For many people, the calling to become a celebrant arrives while they’re already fully immersed in another career. The good news? With the right approach and tools, it’s entirely possible to study for your celebrant qualification while maintaining your day job.

And if you’re planning a career change at 40 or 50, you’re in good company: most people who change career later in life say they wish they’d done it sooner.

We spoke to three of our celebrant mentors, Miranda Ash, Tara Heath Arnold and Penny Boycott, for their top tips for balancing studying to become a celebrant with a full-time job.

Setting Realistic Goals: Your Personal Journey

Award-winning celebrant Miranda Ash, who began her celebrant journey while working in a busy full-time corporate role and now mentors students at the Academy of Modern Celebrancy (AMC), says, “Many people come into the profession while still working another job. Some, like me, continue to work another job alongside celebrancy. I’m only just starting to think about scaling back my other business last year, as my priorities have changed. Everyone’s journey is different – some celebrants continue to stay in other positions while doing their celebrancy work, while others gradually transition to full-time celebrancy.”

The key to balancing a full-time job and study is to set realistic goals:

“One of the biggest things that helped me while studying and getting set up initially was setting realistic goals for myself,” says Miranda. “Think realistically about how much time you have to invest while still studying, working and managing everything else that goes on with living. Everyone will set different goals for themselves, so be realistic about the time you’ve got and how to use it wisely.”

It’s crucial not to fall into the comparison trap. As Miranda points out, “It’s about being realistic with yourself, not necessarily with others. Don’t compare yourself with others – that’s the worst thing you can do. Setting realistic goals means goals for yourself, not goals you’ve seen others achieve that might be unattainable for you.”

Related: What it’s really like to train as a Celebrant with the AMC

The Power of Time Blocking

Time blocking is an essential strategy for those balancing celebrancy studies with full-time work.

Celebrant Mentor Tara Heath Arnold explains: “Time blocking is really important, especially if you have another role. You’ve got to say, ‘right, Wednesday mornings or Friday afternoons, this is my time’ and stick to that. Remove the procrastination and make sure you’ve got your goals in place.”

Miranda adds: “I literally block out time in my diary a month in advance so people know when I’m available and when I’m not. I use different colour coding to visually distinguish between different aspects of my life – work commitments, training sessions, and study time.”

She emphasises that these blocks are “non-negotiable” and can be as short as 30-minute sessions dedicated to specific training tasks, whether it’s completing course modules, working on ceremony writing exercises, or preparing for assessments.

Structuring Your Study Time

During your celebrant training, you’ll need to dedicate time to various learning activities:

• Watching training videos and webinars
• Reading course materials and ceremony examples
• Completing writing assignments
• Preparing for and participating in mentor sessions
• Working on assessments and practical exercises
• Researching different ceremony types
• Practising ceremony delivery and public speaking

Breaking these down into manageable chunks makes the overall training process feel less overwhelming, especially when you’re fitting it around a full-time job. If you train with the Academy of Modern Celebrancy, the modules are broken down for you and you’ll be able to see what percentage of the course you have completed as you go along.

Choose the right training approach: Flexible Learning for Busy Lives

The Academy of Modern Celebrancy has designed its training specifically with busy professionals in mind. Their distance learning model offers flexibility that perfectly suits those juggling full-time work alongside their studies.

The benefit of online training is that you can complete the course from the comfort of your own home with no rigid timetable. You’ll have access to weekly group Q&A sessions and the Hub – a library of video training, downloadable workbooks and all necessary paperwork.

This blended learning approach combines on-demand bite-sized video training with live sessions and one-to-one mentor support, allowing you to fit studies around your existing commitments.

AMC Graduate, Theresa Riberiro’s story exemplifies this flexibility – she managed her celebrancy training and initial ceremonies alongside her teaching job and responsibilities as a single mother of three after losing her ex-husband and grandmother, showcasing the gradual transition that’s possible with AMC’s support.

Finding Your Study Rhythm

When it comes to carving out study time, consider what might work best for you:

• Early morning study sessions before work
• Evening learning after dinner
• Dedicated weekend hours
• Using lunch breaks for quick learning modules

Many people find they can free up significant time by limiting social media scrolling or reducing TV watching. Even small, consistent blocks of focused study time can add up quickly.

Tackling Assessments Around Your Work Schedule

AMC’s training includes various assessments that test your understanding and skills as you progress. These might include ceremony script writing, presentation skills, and knowledge checks.

For working professionals, it’s helpful to:

• Plan your assessment schedule in advance
• Block out extra time before assessment deadlines
• Break larger assessments into smaller tasks
• Use commute time (if applicable) to plan or brainstorm ideas
• Schedule 1-to-1 mentor sessions when you’ll be most receptive

Remember that the AMC training is designed to be flexible, so you can complete assessments at your own pace while maintaining quality.

Support Networks and Boundaries

Penny Boycott, Head of Celebrant Training at AMC, emphasises the importance of having supportive people around you when balancing training with other commitments:

“I have a really understanding family and husband who appreciates that I might not be here on Saturday evening to watch whatever’s on the telly, because I’ve got to go see a family.” It’s best to set expectations with partners and family to let them know when you plan to be working.

Penny also highlights the importance of setting clear boundaries: “Being organised is really important, and managing your time and setting boundaries is crucial. Having a supportive network makes a huge difference.”

Community Connection

One of the greatest assets for those studying while working is the AMC student community. Tara recommends leveraging this support network: “Anybody who studies with the academy becomes part of the amazing AMC student Facebook group. It’s a really active group where we celebrate successes, but also share challenges and ideas. We really work as a family and want to support each other.”

She suggests finding “accountability buddies” through these groups – fellow students who can check in with you regularly and help you stay on track with your training goals.

Maximising Learning Opportunities

While training, look for ways to integrate your learning into everyday life:

• Listen to training videos during commutes
• Practice ceremony delivery during lunch breaks
• Read required materials before bed
• Use weekends for more intensive study sessions and writing practice
• Join online Q&A sessions even if you can only participate briefly

The beauty of the AMC training model is that you can absorb information in various formats to suit your learning style and schedule.

Why It’s Worth It

Penny Boycott sums up why so many people are willing to put in the work to train as a celebrant alongside their full-time jobs:

“This really is the best job in the world. There is nothing like the experience you get at the end of working with any client. There is what I call a ‘ceremony high’ and a reward that comes from the work we do. Some of that is because you’ve given something back, and some is from a job well done. That high is like nothing else on Earth.”

Taking the First Step

If you’re currently working full-time but feel drawn to celebrancy, AMC’s flexible training approach makes it entirely possible to begin your journey now. With realistic goal-setting, effective time management, and the support of both family and the AMC community, you can successfully balance your current career with your celebrancy studies.

As Penny notes about creating structure in your journey: “When I haven’t got a ceremony on a Saturday, I spend the whole day thinking, ‘Am I meant to be somewhere?’ Having structure and process is really important.”

With the right structure, process, and support, your journey to becoming a certified celebrant while working full-time is not only possible – it could be the most rewarding professional decision you’ll make.