Too old to retrain?

[Honeysuckleinbloom13]

Evening everyone, I will try keep it brief but I HATE my job. I’ve been there 5 years with no change in my duties as per the original job description. I sit all day answering non stop calls. If I’d have wanted to work in a call centre, I’d have applied to work in a call centre! I can only sleep at weekends as I know I don’t have work the next day but Sundays are ruined by me dreading Monday. I know I should be grateful to have a job in this climate but I just don’t feel it and actually feel envious when I pass the pubs and see the people who are on benefits just sat there drinking. Not that that is how I’d want to spend my day but they’re all well known in my small town and common knowledge that they scam their PIP by claiming by playing the mental health card and anxiety. They’ve been heard by many people bragging about this as MH and anxiety cannot be definitively tested for. When I had depression I couldn’t get out of bed let alone socialise in pubs! Anyway, I’m in my 50’s and just wanted to know if anyone out there did a complete career overhaul and retrained in something else? I was a medical secretary for years which I loved but got made redundant so applied for what I thought was a medical admin job as per job description but it’s just like a call centre. I have brought this up with my manager and she sympathises with me and knows how much I hate it but I’m really toying with the idea of retraining but fear I’m too old and no one would hire me. I’ve lost a lot of confidence since being in this job, comfort eating, too tired to socialise. I just feel completely drained.

In an ideal world what job would you like to do?
X

Lots of people in their 50s on my healthcare course at uni. Although you might not enjoy that if you assume everyone is on benefits and scamming people.

You can get second degree funding for a number of allied health professions.

You can retrain at any age if that’s what you feel the need to do. What do you fancy changing to?

I’m mid fifties and just started my own creative business after a lifetime of entry level work and caring.

Why the benefit bashing?

I started working as a support worker to children living in residential care homes when I was in my 50s. It involved some training, eg safeguarding, first aid, trauma & attachment, which was done once you’d started the job in group sessions with trainers. Within 2 years of doing the job, you have to complete a level 3 qualification in supporting children & young people in residential care. I found it very rewarding as you have to work as a team with other staff & get to know some amazing young people. I did it until retirement.

I don’t think you will ever be happy when you carry such hatred for others tbh.

You lost me at the benefits bashing.

Well why dont you go on benefits then and then you can sit in a pub all day drinking. Ffs.

People change careers all the time or side step into something else, but using their existing skills.
What are your interests other than non-call centre work, what would you like to be doing?
Watching people in pubs and assuming their are ALL on benefits isn't great for your own sanity OP!

-The NHS offer hundreds of apprenticeships, not just school leavers but at all levels and grades. Also in non-clinical roles too. www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/career-planning/study-and-training/nhs-apprenticeships
-https://www.theworkfromhomehub.co.uk/jobs
-https://www.office-angels.com/
-Clinical research such as medical monitoring or admin in health protection or writing up medical reports for GP's/consultants/private clinics etc might be other options.

I retrained at 52 but you're so busy bashing the sick and disabled that you've probably not got the bandwidth to do it.

I retrained in my late 40s, started a business in my new field and love it.

No part of my motivation for doing this was related to people who claim benefits.
One reason for that is that I care for my severely disabled sister who claims PIP and I know how absolutely grinding and worrying the claims process is and that you can never relax because you have to renew your claim every couple of years.

My old job was hard. My new job is even harder and physical too but it's rewarding and satisfying. I thank God I'm healthy enough to do it and am not as hindered by ill health as my sister facing yet another PIP assessment.

Sorry, I want to clear up the “benefits bashing” benefits are essential to most families these days and we, as a family had benefits when my husband was made redundant. The people I’m talking about are well know criminals/drug dealers who everybody knows of as their names are often in the local paper or online. Claiming benefits for them is a lifestyle choice, they’ve never worked a day in their lives. Local taxi drivers we know tell us they go to food banks then get taxis to the pub for the day. This is not speculation, it’s fact. These are only fleeting thoughts when I see them in the summer loving life while the rest of us have to work so hard. I have nothing against genuine people and families that need financial support and have volunteered at food banks.
as the question of what would I really like to do? I just don’t know. If there was money to be made in creating art I’d love to do that but the market is saturated with resin art, clay art etc. I’ve thought about counselling and drug recovery as our town has a serious drug addiction problem which breaks my heart at all those young lives lost to drugs. I don’t have a degree, I went to college and done secretarial course. I looked at the counselling course and it’s a few thousand per module, I cannot afford that. I’ve looked into part time university courses but most are full time so I’d have to give up my job to do it which also isn’t an option due to the cost of living. So feeling a bit stuck.

That sounds a very rewarding job!I think I’d enjoy support work. Thank you x

Why have these people got anything to do with your decision to change career though?

You would be eligible for a Mature Student Loan in order to study Counselling, it’s not means tested. My course cost approx £5,000 - Level 4 Diploma

Sorry it’s called an Advanced Student Loan

You can receive £14k student loan funding for living costs for a health degree. In addition, several courses have a non-repayable bursary. I receive £6k for an allied health degree. I'm 55. A non taxable income of £20k is equivalent to earnings of around £23k.

That assumes no one else in your household works as it is means tested to include a partners income.

@Honeysuckleinbloom13do look into it! Most companies pay for you to do the Level 3 qualification, once you’ve passed a 6 month probation.

Was going to suggest Benefits Advisor, but maybe not the job for you.

I was 55 when I began studying my Diploma and I’ve benefited greatly from it…the work I have done for the past six years would not have happened without the qualification so, yes, I would say Just Do It 😄

I am 51, and today I start shadowing in preparation for starting my first job as a doctor next week.

It sounds as though you know what your ideal career is, what you were doing before. Is there anything stopping you from applying for more medical admin roles? I know this one hasn't worked out but now you have a better idea of what to look out for when applying.