If you could re-train, what would it be in?

[Grotty]

I retrained as a doctor. I did it over 6 years, which meant long university holidays, in which I worked as a medical secretary to save some money. Then when I qualified I went part-time. I now work 3 days which is 28 hours/week, occasionally that is at night or at the weekend, but when that happens it means I have extra days off in the week. I love it, and despite the amount of stuff to learn and the life-long learning including multiple exams, (and the fact that I'm not going to be a Consultant for a very long time), I have a very good work-life balance, have a job I love, earn good money and only occasionally miss out on things eg. working a Saturday means I cannot watch a swimming lesson. I would recommend it to anyone who even contemplates doing medicine. Honestly best decision I ever made.

I get 6 years is a long time, but there are many 4 year courses out there and they have the major advantage that 3 of the 4 years fee's are paid for you, so much less of a financial burden!

[Mens]

I re-trained as a teacher after becoming a mum and love the work life balance but recently wished that I had studied medicine instead. Teaching definitely works for family life and is enjoyable if you are in a school that suits you

[ClareC]

I always wanted to be a vet or Dr.

Dismissed both on the basis of not being clever enough, too sensitive and squeamish.

Ended up doing a law degree instead and becoming a solicitor - I've been working as a solicitor nearly 16 years now but have always thought if only......

I always remember being newly qualified and bumping into a school friend who had just qualified as a Dr, I was in awe, as was she..... She was thinking about going back to Uni to do law!

Would love to hear more about these 3/4 years retraining as a Dr courses......

[Ole]

Mens, what do you do with school drop off/pick up if you teach at a different school to your children but both need to be in by 9am? My husband says I should be a primary school teacher, he says i'd be good at it(and since I bring it up every so often he probably thinks that I'd like to, which perhaps I do).

[Mrs TP]

hpsaucey and a new pencil case every autumn :)

I love learning and am quietly hiding my desire to join the sixth form at my eldest secondary school to study A level politics. If I was more pro-active then that is the field that really interests me.

[crystal7]

Ole, I am a primary school teacher and use a childminder or provide wrap around care until 5.30. I work 3 days per week.

[canela]

Ole, I?ve done some primary school drama days and it seems that most teachers are in by 8:30 absolute latest, and lots at 8:00...

I?ve loved the stuff I?ve done at schools and am seriously thinking about teacher training?.but for secondary, not primary. teenagers are my thing.

[JulieP]

Pickle Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I will, once all my kids are at school, look at

> retraining.

>

> I have an accountancy degree, and worked in CA

> firms, and investment banks. Money good, quality

> of life, shite. I also play flute, and did so

> professionally for many years in an orchestra in

> NZ, as well as teaching. Was brilliant, but very

> unsociable hours and these days I lack the

> time/motivation to put the hours of practice in.

>

> These days I find myself thinking I'd enjoy

> working with the elderly. Terribly paid, and

> tends to be the focus of documentaries for all the

> wrong reasons, but it's something I am

> increasingly finding myself drawn to.

>

> Before I had my son I was thinking of doing a

> personal trainer course, and I still think I would

> enjoy that sort of work.

>

> Maybe I should combine the two?!

>

> For now I'm enjoying being a stay at home Mum :)

Combining exercise and working with older people is certainly feasible!

There are training courses you can do (on top of exercise instructor courses) to teach exercise classes to older people to prevent falls and assist with rehabilitation after stroke. See http://www.laterlifetraining.co.uk/courses/ for details.

I am a physiotherapist (not retrained but been so since leaving uni). I work with older people and this includes exercise and I love what I do - so another option could be to retrain as a physiotherapist?

[bluesuperted]

My husband is usually in his classroom for 7:15, rarely leaves before 5/530, later with meetings, school performances, parents evenings, governors meetings... On Mondays he leaves the house before 7, gets home at 6, eats dinner and helps with bedtime then marks til 10pm. An hour or two marking per night is standard, several hours of planning at the weekend. One half term is usually entirely taken up with report-writing. He is *really* efficient, he has to work this hard to get it all done. Don't get me wrong, the summer holidays in particular are amazing for family time but I would say on the whole it's not that great to be a full-time teacher for work/life balance. We are lucky as I'm a SAHM (although I work in evenings/weekends from home) but I think a two-teacher household would be really tough. And morale is pretty low in teaching at the moment... Michael Gove et al are chasing some brilliant people out of this most important of professions...

canela Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Ole, I?ve done some primary school drama days and

> it seems that most teachers are in by 8:30

> absolute latest, and lots at 8:00...

[simonethebeaver]

I'm another one who wants to be a midwife. The work/life balance thread has been great food for thought over the potential timing of it, as I'm very keen to leave my current job and start training, but I have two very small children.

[NannyAdelle]

I think having children makes you reaseess your life/work balance. I worked in sales before my first child. I now work as a nanny. I also run a mobile clothes boutique in the evenings which helps to fullfil my need for adult interaction.

I sometimes think about retrainig in the future; teacher, midwife, health visitor are all occupations I have researched. Its interesting to see other parents have similar thoughts about retraining/choosing a new career path.

[Knomester]

ClareC - My friend studied law and went on to be a solicitor, then left a year after qualification to retrain as a doctor (about 10 years ago). She is just taking a break from her GP training as she had her first child last year. She has never once regretted it (law just wasn't for her, despite her being brilliant at it), but she is only just now starting to get where she wants to be.

[astrid83]

I am another one who has been wondering what to re-train in for years! I have a degree in psychology and a masters degree in addiction counselling, and have mostly been working as a counsellor and a mental health worker in rehabs and psychiatric wards.

I know this is a job that i do not want to go back to. It's too much for me, emotionally as I seem to be incapable of leaving work at work and not to be affected by all the awful dark things I hear from clients every day. I'm just too sensitive, I've realised that that sort of work is not for me, even if I know that I'm very good at it.

Since my last job I've actually been put off working in a helping proffession at all, as i seem to easily burn out when I'm in a caring proffession as I "care too much" if that makes sense?

But I have no idea what else to do. I'm currently at home with my 8 month old son and love it. We can live on my husbands salary but i feel it's unfair pressure on him to be the only bread winner, also i don't like the dynamic in the relationship when he is the only one who is earning. And I do need to think about the future too!

I'be been thinking about teacher training but from reading posts like Bluespurted's it makes me think more than twice. I don't feel that I need a massive challenge or to have a high flying career, I'm not the kind. I mainly care about getting as much time with my son as possible and not adding any extra stress to our every day life. My husband works very long hours and i think it would be good if we could avoid us both being completely stressed out.

But...as I said, i need a job in a few months, but I have no idea what I'd like to do!

[simonethebeaver]

Why not think about becoming a teaching assistant? Especially if income is not the issue. Although I think both teachers and teaching assistants do quite a lot of 'caring' alongside the teaching!

[srisky]

Or childminder/nanny so you can son can be with you during the day? Also means once he starts school drop offs and pick ups won't be an issue. It all depends on whether you will enjoy looking after other people's children and the responsibility that goes with it.

[astrid83]

I used to do a lot of nannying when I did my post grad, and it's something I've thought of but not sure if I want to go back to it, as I left it for a reason. I think I'd miss having work colleagues and also not sure how it would be to look after someone else's kids at the same time as my son, things like differences in approaches to parenting would have to be considered amongst other things!

[SE22mum]

Astrid, what about some kind of part-time project/information/comms etc worker in a mental health/ addiction charity? That would take advantage of your experience, and get you an office environment etc, but you would not be doing frontline services yourself - with all that that entails emotionally.

[sillywoman]

For those thinking of retraining in Midwifery I'd also mention to factor in that you don't get University holidays while you're training. In fact I heard that the midwifery degree has the most required hours over the three years of any degree. DOn't get me wrong - it's worth it. If Midwifery is your calling then you HAVE to do it whatever, but prepare for three years of hard work.

My other tip would be - if you're juggling family and Midwifery study - go to Greenwich Uni if you have the choice. Greenwich students get an extra 3 weeks over the summer - they have to do a project which is supposed to take 100 hours during those three weeks, but most of the students I've spoken to say they can manage it over a few days leaving the extra time to have with their children.