Career change - seeking advise

[Nat Tov]

I've been considering for sometime now about changing my job totally and going back to college to retrain in beauty. I've always had an interest in this area & I think i'd really enjoy the rewards from this type of work. My only problem is, How would you retrain & afford to stay on top of living costs? I'm stuck in a job I'm not real keen on because it pays the bills etc but without the income how do you restart? If i'm at college all day and not at work how would the bills get paid? I can't go college during the day & work evenings as I have a son at home - of whom I rarely see coz i'm at work all the time now as it is...... Has anyone out there retrained and how did you manage? I'd be grateful for some pointers in what to do/where to go etc.

 

[petals]

Can u do evening classes in Beauty Therapy? Or part time, and then maybe you could have a small job to help towards cost of bills etc....it's all about juggling everything!

 

[Nat Tov]

Yeah I've thought about that. I juggle now with a full time job, sometimes i'd love to split myself in two and have at least 8 arms. I'm 28 years old and want to be in a job that's rewarding and gives satisfaction, instead of going home grumpy & unhappy. I've wanted to retrain for nearly 2 years now but don't see how it's possible without winning the lottery. I pay £600 rent, £81.00 council tax, £40.00 gas/electric, £135.00 car loan, £35.00 for my sofa (neary finished), £20 water, £50.00 shopping - thats £961.00 a month. I can't see how its ever going to happen......

 

[petals]

Might be a stupid idea but are there any private beauty schools near you that you could do weekend training? Is there anyone who could help babysit hun?

 

[whitmore]

Hi


You could ask the DHSS for some support, i think that's what it is called. If you go back to college you will get support especially if your a single parent. You would have to investigate as i dont realy know the ins and outs.

xx

 

[Nat Tov]

Nope no beauty schools near by only the local college. My sons father does help with childcare & so does my mum but its so unfair I miss the taking part in looking after him - all I do is feed him & put him to bed. I'm gonna investigate the part time work & see about courses etc. Wondered if there was anyone out there who's done it and could advise how they did it kinda thing. I am a strong person and I would cope if I found a way around it - I'm gonna do it eventually, i refuse to hit 30 and still be in an office!

 

[Rachael173]

i'm going to night collge to do massgae therapy (first night tonight and im doing it on a tuesday and thursday 6 till 9 and i have a full time job so see if you can do something like that. the college im goin to also does it on a sunday 10 till 4.

Rach x

 

[Hannah1984]

I have just left a well paid job, it was getting me down and travelling 2 hours plus each day. Really stressing me out and making me ill. I handed in my notice before I actually had another job, silly I know, but Ive learnt from my mistakes! I am starting at a local supermarket next week, so no stress like my old job and closer to home. I am doing a learn at home nail course which I do in the evenings. I was also going to go to college on a beauty course but I found it too late and it was full. But if I was on it, Id be working nights at the supermarket. They pay you more for that. Can you do something like that? Is any family or friends able to help you out with childcare?

 

[petals]

That's the spirit! It is hard having kiddies (I have 2) and doing what you want to do, but you'll find a way as you are a strong person. Look into financial help with training, and get everyone geared up for helping you with childcare!

 

[karen***]

If you feel that strongly I would retrain. I have a career that I've fallen into not really what I wanted to do but "happened" as time went by. Its a well paid job but boring. I have a real interest in beauty and went to evening beauty college two years ago, starting at 6 in the evening after finishing a full days at my full time job, I also did a creative nails course during that time.

I am now building up a small business at home, slowly but surely but considering I only finished college in July, I'm happy with the progress. I still work full time, because like you I have to pay bills, I'm shattered but I'm really enjoying it, even though I realise that I'm still learning as I'm going along. I'm hoping to eventually give up work completely.

I understand that your situation is different to mine, however there were girls at college in a similar situation doing the course, they got help with the fees and also with the kit required for the course. I know that the full time students in my area get help with child care as there is a creche facility and also the course is free.

I would contact your nearest college and get all the information, it will make things clearer for you.

I really enjoyed the course myself and if you decide to go ahead, I hope you do as well.

Good luck
x

 

[smiler13334]

You may have a little way to travel but there is a private school in Exmouth. If you want to do it over time or quickly? If like me you take it in more at a regular pace then the college course will suit you better.

An evening option is the best for you if you're unable to stop your job due to the cost of living. Or better still wait for a little until your sofa and car are paid off while you are doing that get the book list from your local college and read up in your spare time, ready for when you can start!

It will happen!! Promise!!



Carlton Institute Of Beauty Therapy
3 Salterton Rd
Exmouth
Devon
EX8 2BJ
Tel: 01395 279968

 

[MandyR]

I know how u feel i got no help when i went to college i had to do a term at a time when i could afford it. Single parents can sometimes get the lot paid for by the job centre if it helps them to find work but this may not be the case for u as you are already working. U may be able to get an interest free loan from the job centre though. Good luck

 

[perfect10kb]

Hi There ,

Do check out the courses at your college . When I did my Beauty Therapy level 2 it was held over the course of a year on saturdays . You had to be over 21 to be able to go on this course as they relyed on you to work very hard at home on the theory ect.

If you can do this you would be able to stay in your full time job and still retrain at the same time . :biggrin:

Good Luck
Karen
Light Elegance UK

 

[Nat Tov]

Thanks everyone! your comments and ideas have given me some direction & hope. I have e-mailed my local college and if I don't hear from them i'll be chasing them up with a phone call in a couple of days. Everyone says to me - why beauty therapy? Theres no money in that - just the national minimum wage! Well my answer has been - I'd rather earn less and go to work everyday feeling I enjoy my work and gain satisfaction from what I do than undertake jobs that bore me and send me crazy and hate the waking up to another routine day in the office!!!!!! I'm prepared to work where ever in the meantime part time if I have to. Prefer not to do evenings coz my son is 10 and I'd want him in bed at home, I'll sort something...... thanks ladies :hug:

 

[Sassy Hassy]

There are quite a few of us Geeks that, like you, wanted to get out of the rat race and do something we really enjoy. I was on a salary of £40Kplus, company car, pension etc but I was so damned miserable. I took redundany from this and got a field salesjob with the Thomson Local, again good pay and prospects but they wanted you to work every waking hour for them. I have never been as unhappy in a job as I was there, I stuck it for 3 months 1 of which was working my notice. I handed my notice in without anything else lined up, it really makes you focus on what you really want to do.

I wanted to do something that I could give time to my girls as I'm a single mum. They rarely saw their dad, and at that time rarely saw me. Something had to give. I decided I wanted to give sales a rest and devote my energy to bringing them up.

I was lucky as I got a job as a trainee in a nail bar. I was paid £3.70 (I was 37, and my daughter was earning more than me and hour at the age of 15!) an hour (minimum wage at the time) and used to get paid more in tax in my old job than I actually earned as a nail tech. Thank god for working tax credit, I couldn't have done it without that, and I still couldn't!

Somehow the bills have always got paid, been touch & go at times. But I am happy on the whole. I've been there for my girls when they needed me, and now one has flown the nest to Uni and Nats has started College. Strange thing is I now miss the buzz of a sales job!

My family thought I was mad. But you know what I look at all these people in their business suits dashing about like headless chickens, getting stressed about standing in a queue for 2 minutes (I told someone to shutup moaning about it the other day, but that's another story!), driving like lunatics to get to work and i think YOU'RE THE MAD ONES, LIFE'S TOO SHORT!