Okay I admit it I'm not getting any younger :rolleyes: but I really need to find a new job. One that is fulfilling and interesting, that uses my multitude of skills and talents for the better.

So any ideas? Regular forummers will know I have many strings to my bow but unfortunately doing good for the local community doesn't pay the rent.

any ideas?

How about coming over to the educational dark side foxxy????:D

I'm not sure what to suggest fox as I'm only a little un myself and haven't had too much experience yet but I'll be really interested to hear what you decide. You always sound like you're doing such great work!

The volunteering I've done has really helped me decide where I want to go so try to think what you enjoy the most ie which groups of people you like to work with - young/old/those with disabilites... Perhaps that might narrow things down and help you focus?

x

I'm thinking of changing careers too.

I'm going along the legal route at the moment but I want to do a job that helps people, and involves working with a lot of people because I feel so hemmed in doing office work, and everything I do just doesnt seem worth it, if you know what I mean.

You could open a new venture with fellow forummers with similar experience..... something we can all add our abilities too and develop together. What's lacking in Sheffield, which you have skills to address? Would it make you happy? Could you do it alone?
I've got a small project opening on 30th October which I'm quite excited about.
If you do fundraising - I'm sick of it and I know of at least three projects which need funds - to my knowledge and fundraiser takes around 10%!

From what I have read, the thinsg you do for your community, the most obvious job would be as a development or community worker. I worked in the community for years, all voluntary, doing alsorts of stuff but never getting paid. The experience I had landed me a good job with a local community health project as a development worker. I got the job on my personal and voluntary experience and came out above the other candidiates who had years of paid experience. Voluntary experience counts for a lot and you certainly seem to have the required skills and knowledge.

Good luck whatever you decide :thumbsup:

fox, we need to turn this question around and ask you, what are you are into? some of us may already know, but for the majority of us, we don't...

gizz a clue...

fox tell me waht you want to do...pm me if you wish i have loads of contacts.....what do you do now?

fox, we need to turn this question around and ask you, what are you are into? some of us may already know, but for the majority of us, we don't...

gizz a clue...

Erm.. what am I into? I take it we are speaking with a view to a career here :P

Well I am currently working for the evil norwich union .. say no more. Whilst working for them I have been a team leader, advisor, and underwriter. So I know lots about insurance Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I do the charity thing, manage Middlewood Winners on a voluntary basis with my colleagues. My forte has become marketing, IT training, people managment and of course I was one of the principle festival organisers (me and my silly ideas) so managed to pull off a pretty good first middlewood festival which did not make a loss, and made lots of people very happy. :D

I also do the tenants association and all that can entail, from meeting with councillors/MPs to helping out local people with all sorts of problems.

I suppose if I were to narrow down my wish list it would be to help improve peoples lives in some way shape or form with my skills and experience and I don't want to work for 'the man' anymore, blue chip corporations definately don't do it for me.

Does that answer your question? :huh:

Okay I admit it I'm not getting any younger :rolleyes: but I really need to find a new job. One that is fulfilling and interesting, that uses my multitude of skills and talents for the better.

So any ideas? Regular forummers will know I have many strings to my bow but unfortunately doing good for the local community doesn't pay the rent.

any ideas?

What you really need to do is sit down, get yourself a cuppa, think about all your professional qualities and write them down. Think then about what you don’t want to do when you go for your career change, and write them down too : pros for the job and cons. for the job.

Having done that — and doing it does allow you to concentrate on that alone — weigh up what is possible and what is not for a variety of reasons possible, and take it from there. You’ll be very close to a decision.

So any ideas? Regular forummers will know I have many strings to my bow but unfortunately doing good for the local community doesn't pay the rent.

Missed this bit the first time around and got to agree that it doesn’t. But what it does do is make you a lot of friends, and in any business or venture that you may care to enter, it’s surprising what a difference it can make.

Best wishes and good luck, and be absolutely certain that whatever you do you’re going to enjoy doing it. There’s nothing worse than taking a job you don’t like.

Thanks Peter :) I just have to be practical in my choices, being a lone parent with 2 dependants. If I were single I'd take a chance on lots of things but I need to keep the bread on the table.

I have seen some interesting vacancies and applied for a couple, I have thought about making it known to contacts in certain industries that Im available but dont want to appear desperate :P

What about social work? I think that'd suit you?! You could maybe train part time, and if you applied in clearing you;d hopfully get in this year. They do want you to have done volunteering etc, but all your Middlewood work will amount to hours and hours for that?

What about social work? I think that'd suit you?! You could maybe train part time, and if you applied in clearing you;d hopfully get in this year. They do want you to have done volunteering etc, but all your Middlewood work will amount to hours and hours for that?

lol - well so far this week.. Shhhhhh I have done 25 hrs on the charity and 15 at work :hihi:

Okay I admit it I'm not getting any younger :rolleyes: but I really need to find a new job. One that is fulfilling and interesting, that uses my multitude of skills and talents for the better.

So any ideas? Regular forummers will know I have many strings to my bow but unfortunately doing good for the local community doesn't pay the rent.

any ideas?

Become an archer?

Alternatively, work for a charity? There are some very well paid charity jobs out there.

thats terrible... lol

if you can get away with it tho, go for it!!

i think the social work thing would suit you though

Become an archer?

Hmmm :huh: Archery could come in handy in my present job.. eh Sarah :hihi:

lol - well so far this week.. Shhhhhh I have done 25 hrs on the charity and 15 at work :hihi:

However much you enjoy working for charity I have to say that 25 hours charity and 15 hours work is the wrong way round. From what you say I think you’ve done your share and it’s time to move on — especially with the need for bread on the table.

I’ve done quite a bit of charity work in my time, but I was luckier than most because my employer allowed me to go out at the drop of a hat, any time, any where. It was always for animals, and my employer — who always stressed the need for his reporters to be involved in at least one local charity — thought it prestigious to have the RSPCA branch secretary working for him. He was a good old stick!

However much you enjoy working for charity I have to say that 25 hours charity and 15 hours work is the wrong way round. From what you say I think you’ve done your share and it’s time to move on — especially with the need for bread on the table.


Quite. Charity is as Charity does. Look after yourself, first and foremost.

The O.P. sounds like a kind person who enjoys helping people.

Why not go 'the whole hog' and think about V.S.O. work ?

It seems a bit drastic but it would certainly get anyone out of a rut and it's a chance to see a bit of the world. There's no age limit, as long as one is basically healthy. If you own your own home in the U.K, you could perhaps sell it or rent it out. The money is not high, obviously, with V.S.O but you do get a lot of help and pretty generous expenses.

Also, perhaps more important to a career, is that you will probably make some good contacts for any possible future job. You might even fall in love with the country and/or people you're assigned to and decide to stay there for good !

I'm nearing retirement age now and have worked abroad for a good few years, teaching, and, if, in the future, I have to pack up normal employment, I think I'll apply to V.S.O.

I think this is good advice for anyone who wants a complete change or is dying to get out of a rut.Working abroad and seeing how some poor souls have to struggle soon makes you forget your own personal problems, believe me!

Hey Foxy, become a Taxi driver - they mint money - no receipts, cash in hand, hours to suit...

Tax relief on owning the car AND you don't have to wear a seatbelt so you look dead-hard!

A good friend of mine in very similar personal circumstances to you (single mum 2 kids 2 absent fathers both @?<*&) did a part time degree at Hallam Uni I think in Law and something else. Don't ask me how she did all this and worked almost full time too! She then worked part time on a voluntary basis for the Citizens Advice Bureau and now has a job full time in Debt Support. She too worked for a time in a call centre but on the debt recovery side of things.

Could you combine your work at NU and the charity stuff together with the helping others angle and look for a job that mashes it all together?

Start by looking in the Guardian jobs section which is crammed with jobs in the public/voluntary sector and narrow down a shortlist of those which appeal to you and that you think you fit about 75% of the criteria for.

Then you have to look for Sheffield based operations which might have that kind of vacancy unless you are prepared to move. A lot of the potential employers out there are as keen on 'life' experiences as much as academic qualifications. You should be able to put together an amazing CV!

Good luck.

Why don't you consider becoming a housing officer? With your experience of tenants' and residents' issues, community work, and customer service background you should tick many of the boxes. I know that Sheffield Homes advertises occasionally for staff, and so do the housing associations. Keep looking on the council/Sheffield Homes websites - there are new jobs advertised every week.

Why don't you consider becoming a housing officer? With your experience of tenants' and residents' issues, community work, and customer service background you should tick many of the boxes. I know that Sheffield Homes advertises occasionally for staff, and so do the housing associations. Keep looking on the council/Sheffield Homes websites - there are new jobs advertised every week.

Oh I reckon SCC are sick of seeing my name on applications :hihi: and SH don't ever seem to advertise from what I've seen :huh:

Oh I reckon SCC are sick of seeing my name on applications :hihi: and SH don't ever seem to advertise from what I've seen :huh:

Try the housing associations - they are much more likely to go for someone with your "transferable skills" than SCC / SH.

Try the housing associations - they are much more likely to go for someone with your "transferable skills" than SCC / SH.

Strangely I didn't find this to be the case. After I got made redundant from a private sector job, I took a basic clerical job in a council housing dept some years ago just to get my foot in the door. I got a housing officer's job within a few months and progressed from there, into general work for another council, then back into housing. I've been involved in some recruitment into the council housing sector, often employing people with no housing experience, but with really good life and people skills along. I also find that local authorities, and I include SCC in this, are less ageist when recruiting and promoting than some other types of employer.

Well expect a PM when I next apply 'beth. I may need some help if I don't get a response from the current crop. :)

Yes, no problem Fox - I'd be happy to help. I always think its a good idea to get someone to look over any applications I've done, I think a lot of us don't realise just what skills we have so can easily leave out something that could be vital in getting an interview.

Let me know if you get an interview!

Okay I admit it I'm not getting any younger :rolleyes: but I really need to find a new job. One that is fulfilling and interesting, that uses my multitude of skills and talents for the better.


any ideas?

Learn how to drive a big red truck.