Is it worthwhile retraining at 37?

n1guy

I'm trying to weigh up my options, I am coming 38 and about to be made redundant for a 4th time. Money doesn't motivate me, I've always worked low paid minimum wage jobs, I have enough to put a roof over my head, food on the table and that's all I need really.

I did do 2 years of Open University in IT back about 10 years ago, I gave it up as I found I had no real interest and I had small children and time was limited.

I'm not really sure what to do what I do know is I am fed up being made redundant, its just bad luck I guess and I can't see how retraining would solve that, could happen anywhere I guess.

pmduk

Retraining is only worth it if you're interested in the training you're doing IMHO, and I'm getting the impression your heart isn't in bettering your position.

theoretica

If you work from 17 to 68 you are only 2/5 of the way through your working life - so retraining or otherwise changing career can definitely be worthwhile.



Sounds like money doesn't particularly motivate you, but stability might.

n1guy

pmduk wrote: »

Retraining is only worth it if you're interested in the training you're doing IMHO, and I'm getting the impression your heart isn't in bettering your position.

I think when you start off working you have all these dreams and aspirations then life gets in the way and that interest just dies and you just go through the motions to get by.

n1guy

theoretica wrote: »

If you work from 17 to 68 you are only 2/5 of the way through your working life - so retraining or otherwise changing career can definitely be worthwhile.



Sounds like money doesn't particularly motivate you, but stability might.

Yeah, maybe because I've never had money, you get used to just getting by I think. Yes stability is what I am after, I want a stable job in a company that doesn't treat employee's like something they've stood in, which in low paid work is like finding a needle in a haystack, I've had about 6 jobs in my life my current is the only job I've had like this.

I've no interest in promotions or progression, I am happy just going in doing my job and going home with no stress.

nicechap

n1guy wrote: »

I'm trying to weigh up my options, I am coming 38 and about to be made redundant for a 4th time. Money doesn't motivate me, I've always worked low paid minimum wage jobs, I have enough to put a roof over my head, food on the table and that's all I need really.

I did do 2 years of Open University in IT back about 10 years ago, I gave it up as I found I had no real interest and I had small children and time was limited.

I'm not really sure what to do what I do know is I am fed up being made redundant, its just bad luck I guess and I can't see how retraining would solve that, could happen anywhere I guess.

n1guy wrote: »

I think when you start off working you have all these dreams and aspirations then life gets in the way and that interest just dies and you just go through the motions to get by.

n1guy wrote: »

Yeah, maybe because I've never had money, you get used to just getting by I think. Yes stability is what I am after, I want a stable job in a company that doesn't treat employee's like something they've stood in, which in low paid work is like finding a needle in a haystack, I've had about 6 jobs in my life my current is the only job I've had like this.

I've no interest in promotions or progression, I am happy just going in doing my job and going home with no stress.

So many points to pick up on.

But in reply to the thread title - is it worth retaining at 37?, I would say for most people it is. Your apparent negative thinking, and conflating unrelated things would suggest to me that its not for you.

I retrained at 48 into a completely new industry and at 58 am about to embark on a diploma within the industry to enable me to take on new area work I've become very interested in. In this new industry I am not a manager and have absolutely no interest in becoming a manager - I've done that before and found it was not a rewarding way to spend my awake hours.

Maybe 100 years ago people might have had the expectation of a job for life, and following their dad into the same industry down the mines or into shipbuilding but that is no longer the norm, and expect my children to have multiple employers and jobs as they grow and their own circumstances change.

That said, I would suggest you google national career service and book a session with a local counsellor/ advisor to see what you are capable of doing and what you might be interested enough in to put yourself out for.

Just off the top of my head, have you ever thought of becoming a bus driver or a HGV driver?

n1guy

nicechap wrote: »

So many points to pick up on.

But in reply to the thread title - is it worth retaining at 37?, I would say for most people it is. Your apparent negative thinking, and conflating unrelated things would suggest to me that its not for you.

I retrained at 48 into a completely new industry and at 58 am about to embark on a diploma within the industry to enable me to take on new area work I've become very interested in. In this new industry I am not a manager and have absolutely no interest in becoming a manager - I've done that before and found it was not a rewarding way to spend my awake hours.

Maybe 100 years ago people might have had the expectation of a job for life, and following their dad into the same industry down the mines or into shipbuilding but that is no longer the norm, and expect my children to have multiple employers and jobs as they grow and their own circumstances change.

That said, I would suggest you google national career service and book a session with a local counsellor/ advisor to see what you are capable of doing and what you might be interested enough in to put yourself out for.

Just off the top of my head, have you ever thought of becoming a bus driver or a HGV driver?

I can't even drive a car, I could never afford one so said what's the point.

The only thing I have a remote interest in is the gym. Always would have loved to be a PT, what's always put me off is the practical part, you have to bring a friend and put them through a workout while being assessed, Well I don't have any friends lol. As you may have picked up I'm a bit of an odd !!!! or rather extreme introvert.

[Deleted User]

I am 37, and hopefully about to do this. (after a health scare) cosy jobs do not exist any more.

A part time job/half days at £8.50 per hour, training for a job where demand isn't likely to decrease and I get to have time to attend appointments and build back up to full time when I've learnt something and feel better.
I got a reply within minutes to my application.

Even in my current industry, I heard that my employer needed to take a loan to pay wages this month. An ex Manager who has given nearly 20 years service going to be redundant 2nd time around. Times like this I'm glad I didn't stick to one industry.

elsien

Personal trainers are usually self- employed so wouldn't give you stability.
And quite honestly, given your answers on here, you wouldn't appear to have the motivation to be cut out for self employment.

What's the rest of your life like outside of work - there must be something that floats your boat that you enjoy doing? If not, have you considered that the flatness and lack of motivation may be something to do with your emotional well-being that it might help you to tackle with a bit of support?
I was made redundant at 50 and retrained. The risk of redundancy is still very much there but I enjoy my job and work on the basis that I'll worry about it if and when it happens. I'm like nicechap - I could earn a lot more going back into management but I really don't want to. There's nothing wrong with staying in a lower paid job if if does what you need it to do. But enjoying it while you're there is a prerequisite for me.

nicechap

n1guy wrote: »

I can't even drive a car, I could never afford one so said what's the point.

The only thing I have a remote interest in is the gym. Always would have loved to be a PT, what's always put me off is the practical part, you have to bring a friend and put them through a workout while being assessed, Well I don't have any friends lol. As you may have picked up I'm a bit of an odd !!!! or rather extreme introvert.

You don't need to own a car to become a bus driver or HGV driver, but you could learn to drive a car which would then enable you to move onto the other careers.

I'm an introvert too (INTP on Myers Briggs) but that's irrelevant to whether to retrain or not. This is solely about your attitude and motivation.

You makes your bed and lie on it would appear apt. No one here can force you to retrain or do it for you.

n1guy

elsien wrote: »

Personal trainers are usually self- employed so wouldn't give you stability.
And quite honestly, given your answers on here, you wouldn't appear to have the motivation to be cut out for self employment.

What's the rest of your life like outside of work - there must be something that floats your boat that you enjoy doing? If not, have you considered that the flatness and lack of motivation may be something to do with your emotional well-being that it might help you to tackle with a bit of support?
I was made redundant at 50 and retrained. The risk of redundancy is still very much there but I enjoy my job and work on the basis that I'll worry about it if and when it happens. I'm like nicechap - I could earn a lot more going back into management but I really don't want to. There's nothing wrong with staying in a lower paid job if if does what you need it to do. But enjoying it while you're there is a prerequisite for me.

If I could do any job I wanted would I do my current job? Probably not. What I do love about it is the firm I work for and the guys I work with.

There are really two routes you can go down when running a business, you can bully and treat people like crap and make them fearful for their jobs constantly or you can treat people with respect, leave them alone to get on with it. Ive seen myself taking the first route leads to high staff turn over and constant absenteeism, the second route is the exact opposite. I've been in my current job coming up to 6 years not missed 1 day through sickness or otherwise, I'm also the last employee in the other guys are their 20/30+ years which says a lot. I'll be honest I don't give a rats what I do as long as it takes the second route.

As for my life outside of work, I have no real interest, I go to work, I go to the gym 5 days per week that's it. As I say I like the gym, Also interested in diet and nutrition, I was always fat, I did a lot of research on what I needed to do to lose the weight and as a result, lost 4 stone and at 37 am in the best shape of my life, so if I had any form of passion its probably that.