What was/is your job?

Hi nanaej lots of children in my area are enjoying doing drama classes. It seems to have started when Groupon put out offers for 2 reduced price classes to attract children along to local rooms, and it has really taken off. Little tots and their older siblings have been going to put on plays and shows, and practise songs from 'Annie' and 'Oliver.' Looks like you have the credentials for something similar.

Or how about trying volunteering in a variety of settings to see what suits you?

Another teacher here! Dance/drama specialist and taught 3-7 year olds mostly ..serendipity got me to headship. Majority of time was great..feel really fortunate to have had a career that I thoroughly enjoyed. I also did OFSTED inspections and then worked for the local education department before redundancy last year. When at home with babies I helped to set up a playgroup, volunteered at a youth club and ran a Slimming Club. As a student I did Xmas post, worked as a care assistant in a children's home and in an old people's home as well as work in retail from age of 16 ..oh and paper rounds too! I do occasional inspections now of nursery and playgroups and some 'consultancy' work for schools. But spend two afternoons looking after 2x DGC as well as some school runs! I am exploring p/t work in something completely different..but not sure what yet!! Any ideas anyone?

True, Butter. I had a good career in Kenya and it was life-enriching. My pupils were gold-standard - the brightest and best from all over the country and highly motivated to make the best of their education. Some of them were so poor that they arrived in form 1 without shoes. Discipline was rarely a problem but if on detention, they did Saturday duty in the grounds with pangas (machetes) and njembes (like mattocks). Having said all that, we also had very good social lives and great holidays by the Indian Ocean - idyllic! I eventually came home after five years with a husband (now ex) and a 'bump' (now aged 41).

I'm beginning to suspect that teacher is the commonest occupation amongst nans. Or is it my imagination?

Hello granwac and Catlady! I'm a retired "Director of Dtaff Development and Training" in a big comprehensive school - so, teacher trainer but at heart, still an English teacher. Retirement is best, no doubt about that.

Welcome granwac and Catlady. My main job was probation officer and a sideline as psychologist - best thing is retired now and I am simply mum and nana!

I didn't know, Anno, about Kenya. Sounds as if you had a life-enriching time there.

Welcome both. I'm a retired English teacher with a sideline in local politics - ie used to be a local councillor. I taught mainly further and adult ed, but the best job of my life was in a girls' boarding school in Kenya.

Hello granwac and Catlady welcome to Gransnet.

granwac - Psychotherapist for the NSPCC - I am less bonkers than I used to be due to retirement!

Enjoy every minute!

granwac - welcome and do look forward to retirement with relish. It is great not to be tied to a timetable and to be able to travel whenever you want.

I did an apprenticeship in hairdressing when i left school at sixteen..i wanted to do something with horses,but my parents had other ideas,thought i needed a trade.Anyway,i couldn't stand it and had a various jobs in factories and a dairy before becoming a mum of three.That was the best and most rewarding job ever.I stayed home to raise them, but helped my husband to set up his business,i studied..did an open university arts degree and went to college to learn how to do stained glass.Recent years with kids grown and money problems looming,i've had to re enter the working world and although i can't say it's been easy,i have found my new career as a cook very enjoyable.I intend to keep doing it in one form or another for the rest of my life.

Medico/legal!

Until March 20th 2012 , I was a successful Business Development Manager for a mystery shopping company. I have been made redundant (yes, I know, the position has been made redundant, not me personally, but it still bloody hurts). I am now unemployed.

Welcome, granwac. You are saying all the right things about us! I might add that some of us are more than slightly mad, but can be wise and compassionate as well. But then if you are a psychologist, you will notice the nutcases among us quite soon.

Well hello All! I am new to Gransnet and it's love at first read! So much here - and all so relevant! At last a decent, lively, intelligent, measured space in which to explore, dream, plan and share.

Me? I'm 64 and still doing the job I love; that of clinical psychologist in the NHS, though for how long in this current climate I don't know.

I have a looming sense of being at the cusp of retirement and a whole new life, which fills me with excited anticipation as well as fear of the inevitable constraints it will impose.

Many of you sound so busy, positive and cheerful, however, that it fills me with awe and makes me determined to shape a vibrant retirement, full of doing and giving.

The journey begins with the planning.....

tanith, I guess I just can't get used to the idea of being that old and not required any more in the workplace! I guess once I have completed 5 years of looking I will feel like I really have earned my retirement! So many people out of work, no wonder the younger generation are preferred and quite right too I guess..

Granvan I've looked for the last 5 yrs but no luck its not easy for us older ones and I also must admit I did feel a bit guilty as at the time 2 of my grandsons were out of work , would I be taking a job from them was in the back of my mind..

Inspired by all your great jobs! Have never settled on a career but flitted from one to another: Accounts assistant, admin in stock brokers (London), part time retail assistant while bringing up children, working in dress hire, service receptionist in a garage, car sales, clothes sales, own deli with husband, own retail clothes shop with husband, estate agent, local paper advertising rep, property advertising manager, (gap, lived in Spain), more advertising sales, recruitment consultant, employability tutor on government training scheme - made redundant!

Thats it! Just turned 60 but want to work again but finding it impossible to find anything. they say variety is the spice of life, and it has been great trying different things but find I am jack of all trades and master of none!

I spent the last 20 yrs of my working life as an Ambulance Woman for the LAS here in London, I loved my work I was just a plain ordinary driver no paramedic courses for me and I loved it, but unfortunately all the heavy lifting involved wore out my hips and spine and after two surgeries and a hip-replacement I reluctantly admitted defeat and took Ill-health retirement . A sad day and it took me a year to come to terms with it but now I wonder too how I found time to work and am enjoying my retirement to the full...

I taught in primary schools for 37 years and did love being in the classroom with the children. DH, also a teacher, and I took early retirement just over a year ago, disillusioned by all the box ticking, constant changes and over-planning that had taken the joy out of sitting with children and talking to them. When they bring ideas back in that you were using years ago and which had been thrown out, you know it's time to get out. However after a tricky year healthwise, we're now voluntary helpers at our grandchildren's school ,one or two mornings a week. It's wonderful and reminds me why I went into teaching in the first place. I feel that I've come full circle and have re-found the joy of working with children instead of mainly writing about them.
Rosie

All gransnetters are computer literate, though, aren't they? And I bet they weren't taught that at school. So at some point in their lives they must have either been required to learn about computers or wanted to for their own sake.

Doesn't that mean that gransnetters are self-selecting up to a point?

I can't help but think that many women old enough to be a grandmother possibly do not use a computer.

Relief that Jangly has at last come clean. How did she incorporate that manky apple, referred to on another thread, into a published recipe... I wonder.
I've been a terrible butterfly - careering rather than sticking to a career...
Full time mum; NCT teacher; NCT trainer of teachers; Science teacher in series of comps; teaching psychology to trainee health visitors etc; training officer in a psychiatric hospital; training officer in a water company (great job as they had loads of money post privatisation); customer service manager in water company - dealing with public and managing a bunch of men in the water depot; self employed trainer- teaching project management to engineers (who? me?); working in a charity that helps women to get back into workforce; advising companies on who to recruit, based on candidates psychological profile and interviews; chair of governors in secondary school.
Some of these paid, some not, some overlapping. Punctuated by various life crises (divorce, breast cancer etc) and house moves. Somewhat credit crunched a couple of years back after looking after son in NZ for 6 months (should i have put very adaptable cook, dog walker and housekeeper for cancer patient ...?)
Did a bit of temping in HR, doing lots of interviews in a car company.
Since then have been writing the book... enjoyed the research and writing but the getting it finally tidied up.... aargh. Missing teaching, so doing a course in yoga teaching (a rather basic one) so as to teach gentle yoga and stress management ... Can't imagine wanting to not have some kind of work going on. However no particular desire to work full time either...

Thought of that Baggy but kids came along, life went on, and like most Mums put family first - and still doing so!

had quite a few jobs, usually boring and mundane, until i became a care assistant at 46, still doing this now ( careing for the elderly). i love my job even though it can be stressful and quite hard physically at times, not getting any younger myself! but fortunately am still healthy.