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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
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    Default Change of career and back to school in your 40s?

    I’ve been a SAHM for a long time (10+ years) and I am sooo ready to be back in the workplace. I am in my mid-40s and would like to do something new. I have a bachelor’s in a social science and worked most recently in recruiting.

    So - has anyone here gone back to school in your 40s? Changed your career? I’d love to hear about it. What did you study? How was going back to school? I need inspiration as well as practical advice.
    DS 2008
    DD 2010
    DS 2014

  2. #2
    mmsmom is offline Sapphire level (2000+ posts)
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    I was home with kids from 2007-2020. I returned to a similar career in sales at 48 years old but was quickly laid off due to Covid. I got another job last July and it has been great. I love working again! Kids are 12 and 14 so need me less but DH and I both WFH so we can be there to drive them places and for activities. Some days are stressful getting it all in but it is manageable. I did not go back to school but I have friends that have and I truly don’t feel you are ever too old. I think you should find something you enjoy career, income, work/life balance wise and then figure out a path to get there which may or may not require school. I wouldn’t invest in school unless you are sure there is a need and good income potential.

  3. #3
    mmsmom is offline Sapphire level (2000+ posts)
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    I was home with kids from 2007-2020. I returned to a similar career in sales at 48 years old but was quickly laid off due to Covid. I got another job last July and it has been great. I love working again! Kids are 12 and 14 so need me less but DH and I both WFH so we can be there to drive them places and for activities. Some days are stressful getting it all in but it is manageable. I did not go back to school but I have friends that have and I truly don’t feel you are ever too old. I think you should find something you enjoy career, income, work/life balance wise and then figure out a path to get there which may or may not require school. I wouldn’t invest in school unless you are sure there is a need and good income potential.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
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    Central Coast, CA
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    Are you interested in returning to recruiting? I ask b/c my company just announced a a 'tech recruiting 6 week boot camp' where they will train folks to become tech recruiters paring with our engineering team. From the job description recruiting experience is a nice to have but not required. If this sounds like something you might be interested in DM and I'll send you the job posting.

    One option might be to look for a returnship, like internships but for people (usually moms) returning to the workplace after an extended leave. iRelaunch is a org that partners with companies, path forward is another, and several larger companies have their own programs. These programs will often help prepare for returning to the workplace -> getting skills up today, helping update/reframe resumes, practicing interviewing, etc. Plus you get the support of a network of folks going through the same thing. When I was ramping up my job search after DD was born I considered going through one but ultimately found a job. With the number of people who dropped out over the last year, I'm hopeful we start to see even more of these programs as companies try to lure talent back off the sidelines and recognize they may need to invest in folks.
    ~ Dawn
    Our little monkey (4/2011) & his early holiday present 12/12

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
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    Central Coast, CA
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    The double post gremlins strike again!!
    ~ Dawn
    Our little monkey (4/2011) & his early holiday present 12/12

  6. #6
    niccig is offline Clean Sweep forum moderator
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    Aug 2004
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    CA.
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    23,492

    Default Change of career and back to school in your 40s?

    I did grad school in my late 30s and started new career at 41 as a speech language pathologist. I thought I’d be the oldest in grad school, but I wasn’t. PP is right, it’s never too late. It was a change for our family and some juggling of school after care when DS was in elementary. Now he’s in high school, I just started a private practice on the side to see clients after school (my full-time job is at a school) and during vacation time. DS is driving, so me getting home an hour later isn’t an issue, and I can make a nice side income


    Sent from my iPhone using Baby Bargains

  7. #7
    lizzywednesday is offline Red Diamond level (10,000+ posts)
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    Aug 2009
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    Central NJ
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    13,754

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    Depending on what kind of pivot you want, you may be able to get a new certification through a temp agency or career counseling service. Robert Half offers a lot of great online courses, as did Lee Hecht Harrison, for things like Project Management (which, let's be real, as a SAHM, you have a lot of that skill set - juggling timelines, priorities, etc.) and other certificates, or to brush up on software skills.

    Have you done any volunteer work? If so, ask yourself what kinds of skills did you tap into for that? Might that skill set be a good starting point for another career path?

    I'm still figuring things out myself, but I know I can call attention to a lot of the skills I've developed as a Girl Scout Leader with DD's troop and as the Communications & Social Media chair for my high school chorus's alumni association.
    ==========================================
    Liz
    DD (3/2010)

    "Make mistakes! Get messy!" - Miss Frizzle

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    New York, USA.
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    6,848

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    Quote Originally Posted by sf333 View Post
    I’ve been a SAHM for a long time (10+ years) and I am sooo ready to be back in the workplace. I am in my mid-40s and would like to do something new. I have a bachelor’s in a social science and worked most recently in recruiting.

    So - has anyone here gone back to school in your 40s? Changed your career? I’d love to hear about it. What did you study? How was going back to school? I need inspiration as well as practical advice.
    Yes, I did it. Best thing I ever did.

    Prior to being a SAHM I was in marketing (had an MBA). Then raised my kids full-time for 14 years. Then went back to school to get a clinical mental health counseling degree. School was 2 years and then earning my clinical hours towards licensure was another 2 years. I now have a successful private practice.
    DD1 - 1996
    DD2 - 1999
    DD3 - 2005

    Surfaces are for working, not for storing. - Peter Walsh

  9. #9
    heatherlynn is offline Platinum level (1000+ posts)
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    Apr 2004
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    MA.
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    1,544

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    Yes I did. Not really by choice but I'm glad I did. One thing that I think helps is having a recent degree (My first BA was 30 years ago!).
    H-
    DD 1998
    DS 2004
    DD 2005

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Midwest
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    5,078

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    I had a teaching degree and went back to school for ultrasound in my early 30s at the time with three kids, my youngest was 1. For my program there were some major pros and cons, pro was that the schooling was very affordable (community college tuition I think around 10k approximately for the entire program!) con was that the hours were not flexible at all, there was a long waiting list (5 years!) and the job market is kind of temperamental. (The class before me had a lot of trouble getting jobs, we were lucky that most of my class did.) Now that I see how crappy the healthcare systems treat their employees I may end up changing yet again but not likely anything that requires additional schooling. (With 4 kids ages 2-10 I am happy enough working PRN a few times a month while my mom babysits/gets my kids to school, I stay out of the drama and don't take call. But when I want to work more regularly I doubt it will be in healthcare. I'd prefer not to die in a car accident taking call on no sleep for some dumb unnecessary exam or have healthcare system decide to try to chase out the most experienced/highest paid people when I'm on the verge of retiring...just a couple of the things I've seen happen the last few years.) I think there are a lot of people going back to school these days, my aunt started schooling for IT in her 40s and now has a great job working from home, there was someone in my class in her early 50s, odds are decent you won't be the only one even BUT school with kids and their school is a lot to manage. I barely slept and figuring out childcare was awful, not to mention the crying kindergartner because I couldn't just skip clinicals/class to go to school things. My mom was a saint and took sick kids to the doctor for us, etc. If your kids are a bit older I'm sure it will be easier in some ways and more difficult in others (we didn't have after school activities yet, that would have been really rough.)
    Last edited by AngB; 06-17-2021 at 10:25 PM.
    Angie

    Mom to
    DD- 9/09-9/09
    DS- 2011 DS2- 2012 DS3- 2015 DD-2019

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