Many of us look for a career change in later life. It’s no longer the norm to choose a career at 16 and then stick with it for the rest of your life. Even those that have spent a lot of time and money qualifying and training in one profession, often look for a new challenge in later life. It’s thought that the average person will have ten different jobs before they are 40, and then often at least one more after that.
It’s no surprise really. We change a lot as we get older. Our experiences and our relationships change us. We grow, we develop, our interests and our hobbies change, and it would be naive to think that the job that made us happy when we first left school would still satisfy us as we approach retirement.
The desire to change isn’t usually the problem. It’s often that we struggle to find something that we want to do in an area that we are qualified for or could become so without too much hardship. If you’ve spent your life doing one job, it’s often hard to find another that need your skills.
Teaching is often suggested as a new career for those in later life. But, many people are put off. Putting up with a classroom filled with children can be tough. It might seem like a job for a younger person. But, it doesn’t have to be. Looking for IT Teaching Jobs and other positions in later life can be a great idea. Here’s why.
You’ve Got Life Experience
Teaching isn’t all about passing on your knowledge of a subject. There’s a lot more to it than that. Teachers enrich these lives of their students. Not just with subject knowledge. But also, with experience, values, and traits. You help them to become the people that they will be. As an older person, with much more experience of life, you can have far more to offer than someone fresh out of university.
You’ll Learn A Lot
You might worry that teaching isn’t for you, because your knowledge is outdated. But, when you’ve been in the working world for so long, you’ll probably find that you pick things us easily. You’ll have a deeper understanding and a love of learning that you might not have done when you were younger.
You’ll also find that you learn a lot from your students. They’ll teach you all about the world that they live in. Their language, their passions, and their skills. You could find that you end up learning more about yourself and the modern world than you teach them about your subject.
It’ll Keep You Young
Approaching your later years with a job that makes you unhappy or bored, or with nothing at all to do, can mean that you get older much faster than you should. Spending time with a job that you love and a routine, as well as being around young people all of the time, can help to keep you young, your mind active and your body fit and healthy.
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