Career change

del777

Hi ... I'm wondering if anybody has any advice fo me... Ive been working in finance almost 10 years now and I'm absolutely fed up with it ... I've started to dread going into work lately and I'm strongly considering going back to college to study in the hope of a career change... I've always wanted to work with animals and I'm looking into veterinary nursing courses ... can anybody give any advice? The one thing that has held me back is obviously the financial end of things. .. I guess I'm just stuck in a rut and need to find a way to make this happen... any help would be greatly appreciated

thegreatgonzo

I'm a veterinary nurse, I went back to college as a mature student and qualified 3 years ago. What kind of advice are you looking for?

del777

thegreatgonzo wrote: »

I'm a veterinary nurse, I went back to college as a mature student and qualified 3 years ago. What kind of advice are you looking for?

Hi there! Where do I start.... what college did you attend as mature student? How do you find the job itself... would the salary be like for a newly qualified vet nurse? How did you plan financially as a mature student. ..? Did you change your career completely when you decided to go back to college?

Mccabe96

del777 wrote: »

Hi ... I'm wondering if anybody has any advice fo me... Ive been working in finance almost 10 years now and I'm absolutely fed up with it ... I've started to dread going into work lately and I'm strongly considering going back to college to study in the hope of a career change... I've always wanted to work with animals and I'm looking into veterinary nursing courses ... can anybody give any advice? The one thing that has held me back is obviously the financial end of things. .. I guess I'm just stuck in a rut and need to find a way to make this happen... any help would be greatly appreciated

Start saving money every time you get your wages, even though u dread to work. Turn a negative into a positive and put money aside every week from your wages and hopefully after a while you'll have enough to go and do your course. Or apply for a loan which might not be the best idea but a solution if you wanted to get out of the job as quick as possible.

thegreatgonzo

del777 wrote: »

Hi there! Where do I start.... what college did you attend as mature student? How do you find the job itself... would the salary be like for a newly qualified vet nurse? How did you plan financially as a mature student. ..? Did you change your career completely when you decided to go back to college?

Hiya :-)

I was made redundant from my job, which was in the publishing industry. I was eligible therefore for BTEA allowance after so many months on social welfare.
I went to AIT and really enjoyed the course, it's not easy and there was much more science than I expected but it opened up a whole different world to me.
Unfortunately the pay really is very bad for such a physically demanding job carried out by qualified people. I don't know how much you earn now but I'd think carefully about how living on a job that might not pay much above minimum wage would be for you. Also can you move for work? The majority of jobs here are in Dublin and Cork city, but it's not teeming with jobs anywhere. Prospects are much better in the UK if you were willing to move there.
Also it really can be physically challenging. I spend a lot of my time lifting and carrying dogs, calves, bags of food whatever. If you have any history of back trouble you should probably think again.
That probably all seems quite negative but I do love my job, I'm just aware that age and circumstances can suddenly go against you and I'd have a far easier life now if I was still working my cushy 9-5 job in the city. I was 32 when I started and I had bundles of energy, I'm 38 now with a sick parent and a farm that needs looking after and I'm knackered most of the time.

ullu

I was in a similar boat recently - seven years working in insurance and no desire to continue with it. I submitted a CAO application and started in UCD last September at 33.

I haven't regretted it for a moment. There's no getting away from the fact your finances will be affected but I'm much more content now than I was with a bit of cash in my pocket while slogging through a 9-5 with no goals in particular.

A few things to consider if finances are you main concern. Your employer may be able to keep you on a part time basis if you have a good relationship with them. I was able to do some ad hoc work with mine for a while as well as a doing a couple of evenings a week in a restaurant during term. You then have the lengthy breaks at Christmas and summer to work full time and attempt to save up. Assuming you're a PAYE employee, you'll probably get a tax rebate of some description when you stop working full time. Depending on how much you've been earning, the SUSI program may cover some or all of your fees as well as a monthly grant during the academic year.

I'm lucky in that I didn't have any commitments like kids or a mortgage to worry but if it's something you want to do, you'll find a way to make it work. Most, if not all mature students have the same concerns before going back but I doubt there are many who wish they'd stuck with their previous situation once they've taken the plunge.

del777

thegreatgonzo wrote: »

Hiya :-)

I was made redundant from my job, which was in the publishing industry. I was eligible therefore for BTEA allowance after so many months on social welfare.
I went to AIT and really enjoyed the course, it's not easy and there was much more science than I expected but it opened up a whole different world to me.
Unfortunately the pay really is very bad for such a physically demanding job carried out by qualified people. I don't know how much you earn now but I'd think carefully about how living on a job that might not pay much above minimum wage would be for you. Also can you move for work? The majority of jobs here are in Dublin and Cork city, but it's not teeming with jobs anywhere. Prospects are much better in the UK if you were willing to move there.
Also it really can be physically challenging. I spend a lot of my time lifting and carrying dogs, calves, bags of food whatever. If you have any history of back trouble you should probably think again.
That probably all seems quite negative but I do love my job, I'm just aware that age and circumstances can suddenly go against you and I'd have a far easier life now if I was still working my cushy 9-5 job in the city. I was 32 when I started and I had bundles of energy, I'm 38 now with a sick parent and a farm that needs looking after and I'm knackered most of the time.

Oh wow, I didnt realise that the pay would be so low... did you find it hard to find work in a vet practice? Or does the college put people into placements with a prospect of staying on with the practice?

del777

ullu wrote: »

I was in a similar boat recently - seven years working in insurance and no desire to continue with it. I submitted a CAO application and started in UCD last September at 33.

I haven't regretted it for a moment. There's no getting away from the fact your finances will be affected but I'm much more content now than I was with a bit of cash in my pocket while slogging through a 9-5 with no goals in particular.

A few things to consider if finances are you main concern. Your employer may be able to keep you on a part time basis if you have a good relationship with them. I was able to do some ad hoc work with mine for a while as well as a doing a couple of evenings a week in a restaurant during term. You then have the lengthy breaks at Christmas and summer to work full time and attempt to save up. Assuming you're a PAYE employee, you'll probably get a tax rebate of some description when you stop working full time. Depending on how much you've been earning, the SUSI program may cover some or all of your fees as well as a monthly grant during the academic year.

I'm lucky in that I didn't have any commitments like kids or a mortgage to worry but if it's something you want to do, you'll find a way to make it work. Most, if not all mature students have the same concerns before going back but I doubt there are many who wish they'd stuck with their previous situation once they've taken the plunge.

Hi there- can I ask you what course you went on to do in UCD? I've looked into differents types of grants and its looking like I may not be eligible for them... I myself dont have kids or a mortgage and I agree with you that the may not be many people wising they stuck with their previous situation.... It's a tough decision to make but the feedback I get from people who have done in is quite positive... I will need to do plenty of research before I make any decisions... too late to apply to CAO this year anyway

thegreatgonzo

del777 wrote: »

Oh wow, I didnt realise that the pay would be so low... did you find it hard to find work in a vet practice? Or does the college put people into placements with a prospect of staying on with the practice?

As part of my course we had to spend approx 30 weeks doing unpaid work placement throughout our time in college which we organised ourselves. Sometimes this led to paid employment but that would really be down to being there at the right time.
I got a part time job as a result of one of my placements but I have found it impossible so far to secure full time work within driving distance of my home. At the moment I am working 2 part time jobs in 2 counties, 1 is almost an hour and a half away from me so it's not ideal. I'm in the west of Ireland so it's not the best place to be looking for nursing jobs so I have to be as flexible as I can to get the experience I need.

Whistlejacket

If you wish to apply as a mature student for a vet nursing place then I would strongly recommend that you get some experience shadowing a registered veterinary nurse at work for a few weeks.

If you do apply for a place it's the first thing that your application will be checked for, as lots of people love animals but find the reality of the job, and the low pay, to be not for them. If you find that the experience makes you all the more determined to do it despite the drawbacks then go for it, but it's important to really know first hand what you are letting yourself in for.

ullu

del777 wrote: »

Hi there- can I ask you what course you went on to do in UCD? I've looked into differents types of grants and its looking like I may not be eligible for them... I myself dont have kids or a mortgage and I agree with you that the may not be many people wising they stuck with their previous situation.... It's a tough decision to make but the feedback I get from people who have done in is quite positive... I will need to do plenty of research before I make any decisions... too late to apply to CAO this year anyway

I'm doing Planning, Geography and Environmental Policy. The intention is to do a masters in a related topic once it's out of the way as the undergraduate on its own isn't worth a whole lot. I chose it due to my interest in the subject matter which is what your primary motivation should be too.