Unsure which direction to take..

[Inanna]

Well I think its wonderful that you are looking at options my love!
Doulas don't make lots of money! Certainly if you wanted to replace a full time wage - that would be a big ask as a Doula.. Child wrangling for a birth etc etc...

Child Health Nurse - you would need to study nursing which is a 3 year full time degree & then you would need to do a diploma of child health or the equivalent in Tassie... So you're looking at about 4 years. Nurses wages are not wonderful - but being a nurse I can say it's a rewarding career... The system is hard to buck so if you are going against it - it can be a hard job... But again I am biased and think it's a great career. The course entails shift work & I think you would (at least you used to have to) have to have some general nursing experience before you can apply to do your diploma - but that could have changed...

Solicitor - you know the ropes - it's something that you are familiar with... It will pull a decent wage & if criminal law is something you're interested in then I think it would be a fascinating job also...
How many years study is law? Is it 4?

It's a hard one my love...

[Inanna]

You don't have to be a midwife any longer in Qld to do child health - not sure on other states tho...

[Inanna]

So what sort of law do you practise now Pixie?

[Arimeh]

Inanna - last time I checked it was 4 years study for law... I *think* in Queensland you could do 3 years, and then do prac for 2 years and become one that way, or you do 4 years at uni, and then more study straight away to get past the prac - or something like that. Not sure what the requirements are in Tassie.

Whereas with nursing - I could do nursing at uni down here, fast track it through UTAS and get my degree in 2 years instead of 3 (as explained to me by the lovely Freya (think thats what your username is now.. lol))

I'm not against studying to be a midwife if I have to, to get into child health - but I'm sure I saw something the other day on the UTAS site that its a separate course to do child health so maybe I wouldn't have to study mid?

pixie -thats exactly what I'm afraid of too. Its just pretty fascinating to study, and I absolutely adored it (probably helped that I got the top scores all the time out of everyone so I actually had some confidence and felt intelligent - not anymore) And yes, time costing sucked - sucked doing it as a secretary.. ROFL and yeah, i would HATE to devote all that study and not do anything with it, its how i felt when I did 2 years and went to queensland and it was worth nothing - so I started off at 25 grand a year as a receptionist, and all my friends who I had studied with (who did worse than me) were getting paid at least 60 grand in their first job out of VU... very disheartening..

[Emma1979]

okay this is going to sound like total waffle, but i was watching oprah the other day, and she was interviewing young (like 25 year old) self made uber millionaires... it was quite interesting, some were high school dropouts, teased in school, and went on to be ultra successful and run their own companies... anyways getting to my point, the recurrent theme was most definitely, to put the money issue asside, and do something that you are passionate and enthusiastic about and LOVE doing... not that you want to set out to be an uber millionaire, BUT, they all said when they started out in their careers, they did not set out to make a heap of money, they set out in doing/starting something in a field they loved, that made them happy, that gave them job satisfaction etc etc, and from there grew the money...

i suppose it just made a bit of sense to me... if you are doing something you love and are truely passionate about, you will do it well, it won't feel so much like 'work' and with your enthusiasm you will also probably reap success.

good luck....

[Inanna]

Arimeh you don't have to study mid any more to be a CHN...

[Arimeh]

Arimeh you don't have to study mid any more to be a CHN...

Ahh thanks

I don't want everyone to get the wrong impression and think I'm going to only go in a direction that I can make money - cos its not all about the money, I think I'm just writing it wrong.

I guess I just want DH to follow his dreams too, and not give them up because we can't afford for him to do it ya know? I want him to have his dreams come true in life as well.

I'm passionate about all the things that I've mentioned, and I like them all (which is why its so confusing!)

[Emma1979]

nah i didn't think at all you were about the money.... just sometimes when you take money out of the equation, then it can sometimes help reveal what really and truely floats your boat... but if you are equally passionate about all three choices then i see where lies your dilemma!!!!

[Fleur]

I know exactly what you mean about the money...it's not everything, but with a DH & 3 kids, it's a bit of it ...and of course you want to be fair to your DH & give him a chance to follow his dreams... if you can be in a jopb you love that also pays well , woo-hoo!

From what I am reading... I would say skip the law, do child health - there are positions vacant, you have a goal already set out (to be a supportive voice, and maybe sing a different tune? ) AND you could maybe in a few years when the kids are older study MW as well & combine them? That way you would get to dip a toe in both waters....

Just my 2c

[widdly]

I agree with all Jasp said

[thepixie]

So what sort of law do you practise now Pixie?

Deb I'm now an underwriter for a medical defence organisation if that means anything to you!