Career change

123Dublin456

Hi, I've a good degree and work experience in a career for 14 years however this year I'm hoping for a career change and drastic enough one too. I have a little time at the start to either do online courses or travel a bit but ideally I want to decide on something new to start gaining experience in. My question is, what online courses or face to face, would be very useful for a wide variety of jobs that would have remote work etc as a possibility down the line. Any information on Google coursera courses would also be great? Lastly, what's your job and what do you think of it overall? Do you know of any jobs that would not require very specific degrees and experience. As positive as possible please, want to gain some insight into other people's jobs.

igCorcaigh

What area are you looking to move into? Also, what was your previous degree and work experience?

More info is needed before any advice could be given, I think.

Apart from that, my only opinion is that you build on your previous education and work experience.

123Dublin456

Primary teaching was my previous career so 14 years teaching with one abroad. Degree includes Arts subjects but is a Bachelor of Education. I'm just wondering about useful courses that are quite broad or short and useful and then also, if people went into their own jobs without degrees specifically for the role itself. I do have friends who didn't work in the area they got a degree in but some jobs do want specific qualifications.

igCorcaigh

Would TEFL be an option?

IT skills are also easy to pick up if you have the inclination for it.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058211998/career-change

Your question is nearly meanless it's so vast, you need proper career advice there are probably a billion jobs in the world what do your family and friends work at? what do people you graduate from college with work at?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117985647#Comment_117985647

I think you'll need to rephrase your question or give more info in order to get an answer here. As it stands:

Which jobs don't require a specific degree? The vast majority of them.

Which courses are generally handy for any job? Basically none. You'll need some sort of direction in mind.

If careers were as easy as just putting the time and effort in, sure we'd all be doing great. The whole challenge is figuring out what you want to do.

Why would you want to give up the career in primary teaching?

Regardless of the content of your new job, consider other aspects of it as well, impossible deadlines, changing priorities, firefighting problems, office politics.

StupidLikeAFox

At the very minimum keep the teaching job and retrain in the evenings or the holidays?

123Dublin456

Thanks everyone I've done all of the above and just asking to see if anyone has any recommendations regarding courses they think would be beneficial to a wide range of jobs eg IT courses, I've seen lots advertised but not sure which are the best of which are necessary. Stupidlikeafox thanks for the advice but for me, training in the evenings and holidays isn't something I wish to do this year, and I'm going to be off with some savings next year to then start into something like that . Your question regarding why someone would leave teaching makes me think you haven't worked in teaching yourself which I totally understand. The day to day job can be very draining and the conditions though favorable as far as holidays are concerned, the life balance while working isn't so great ans the stress levels also aren't, in my experience. Certainly switching jobs within teaching is another option but currently I'm looking to explore something quite different so I can at least compare. 40 years is a long time to work at anything so I definitely want to have a job that I feel is suited to my general health and wellbeing and teaching can have lots of pluses but also lots of drawbacks. Thats the reality. Potentially earning more money in 5 years time would be desirable but not essential. Just to clarify I'm asking to get a general idea about people on heres jobs , if rhey like them, if they feel you could interview for them with a general degree, work life balance and salary etc, and then useful courses. Hope that helps.

123Dublin456

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117988232#Comment_117988232

Thanks unfortunately there are also lots of stressful factors to teaching as well so I suppose it becomes a decision of choosing your stress. Its something I want to explore and then I can always go back to teaching so its not a forever decision yet. I'd also like the chance to travel at non peak times and get soem better value maybe while waiting to get some sort of role to pay the bills. I've probably got enough to last a few months anyway before I'm under pressure.

123Dublin456

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117988172#Comment_117988172

Thanks, sorry just to clarify that I am using this year while still working to learn more about other options, then to retrain if necessary once I decide. This is basically a fact finding post, I know some information about friends and family roles but looking to find out more about other roles, courses etc. I would have thought courses in aspects of IT, business etc would be useful but there is lots. If anyone did any that are short and useful, please share details. Not in a panic to pigeon hole myself into one career straight away , just want to get a better idea what's out there.

Don't let the fact you have a teaching experience put you off applying for other roles. You can apply your experience to other jobs, self learning, working with others (staff, parents), organisational skills, public speaking skills and so on.

Start applying for other jobs now and talk these things up. You'll get on the job training anyway and you can do courses while on the new job.

123Dublin456

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117994427#Comment_117994427

Thanks for the advice. Yeah I'll need to adjust my cv and try to rephrase it and hope for the best. I think a break for a year will be a good change regardless of whether it is a permanent one.

StupidLikeAFox

Thats fair enough - well a good bet is to keep an eye on springboard courses. Probably the best way to get a proper qualification for small money, and they are focused in demand areas like science/it/manufacturing etc. Some are technical but not all of them are. Have done one myself, very full on and not to be underestimated, but worthwhile all the same. Prob the wrong time of year as well as most start in Sept, but there are some that start throughout the year

123Dublin456

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117995610#Comment_117995610

Thank you, yes I have been looking these up and cost wise they seem like a great option. Some wouldn't work with working fulltime so they may work better in September anyway when I'll be more flexible as I won't be working fulltime most likely for a little while.