You’re in your early 40’s or late 50’s; you’re too young for retirement, too frustrated with your current job, or waited too long to chase what you’re truly passionate about. It’s time for you to consider a new exciting career. When changing careers in your midlife, work towards what you want to achieve down the road, and do not let fear or uncertainty distract you. Have faith in yourself, whether you’ve never made any drastic changes before, or a new career has always been a recurring dream of yours. Before you start, here are some things about midlife career change that you should know:
Brainstorm for your next step
If you’re ready to leave your current career path behind and move on to the next, it’s time to brainstorm some ideas for your next step. Keep an open list of potential career ideas for your future — things you enjoy doing, your areas of expertise, things that you do better than others, business ideas you’ve came up with, or dreams you wish to fulfill. This list could help you figure out what your passion and advantage is, and help guide you through this major life change.
Next, narrow it down to what interests you the most, what you can make happen, and what fits into your future plans most comfortably. Try out different options by volunteering, taking career training courses, and talking to people who work in your interested industry. After all, research and self assessment are the two essential keys to a successful transition.
Follow your own heart
You probably see “the 50 hottest new careers in 2017” or “the top 10 high-paying jobs in Canada” all over the internet. Take these under consideration, but beware of these popular titles. What’s popular and what fits other people may not fit you. Instead, you should figure out what you enjoy doing and what brings you long-term job satisfaction and sense of achievement. These should be your top priority and will help you decide on a meaningful new career path.
Some people may tell you that you’ll never succeed, and that your career change is a big mistake. You may even question yourself and doubt your own decisions. That’s all natural, you’ll have to face your fear and find courage from it. Don’t waste time regretting the fact that you didn’t make the change earlier, keep in mind that dreams are never to late to come true.
Enhance your skill sets
When stepping into a new industry, even though you may not have relative experience in the new field you’re aiming for, don’t be let down by it. Ask yourself, “what are the strengths and talents I can bring to the market?” This will help you figure out what skills you can take with you into your new role, and what skills you need to work on.
Moreover, undertaking further study can give you new skills and credentials required for a new career. It is very common for professionals who are dissatisfied at their current jobs to go back to school for a new career. You may hesitate on returning to school since you are bearing the choice of giving up salary in your prime income years. In fact, it’s not about how much you are paying for school; it’s the school and the program you choose that truly matters. A widely recognized and properly credited institution like Academy of Learning Career College, and professional designed programs can give you a great push in achieving your career success.
Prepare a stable environment for the transition
If you’re changing your career, try not to make any other changes in your life. Avoid changes in other aspects of your life, and prepare a supporting environment for yourself. Keep your home life, social life, relationships, and health condition as steady as possible at the moment.
Make your career change your number one priority right now, and lay everything else on auto-pilot. When making a major life decision like a career change, you need a comfort zone to rely on. When you test out different career options, you need to maintain a certain level of stability and certainty in your life.
Learn to deal with stress and anxiety
You will be stressed out, frustrated, and maybe even disappointed during the career change, but we all go through that at some point in our lives. In fact, making a career change when you’re 40 isn’t any different than jumping between jobs in your 20’s. You may feel the pressure of age and family responsibilities, but at the same time, you’ve got more knowledge, skills, and life experience in hand.
There are many things you can do to help release your stress and get yourself back on track. When you feel anxious, take a walk in your favorite park, bring your kids for a weekend picnic at the beach, or read your favorite novel for half an hour. If you have a crazily busy schedule, a 10-minute meditation will sooth your nerves as well. A career change seems scary, but it may just be the best thing for you at this point in your life!
As the largest career college in Canada with 50 campuses across the country, Academy of Learning College attributes the growth in our success to identifying the gap between the formal education available and the realities of the working world. We fulfill the needs of learners by developing customized programs for each student, while meeting the requirements for convenient and effective training at an affordable cost. Browse our program list by province and find the best program that suits your needs!