work placement for mature lady is it possible?

J

jackiepink

Member
Joined
9 November 2012
Messages
23
Visit site
Hi ,
I have unfortunately found myself unemployed at 33 years old. I have always worked since the age of sixteen but my previous profession did not require any formal qualifications. I left school without any qualifications and have not taken any type of education/training since school. My previous profession does not really have any transferable skills for the future.
I am now faced with finding a new career at 33 with no qualifications.

I would love some sort of career with horses , I would love to become a riding instructor but as I am a nervous novice rider myself this is not really going to happen. So I need a career that does not revolve around riding ability as mine is not good although I love to ride or training that involves ridden as well as theory. I need something that you can train for without any formal qualifications, and that has employment opportunities at the end be it self employed or employed there must be a demand. I have had my own horses in the past but they have always been in professional livery hence why my riding has slipped, so although I do have some knowledge I am afraid most of my horses care has been through other people.
Can anyone give any ideas on a new career that is achievable for a mature lady without formal qualifications that is equine related. I am happy to take some type of course or work experience placement to gain training and qualifications but i need a course or placement that does not require formal qualifications just to get on the course. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. I feel really down with my situation at the moment. It would be great if I could find a new career with horses that I enjoy. But I do feel at my age without qualifications behind me it is maybe just a dream.
 
Have a look at the website for Haddon Training or perhaps have a chat with them. They are Wiltshire based but cover a wider area.

Am sure others will have much better ideas but you could approach local yards and see what they may offer. One thing to bear in mind is that the national minimum wage for over 21s is £6.19 and so it can discourage businesses from taking on older trainees (to whom they should pay the NMW) as opposed to an under 18 who is cheaper and probably easier to get on a Government Training Scheme.

However, nothing like asking. Different situation to you but in my mid 30s when I had been made redundant from an office job, I just went and knocked on the door of a top three day eventer and ended up spending the summer there gaining experience. Didn't get paid much admittedly but had lessons and good experience for a horsey CV.
 
Do you need to earn an income and cover any costs?

Personally I would be looking to get formal qualifications in anything but horses in order to boost your CV back up. I am also sure you have transferable skills but just do not recognise them.

I think it depends what you are looking for but if you are looking for a complete lifestyle change then horses could work well. But if you have commitments already with family/house etc then it might not work.

If you have time start by volunteering - no one ever turns down free labour and get some experience under your belt.
 
Perhaps you could use this break in employment to seek new opportunities. Not everything needs qualifications, just hard work, good ideas and some luck.

Do you have any capital behind you and do you need to start earning now as this can have a bearing on what you can and cannot do.

Perhaps train as a Physio. They always seem very busy and certainly charge decent money. I've no idea how you can train for this, no doubt its not easy.

Can you think of anything you could buy and sell on ebay to generate cash.

Can you think of anything you could sell at shows etc - food is always a no-brainer if you're that way inclined or a nice mobile coffee stall with maybe cupcakes.

Can you offer your services for free at shows/venues etc and then you can start networking.

You could visit all the studs and large yards to see if anythings going, not to forget tack shops/feed shops/agricultural merchants etc.

I took a year off a while ago and went to NZ and got myself a job on a stud by driving to many studs and just asking what was available. I was/am in my mid 40's and all the other staff were in their 20s. I had no experience other than my own horses as I have an office job but they took me at face value. So you're just a young un!

Whatever you decide, good luck and don't give up.
 
Would you be able to do a live in position? I am sure you could find a working pupil position if you don't need to earn much money for other costs... and you're not that mature! You are in your prime :-) plenty of time for a career change!

Have a look on yardandgroom.com and careergrooms.com
 
Why not think about getting a job doing something else, keep your options wide open. That way you are more likely to find something that will pay you and you can keep the horses for fun. You could always do some work experience at the weekends or have lessons to get back in to things.
 
forget training as a physio nice in theory but the fact is there are no jobs for those already doing the courses at uni you need to do a set period in a hospital and the posts are few and far between, total waste of government money most of the people at my uni that studied ended up having to do other jobs because of the mess from uni transfer to employment.

What you could do in your position is go and see your local careers advisor they are free just ask for an appointment most uni's and colleges have one and they can help you to not only sort out potential courses and how to get there but also potential new careers.

You will need to do an Access Course if your aiming to go back into formal education but you don't need anything to attend one, they usually last about 1 year full time or part time dependent on the course you take and you have to do maths, computer skills and english or another subject which makes up the equivalent of examinations you need to re-enter higher education. This site will help http://www.accesstohe.ac.uk/default.asp You can as part of your course also study for your teachers qualification as an add on... its worth doing.

I did exactly this at your age I had my qualifications from school but they expire (yes I know ridiculous) and I had to go through the whole process to go and do a degree. NOTHING is impossible you can change your life whenever you like so long as your determined and work experience is surprisingly easy to come across if you just ask the right people and keep trying till you do get what you want.

I have to ask though what was your last career because all jobs have transferrable skills some you just need someone else to look at to identify them and put them on a new CV.
 
Last edited:
I am just completing the process of becoming a BHSAI having come at it after taking a couple of years off riding. I don't think it matters how good your riding is now as long as you are willing to work at it. Alternatively, you can just take the care sections of the stage 1-3 exams (not the riding) in order to gain the groom qualification. I'm sure you could get a work placement that trains you as you work towards these qualifications, or similar ones. As others mention, you would need to be able to survive on the poor wages or take a live in position. I also think it's worth bearing in mind how fit you are as these jobs are physically demanding. I don't think I could do it full time now (I'm 30) but then maybe that's because years of mucking out mean I'm already broken! Apart from being a groom, most other equine careers I can think of would require taking time out to study full time.
If you would like more info on the BHS exam system, feel free to pm me. It has it's pros and cons but I do feel the recent changes have improved it.
Whatever you decide to do - good luck!
 
horseloaner said:
forget training as a physio nice in theory but the fact is there are no jobs for those already doing the courses at uni you need to do a set period in a hospital and the posts are few and far between, total waste of government money most of the people at my uni that studied ended up having to do other jobs because of the mess from uni transfer to employment.

What you could do in your position is go and see your local careers advisor they are free just ask for an appointment most uni's and colleges have one and they can help you to not only sort out potential courses and how to get there but also potential new careers.

You will need to do an Access Course if your aiming to go back into formal education but you don't need anything to attend one, they usually last about 1 year full time or part time dependent on the course you take and you have to do maths, computer skills and english or another subject which makes up the equivalent of examinations you need to re-enter higher education. This site will help http://www.accesstohe.ac.uk/default.asp You can as part of your course also study for your teachers qualification as an add on... its worth doing.

I did exactly this at your age I had my qualifications from school but they expire (yes I know ridiculous) and I had to go through the whole process to go and do a degree. NOTHING is impossible you can change your life whenever you like so long as your determined and work experience is surprisingly easy to come across if you just ask the right people and keep trying till you do get what you want.

I have to ask though what was your last career because all jobs have transferable skills some you just need someone else to look at to identify them and put them on a new CV.
Click to expand...

My last career was a glamour model and table dancer, so I do not feel has any transferable skills, although i suppose I would make a good counselor after all the years spent listening to lonely men!. I also feel my previous career would not look good on my c.v , people often are judge mental and narrow minded they have pre conceptions because of your chosen career path. The fact is when you are on a yard no make up , covered in dirt you are just the same as the next person.
 
You could just say 'model' and 'dancer', there are good things like you probably would be physically fit, and unsociable hours, a tolerant personality! There are transferable skills in everything, and its your attitude to work that is most important really.
 
Sprig said:
Why not think about getting a job doing something else, keep your options wide open. That way you are more likely to find something that will pay you and you can keep the horses for fun. You could always do some work experience at the weekends or have lessons to get back in to things.
Click to expand...

Good point. After spending nearly all of my previous working life doing a job I hated, I would like to find something that makes me happy.
I am a little worried that most animal related jobs do not pay well, so I may have to look at other alternatives.
I do have financial commitments mortgages etc that need to be paid.

Just out of interest who manages to have a horse and compete take lessons etc without earning mega money.

I know from experience that my bills used to mount up to a couple of hundred pounds a week easy when I had my own horse, I did have it in training livery at the time. I cannot imagine how I could have afforded it without earning a very good salary at the time. But people must manage somehow ?.
 
I trained as a personal trainer in my 40s after retraining as a health professional in my late 30s, so you are a spring chicken. Orginally did it so I could cover an exercise class in my work in the health service. But I think there is a market for teaching core stability/posture work to horse riders. It's quite an independent job as you can be self employed and work at people's homes/yards.

Only downside is that the qualifications for PT aren't that cheap.

Paula
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top