How do you know what you want to do?

Maz

If you know what you like and makes you feel good that's a starting point, so that's a step in the right direction.

Given that you've listed all these areas, start researching them for new career paths, what is entailed etc. You've got transferable skills in admin. Google careers in the various areas you've listed.

t0rt0ise

If you want to do teaching but can't do the training why not do teacher's assistant or classroom assistant. I was a classroom assistant for a few years and loved it.

Or if you want to work with children why not children's nurse, or health care assistant in that area if the actual training is not possible.

stiltwalker

pinkmoo wrote: »

Lokolo I don't have a degree so I would need to get the degree, I cannot afford to pay tuition, even open Uni (I have looked) I could however look into teaching assistant.... hmmm got me thinking now

If you don't have a degree already then you should be entitled to student loans to cover the tuition - these are not repayable until you are earning over something like £21k and then it is a percentage so eminently affordable.

I have done allsorts of things over the years, from professional juggler/stiltwalker, through tax accounting to hotel work and running tea rooms (both cheffing and front of house) and various other things. Now I am just over half way through an OU degree in childcare and youth studies, when I started the degree I was aiming vaguely to do something support side, office rather than school based education-ish, hopefully term time hours once both kids were at school (DS being a very small bump at the time). Life has moved on and as it turns out both our children have disabilities and I have no real idea of when/if I will be able to return to the workforce, it will depend on how many appointments the children have as they get older and what other needs they have, combined with being able to find a sympathetic employer. My ideas re future work have now however crystallised and I am now sure that I want to work with families who have children with additional needs and disabilities in a facilitation capacity. It is so hard to find what services are out there and to access them and there are a number of posts both LA and third sector who help families to access help and support - I can do that!

So it took me until I was 34/35 to decide what I wanted to do when I grew up!! It took DH (45 at the time) even longer - he started an OU degree last year and will do the teaching assistant module as his free choice module, his aim is now to work with children who have specific learning disabilities as he does (profoundly dyslexic) as he can see and understand the world from their point of view, has many many years of experience finding and implementing strategies that help and work and can also be inspirational as someone who has faced those challenges, gone back to education and gained a degree.

Maz

You don't say how old you are but if it's any consolation, I'm in my 50's and I still don't know what I want to do when I grow up. I've done allsorts. I've been -

Accountant (HATED every minute)
Office manager
PA
Restaurant Assistant
Care worker
Strawberry picker
Supervisor in a bank
Company director
Waitress
Property management

I now have my own businesses (on and offline) and am about to begin working in a complementary clinic as a reflexologist, part time. It's something I've wanted to do for ages and now I can.

Telling you this to show that work can be as varied as you like as long as you're making enough, until you find something that resonates with you.

saintjammyswine

Sort of fell into my job through previous redundancy, turns out I love it!