Reply to I’m 50 and need to get a job. What should I do?

Forum Index » Jobs and Careers

Reply to "I’m 50 and need to get a job. What should I do?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I second the preschool option. They always need subs, aides and administrators. I would check with private schools as well. [/quote]

but they get paid nothing. I think these are dead end jobs for most people. Substitute teaching is  the worst. The pay is  a joke.[/quote]

Can these jobs be used as jumping boards to some other jobs? If you have no resume, and a general degree without special training that you got decades ago you gotta start somewhere.  I don't think she can jump into a "career"  type of jobs right away unless she has some specialized skills and connections or she goes for a new degree. [/quote]

Preschool teaching can be lovely for someone who loves it but it's extremely low-paying and you don't have anywhere to go career-wise except if you wanted to start your own daycare or school or something, but that's a whole set of different skills and one I wouldn't advise to start at 50.  Substitute teaching is a stop-gap but it can be a way to decide if you want to be a full-time teacher.  The teacher resident program for people with a BA degree is a real career path that OP could start--if she at all thought she was cut out for teaching--as that's developing a profession and there's support in place to get licensed and they have benefits, time off etc. that many value.  BUt it's a hard job.

[/quote]

This. No one is saying that teaching is an easy job; it's going to give OP the highest income and good benefits given the fact that she has no career. OP should take advantage of the teacher shortage and get a FT teaching job while she works on her certifications. It's the one career path that she actually can jump into right now.

It sounds like some posters want to punish OP for not having a career.[/quote]

I am the poster who mentioned how brutal teaching is. I agree that it is the best choice as far as job availability and benefits, but don’t underestimate how rough the job is. I watch people devote tons of energy to teaching just to quit at the end of the first year. I don’t recommend the profession because the “stay” rate is so low. Most who start don’t last.[/quote]

Depending on how the numbers are done, 35-45% of teachers leave within the first 5 years -- though that includes people who left for maternity to SAHP and who may later return.  Also, OP would be in the position to try it out for a year without having to go through the licensure part so less of a loss.  I would recommend subbing this spring if she really were interested to know if it's 100% not for her.[/quote]

OP, 
If I were to ask 10 teachers whether someone should enter the profession right now, I’m confident 9 will give you a resounding no. I agree that subbing is a good way to get your feet wet. You’ll see the behaviors in the classroom, the defeat in the faculty lounge, and the piles of work that head out the door at the end of the day.

I sincerely wish you the best. Part of that is cautioning you against teaching. Yes, we will hire you tomorrow and we’ll help you get certified. You’ll get health care and a decent salary. Just know it comes at a cost. [/quote]

At this point, OP just needs to work for 12 or so years. She's not a 22 year old staring down what to do for the next 40 years, and she doesn't have much time to work her way up. If you have a better idea for how OP could get an instant income and benefits then please share.[/quote]

Okay… but many people don’t last 12 years. I’m 20 years in (and almost OP’s age) and I’m ready to quit. It is unfair to OP to suggest teaching without mentioning the reality: it’s beyond grueling. Yes, she will get hired easily without certification, but that’s because people keep quitting. We had a new teacher quit the second week this year. She left a note on the classroom door and never came back. [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics