“I found it harder and harder to concentrate and felt my motivation ebb away.”
What work were you doing previously?
I worked as a freelance school science writer.
I also had occasional short contracts abroad in teacher education.
What are you doing now?
I have a portfolio career.
I'm teaching ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) for employability to adults in my home city in the UK.
I'm also busy with some of my previous writing and training work.
Why did you change?
My writing career worked perfectly when my children were at school.
I worked hard in the six-hour window each day, never missed a school parents’ event and was easily available if they were off sick.
As the children needed me less, and the writing became repetitive, I began to feel bored. I was also lonely at times being home all day. I found it harder and harder to concentrate and felt my motivation ebb away.
When was the moment you decided to make the change?
The decision was a gradual realisation that I didn’t want to spend the rest of my working life home alone with my computer.
I had no idea what to do instead. There were two turning points. The first was when someone close to me developed dementia. I suddenly knew that I couldn’t go on feeling bored and dissatisfied indefinitely.
The second was that there was less work around. Partly because of my own lack of enthusiasm, partly as a result of funding cuts in many organisations and partly because of AI.
How did you choose your new career?
The activities on the Careershifters Launch Pad course really helped. Three activities stand out:
Watering holes:
Having worked as a Veterans Service Organization volunteer a long time ago, I had a hunch I'd enjoy working with refugees. So I took time off work to go to as many events as possible in our city’s refugee festival. I loved meeting everyone in the drop in centres, and asked to observe an ESOL class, which was really fun (and flew by so quickly).
Talking about the things in my previous work that have really energised me:
This was probably the most useful of all. Two Launch Padders listened carefully as I described things that I’ve loved in work. Turns out I love training adults from all over the world. I also love making people feel welcome and comfortable. This is exactly what an ESOL teacher does.
Talking to people doing the job:
Through people on the Launch Pad, I met several ESOL teachers. It was really helpful to question them about all aspects of the work – both what they loved and hated. I found out that teaching was never going to make me rich, which was helpful.
Are you happy with the change?
I absolutely love every moment with my adult learners.
They come from all over the world: Afghanistan, Ukraine, Sudan, Palestine, Iran, Yemen. They are barbers, teachers, lawyers, vets, mechanics, builders and homemakers.
My role is to teach them the English they need (in five-week courses) to find and get jobs in the UK. I also help them feel confident using the language.
The students are brilliant company. We laugh a lot and learn so much from each other. The rewards are enormous. In just a few weeks, twelve nervous individuals become a confident, supportive group.
It’s so exciting when someone comes beaming into the class a few sessions in with the news that they have a job.
What do you miss and what don't you miss?
I don’t miss anything.
I still do science education writing for part of the week. I find I enjoy this much more now, as a change from full-on days in the classroom.
How did you go about making the shift?
Through the Launch Pad, I discovered what I wanted to do.
I cleared a month in my freelance schedule to do a CELTA (Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) course locally and to qualify as an ESOL teacher. Through another CELTA student, I found a volunteer role with a charity teaching ESOL to refugees and asylum seekers.
I did this for one morning a week, alongside my freelance writing. I went to a couple of conferences to find out about opportunities, and had several conversations with the volunteer manager about possibilities for paid work in the sector. I amended my LinkedIn profile and set Indeed to send ESOL alerts.
Then earlier this year, Indeed sent an alert for Forward Step Training. I researched them and the role really resonated with me. I sent an application that day, both via Indeed and directly to the directors at FST.
They interviewed me online a couple of days later, and I spoke with genuine passion about my volunteer teaching. This was my first teaching contract, and I’m still working with them six months later. I also have contracts with them lined up for the next six months.
The two things that made the biggest difference were getting the qualification and being able to talk with such passion and commitment about my voluntary role.
How did you develop (or transfer) the skills you needed for your new role?
The four week CELTA course I completed was invaluable in learning how to teach the language.
One of the other students volunteered as an English teacher in a local refugee and asylum seekers charity and gave me a contact there.
I started volunteering there on Monday mornings (and still do) and learnt so much from this experience.
In my current role, I use skills from my career in science teaching and training, including from my time as a VSO volunteer in Tanzania. I find general life experience so useful too and being 62 years old, I have a lot of it!
What didn't go well? What wrong turns did you take?
The biggest hiccups came from my indecisiveness and there being so many things I was interested in doing.
Some of these are still on the back burner. I didn’t always feel I had the energy to meet new people and do new things – it’s scary walking into a conference when you don’t know anyone.
How did you handle your finances to make your shift possible?
I used savings and didn't try to make the shift all at once.
I started with voluntary teaching alongside my old freelance work. I’m also fortunate to have a partner in a job with a reliable salary.
What was the most difficult thing about changing?
Fear of changing from something I knew.
Worrying about whether or not there’d be teaching work around, indecisiveness and general inertia ‘I’ll think about it when I’ve got more time’.
What help did you get?
I got lots of help from other Launch Padders and their friends and colleagues.
I'm so very grateful for all of this. Support from my partner and the other students on the CELTA course. I also had a couple of excellent coaching sessions as part of the Launch Pad.
I don’t really like asking for help, but what made the difference was one of the Launch Pad facilitators pointing out how it feels to be asked for help. Personally, I like it when people ask me for help (usually), so I started assuming that other people would be happy to be asked too.
What have you learnt in the process?
There are opportunities to be found, even in this very difficult job market at the moment.
How energising it is to try something new and exciting. You’re never too old!
What do you wish you'd done differently?
I wish I’d done it about five years earlier.
What would you advise others to do in the same situation?
Go for it!
Volunteer for relevant organisations. Get out there and try new things, meet new people. Get outside your bubble.
If you’re older, be positive about this and don’t try to hide it. I've been open about my age all along, pointing out all the benefits of my work and life experience.
What resources would you recommend to others?
I would recommend the Careershifters Career Change Launch Pad.
Philippa took part in our Career Change Launch Pad. If you're ready to join a group of bright, motivated career changers on a structured programme to help you find more fulfilling work, you can find out more here.
What lessons could you take from Philippa's story to use in your own career change? Let us know in the comments below.
