Changing career

antix80

Decided to go the PI route instead of Work and Jobs forum.
I worked most of my life in low-paid accounting roles. In some cases, decent pay but offset by an expensive commute and long working hours and commute times which left me with burnout. Not to mention, I actually don't like office work. I find it draining and unproductive.
I'm 34 now and seriously considering a change of career.
Everytime I took a while out to travel (usually because I'd saved enough to disappear for a year and "find" myself), I'd come home considering a new career. When I was 25 I thought of teaching. When I was 30 I thought maybe counselling or psychology. I did an IT conversion course as a means to veer away from business/admin and into IT, but ended up in another accounts job.
Well, 3 years later, I had to leave work due to health problems as a result of the work environment. I did the travel thing again and now I'm thinking of a career in psychiatric nursing, possibly. I like working with people, I want to feel like I'm making a difference
I'm going on 35. I have no experience in healthcare. I'm thinking of doing a level 5 nusing cert and then the UK route (3rd level in Ireland is prohibitively expensive for me as I already have a level 8 degree in business).. I know the brexit can affect my plans but it's not something I can plan for at the moment. I think it would be a step in the right direction.
I'm not looking for advice regarding the technical end of entering the profession.
Just feel I'm wasting my life until now, and I don't think I can spend another 5 years in accounts or hunched over a desk just to realise at 40 that more doors have closed.
Well, advice appreciated...

Minera

Hi op, as a nurse I will strongly recommend that you speak to a careers advisor before you go down this route. The training is long, takes over your whole life and expensive. Look at the salary you will get when you start out its currently quite low. Also the job opportunities in psychiatric nursing are few at present and the are at least 2 or 3 panels waiting for jobs.
In saying that I love my job and I've worked in several different diciplines and I love where I am now. I would recommend a nursing career to anyone but please be aware of the costs and low wages starting out. Good luck op.

antix80

Thanks Minera

I think I'll try to get some experience in a nursing home with a view to starting nursing studies next year.

Nothing you said put me off by the way. I'm used to working hard for low pay! I think there's some flexibility to be had in terms of working abroad and the demand for contract workers.

liquoriceall

I was of the impression that it was impossible not to find work as a nurse at the moment? Maybe not a permanent job but contract work is there

antix80

If you're qualified there's demand. Ireland uses the crumby 3rd level system for nurse training so people who already have a degree can find it prohibitively expensive. The UK uses NHS training contracts. Brexit can screw this up for Irish ppl, while training contracts are becoming harder to come by anyway as funding is diverted from training in favour of attracting qualified english-speaking EU nurses.

So yes, there's a shortage of nurses, but its due to government policy of rationing healthcare and barriers to entry in terms of regulation and recognition.

Side note but a uk psychiatric nurse I met says he earns more than double in Australia than the UK. But to me, it's work i could do in my own town and nurses will always be in demand.

Fakediamond

I think it would be worth your while spending 200 quid on seeing a careers advisor, the ones who can do all the testing and find out what niche job suits you best. There's loads of jobs dealing with people, gardai, social work, youth work etc etc.

That small investment in your future could help you avoid making an expensive mistake when changing careers.

Minera

antix80 wrote: »

Nothing you said put me off by the way. I'm used to working hard for low pay! I think there's some flexibility to be had in terms of working abroad and the demand for contract workers.

I didn't mean to put you off not at all but please make an informed decision. Yes the money is there in oz but cost of living is high too! Anyway that's another debate.
But you do come across as determined so do what will make you happy life is short!

groovyg

Op on the NMBI website they have a self assessment questionnaire which might be worth doing to see if its an area you want to work in. http://www.nmbi.ie/Careers-in-Nursing-Midwifery/Becoming-a-Nurse-Midwife

antix80

I did it. It's not particularly insightful or useful to be honest! but thanks anyway

silverbolt

antix80 wrote: »

So yes, there's a shortage of nurses, but its due to government policy of rationing healthcare and barriers to entry in terms of regulation and recognition.
Side note but a uk psychiatric nurse I met says he earns more than double in Australia than the UK. But to me, it's work i could do in my own town and nurses will always be in demand.

Im a qualified HCA, i can earn double to three times the rate in Australia.

Like you OP im thinking of doing psychiatric nursing as well next year. Id be eligible for grant so that helps with fees and living expenses. but bear in mind that nursing degree is four years for your BoA so its a big investment.

However a lot can happen in four years - employment should be up and the HSE and private will be looking for qualified nurses all over. not to mention it gives you a range of options for which area of healthcare you want to work in it.

I will also say - this had better be something you WANT to do. If not you wont last. Carework is hard and stressful and the HSE is not the greatest of employers. Hence why so many go over the pond

antix80

My fees wouldn't be paid thanks to a business degree i did when i was 17.. so that's 7k a year id have to find. Where there's a will there's a way but at the same time paying off college fees in my mid 40s is something I'd need to think twice about.

Funny enough i could qualify quicker and cheaper in the US, just getting all the money together would be, well, tricky to say the least.

I've had jobs in the past but no career as such. It's hitting me a bit hard lately as it's hard to go to a job everyday that I'm not suited to. I want a career, a profession, and something worthwhile. It was actually looking into hobby courses (ie without formal awards) that had me stumble across healthcare subjects in the first place.
Bit more soul searching to do i think.

liquoriceall

antix80 wrote: »

My fees wouldn't be paid thanks to a business degree i did when i was 17.. so that's 7k a year id have to find. Where there's a will there's a way but at the same time paying off college fees in my mid 40s is something I'd need to think twice about.

Funny enough i could qualify quicker and cheaper in the US, just getting all the money together would be, well, tricky to say the least.

I've had jobs in the past but no career as such. It's hitting me a bit hard lately as it's hard to go to a job everyday that I'm not suited to. I want a career, a profession, and something worthwhile. It was actually looking into hobby courses (ie without formal awards) that had me stumble across healthcare subjects in the first place.
Bit more soul searching to do i think.

Just be wary it seems to be practically impossible to register in Ireland if you train in the US. And don't forget that college fees are cheaper in an IT compared to a university so if you chose someplace like Waterford you would have cheaper fees and cheaper cost of living? These are the things that might make training possible for you

LegacyUser

Hi OP.
I have experience in what you are going through and it can be frustrating and stressful. I was also working in accounting roles, was something I fell into and I did a course etc as I felt I wanted to get a qualification. I did a business course too and realised that it was my the career for me. I started to get quite anxious and went through quite a difficult time and had to work on myself to get myself into a better headspace.

Anyway after me experiencing this period I felt drawn to phyciatric nursing. I applied as a mature student and got accepted into a college but after a lot of thinking and speaking to people in the field I decided I wasn't 100% certain so I deferred the place for a year. I was drawn to the idea of helping people and found the modules interesting etc. I spoke to people in the field, people I knew and people I didn't know who worked in those settings , and the reality of the job sounded very different to what I had imagined...my perception of the job was quite different to what the job / career actually entails. I think I was confusing it with a counselling role...I'm sure you could get feedback from people on this site to give you more info. Certain aspects of the job, eg hours, shift work, stressful situations, didn't appeal to me but other people find it very rewarding I'm sure

Anyway, I deferred the place as I don't want to make a 'panic decision' as I had done this with other courses in the past. I didn't apply the next year as I changed my mind on it.

Eventually I went to a career guidance counseller, they can be pricey but they will test interests / personality traits etc and establish what area / roles that suit you. I would go to one that has experience in guiding adults.

In relation to already having a degree...there are conversion courses that you could do to try help you qualify for a role that is not business / IT related. I think there is a social carer conversion course and this would be cheaper and would not take 4 years like the nursing. Just be sure to check courses are recognised by the regulatory body for the area before committing to it, especially with newer courses. There are other roles that you can help people and have a more meaningful career outside of nursing too so don't panic if you can't go back due to fees etc.

I'm training in a completely different field altogether that is more suited to my ability / personality traits. Also I'm in my 30's and I don't have to spend the rest of my life in this job / career if I want to change in the future. Volunteering and seeking guidance will give you an idea of what may be suited to you, there's more roles than nursing to help people so try not restrict yourself to just that role until you get a taste for jobs through volunteering.

Best of luck x