New career

LegacyUser

I'm 35 male and made a mess of my life.

I was fairly isolated when younger and forced into some suspect career choices through a carrot and stick / good cop bad cop approach by my parents. One value they instilled in me was how important it was to get an good job and buy a house.
I can't say i have a successful career, and only recently left negative equity. No pension, but about eur25k in the bank.
I have friends and hobbies but never a proper relationship and never a "reason for being".

At 25 i experienced a bit of freedom by spending 3 mths in Australia and have travelled a bit since. But sure enough when i return to Ireland i return to an average paid office job. A continuous attempt at an accounting career since leaving college was a disaster and a recent job gave my health a setback. I attended counselling and had an idea to study nursing.

That was 2 years ago.

I didn't pursue it for a few reasons. Fees in ireland are about 10k a year as i already have a business masters. I didnt even do science for leaving cert and have no relevant experience. I don't rate the local IT where i did my business degree. And i guess it would be a huge undertaking because im not even sure if it's for me.

Well time's ticking by and I'm on a one year contract with my current employer. I can't do another 2 years like this, just existing. But i realised I've enough cash I've been hoarding to get a start on a college course. I researched nursing in the US tempted by the short length of both the accelerated BSN , and inexpensive ADN, -not to mention I'd live the experience- but they're not recognised in Ireland. UK is too expensive.

So an option i discovered days ago is Valencia. Nursing through English. I've always wanted to study spanish in Spain too. Not sure of the demand for the course or if other applicants with experience would get preference . The yr 1 cost is only eur6.5k and tuition is through english for 2 years with spanish lessons. Financing it would become a problem after 2-3 years but either loans or transferring to a cheaper public university could work as it's on the qqi framework.

Well.. my mind is busy thinking about it and I've fired off an email to the college. Even 1 year of studying spanish and anatomy and physiology, and renting a house share in valencia for only 250pm seems like a good deal.

Tell me I'm crazy for considering this.

zoobizoo

I don't think that you're crazy pursuing a new career but do you actually want to be a nurse? (I know someone who went back to college to do nursing and she was telling me about the cases she was dealing with - not something I could do).

You say: "I'm not even sure it's for me" ....

Throwing all your funds and effort into something that might not be for you (and I'd imagine nursing to be something one really wants to do) might have you back to where you are in three years but with no funds.


You did business in college and have a Masters so you were obviously good at that (even if you didn't enjoy it).

Are there aspects of the business courses you have done that have appealed to you? HR.... Marketing.... law?

Why was your accounting career a disaster?



Would you do a part time masters in a related subject that is of interest to you with career potential?

LegacyUser

zoobizoo, I appreciate the input and I've been there. I'd advise anyone else to do the same.

In my case though, I did a business-related masters to move away from an accounting degree (at my parent's insistence). An IT diploma to move into more specialist office work. all boils down to countless hours of paper shuffling in front of a screen. Any other year-long bolt-ons will just be a variation but no different.

I didn't even do science for the leaving because the school gave a choice of between accounting or biology, and I guess I went for the easy points as it's a subject I found easy rather than interesting. And every career decision has spanned from that.

The appeal is both studying something new and interesting, and learning (improving) Spanish in Spain. So I guess I'd happily blow €6-7k or so to do the first year abroad and see how it goes.

My minds in a bit of a muddle though. I've been thinking about it a lot and figure it's now or never.

sarahzxe

Hello
I just wanted to let you know I was in similar situation having completed a social science degree decided I wanted to do nursing and I went to Edinburgh to do it fees were fully paid by NHS for EU students. The course was 28 months. I know you can do it in the uk for 2 years accelerated if u already have an unrelated degree and fees used to be fully paid- this still might be case as I finished in 2013.
Best of luck!

Addle

You've another 35/40 years of work ahead of you...
How do you want to spend it?
Or maybe, how do you not want to spend it?

eet fuk

I’d do it if I was you. I would only do nursing if I was positive I wanted to be a nurse though - looks like a pretty tough job.

There are plenty of other things to study in Spain through English I’d imagine