Changing Careers At 40

Changing careers at any age was once considered a high-risk undertaking. Today it is very common. I have done it and can tell you I have never been more satisfied.

However, many people switch careers because frankly many of us want to work longer, we live longer, and why not? The right career can be rewarding both emotionally and financially.

If you look at this as an opportunity for positive change, then changing careers at 40 seems an adventurous – instead of arduous – undertaking. Speaking from experience, this is an opportunity to improve your life.

How do you get started in something you may not have done for a long time? Too many of us stay in our (boring) jobs out of convenience; we don’t want to rock the boat. If you catch yourself drifting into your dream paradise instead of attacking the mountain of papers on your desk, then it is high time for you to change gears. But before you jump ship, here are some tips to test the waters first:

Pick the brains of people whose jobs you only dream about. Chances are, a friend of a friend may be doing what you only yearn to do. If you can’t find one in your neighborhood, try visiting online forums of people who are practitioners of your dream job. Find out what they like (and don’t like) about what they do.

Volunteer, or do some temp work. Or shadow the professionals in your desired line of work. If you think you can live with the pros and cons of your dream career, do some road testing first. You don’t want to be changing careers at 40 and then set back your own progress by another 5 years. Want to work with animals? Deliberately set aside a few hours a week or a few days a month to get into volunteer work, say in a local pet shelter. A lot of careers sound good on paper, but lose their glamor up close. If you still love the idea of handling pets, then chances are, it’s really your calling.
Consider job rotation in your current line of work. Is there a way for you to bridge the gap between your dream job and your day job? Are there any skill sets you can develop while you are gainfully employed that will allow you to bank on that knowledge once you switch careers? For example, if you are loathe accounting work and would like to try your hand in writing, can you perhaps apply to be a credit analyst so you can devote the bulk of your time organizing your thoughts and putting them on paper?
Go virtual. If your heart is telling you to hit the country roads and take you home, but you can’t because you’re a city dweller through and through, try some online panacea for your deepest aches and longings. Go and water your (virtual) daisies. If this virtual act makes your happy, pursue it for real and see how you go from there.

Not all of your transition will be seamless, though. You will always be bound to hit a rough patch here and there. But take heart. Every career has its own set of problems. The only question is, which problems do you like to solve best?

Once you have gauged the depth of the waters, make the jump. Just be sure you always have something to hold on to in case the waters get too deep. Changing careers at 40 can be scary, but if you have studied the waters well before you made the splash, you’ll do swimmingly well in your next voyage.

Try not make the mistake of jumping into any career without thoroughly investigating all of your options including those that may seem like a dream. You will not be rushing into this choice so you are not wasting any time by researching and understanding that there are many options for a person who is willing to make big changes in their life.

This is the time to be creative before you settle down on your final choice. If you do not explore all your options rule out all things that you love to do, you may find yourself regretting your choice and that is not something you want to do at this stage of your life.

Before you commit to anything, you have nothing to lose by exploring what may seem to be impossible, that could turn into being entirely possible. Try not to feel afraid of going outside of your current comfort zone as your current career may have limited your true potential.

While exploring your various opportunities be cautious before you enroll in higher education. I have seen many people jump in to expensive education thinking it would provide expanded career opportunities without an actual career objective. There are very few fields where additional education is going to pay off in what you spend in time and money. The one career where there are many opportunities where education is cost-effective is healthcare. I was personally very surprised to see the number of career opportunities most people could get with short-term career programs.

These are not simply masters programs for additional degree programs, but program specifically designed for certification you can use immediately for some healthcare jobs. Before enrolling in any program, please verify with the employer or many employers as to the suitability of the program for which you are enrolling. There are some certifications available in less than one year for jobs that are in demand and have generous compensation. In this economy, very few jobs exist where a short-term certification program will provide a rewarding career. Personally, healthcare is not a field of interest for me, but for those that may have existing experience or education in a related field this may be worth exploring.

When changing careers at 40, you probably do not want to spend many years or a lot of money on higher education. Very few career opportunities exist where short-term education leads to a rewarding career.

It is a good idea to personally visit individuals that currently do the things you would love to do, and you might discover that you have this passion inside of you. You never know unless you try and at least see if you have it takes to achieve your dreams.

Changing Careers At 40

Explore Changing Careers Options at 40