Thinking about retraining and changing my career.. some advice please.

[dulwichflower76]

Hi all

I have decided to retrain, I am a Nurse and have been in nursing for 5 years now, but have come to realise that nursing is not for me. Over the last year I have thought about what I would like to do and have thought about becoming a florist. Are there any florists on here, who could offer some advice? or has anyone recently retrained and changed their career?

Would be great to have a chat.

Many Thanks

Dulwichflower:))

[dulwichmum]

Dear Dulwichflower,

Why do you have to work at all? Couldn't you simply marry well and get a man to support you? I mean really sweetie, there is a great gym on Lordship Lane, a shop that sells silkey pants and somewhere else to get your hair and nails done. Lets not have any more of this irrational talk. It is indeed time to change your career, why not just get yourself married? Just be sure that he owns his own house and can afford to pay for a nanny.

[Keef]

Just avoid teaching whatever you do!!!

[Coach Beth]

I recently coached a client who had been a nanny for 10 years and wants to change careers but wasn't sure what she wanted to do at first. Like you, she has been exploring floristry and in particular focussing on doing weddings and corporate events. I'll contact her and see if she'd be happy to get in touch with you. I also know a lovely woman locally who is a florist - Ellie Kimberley and I'll point her in the direction of your request. If you'd like a chat about coaching and how it can help when you are looking to change careers, do get in touch. I offer a free initial consultation so you can find out more. Details about my coaching service can be found at http://www.ticktockcoaching.co.uk

[dulwichflower76]

Hi all

Thanks for your replies.

Dulwichmum, if you know of any cute guys, in their 30s point them in my direction, I'm looking for a man too as well as a career change. Maybe I'll join that gym on LL!

Keef, nah, don't think I could go into teaching-to me that's more stressful than nursing.

Coach Beth, I may take you up on that chat(tu). It would be great if Ellie was available for a chat, hopefully she would be able to answer some of my questions. After the day i've had today at work, I'll all set to make changes soon.

Cheers guys

Dulwichflower:))

[SteveT]

Perhaps you should look closely at yourself and consider what you were best at during school. I do not necessarily mean subjects, I mean something that you excelled at?

Write 2 columns what you like most, and what you least like in your life.

Most of us don't know what we want, but we sure know what we don't want.

Some one once said 'don't do as you like but like what you do'.

What turned you on to nursing could be adapted to nannying, air stewardess, companion, housekeeper..........

[Alan Dale]

Don't change careers away from something you don't like. Do change careers to do something you really want to do.

make sure it's a positive step or you could end up in another job you don't like but significantly less advanced.

My girlfriend used to be a florist. Hated having permanently cold hands.

If you are serious about being a florist then why not take a weeks holiday and work for free in your local florist.

Work experience will help you understand whether you like it or not before you go giving up your career and current prospects.

You might find that compared to the mundane trudge of floristry, working to strict deadlines with tight margins in the freezing cold makes you appreciate the miracles you perform everyday as a nurse... Who knows?

[Coach Beth]

Alan - you are spot on! It's really important not just to jump from the proverbial frying pan into the fire and when you are miserable in a job, anything seems better than what you are doing now!

The first thing is to identify what you really enjoy doing and then work out how you can earn money doing that. It's good to step back and think about what you'd like your working life to be. I encourage people to write an ideal job/work description before fixing their minds on a specific career - what would your ideal working week look like? Who would you be working with? Would you be working on your own? What kinds of tasks in the day would you be doing? What would you feel like when you get out of bed ready to start a working day? What kind of clients or customers would you be dealing with?

Beth Follini

http://www.ticktockcoaching.co.uk

[Alan Dale]

Is stating the obvious a lucrative career Coach Beth?

Whilst I am personally a life coach sceptic I do routinely meet people who want to give up what they are doing and jump at the first job that occurs to them. Seems people are poor at introspection and often need a sensible sounding board to ensure they don't act on impulse.

Surely these people can't afford to pay top dollar to have you tell them 'whoah there! Think a bout it...Don't mug yourself'. Really in that situation you don't need a life coach but rather a parent or a friend who isn't afraid to tell you when you have a crap idea.

@Dulwichflower- I am not saying that you are unable to introspect or have a crap idea by the way - just generalising about people who have quarterlife crisis career change urges.

[KalamityKel]

Some people are still trying to decide what they want to do when they grow up :p

[lozzyloz]

Dulwichflower, my one bit of advice would be to ensure that you have a bit of financial security in place before embarking on a new career. Think of the time it will take to be up and running and see if you have enough to cover your out goings during that period. It's a brave decision you're making and I wish you all the best. If you want some freelance floristry advice you can call a friend of mine Hellen Main Ellen who's experienced what you're thinking of.

[Coach Beth]

I saw a coach myself about 8 years ago - after being miserable in my job (managing a busy charity). I did have lots of supportive friends who were great sounding boards and they offered all sorts of advice. But I did find it really helpful seeing a coach as didn't just give advice - he used coaching techniques to help me figure out what it was I wanted to do instead and how to get there.

After we did that, he helped me write my business plan and then I launched a fundraising consultancy working with charities. So that's one of the reasons I went in to coaching (which I do alongside with the fundraising as well) - because I found it very helpful on a personal level. But it doesn't suit everyone - and people can get help in all sorts of ways - friends, parents, books, etc.

[Cassius]

I think that coaching can be helpful - it makes people think about things in a different way. Friends/familyy can give advice but often they tell you what you want to hear - whilst a professional feels better about pushing you to question your ideas. That said I saw a coach and felt that I didn't benefit from it, but in theory........

[Domitianus]

Why not go into teaching. I saw a TV ad about it recently - apparently the youth of today have enormously enquiring minds, are free of prejudice and pre-conception, are bubbling with penetrating questions and creative ideas and are just ripe for moulding into the worthy citizens of tomorrow. Shame none of that lot ever get my bus - all I ever see are stroppy little c**ts who sound as if they have speech impediments! Innit!

Anyway, I hear the money is great and the work is virtually stress-free. Got to be worth a shot, no?

[karter]

Domi, I have a good friend that is a jetsetter and flies off to various cities ( Cardiff included) to teach and he always seems rather stressed and complains he is short of cash. Maybe not *all* teaching jobs are so great. Any advice for him?

[KalamityKel]

Take up IT support ;-)

[2degreesfrommadness]

Dulwichflower

Only you can make the decision. I can only say that it takes guts and determination to change track, so make sure its something you want to do. Thats from someone halfway through their teacher training , and having been a theatre sister in a previous existence, two careers divided by a spell as housewife and mother .......... sometimes I think I'm a stress junkie!

[SteveT]

Perhaps doing what you know but in a third world or a different environment, might be an answer?

[BARA]

I changed careers at 40 years old. Worked as a senior manager for ILEA- working my way up the ladder from clerical to management over the years.When I left school at 18 with one A level, this was not enough to get me into college.

Many years down the line, my boss encouraged me to do a 'day release' at Birkbeck College - where I obtained a Diploma in Urban Studies. The learning bug, bit and I volunteered for redundancy from ILEA in 1990. Redundancy money helped me, with a student grant, to do a 3 year degree and a 2 year postgraduate professional diploma. I am now, 13 years almost later, working in a profession that I dreamed about at 18. I love my job, it is well paid, local, with great variety. For me, the turning point was that my old boss Hazel, saw something in me and gave me courage and confidence to try something new. Learning part time gave me the gradual confidence in my ability to do something different. Why not try a floristry course part time, or attend a summer school in this subject, do displays etc for friends and relatives, then think could I do this full time and earn a living. Can I bear to be up at 4 am to troup off to New Covent Garden Market, when it is sub zero temperatures outside!!!

[Alan Dale]

Nice one BARA. Enjoyed your post.

[dulwichflower76]

Hi All

Thanks for all the advice, I am giving my career some serious thought, and thinking about why I went into nursing and what options are at this time. Will keep you posted:)

Cheers

Flower