I have been pondering how to find the right career for me.

When I was young I trained a social worker and pretty much thought that is what I would always do as a career. Shortly after qualifying as a social worker I realised much of my work was administrative and frustrating and I want more 1:1 time with the people I was trying to support.

I retrained  (whilst working as a social worker) to become a qualified psychotherapist certain that working therapeutically with children was the answer to my career dilemma. The training took 5 years part time. The new career stalled a bit as six months after qualifying as a psychotherapist I became pregnant.

As a new mum of a really tiny and quite vulnerable baby I made the decision to finish work and become a stay at home mum. I did lots of bits and bob jobs to keep us afloat during  that time. I bought a baby signing business, I even wrote and published a parenting book. I really believed a few years down the line I would be back at work either a s a social worker or therapist.

Well my children are 10 and 7 now and I’m a blogger writing about thrift. How did that happen? How did I stray so far from my career path.

I would have no clue where to even start  if I had to interview for a job these days. Luckily over at Arielle Careers there is lots of great advice about work, work culture and work practices. Apparently resumees are pretty much obselete these days, did you know that?  It’s a good job really it is absolutely years since I wrote one!

 

I do think it is time I started considering work again.

I feel with my son approaching high school that I am ready for a change. I am not quite sure though which direction to take. I know I love to write, help people, be creative and to work with children. I feel I am at my best helping young children explore their emotions. It is tricky isn’t it .In some ways I thin we lose a lot of our confidence wehn we have been out of the workplace for such a while,

I have tried writing a mind map, I have tried speaking to friends and I have also been reading  a few books about career pathways. There are so many different avenues you can take. You can even have psychic reading around how to find the right career I think it’s something I need to be very sure of. I have about 20 years left to work and I want to get it right this time.

I still harbour a little dream to make a big difference and politics interests me too.

Oh I feel like I did at 15 and needed careers advice at school!

I find it exciting that  a new phase of my life is about to begin and a little scared too. Well okay quite a big bit scared. But I need to think about what works for our family in terms of budget and in terms of my childcare commitments. It isn’t just about what I want any more.

Parenting absolutely and completely changes that doesn’t it?

I never thought I would be deciding on the next step on my career path at 42!

 

Featured post