Crossroads in career...help

Miss_Moneysaver

Hi,

I am at a crossroads in my working life. I really don't know what direction to take.
I have worked for 18 years in a professional role within the NHS. I still like the job but due to going part time, ten years ago, I have not had the chance to move upwards (I am stuck at top of band 6). I can't relocate either due to husband's job. I am very unfortunate to have no family help at all with childcare (we have 2 children, one will go to secondary in 2015) and a husband who works ridiculous antisocial hours (lower paid than me). He is unable to change his job due to his age.
Anyway, now both of my children are well established at school I want to either increase my hours or move into something else that interests me.
A big problem with my current job is that we are being moved to another hospital 25 miles away and working hours will be over an extended day 8am-8pm. Now, this causes problems with someone who relies on childcare. Also, the travelling costs!! We have already discussed working opposite each other on the days I work and both bosses are agreeable to this. I also have the option of working 2x12 hr shifts or 3x12 hr shifts if I increase hours. Someone is retiring and we have extra hours available. I don't need the money (we only have 3 years left on our mortgage) but I do like money for holidays etc.

However, I have also looked into teaching over the last few years. I always regret not going into teaching when I left uni but I was in desperate need of £££ so took a trainee position within the NHS (I wanted to be a secondary science teacher back then). I have ruled out primary as I don't fancy teaching subjects that I am not interested in. I have been trying to decide between secondary and FE (sixth form in particular). I am reluctant to give up a good salary for a teacher training bursary though! Anyway, I went across to one of the local colleges and they have offered to train me (post 16 PGCE) over 2 years part time around my NHS job. And, give me PAID teaching placements at their FE and sixth form. I am tempted by this as I can train to do another career whilst working in the NHS at the same time. The teaching would involve doing subjects relating to my profession, at first, and then moving on to A-levels next year.

I am worried about the NHS to be honest...they are down grading staff all over the place (although not my trust) and the job I went into is changing. I don't want to end up at an age where I may be out of a job and too old to re-train. I don't want to give up my NHS pension either.

So, what would you do?

(A) stay as I am and continue part time? Bear in mind we work a lot of unsocial hours and I struggle for childcare due to hubby working unsocial hours (weekends especially). Also, we get paid piddling amounts now for this. Travel costs in the future have an impact too. I don't fancy working in a job that expects you to drive up and down during the night once I am in my 60's! We have to work until 67 now in the NHS. I am thinking ahead!

(B) stay as I am but do the part time PGCE also alongside my NHS job and use it in the future either part or full time? My original idea was to retrain through this route and aim for working in 6th form colleges (I would need the school hols). I feel like I am not putting all of my eggs in one basket with this one and the post 16 PGCE would open up so many doors. I have a BSc and Masters so it would be nice to use them.

I am at a loss as to what to do...

fufu_banterwaite

Just a word of warning I was at a barbeque at a friend’s house on Saturday night. My friend is a teacher and there were at least 7 or 8 other teachers there. I have to say every single one of them was totally demoralised with the profession and all of them wanted to quit. Mostly due to the bureaucracy and paperwork surrounding their jobs.

Annisele

I'm not the best person to be giving you advice - I'm not a people person, and asking me whether I'd rather be a teacher or a nurse is like asking me which foot I'd want amputated.

However, I am a little puzzled by your post. You say you can't relocate due to your husband's job, and that he can't change career due to his age. Since you are thinking of changing career, I guess he's quite a lot older than you? If so, you might consider prioritising your career over his, because there's more of yours left.

Depending on the finances (and particularly on how much better paid your job is than his), would it be worth you increasing your hours and him decreasing his, and having him do all the childcare?

fufu_banterwaite

Also don't forget during term-time as a teacher you will be working ridiculous, anti-social hours as well.

em_9187

Teaching wouldn't open up many doors.

fufu_banterwaite

Annisele wrote: »

I'm not the best person to be giving you advice - I'm not a people person, and asking me whether I'd rather be a teacher or a nurse is like asking me which foot I'd want amputated.

Which foot would you like amputated? I'd definitely go for my left foot as I don't use it as much.

Miss_Moneysaver

Hi,


My husband is almost 10 years older than me so, yes, I do think I should prioritise my career. I am aware of the teaching hours and Gove politics and this has, to be honest, put me off for a couple of years. I was hoping that FE teaching may be different?


I do have the chance to increase my hours. I do 24 at the moment over 3 days. I did wonder about doing 3x12 hr shifts over 3 days so that I don't actually increase my travel/childcare costs. I am worried that 12 hours may be too much (it will actually be 13hrs as we don't get a paid lunch break). Also, travel on top although with 12 hr shifts I would avoid the traffic and get there in half an hour.


I am concerned that I have worked part time for 10 years and my pension has suffered.


So, you all think I should throw the teaching in the bin? Even if I did it part time (FE)?

Miss_Moneysaver

I am also top of my band and, if I changed to teaching, I would start at the bottom of the pay scale.
I still have an itch to do it 'on the side' though...the college has asked if I would like to do access courses (health)

em_9187

you can negotiate pay in teaching these days so as you're quite old you may be able to get more.

further education is much better than primary/secondary so maybe you would be okay but jobs don't always come up as frequently, depending which area you're in.

GwylimT

I'm a secondary science teacher (physics) and a mechanics teacher.

When I did my PGCE I was of course taking some lessons, I was also doing my university work, to prepare my lessons and complete my university assignments was tough, I was rarely in bed before 1 am. As someone who teaches ages 11-18 I find A-level the most challenging and time consuming, despite the fact that I only have one day a week of a-level pupils.

I worked during my actual degree, but there was no way I could work during my PGCE, as I was also so busy at home I would sometimes need a child minder in the evening so I could get my work done.

You say you can't travel very far, are there really that many vacancies for your subject on your door step?

em_9187

I'm with gynwlin or whatever - you can't working during pgce year, it is too tough. Back in the day when i did my teacher training you got paid for it. Not the ones coming through now though. But being older you might be entitled to more benefits.