IRENE BUSSEY asks: I am 52 and keen to escape from office work. I look after my father, so I'd like to pursue part-time work. My interests are creative writing and photography and I also enjoy working on PCs. Do you have any suggestions?

TRISH MACKINNON recruitment advisor from Compass Personnel answers: It is an exciting journey you want to embark on. It is possible to start from scratch and turn an interest into a way of earning a living.

For some, such as yourself who has caring commitments and financial restrictions, it may be sensible to treat it as a steady path running alongside your proper job'. This should be part-time while you are tuning your new skills and building up some contacts, which could later allow you to work for yourself from home or indeed be a home worker on someone else's payroll. Take a look at homeworking.com To get started on your journey you must first decide what you really want to do, which will satisfy your soul as well as your bank manager.

I would recommend you look at learndirect.co.uk who offer more than 900 courses including computer art aimed at amateur photographers with computer skills.