My husband is retiering soon and I wonder if it’s too late to start my career. He would like for me to be available for him but I really would like to have some practice in what I studied in college. If I go it would have to be full time for a while. Were both 56 .
0 Answers
avonlady wrote on :
You can work it out. Find part time work in your field. Go to a non profit. many of them have pt jobs and are very flexible.
MaryBenson wrote on :
I asked my friend who runs a series of daycare facilities with 35 employees. She is also an Early Childhood Education instructor at a community college, and has been in the field for 35 years. Here is what she said:
If you have a degree–associates is good, bachelors is superb–you would have a very good chance of being hired whether or not you have any experience. (Are you in Northern California, by chance?) She said you are not too old at 56 to re-enter the field.
You might want to do a few refresher courses–curriculums have changed since you were in school. The laws have not changed much in 30 years (Title 22 is online and you simply search for the answer to your question). While you might find child development interesting to re-take, really you could read a few articles about what is new to not need an entire semester of refreshing. She also advised you learn about reflective practices and project approach. (I do not know these terms–just took them down verbatim for you.) She said you might update the social development and discipline areas of the field. These areas have changed since you were in school.
Every Headstart teacher now has to have a B.A.–if you have a B.A., most centers will want to hire you. She said, “I would so want to hire her. Someone who is mature, who knows how to be responsible, maybe even raised her own children and therefore has adult children rather than young children is a better worker than a young mother or young woman. Older workers are easier to work with, they are seasoned, and there isn’t so much ‘high school’ stuff going on.”
I hope that is helpful, FineLife!
cindy stern wrote on :
Yes Mary I do live in Northern CA actually.
I will check out the colleges on social developement and discipline since Im pretty sure that has changed a lot in this area. Is your friend in Northern CA ? would it be possible to contact her and pose my questions to her directly?
Thanks for your answers and support. I am starting to gain some confidence back.
MaryBenson wrote on :
Hi FineLife,
If you email me with your direct email address, I will be happy to email my friend to introduce you and cc: you on it so you have her info.
Congrats on getting some confidence back! That is a big thing! And, as someone who has changed fields 3 times in 30 years, I am familiar with the “imposter” feeling of feeling like someone will know my lack of experience. Just remember you know more than you think! My email is mary_benson@att.net. (I should know, but don’t, if FOF has a private messaging area.) Mary
Mary Evenson wrote on :
I understand you wanting to work in your field of study, so I have a couple questions for you.
Do you want to try full time work so you won’t “have to” travel as you say your husband would like?
How long would it take for you to actually find a job?
What autonomy are talking about: personal – money of your own or work, because teachers do not seem to have autonomy in their jobs, not the ones I know, anyway.
Can you and your husband reach a compromise as to how long this would last?
Or do you picture yourself working for 10 or more years?
And last – because I have known people this happened to, how would you feel if something happened to your husband and he never got to do any of the things he planned for the two of you? I guess I’m not sure why you have waited until you two would be together all the time to take this step.
Regardless of what you decide, I wish you the very best.
EmpowerDames wrote on :
Yes!Mary Benson..I so agree.. My very first thought too…..if not now then when? How many more days are promised to you in your future..or your husbands, Finelife? If you don’t fulfill yourself, whose life will you be living? If you do..you will have so much more of the true you to give him and everyone else. Making a change..no less starting your career now…takes a lot of courage. Not only because you are bringing change to your household….more because you will be facing the change you are expecting now of yourself…to answer your voice within. Making the decision, then taking that first step is the hardest thing you will have to do. Once you give YOU permission to fulfill yourself….you will never imagine going back.
Finelife, I admire your intention to start your career. Til now, I trust your wisdom has served you well. Call upon it for your answer. If you or I were to ask your wisdom should you go for this, what would your wisdom say? Whatever is your very very first thought in response…the very, very first thought that comes to your mind….is your answer. That answer comes to you …naturally ….from your spirit without fear, without doubt and with a knowing. Follow it. Don’t question it.
Be true to you! 🙂 if not you…then who? 🙂 🙂
MaryBenson wrote on :
I don’t believe it is ever too late to start a new career, or return to a prior one. I taught at our local community college and saw plenty of people in their 50s and 60s re-tooling to start over, and since I am in a small town, I was able to see that they were able to do it.
What was your area of study in college? Tell me that and let’s go from there on some of the factors that may play into your decisions. (My mother returned to work at 52 and put 10 years in–and totally loved it.)
cindy stern wrote on :
My degree is in early childhood education. Most of the people starting back in this field are right out of college. I feel Im competant to do this I just wonder if the full time issue would be too much. We dont need the money but I do need the chance to follow my own dreams. The autonomy would be great.
MaryBenson wrote on :
You do have options. I have a friend in her 60s who runs 3 daycare centers and teaches early childhood education. I will be glad to ask her for you about her thoughts of a person in our age group coming back into the field to see if she has some specific suggestions. I will be seeing her on Saturday.
And I agree that you need the chance to follow your dreams. If not now, when?
Do you believe your spouse will be supportive if you were to choose a full-time option? Does he have enough in the way of his own interests that he won’t be depending on you to set his structure/keep him motivated?
cindy stern wrote on :
He is obsessed with staying busy and it drives many crazy. I think for a while he will be fine, although he does want to travel some. Travle is not something I relish. Let me know what your freind says.
lswart wrote on :
It depends on your area of expertise and what you studied in college. If you have a particular specialty then you’d have to provide more details on that. But if you are trying to get back into the workforce and need flexible hours, this is the time. There are so many sites like elance.com, gigwalk.com, servio.com and many, many more where you can register for tasks like writing, taking pictures, doing quality testing, running surveys and lots of other general, temporary gigs. I think it’s a great way to ease back into worklife while saving time for your husband. If your specialty requires full-time, it would be best to get his support. People are living intot heir late 80s and 90s and there’s only so much travel and volunteering to do. My advice is that you are too young and it not too late!