Retraining for work.

[chico]

Has anybody had a career change in their 50's. Looking to get into a reasonable job. Currently delivering parcels and it is rubbish. Self employed with none of the benefits of being self employed but all the disadvantages.
Don't mind training or studying but thinking at my age something that would take a year to learn would probably be best.
Anybody done something along these lines at my age?

 

[Neilds]

I left the RAF the day before my 50th birthday after 33 + years Service. Luckily the military have a good resettlement process with money available for training and courses in the last 2 years of our Service. This meant is was less stressful than what you are trying to do but I still think you should go for it. You still have a lot to offer and you have experience - just make sure you sell yourself in your CV, you will have more transferable skills than you initially think

 

[Doon frae Troon]

In my area there are loads of folk looking for gardeners. [self employed]
Roughcasters/ plasters/ roofers.
Care workers
Cleaners. [self employed]
Drivers PSV, HGV etc

A friend went into caring as a stop gap and now really loves the job.
Around here quite a lot of early retired golfers work as caddies, short season but £60 to £100 a round is not bad.

 

[SaintHacker]

The transport industry is crying out for drivers at the moment. Most bus companies will have a training school that will put you through your licence at no cost as long as you stay with them for x amount of time, but there are ways around that. Feel free to pm me if you want any more info

 

[Reemul]

I did 20 years as a retail including senior management, hated it left at 35 and become an ops manager for a document management company, took a year to learn the technical side. At 45 got made redundant and am now a client manager in insurance. Taken a year or 2 to get up to speed. Currently hate my job, choose something you will like.

Have to be willing to learn and put in the hard work and start towards the bottom.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

You do a lot of driving and you will see a lot of rubbish driving - Driving Instructor?

 

[PhilTheFragger]

What other stuff have you done apart from driving?

I reinvented myself age 57 after my self employed business went pop due to medical issues (now resolved) and also got divorced.

My background was retail banking, admin, customer services and mobile computer tech guy.

I was offered the first job I went for and I’m now a senior logistics planner with a car delivery company also get out and drive too and do a lot of the driver training / recruitment.

Been there 4 1/2 years and really enjoying it

So it can be done

 

[Billysboots]

What other stuff have you done apart from driving?

I reinvented myself age 57 after my self employed business went pop due to medical issues (now resolved) and also got divorced.

My background was retail banking, admin, customer services and mobile computer tech guy.

I was offered the first job I went for and I’m now a senior logistics planner with a car delivery company also get out and drive too and do a lot of the driver training / recruitment.

Been there 4 1/2 years and really enjoying it

So it can be done

I started in retail banking, then spent 30 years doing everyone knows and nobody cares what, before retiring at 54.

I had further career options, some offering silly money, but I’d had enough and wanted to be my own boss.

I’ve spent the last two years trade plating (delivering vehicles to the uninitiated). As Fragger knows, it’s not something you do for the money. But I work 2 days a week, have whatever days off I want, get to drive some lovely motors, and see the countryside.

After I’ve paid my dues to the taxman there’s more than enough left over to pay for all my holidays, golf breaks and little luxuries so that I’m not relying on my pension.

If there’s one thing having prostate cancer so soon after packing up full time work taught me it’s that there is much more to life than money. My weekends now start at 4pm on a Tuesday and I couldn’t be happier.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

In my area there are loads of folk looking for gardeners. [self employed]
Roughcasters/ plasters/ roofers.
Care workers
Cleaners. [self employed]
Drivers PSV, HGV etc

A friend went into caring as a stop gap and now really loves the job.
Around here quite a lot of early retired golfers work as caddies, short season but £60 to £100 a round is not bad.

I am sure that there are plenty of opportunities out there for decent caring folk to work in the care sector. You've probably had plenty of customer 'interaction' in your current role. It'll be tough at the bottom (pardon the pun), but once in and with a bit of experience I am sure that there are plenty of promotion opportunities. Maybe at first get some NVQ (or equivalent) Heath Care Assistant training. And you'll be very valued.

 

[IanM]

People change career direction at all stages of their lives. So do it. Training for your ideal role can still be done in parallel with the current one.

Without knowing anything about you, I'd be asking you the following...

1) What skills/attributes do you have? Where might they take you?? Even if you have to think about your current skills/experience in a different way (Eg Delivering parcels requires planning, punctuality, customer service/interaction skill, interpretation of information) What did you do before? You might need less re-training than you think....and change is often easier in smaller steps, so what might they be?

2) What do you really want to do? What is stopping doing it? (Yep, my game isn't up to being a Tour Pro either! But you can still move into something that makes you happier than the current one.)

I am sure you can do it!! Good luck with whatever you do.

 

[Mel Smooth]

Has anybody had a career change in their 50's. Looking to get into a reasonable job. Currently delivering parcels and it is rubbish. Self employed with none of the benefits of being self employed but all the disadvantages.
Don't mind training or studying but thinking at my age something that would take a year to learn would probably be best.
Anybody done something along these lines at my age?

Welcome to the world of being self employed... ;-)


It really depends if you want physical work or prefer something more administrative.
You could become a reasonable plasterer for example in the space of a year, capable of skimming walls to a good standard, but it's hard graft.

 

[chico]

I am sure that there are plenty of opportunities out there for decent caring folk to work in the care sector. You've probably had plenty of customer 'interaction' in your current role. It'll be tough at the bottom (pardon the pun), but once in and with a bit of experience I am sure that there are plenty of promotion opportunities. Maybe at first get some NVQ (or equivalent) Heath Care Assistant training. And you'll be very valued.

Thanks but one of my reasons for retraining is to get away from weekend working. I've done it all my life and it eventually starts to grind you down.
Whatever I end up doing will be Monday to Friday and hopefully won't involve bottoms.

 

[chico]

What other stuff have you done apart from driving?

I reinvented myself age 57 after my self employed business went pop due to medical issues (now resolved) and also got divorced.

My background was retail banking, admin, customer services and mobile computer tech guy.

I was offered the first job I went for and I’m now a senior logistics planner with a car delivery company also get out and drive too and do a lot of the driver training / recruitment.

Been there 4 1/2 years and really enjoying it

So it can be done

Thanks I'm booking an appointment with the local authority careers service. I've had a few jobs and think with a bit of help could put together a decent c.v.

 

[chico]

Welcome to the world of being self employed... ;-)


It really depends if you want physical work or prefer something more administrative.
You could become a reasonable plasterer for example in the space of a year, capable of skimming walls to a good standard, but it's hard graft.

Thanks for the reply, I've been self-employed a while mainly taxi driver. But this job is different as I've said all the headaches non of the benefits.

 

[BrianM]

First and foremost do something you enjoy, there would be nothing worse going into do a job you hate day in, day out.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

I would be looking at something modern like energy/insulation consultant., or something non impactful physically on your body
Inwould also suggest that finding something that’s only Monday to Friday could be challenging since we are now a 6.5 day week working world with a want it now consumer..
I know you can retrain, and some do, but I feel That regardless of what sections may say, many employers don’t want the older worker especially if theta re “virgin” to that field/line of work.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I would be looking at something modern like energy/insulation consultant., or something non impactful physically on your body
Inwould also suggest that finding something that’s only Monday to Friday could be challenging since we are now a 6.5 day week working world with a want it now consumer..
I know you can retrain, and some do, but I feel That regardless of what sections may say, many employers don’t want the older worker especially if theta re “virgin” to that field/line of work.

In my experience (and for six yrs I worked with some of the UKs major charities implanting new systems) the bigger charities are age-blind and have the wherewithal to train and develop folks looking for a complete change later in their working life. Many who make the change into the 3rd sector recognise they might not be moving, at least at first, into a well paid role, so choose to look for work in charities that work in an area that is of special interest to them. Their commitment to the ‘cause’ becomes what sees them through frustrations and tougher times in the job.

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