If you are currently unhappy in your work, it is not uncommon for you to have the desire to make a midlife career change. Lots of people go through this when they hit middle age and it makes a lot of sense too, especially if you have been at your career since you graduated from college.
You are a much different person in your 20s than you will you be twenty years down the road, and many people outgrow their current careers as a result. Also, you may have been told by others at an early age what career path you should take. It may not have necessarily been what you wanted but something you did because you did not want to disappoint your loved ones. You can only go so far in a career that does not fit your needs before you finally hit a brick wall.
Once you hit that wall where you feel you can go no further it is hard to face the fact that you may have to make a mid life career change after so many years doing the same thing. This can be scary for a lot of people and there are many people who will remain in their comfort zone and stay unhappy rather than muster up the courage to break out of the pattern and try something new.
You only have one life to live and you are doing more damage to yourself by remaining unhappy and counting the years down to retirement. Although it is scary to break out of the mold, once you start doing it you will find that it is not so scary and it is less stressful than you thought it would be.
1How to Start Thinking About a Mid Life Career Change
Regardless of what skeptics say, you are never too old to change your career path.
Many people are very successful with a career change at 40 or even 50 years of age.
If you are waking up every morning and dreading getting out of bed to face a job you hate, is this the way you want to live the rest of your life?
Although important decisions should not be made in haste, here are a few steps you can take to start breaking out of the mold and start thinking about a mid life career change:
2Deciding the Direction of Your Midlife Career Change
Once you have rediscovered some of your interests and passions it will be easier to decide on what direction you need to take to make your mid life career change.
Here are a few ways to decide your direction:
Picture Your Perfect Day: Take some quiet time and picture your perfect day. Although this may seem silly, the reason for doing this is a lot of people are unhappy in their career due to their environment and they don’t realize it. For example, perhaps you are an outdoor type of person and you are stuck in a cubicle working from 9 to 5. This may be the root to some of your unhappiness. Picture your perfect work day and then compare it to what you are doing now. This should give you a very good idea of the direction you need to go with your mid life career change.Decide How to Make Your Mid Life Career Change: If your perfect work day involves a different avenue of employment then decide on the steps you need to set in order to reach your goal. For example, if you are currently working in a cubicle and would rather work in event planning, figure out what you need to do to become an event planner. If it requires schooling, start searching for online options or a local college. Many people of all ages are returning to schooling online to take classes and make a career change at 40. There are many legitimate degrees that you can earn online while still working your current job.
If your perfect work day describes a day where you are in charge of your own time, perhaps you want to establish your own home business. It is a lot easier and more cost effective to do than in the past since the explosion of online commerce. Although it involves work, if you set specific goals which are attainable and measurable, you can eventually transition into working from home. What’s more is you can start making your mid life career change while you are working your current job.
3Making Your Midlife Career Change
Whatever your perfect day looks like, come up with a specific plan for achieving a new career and a happier lifestyle and avoid the naysayers that say it is too late to make a change. It is never too late to live a happier lifestyle so...stop living the lifestyle of dread and just do it! You will be glad you did!
What Do You Think?
Do you have other tips for making a mid life career change that may help others?
Have you made a successful career transition?
