It is said that the only thing that is certain in life is change. Though this phrase has been proved quite many times, there are some situations where a change seems not only implausible but also impossible and ridiculous. A job or a profession change at an age of forty or fifty is one of those situations where people may look at you quizzically with one question – why?To assist those who are at 40+ or at 50+ ages that are planning a career change at midlife, this article provides some guidelines for making this career change decision smoother. The article also gives advice on the career change impact on your personal life.
Tips for making a midlife career change after 40 & midlife career change after 50
Here are some tips to keep in mind before you decide to change your career at 50 or at 40:
The reasons
Change in your midlife career has reasons. You may be ready to scale down (or up) the working intensity or to experience new professional fields.
Getting into a change, especially change of career at 40+ brings uncertainty and uncertainty increases hesitations. Hesitations tend to stop motivation. Therefore, effective decision-making is necessary to your peaceful mind before making mid life career changes.
In fact, making a career change at 40+ or career change at 50+ is a lot harder than making this decision when you are fresh and young.
Some well-known reasons for a career change may be:
1. You remain at your job because the money is good but you don’t like your job. Your job may be ‘good enough’ but your interests are different – You want to do something completely different.
2. Financial freedom. You desire a progress. Your have high expectation and want to get new opportunities. You have already worked hard your way up the career ladder. However, you feel ready and confident for a career movement and a career change.
Click here to read part 2 of this article
Hmmm. Great topic, but I disagree whole heartedly with the notion that change is harder after one is 45+ years old.
ReplyDeleteMany of the most successful executives are over 45 and they are REQUIRED daily to work with change both big and small. Once a person has a few years under their belt they have a bigger frame of reference and can handle change much better than in their youth. They don't hit the panic button so quickly and have a wider base of experience from which to chose solutions.
Those over 50 hoping to change careers Do need to use excellent job search skills to avoid the pitfalls anyone changing careers must avoid. And their technique needs to be excellent to avoid any ageism issues, but the challenges are job search issues, not change issues.
Rita Ashley, Job Search Coach
www.jobsearchdebugged.com
Hi. Reading this post immediately made me think of Danny. He sent us his story a while back, about landing a good job, making good money, but never quite feeling fulfilled.
ReplyDeleteOne day he decided to chuck it all and follow his dream of playing music full time. And now he couldn't be happier.
If this sounds like a great story take a sec and check out his story. Then if you like it, give him your vote! Winning videos will be featured in the next Mutual of Omaha "aha moment" TV commercials!
Check out Dayy's story at the link below. Enjoy!
http://www.ahamoment.com/vote/danny
Changing careers is a personal situation, for some it is easy and for others it is a daunting task. I have worked with numerous 50+ executives that are now looking to change careers, and interestingly are struggling at really knowing what they want to do and where is the right place for them with their skills and abilities.
ReplyDeleteChanging careers should lead to more success- happier, appreciated and higher pay. A good tool to check out is The 1-Page Job Proposal app. www.1-page.com
It allows users to go step by step through identifying the right job for them, researching key information about the company they want to work for and then creating a 1-Page Job Proposal deliverable to potential employer.
Companies are looking for the right talent that connects with them and shows them how their skills can benefit them. A 1-Page Proposal does just that.
Good luck to all career changers!
Great story! I'm a great example of a 50+ year old who has had to make various career changes. I have been a U.S. Marine who was trained in public affairs. When I was discharged I worked as a police officer for 15 years until small town politics forced me to seek another profession. I then worked as a radio announcer for many years until I was in my mid-40's. I then became a truck driver and realized that the job did not stimulate me enough. I went to Iraq as a private contractor for about three years and when I came back I faced a tough economy with few jobs. I studied and got a few computer certifications during nine months of unemployment and now I work for a national cable company as a tier 3 technical support agent at 56 years old! My peers are much younger but I came well prepared and my age has been a benefit rather than a hindrance. This will most likely be the last job I will have as I plan to use their pension to provide a decent retirement in about 10 years God willing, but nobody can't tell me that it can't be done! Thanks for your article!
ReplyDelete