s/o SAHM for 20 years, where do I begin to find a job?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, maybe you could become a task rabbit in the personal assistant category:

http://time.com/money/3714829/working-for-taskrabbit/

Hmmm. This is interesting. That's sort of what I do now, only for my DH and kids!

But I wonder about security -- a middle-aged woman going into people's houses? All the people interviewed in that article are men, much younger than I am.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you want to do any kind of editing or writing work, you have got to get very savvy on web publishing tools and software. Where I work we do send out some reports and proposals to freelancers for copyediting / layout / design. Often they come via word of mouth, including as SAH spouses of people connected to our line of work. But you need some skills and some more recent proof of concept beyond some 20yo editing experience. Lots of good suggestions here on how you might develop some of that...

I'm not familiar with this term. What does that mean?
I can take a CC course on MS Office, but what web publishing tools and software are the standard now?

[Anonymous]

This is such a great forum, thank you all for your suggestions. I'm in a similar situation. I'm 50, but my kids are in middle and high school. I'm thinking about becoming a fitness trainer. OP you mentioned about becoming a nutritionist. After you get certified as fitness trainer, you can also get a certification in nutrition. This is what I'm thinking about doing.

I've been going to the same gym for 12 years. I've discussed this with the manager of my gym, and she's very supportive. I've done a little research, many older people are choosing to become fitness trainers as a second career. I think this is a career where it's an actual benefit to be older. Today, people are living much healthier lifestyles. I see so many older people working out at the gym. There are senior classes at the gym. I think that I could be a good motivator to someone who is older and wants get into shape, and also eat healthier. The thing that's holding me back is that I will need to make the commitment to study for a few months, so that I can pass the personal trainer exam.

Good luck to you OP. I hope you find something that makes you happy.

[Anonymous]

This is a great thread!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, maybe you could become a task rabbit in the personal assistant category:

http://time.com/money/3714829/working-for-taskrabbit/

Hmmm. This is interesting. That's sort of what I do now, only for my DH and kids!

But I wonder about security -- a middle-aged woman going into people's houses? All the people interviewed in that article are men, much younger than I am.

Why don't you start by putting out an announcement on your neighborhood listserv? You may get bites from there if people know how much you've volunteered at schools and your general organization>

[Anonymous]

I was in a position similar to yours and the volunteer-route worked for me. I don't know how I would have made the transition without that step! I recommend that you look for volunteer openings that use your writing and editing skills by using VolunteerMatch or a similar (free) site that helps match skills and openings.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
OP. I know journalism is dead, but there are lots of publications, airline magazines, for example, newsletters, etc. that must need some sort of editor. College alumni publications, etc. I'm not sure I could find or get any of these editing jobs, but they must exist. Someone has to edit those publications. I don't think I could edit medical or technical journals. I've done some of that in my past and it was excruciating.

Other things I've thought of: librarian (I love books!); social worker (I love to talk to people about their problems!); historic preservation (I love old buildings!). I assume all of these would require another master's degree,which I can't afford without a job. A certificate is likely the most I could manage.

Thanks for the suggestions. I can see this will be a long process.

Lots of those publications use independant contractors. They work virtually and cheaply.. But you are showing your age. Writing for blogs and the web is a far bigger field today as well as one that is easier to get into.

The very first thing you need to do is come to terms with the fact that your experience and skills from working briefly 20 yrs ago does not matter. You are starting all over again. You need to get comfortable in a work environment and routine. This is why volunteering could be very valuable. Commit to a 40 hour a week schedule. Get used to going to an office or job again. Get used to someone else telling you what to do. Get up to speed on technology, knowing how to open Word and typing a letter is not enough for most entry level admins today, they need to be able to do advanced formatting. How familiar are you with other options like google docs?

PP is right. You are really starting out all over again.

Here's a question though- why not work some retail for a while? You love books- what about trying to find a job at a bookstore? Someplace like Politics and Prose would be a terrific place to learn and to possibly get involved with event planning, purchasing, meeting writers, promotion etc.

That's a great idea! I hadn't thought of working in a bookstore. I do love books, though. I live close to a Barnes & Noble. No idea how to market myself to get a job there, though. Can anyone help?

Yep- walk in and ask someone! That's the beauty of retail.

[Anonymous]

If you are interested in becoming a social worker, you'll need a master's in social work, which will include practice hours. The pay will not be great, and there's risk of burnout, but some people enjoy it. You could also ostensibly start a private practice if you obtain a clinical social worker license (I think it's basically a test you have to pass, after you complete coursework for the degree).

Rules are a bit different for each state, and there'll be a fair amount of paperwork to deal with. However, if you've got the energy, I think a former SAHM has so much more to offer as a social worker than a newly graduated naïve young kid. (No offense to them!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, you may want to market your editing skills and Ivy degrees to read and edit college application essays and such. It's flexible, you can get help setting up a website and search optimization then work virtual. After all, you've edited similar for years.

OP here. I have a friend in another state who does just this. She makes relatively little money doing it, but she's very good at it. She's helped get kids into Ivies and other very competitive colleges. I'm sure I could do this too, but I'm not sure I want to! I taught the college level briefly, but I didn't like teaching. I did edit my child's essays, though. She got into most of the colleges she applied to.

I've had more ideas: Nutritionist (I'm really into food and health); I'm also very interested in sustainability. I wonder if I could volunteer to do PR or some other writing for an environmental group?

Any other suggestions? I'm feeling a bit lost. I don't have a lot of money, but I'm thinking a coach specializing in SAHMs re-entering the workforce might be helpful. I'm not sure what to do first -- network? education? LinkedIn? A coach might help me come up with a plan.

I started out as a nutritionist - my career over the years shifted to more health policy based once we moved to DC - and it's going to be tough without a degree. A fitness trainer would be a lower bar of entry - you still need to be certified but it's easier than going and getting an RD degree and passing exams and getting a master's in nutrition.

There are a lot of quacks out there unfortunately so you really don't want to claim you can advise people on nutrition and diet without a certification or license of some sort. With fitness, you can get a certification and certainly talk to people in GENERAL about their diet and eating habits which might be the way in. You just need to be careful if a client has any kind of health condition that you clear about your credentials.

Fitness training might be fun - you could offer to train people at your home or theirs if you didn't want to work at a gym.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, the climb might be too steep. Why don't you capitalize on the skills and innate talents you ALREADY HAVE and offer yourself as a personal assistant for working families? I pay my PA $35-40/hour, which is a bit on the higher side (lots of complicated billing/medical issues). Others I know make $25-30.

I agree with this.

What are your hobbies, OP? Are you handy? Do you have a great eye for organization or decorating? Were you the PTA auction chair and able to raise a ton of $$$?

I think you need to look at your current skills.

I'm a former SAHM for 12 years (age 48) and I agree with the above, based on my experience trying to on-ramp back into the workforce with skills similar to OP's. I tweaked the advice a little above, because "SAHM skills" are just "people skills" -- unless you mean changing diapers or actions truly tied only to mothering. (i.e., working mothers organize too, you know. They also raise PTA money ).

After not getting any solid bites by using some of common advice on this very thread -- volunteer! leverage the PTA/organizational thing! -- I assessed my strengths and went back to school for a Master's that builds on that specific area.

So for OP, that might mean a certificate from George Mason or GW in, say, medical editing. (side note to OP: nobody pays others to write or edit anymore. It's depressing, but new economy employers don't care . Only exception I've found is medical / technical / academics. But forget about, say, "journalism").

OP. I know journalism is dead, but there are lots of publications, airline magazines, for example, newsletters, etc. that must need some sort of editor. College alumni publications, etc. I'm not sure I could find or get any of these editing jobs, but they must exist. Someone has to edit those publications. I don't think I could edit medical or technical journals. I've done some of that in my past and it was excruciating.

Other things I've thought of: librarian (I love books!); social worker (I love to talk to people about their problems!); historic preservation (I love old buildings!). I assume all of these would require another master's degree,which I can't afford without a job. A certificate is likely the most I could manage.

Thanks for the suggestions. I can see this will be a long process.

To be a full librarian you actually need a Master's in most instances (an MLS) but you could be a paraprofessional in a library setting. Going the volunteer route at your local public library might help you get a foot in the door.

[Anonymous]

OP, I just went back to work after 12 years and got help from a friend who is transitioning to being a career coach with a focus on women returning to the workforce and recent grads. She started a non-profit to help veterans get civilian jobs, which has had very quick success. Now, she wants to do it full time. She has been hiring people for 20+ years, so has a lot of experience. Because she is building her business, she will probably have good rates and might even be willing to start a group (if there is enough interest). She is very warm, patient, and knowledgeable. You can reach her at: [e-mail]

Also, from my own experience you must really brush up on technology. I was pretty up on a lot of it, but still....

Good luck to all!

[Anonymous]

OP, you were asking what kind of desktop publishing program is most commonly used these days. It looks like Adobe InDesign is the software that is most popular right now.

I used to put out the monthly company newsletter at my former job that I left in 2002. At the time, we used the Pagemaker program to put out our monthly 12 page magazine. But Quark Express was coming on line as the favorite desktop publishing program about the time I left the field. I just now looked up desktop publishing on Wikipedia, and Wikipedia says Adobe InDesign is the go to program dujour.

[Anonymous]

I went back after 11 years at age 47. I recommend temping.

[Anonymous]

If you're interested, shoot me an email. I don't want to post an ad here, but have some advice. Good luck with your search! [e-mail]

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went back after 11 years at age 47. I recommend temping.

Me too, at 45. I volunteered in my field of interest and got a job where I volunteered, so that can work out.
Though I am in the social services field.