Now, I'm not saying 30 is old (heck no) but with a mortgage and 2 kids, it's a different ball game than being a single 30 year old girl.
I need to change careers, I think. I live somewhere where I don't speak the native language well and my old career (911 dispatcher requiring exceptional language skills) is just not possible. I am a qualified ESL teacher (English as a second language) but to be fair, I really don't like it much.
I would like to be a personal trainer. I don't need fantastic French. It's a subject that I love and I am passionate about. But the money will never be great and part of me thinks, can I do this at 50+??? (any 50+ ladies care to chime in on that???).
But the hours are flexible and morning/weekend based which is nice as I have two little ones (my oldest is not even 3 yet).
What to do..........???? It would require additional certification but that is $500 max. I would love to specialize in postnatal/prenatal. I worked out in my pregnancies (I maintained before my kids).
But then I spent $30k+ on that degree, ugh. I guess it's not completely unrelated (education) but I'm a little choked.????
I don't want to speak for others but there have been people much older on these boards that did the same including someone who went from lawyer to personal trainer and another who is prepping for a big change from college professor to something else.
I spent 2 years prepping for a change which I would've started at 40 and also would've resulted in a huge pay cut as well as quitting work for a couple years to go to school. I even applied to a school but didn't get in.
I decided to reevaluate though and I'm still in my old career but that doesn't mean I'll stay here.
My DH went back to school at almost 40. He did a program through the gov't to receive funding...anywhooo, they really made him do his research. He had to interview at least 2 people, who worked in the job he wanted, to see what education and background was truly needed.
I thought, why didn't they make us do this in highschool!!!
So, that's my tip for you. Talk to a couple people, see if it really is doable, what the downside is, what the perks are. Where you would start out...(sounds like you've done some research )
I would also say go for it. The PT could just be a step up to the next level where you train/teach other people who want to be PTs to be certified. You don't have to stay a PT when you're 50+ ! This can become much more if you love it.
And if you don't love it, you tried out, spend $500 on certification and you can go back to education or something else, if you move again. This doesn't tie you down for the next 40 years!
I would do what you LOVE to do. Life is too short to be a drone and hate your job and hate your life. Doing something that you are passionate about and authentically love to do will give you great happiness and health, no matter what age you are.
You already have a degree which is FABULOUS.
Don't start out by saying "the money won't be great". The money CAN and WILL be great if you intend and manifest it to be great. Honestly, it will be whatever you want it to be. If you are doing something you are truly passionate about, people will feel that energy and flock to you and you will be more successful than you ever thought! Be careful what you wish for ;-)
But really, I say go for it. Just go for it believing you will succeed!
As long as ends will meet (supporting your family is #1), I say do what will make you happy. Are ESL jobs plentiful in your neck of the woods? Do you have something to fall back on?
Being a personal trainer is something I certainly considered but ultimately rejected on the basis that I wouldn't be able to make enough money doing it.
Having said that - if you don't need to make a large income you'd probably be great at it. Also, there is no reason why you couldn't do it at 50.
My mom just turned 50 and is in the most incredible shape. She can outrun, out lift, and out fitness me any day (right now at least). I'd say make the transition after you've saved for this journey. You need to do what makes you happy rather than be controlled by a paycheck, regardless of obligations. I'd say make a plan of action. Maybe do part time as a physical trainer? Build up your client base?
I'm almost 39 (ouch) and about to quit my 15yr career as a dental assistant to go back to my original career as a hair stylist. Talk about a risk but I can always go back to dental if need be. I'm miserable and need to get away.
I'm not getting a lot of support from people but I kind of expected that, it's my life though. I say go for it.
Why do you say you can't make money from it? In my opinion a job like that makes you what you make of it. Sounds more like freelancing, which I do myself (musician) and it can be tough because freelancing makes it difficult to have health insurance and other stability perks. However I wouldn't do anything else because what I do makes me happy!
And being a personal trainer can evolve. Do realize that by only doing prenatal/postnatal you're limiting your time with your client. A woman is only pregnant for 9 months so you'll have to take clients with longevity too. You can also teach classes. At meetup.com I've found trainers who do classes at a local park and I pay $5 to join the class which is pretty low but if the teacher gets 10 members for that class it works out for her. Ok it's not a lot of money but there are ways to make it work! You have to put the leg work in, visit retirement homes and try to teach a class there, go to La Leche meetings and advocate for fitness and try to get clients there, put up posters at toddler gyms, anywhere mommies go, get on a listserve in your neighborhood, make business cards and hand them out to people at your local park, create a blog site and set up classes on your own, there are so many things to do to advocate for yourself, it's not an easy road but the possibilities of shaping your career are endless.
And about the age thing... my Mom is 60 and I bet she can outrun you. Age is not such an obstacle. I trust someone older and fit as a personal trainer much much more than I do a 22yr old fitness trainer. Because I know someone 50 has lived a life of fitness, may have had kids like me and has prove that she's gotten her body back, and has decades of experiences. You've walked the walk baby!
Last edited by Palestrina; 04-04-2013 at 07:31 AM.
My fiance is 29 and quit his job as an accountant over a month ago to build an online business which we hope to turn into a physical store in a year or two. Income is volatile and depends on how many sales were made and how much they were for and how much inventory he needs to restock. Hasn't been long enough to see if this is working out well for us yet but he had to get out of his job. He was so miserable it was giving him daily panic attacks. I encouraged him to do what he loves even though it terrifies me that we're not guaranteed his paycheck anymore.
I am 28 and I will also be leaving my job (Hardly a career) because my office is closing. So now I get to figure out what I want to do. I'm scared but excited. Hopefully the day will come where my fiance needs me home to help with orders but until then I get to try out a few things that aren't a steady job that I've wanted to do but have been too scared.
We don't have a mortgage or kids but we're trying to get out of debt, save for a down payment, pay for our wedding and save for the business. I say give what you love a shot while you have the chance.
Thanks eveyrone for the great advice. Maybe the $ will be good one day, but for now, I am only interested in part-time work and I do not want to work all nights and weekends- this is an issue with training, so it is a trade-off. Part of making money in this industry is working a LOT, and that's not something I want to do ever. I did that for 10 years in another career.
I am primarily interested in mobile at-home training. I won't exclude all clients but I would love to do prenatal/postnatal (mostly postnatal) specifically because the hours are better and I have a lot of experience in that. Baby boot camps, etc. I would be working with a small client base (remember I don't speak the language here) to start with so again, money.
But I have all the equipment and the drive... we shall see. Husband is very "for it", so, gotta put it into practice. I suppose if it bombs, I can drop it.
Changing careers at 30? Advice
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but I can always go back to dental if need be. I'm miserable and need to get away.
