Midlife career change advice: It’s never too late to change careers

Are you in your midlife and considering changing careers? Are you thinking it’s too late or that you might be unsuccessful and the move will backfire.

Don’t.

It’s never too late to change careers.

Regardless, there are some things you need to do to make your transition successful and gradual.

Identify what career line you want to progress into. 

Speaking to a career expert or coach is a good idea. Getting expert opinion saves time and money in the long run as well as makes the career shift more effective.

Know your reasons. 

Know why you want to choose a particular career line. What necessary elements does the new career need to contain for it to be satisfying? You don’t want to go from one unsatisfying career to another. As an example, your current career might be in tech where you spend most of your time in closed spaces with equipment or computers but you prefer engaging with people more, being outdoors, and exploring. Therefore, after careful consideration, you might decide  becoming a tour guide is more appealing to you.

Don’t worry about how outrageous the difference between your current career and the new career might seem. If a career line is appealing to you, you have a passion for the work, and it gives you fulfillment, then go for it.

Once you know what career line you want to shift into, take inventory of your skills and identify your current skills that can be useful in your new career. These include personal skills like time management and communication, and technical skills like using certain equipment and software.

Learn the requirements of the new career.

You will need to know what additional skills you need to be successful at your new job. Does the career shift require a major change in your work environment? Do you have to learn new skills, requiring an in depth vocational training that might be several years long? or is this something you can learn on your own doing a few short at-home courses on the weekends?

After you have identified the needs of your career change, decide how you will go about making the transition.

Decide on a time frame to fully transition into your new career.

Giving yourself a deadline will ensure you make the change effectively instead of prolonging things unnecessarily. What can be achieved in a few months should not take years.

Gradually progress into your new career line.

To be effective, the transition needs to be gradual. As a mid life career changer, it’s unlikely you can one day quit your current job and take on a new job the next day.

The right approach is to continue your current job while learning about and training for your new career.

If possible, get a part time job or shadow an experienced professional in your new career to get an idea of what it is like working the job and get experience.

Over time, you will transition into your new career naturally.

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