What was/is your job?

I'm glad that I'm not the only person who likes being retired.Sometimes I feel guilty that I'm not rushing around, but I worked very hard physically for a long time so I enjoy being lazy!

What a lot of interesting work & training & general expertise here! And who said "not so brilliant"...then.."translating for WHO" which sounds brilliant to me!

My entire life has been spent one way or another, with children & families; nursing & midwifery training, then trained quite young (23/24) as a Health Visitor, a job I was actually felt part-trained for from an even younger age as my mum was an infant welfare volunteer!
13 years being a full-time mum (best time of all) with a tiny bit of child-care teaching when it worked out.
Then back to being a Health Visitor. I trained to be a specialist practitioner & prescribe independently, but remained front-line; finished up working with families of children with specific learning difficulties, mainly helping with diagnosis & behaviour management.

Retired a year ago, in order to build a house with OH. I miss the families & children, but mainly because I've not had a chance to pick up any voluntary work yet (b/c of the build, we are doing a lot ourselves). The build completion & 1st grandchild are due together in a couple of months, and then we'll see.
My friends say that I still "think like a Health Visitor" and I think I always will!

What a diverse group this is - wonderful.

I was a PA to a Consultant (doctor) in my last job before I "retired". I now do part-time medical typing from home. Downside - too much computer time.

I was also a nurse and a legal secretary for many years.

I don't think I'd know what to do with myself if I actually retired.

School Inspector (ducks....)

Started off in HM forces, mostly clerical but short spell as a drill instructor which I enjoyed enormously - didn't get to shout at people much after that! Married and worked where I could as and when we moved - PA, librarian, mortgage clerk in a building society, another spell as a PA and then practice manager for a consultancy firm for seventeen years until I retired. Quite stressful that, so glad to go! I don't do any work now - I don't actually want to, which makes me feel guilty sometimes when other people are busy volunteering for this and that.... if anyone wants a geriatric drill instructor - have to be slow marching only though!

Worked in library in early work years, then a stay-at-home mum with wee jobs here and here till youngest went to school. Worked in telecommunications industry for about 5 years until I began working with adults with physical and learning difficulties in a quite well-known (and very good) residential facility. I began working there when I was 36 and worked my way up from care assistant to supervising teams of staff. I then trained as a SVQ assessor and verifier in Health and Social Care (in England that is NVQ). I did a bit of freelance work in this field as well, being involved in the assessing of staff who worked with adults with autism. I retired last year. I like being retired very much indeed - as much as I enjoyed the work that I did, it was stressful and I'd had enough!!

Mainly teaching 10-11yearolds but also a spell in local authority admin. While out of teaching to be at home with the children I had part-time jobs as a Saturday Supervisor with BHS, working at Mothercare and best of all as library assistant in the evenings at uni library. Teaching was first love and returned when son was 5 as supply teacher in his school. Went for a term and stayed 17 years until I retired. Really enjoying retirement and don't see that anyone would choose to be a primary teacher at the age of 65 as seems inevitable.

Years ago my passport stated that I was a "domestic engineer"...

Hospital-based Biomedical Scientist, moving up the ranks from leaving school until retirement, apart from the 7 years I stayed at home until my children went to school, during which time I did child minding and foster/respite care for special needs children. I am very happy not working now, enjoying my single life and being a grandmother to 6 lovely children.

Receptionist in an out patient clinic in my local hospital.

I was a Registered childminder have recently retired.

Sorry,in a hurry, should read - I was a Registered Childminder, have recently retired.

I was a nurse.Trained at Newcastle General Hospital.Then did midwifery training at Queen Charlotte's and Newcastle.
Worked in all the Newcastle hospitals until I retired.

pink I had both my children in Newcastle General.

Have not had a paid job since birth of first child. CAB volunteer for nearly 25 years for up to 20 hours a week. Also FE college governor, YMCA trustee, etc but foremost wife, mother and grandmother.

Nagyiyou have been paid in the amount of experience you have amassed over the year's so well done you.

glammanana

I certainly have never been bored over the past 38 years. Very fortunate as, although never rich, I've not needed to take paid work. Have been, according to DH, the family's social conscience.

To day I start work at Banardo's and am looking forward to it,so here's to another chapter in my life starting

Hope you have an interesting and enjoyable day glamma. The work that Barnardo's does is well worth while, so you'll be a part of something very special.

Teacher of English, starting in Dundee then Kenya (teaching English and being a Housemistress) for five years. Career break for child-bearing/rearing. Part-time work in Further and Adult Ed; then got full-time work in Manchester in same field. Redundant at 58 with re-training in ESOL as part of the package; ESOL for a couple of years then began to fall apart. Another interesting job was as a Census Officer in the Marshlands of Norfolk in 1981 and I was a Weightwatchers' leader for a year or so which was great fun! And now, in retirement, I am a volunteer advisor at Citizens' Advice Bureau.

25 years as probation officer, very dedicated to this difficult but rewarding job. Now I've retired and don't miss it one bit, have moved to another stage in my life and don't identify myself in terms of the great job I did, but as mum, sister, nana, friend.

Respect Carol.

I started out in Admin and helped run summer schools for kids. Married and then worked at an Arts Centre, followed by a few years in the Youth Service.
Retrained as a psychotherapist in my early 40's and worked for the NSPCC. I also had a private practice. Retired at 53, my boys grown and flown, and have had 8 years pootling about with my husband. Our joint job now is travelling. Lovely.

8 years as Bank Clerkess, 8 years SAHM, 2 years Research Secretary at Uni. Then 18.5 years as a Women's Aid Worker (admin, training and counselling, etc.)until funding cut and made redundant. 6months as a job seeker/college student and then 2 x 3+ years as administrator for 2 charities, retired through ill health at 58. Completed 2 modules of a degree course, lost interest and now too busy as Granny to three.

I am still working, as a university lecturer, and I love it.

What worries me, though, is that I shall have to retire in a few years.

I am wondering how to fill the spaces. I need something real to get my teeth into.

I shall be moving to be nearer one of my daughters and the children, and I am looking forward to that, but I sometimes wonder if I shall still be "me" when I am not working any longer.