By your 50s you’re likely to have had the same career for years or even decades. But if you’re sick of it, you don’t need to coast along miserably until retirement.
These years can be the perfect time for a career change. After all, you’re likely to have at least a decade or so to go before retirement. And you will have built up years of work and life experience that could be channelled into a new role.
Half of over-50s have considered a new career, according to research from easyJet. The airline has launched a ‘Returnship’ recruitment drive for over-50s to encourage them to join its cabin crew staff.
Here Money Mail investigates eight jobs that are perfect for a career change – and what you need to know to get started.
1. Financial adviser
Advisers help people reach their financial goals by recommending products and looking at clients’ personal financial circumstances
Employing a financial adviser is vital when taking out a mortgage or planning for retirement – and someone with life experience is the perfect candidate.
Those aged over 50 have more life experience of core financial products such as mortgages and pensions, so they can bring a wealth of knowledge to an adviser role.
As an adviser, you’ll be helping people reach their financial goals by recommending products and looking at clients’ personal financial circumstances.
The financial advice sector bucks the trend of employers’ unwillingness to hire older talent over young people.
Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) data from 2021 shows one in three retail investment advisers were aged between 50 and 59 – while just one in 20 were younger than 30.
You’ll need knowledge of economics and accounting, excellent communication skills and thorough attention to detail, according to the National Careers Service.
Financial advice company St James’s Place says a trainee financial adviser can expect to earn between £20,000 and £46,000 a year – but for established financial advisers the earning potential is uncapped.
Data from BWD shows the average annual financial adviser earnings last January were almost £96,000.
You’ll need a level four qualification in financial advice recognised by the Financial Conduct Authority, jobs website Indeed says. The Diploma for Financial Advisers (DipFA) is the minimum level of qualification you need and it takes around nine months to complete.
It costs £1,380 and it is split into six sections – financial services regulation and ethics; taxation; investments; protection; retirement planning; and coursework. More information can be found on the LIBF website.
The FCA also says that advisers must have a Statement of Professional Standing from an accredited body.
This is evidence that you are meeting the professional standards expected of advisers. Accredited bodies which can provide this include the Chartered Insurance Institute and the Chartered Banking Institute.
After you have a DipFA you can start working as a financial adviser – search for entry-level financial adviser roles on job websites. A trainee financial adviser role advertised on Reed is offering a £30,000 salary plus £2,000 to £3,000 in bonuses.
2. Driving instructor
The AA says a driving instructor working full-time can expect to earn between £30,000 and £40,000 a year
Driving is one of life’s essential skills – so there will always be a demand for instructors.
People aged over 50 typically have decades worth of driving under their belt and their life experience could mean they would be good teachers.
Research from the Bill Plant Driving School revealed a huge 65 per cent of driving instructor’s surveyed five years ago were aged over 50, which shows that workers pivot to this career in their older years instead of starting their working lives as an instructor.
The AA says a driving instructor working full-time can expect to earn between £30,000 to £40,000 a year. But this can change as hours vary – with the majority of instructors self-employed. The national hourly average is £28.
Camilla Benitz, managing director of AA Driving School, says: ‘Many people come to driving instruction after a career elsewhere – it offers great flexibility and can be really rewarding.’
She adds: ‘It can be a really positive move for people in their 50s and older and often for those who have come from a teaching or coaching background – the life experience they have is a real asset when it comes to helping learner drivers successfully pass their test and go on to be confident and safe drivers.’
To accompany a learner driver, you must be over 21 years old, qualified to drive the same type of vehicle they’re driving, and have had a full licence for three years.
Plus, to charge money for driving instruction you must be on the Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) register or have a trainee driving instructor licence.
Driving instructors will have good transferable skills such as patience, assessment skills, and confidence while also being a good driver with knowledge of vehicle maintenance, according to Careers Wales.
Take the driving instructor suitability assessment by the DVSA. This test looks at how well your skills and attitude match the job as well as how much you know about driving theory and practice.
If you’re a good match, you can apply on the Government website – but the process isn’t cheap.
Prospective ADIs need to take three tests – one each on theory, driving ability and instructional ability.
Books and materials from the DVSA can help you prepare for the tests. The ADI ‘Ready to Pass?’ bundle is £49.99 while the Driving Instructor’s Handbook will set you back £24.99.
It will take around six to nine months to train to be an instructor.
The three qualifying tests cost £303 in total and you’ll need to pay £300 for your first ADI badge.
After you pass the second test you can apply for a trainee driving instructor licence which allows you to instruct for six months before the third and final test. The good news is you can start charging for lessons once you’ve passed the first two tests and have your trainee licence.
This licence costs £140 and you’ll need to renew your ADI registration every four years, which costs £300.
You can also take a training course to help you qualify – but this will hike the cost of qualifying significantly. Courses at the Bill Plant Driving School start at £1,190 while a course at RED Driving School costs £2,799. Find one near you at www.gov.uk/find-driving-instructor-training.
You’ll need to think about fuel and insurance costs too once you start teaching – and the cost of hiring a dual-control car, which will take a significant dent in your earnings.
Most driving instructors end up becoming self-employed – either independently or through a franchise.
The AA all-inclusive driving instructor franchise provides a premium car with AA branding, a pool of pupils and it will help with admin and bookings.
It starts at £194 a week but if you’re an independent driving instructor who wants to have your own brand you can sign up to a package with a dual-control car only from £159 a week.
3. Celebrant
Wedding celebrants can charge more but funeral celebrants generally conduct more services
Celebrants play a central role in some of the most important days in people’s lives. You could be bringing together two people for the rest of their life or you could specialise in commemorating someone at a funeral.
The International College of Professional Celebrants says many celebrants are older and their life experience can be a very valuable addition to the role.
In the role you’ll be conducting wedding, funeral or vow renewal services including meeting up with a couple or the family of a loved one before the services to find out what to include. Celebrants cannot legally marry a couple, unlike a registrar, but they’re in charge of the ceremony.
Celebrants should be good listeners, unafraid of public speaking, have good writing skills and an ability to put the client first, says the UK Society of Celebrants (UKSOC).
Your potential income varies significantly but wedding celebrants were charging £650 to £1,500 in 2023-24, with some offering services for up to £2,500, according to the Academy of Modern Celebrancy – location, experience and duration will affect the earnings.
It says wedding celebrants can charge more but funeral celebrants generally conduct more services.
A funeral celebrant can expect to charge from £250 to £500 and will conduct three to five ceremonies a week if they are full-time.
Bear in mind, you may not always have a steady flow of ceremonies so you’ll need to be prepared for your income to fluctuate.
Your annual earnings depend on how many services you have booked – and it could take time to build your brand and for people to find out about your services.
You could specialise as either wedding or funeral celebrant if you feel your skills and attitude are suited to a particular one.
Wedding celebrants will need to be very creative, while funeral celebrants will need to have high level of empathy and compassion, according to the Academy of Modern Celebrancy.
There are costs to consider. For example, you may want to think about creating a website, which could cost thousands if designed by a professional, or buying professional outfits.
Sonal Dave, 56, launched her own celebrant and toastmaster service at the age 50 after leaving her job in the civil service, where she had been for more than two decades.
Her lightbulb moment came after realising she wasn’t working for herself and so she started to Google jobs with communication and events. Public speaking and celebrancy popped onto her screen.
She attended a multicultural wedding not long after and there was a toastmaster at the ceremony.
‘I thought “That’s me, I could do that. I know the culture”.’
She completed a training course and had a personalised toastmaster uniform made.
‘I’m now in control of my life. I can choose how many weddings and funerals I want to do. There’s some people that will do hundreds, but I want to be able to focus on my clients and give them the best of me.
‘You spend anything from three months to two years for them to have the best day ever.’
She now specialises in multicultural and LGBTQ+ ceremonies.
Sonal, from Harrow, advises any prospective celebrant to have good communications and storytelling skills.
She says: ‘You need to have excellent listening skills and need to read between the lines of what couples tell you to come out with something that represents them both.’
Plus, the wisdom and maturity you’ll have being over are excellent qualities for celebrants.
Sonal says life experiences such as a former workplace or bringing up children can help you look within yourself – a hugely useful skill for a celebrant as you may be working a funeral.
You don’t need a formal qualification to start a celebrancy career, but this could be a good way to boost your skills and employability.
The Academy of Modern Celebrancy offers a master certification for £2,997 while the UK Society of Celebrants charges from £1,935 for a diploma in family and funeral celebrancy.
4. Pet sitting/dog walking
The number of house and pet sits in the UK rose by 55 percent in 2023, so demand is on the up
Pet sitting and dog walking sounds like the dream job for any animal lover.
Animal owners who have jetted away on holiday or spend long hours every day at work need someone like you to mind their pets and walk their dog.
You may be popping into multiple client’s homes on any one day, but you can take on as pets at once as you’d like – perfect anyone looking to opt for a slower career before retirement.
The number of house and pet sits in the UK rose by 55 percent in 2023, according to pet sitting website TrustedHousesitters, so demand is on the up.
The College of Animal Welfare says you’ll need strong communication skills plus you need to remain alert to any illness or harm to the pet.
You could be expected to feed the animals, give them medications or clean their litter boxes.
The average pet sitter salary in the UK is £31,200 per year, according to Talent.com, but you could earn £72,800 at the very top end.
But an average dog walker salary is just £26,325 – so it could be useful to pet sit alongside this to bolster your income before retirement.
You could find potential clients or advertise your services on websites such as TrustedHousesitters or House Sitters UK.
Be aware that it may take a while to build a good client base.
Consider joining the National Association for Pet Sitters and Dog Walkers (NARPS) – from £10 a month you will get access to basic disclosure checks, a discount on insurance and an entry on its pet sitter listings.
You don’t need any qualifications to be a pet sitter but a course on how to turn it into a business is available from £199 from NARPS.
Training in first aid for animals could also boost your clients’ trust in you. A course from NARPS is £70 for members and £80 for non-members.
Consider taking out a pet sitters and/or dog walkers insurance plan. This protects you if a client’s dog is injured in your care or it bites a member of the public, Axa says. Petplan Sanctuary offers both.
5. Tradesman
Around 35 per cent of current tradesmen are aged over 50, so it’s industry that is comfortable with a diverse age group
If you’re someone who’s spent the last few decades doing odd jobs around the house or maybe even renovated your property, you could turn these skills into a second career by training as a tradesman.
A recent report expects 937,000 new tradespeople will be needed in the industry by 2032 to keep up with the hike in demand for workers, Tradesman Insurance UK says.
So there’s no better time to retrain in this hands-on field.
Plus 35 per cent of current tradespeople are over 50 so it’s industry that is comfortable with a diverse age group.
You’ll need to be good at problem solving, communication and adaptability, job website Indeed says, while also having technical skills.
There are several routes you could take to train as a tradesman. One of the most common is an apprenticeship so you can learn while working. Starting wages can be around £25,000 to £28,000 and you can specialise in a certain trade such as gas or plumbing.
Trade apprenticeships typically take longer than a year to compete for over 18-year-olds. Use the Government portal to find an apprenticeship near you.
You could do a fast-track qualification – Checkatrade says there are now courses that take as little as six months to get you qualified as an electrician and a few weeks to train as a carpenter.
Your salary will vary depending on your specialism. Salaries average £35,000 a year and there’s potential for tradespeople in London to earn even more, according to The Fitness Group.
Checkatrade says that working in the trades will offer over 50s a good balance between earnings and variety – and life experience will come in handy if you want to run your own company.
However, it warns that you need to make sure you are okay with the physical demands of the work before you commit to a career.
Labourers, plumbers and carpenters will have bigger physical demands than those in building surveyance or a gas engineer.
If you intend to be a tradesman until you retire at 65 or later then think about what your physical ability may be at that time.
6. Life coach
Life coaching is an unregulated industry – so there’s technically no requirement for a licence or training course
If you’re over 50 you’ll have a wealth of life experience to share. So why not turn this experience into a coaching career to build clients’ confidence and goals.
The Life Purpose Institute says: ‘Life coaching is about guiding others based on life experiences, wisdom, and empathy. The more years one has lived, the more stories, lessons, and insights they can draw upon to assist their clients.’
As a life coach you could be helping client’s find a sense of purpose, expand on their ideas or manage stress.
Job website Prospect says the demand for life coaches is soaring due to the ‘pressures of modern living’.
Life coaches are not counsellors – they instead focus on personal growth and improvement.
You should have sensitivity, counselling skills such as active listening, and patience for stressful situations.
Earnings for life coaches aren’t dazzling and will depend on how much you charge per week. But switching careers in your 50s doesn’t have to be about boosting your income.
You may find that helping others reach their potential or setting goals for their future is a fulfilling role to undertake before retiring.
However, FutureFit says that life coaches within 15 miles of London working 15 hours a week for 40 weeks a year earn £60,000 a year. This is if they charge £100 a session.
But data from Payscale shows the average hourly pay in the UK is £55, which would almost half the attractive £60,000 salary.
One great upside of being a life coach is that the hours can vary and you can take on as many clients as you want if you are self-employed. This means it could fit around other commitments, such as taking care of grandchildren, or serve as a part-time role if you’re winding down towards retirement.
Life coaching is an unregulated industry – so there’s no requirement for a licence or training course. Technically you could start coaching whenever you want.
But a training course could boost your job prospects and earning potential – and enable you to give your client a better experience.
Look for courses accredited by bodies such as the Association for Coaching and the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, says job website Prospect.
For example, a life coaching diploma from The Coaching Academy costs £3,997 plus VAT. You have a maximum of three years to qualify and it asks you to put aside three hours a week to complete the modules.
This means it could work around current jobs or alongside the beginning of your life coaching career.
7. Personal trainer (PT)
You must get the level two certificate in gym instructing and a level three diploma in personal training to become a PT
If you love fitness and want to help other people reach their workout goals, you could consider switching to a personal training career.
The National Federation of Personal Trainers says 40 per cent of its certified trainers are between 42 and 60.
As a personal trainer you could be planning a fitness programme for clients, check their progress and help them with their workouts.
The National Careers Service says you’ll need soft skills like the ability to teach, patience and understanding but also physical skills like coordination and dexterity.
While you could work as many hours as you want if you’re self employed as a PT, you will probably have to work evenings and weekends.
Job website Indeed says the average base salary of a personal trainer is £30,724 while Future Fit says they could earn up to £60,000.
Your earnings are likely to vary significantly based on location and client base if you’re self-employed and there’s no steady stream of income. Your client base could dry up at any time and you’ll have to manage your own financial accounts.
However, as a self-employed PT you can set your own hours and wages.
As an employed PT, you’ll have wage stability but no control over your hours or ability to increase what your charge clients.
Unlike life coaching, you do need specific qualifications to become a PT.
You must get the level two certificate in gym instructing and a level three diploma in personal training.
The level two diploma typically takes a couple of weeks to a few months to complete, depending on which provider you choose and if it’s a full-time course.
The level three diploma takes around 12 weeks to complete but it could be shorter if the classes are in person.
Study Active offers both the level two and three diploma as one big course for £1,374.
Whichever course provider you choose, ensue they are approved by CIMSPA – the Chartered Institute for the management of Sport and Physical Activity.
There are additional costs to consider such as personal trainer insurance.
The Professional Fitness Coaches Association (PFCA) says: ‘Operating as a personal trainer without insurance is a gamble that puts both the trainer and their clients at significant risk. Working without insurance means lacking protection if a client were to make a liability claim against you.’
You could need the insurance protection if a liability claim is made for injury during one of your training sessions, for example.
A policy from FitPro offers cover from £4.38 a month while UK Coaching says you can join its fitness insurance for just £65 a year.
It’s also useful to get trained in first aid and CPR. React First offers a full day fitness first aid course for £110 plus VAT.
You will need to think about the physical challenges of becoming a personal trainer. As with tradespeople, think about what your physical health might be like in ten years’ time, just before you retire.
But use your age and expertise as an advantage – clients may well prefer someone of similar age to guide them through workouts.
8. Hypnotherapist
Hypnotherapy can help to treat conditions such as depression, anxiety, insomnia and eating disorders
If you want to help people overcome conditions such as insomnia or anxiety, then consider becoming a hypnotherapist.
Hypnotherapy uses hypnosis to treat mental and physical health conditions and change habits, says the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
It can help to treat conditions such as depression, anxiety, insomnia and eating disorders.
It involves the therapist making the client feel relaxed and focused. Then they use ‘agreed methods’ to help with your goals – such as suggesting you don’t want to carry on with a habit, says the NHS – and bring you back out of the relaxed state.
The NHS says that by law hypnotherapists do not have to have any specific training – but professional registers will have expected you to complete an accredited training course and training will ensure you are practicing safely and providing a good service to your clients.
The UK College of Hypnosis and Hypnotherapy offers a Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy, which is accredited by the British Psychological Learning Centre among other bodies.
It costs £3,140 and takes seven days, whether you’re in the classroom or virtually leaning.
The National Careers Service says you’ll need excellent verbal communication skills, active listening skills and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations.
Kate Hoyle, from northwest London, had a long career in law and finance but retrained as hypnotherapist after watching the wonders it worked on her daughter, who had been suffering with depression and anxiety from a young age.
‘I found a hypnotherapist to work with her and it was the only thing that worked. I was blown away with the results.’
She trained to be a clinical hypnotherapist and almost immediately set up her own practice – Kate Hoyle Hypnotherapy – some six years ago.
Kate, now 60, says it’s a great career for over 50s – in fact, it’s pretty hard to be a hypnotherapist without that wisdom and maturity.
The mother-of-two says: ‘Life experience really does help. I’m not sure I would have been as good if I had got to this earlier.
‘All of your life experience comes into play. I think it would be quite tricky to be very young.
Kate says curiosity and empathy are some of the main skills prospective hypnotherapists need to have.
Plus, Kate says hypnotherapy works just as well online as it does in a physical practice room so you can theoretically set up a practice no matter your location.
Most hypnotherapists charge between £50 and £90 a session and the Economic Research Institute says hypnotherapists have an average salary of £48,317 a year.
L.evans@dailymail.co.uk
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