get any more qualifications. What would you earn going back to teaching? At 45 you could could give yourself a deadline another 5-10 years boost your pension pot, and then go back to the charity side of things.

do you 100% have to stay in the UK? International schools are an option, I would say private school but I suspect they are all closing and art is always the first to go. The most logical move for you to make more money would be teaching!

also can I say what an achievement, I run a business and have hit 800k To and that’s huge and hard work, the fact you ran that business at half a million TO and helped people is amazing. You sound like a compassionate person so maybe that’s where your value is rather than monetary?

Have you just lost your spark and passion? And where does the urge to earn more come from? Those are the questions I’d be starting with.

Can you do some adult ed/FE art classes? If you want to earn more than the LA pay (peanuts) then just hire a church hall once a week and advertise the classes. Make sure people pay for the full block in advance, not piecemeal, so you don't lose out if they go on holiday or drop out. If you aim for older clients, you can do it during the day so it doesn't interfere with family time at night.

Could you offer art therapy in local residential homes? Just one afternoon

What about AP for kids out of school the tutors I’ve come across doing therapeutic work charge £30-£50ph working online or face to face. Some funded by EOTAS packages others privately. Sounds like you have all the skills for it.

I would look at art and education related charity or ed tech type jobs. Could you be CEO for a different arts education related org?

How about you blend your counselling and art and run group sessions where you provide the art and there is a focus on journaling and self development. Works online or face to face. In person you include a light light counselling reflections / intentions/ breath work and target women. Slow to start but would build £25-30 a head x 8 per session. Loads of versions like ceramics set up or young art after school and evening with drinks etc.

Thank you for these thoughts. @reversegearyes I think I am knackered as I have given my absolute all blood sweat and tears to both roles over 20 years, so that is part of it. Having family costs, and having my husband bear the brunt has been hard and all my friends seem to be earning more than they ever have at this stage in life but for me it’s honestly backwards! (Not comparing to them but just feel I gave nothing to show for all my efforts). I just feel I work hard and care an lot and would now like a bit of recognition in the form of £ for my family! My husband had redundancies in his office recently - not him but I thought if he loses his job wtf would I do!

I’ve been a HOD as well and know that I would give my all to that as well so not sure it’s any easier than HOY to be honest.

working for another charity that isn’t mine feels wrong like I’m handing over my energy elsewhere and setting up evening art classes is something I’ve done over the years and honestly it’s a lot of work for very little reward, plus would eat into family time too much.

If I were you I would put everything you've written on here into ChatGPT and see what it has to say. You could also add which part of the country you're in and the hours you would like to work and what you would like to earn. I found it incredibly helpful.

Just thought it is worth adding as you have had a couple of art therapy suggestions - art therapy is a regulated profession (by the HCPC) and not something you can just set up in if not properly qualified.

Thanks @Midnightrain13yes I have knowledge of art therapy through a module I did on my MA, and I know it’s proper therapy first and foremost, not just cuddly feely art(!). It not actually something I would be interested in doing even if I were to retrain.

What do you consider a good income? That would help people with suggestions.

There are jobs in applying for research funding and project management both inside and outside of academia.

You mentioned about giving your all and this is something I’ve had to learn to manage as a teacher and a parent, good enough has become a mantra now.

Me too Angelic fruitcake. Hence my username!

What about setting up some kind of art hub for home schooled children. Somewhere they could come for classes during the day where it would be small groups and they would get to meet other children and do art together.

If you have fundraising, HE and arts experience, how about fundraising or business development for HE (and if your location is your username you have a really big arts uni...)? It's well paid, would probably be reasonably flexible apart from near a big deadline and I think might be one of the only HE areas not being cut. You sound entrepreneurial and if you have run a charity presumably good at developing projects.

It sounds like earning more is a big motivation for you and a lot of the smaller business ideas won't do that and definitely won't give you a decent pension.

Edit to say- I see randommess has suggested similar.

I'm paraphrasing, but earnings will always be limited on the dogooding side of the economy.

Don't rule out private sector businesses in your search. Maybe a change of direction without needing more quals.