You may want to change careers for a myriad of different reasons. You may be seeking better work-life balance, increased compensation, or, simply, a job that better aligns with your passions and values. The good news is that it is never too late to make a successful change – with the right strategy and commitment.
In this guide, we’ll look at the steps to take to identify the best opportunities to elevate your professional life and find a rewarding job in your 40s or 50s.
Explore New Fields
For many professionals who are unhappy in their current job role, the first option is always to go for a promotion or switch employers. But what if you need a more drastic change? In this case, you should consider looking at different fields that fulfill your requirements.
For example, if you feel stuck at your office desk and you are after a more hands-on role, you may consider becoming a plumber, technician, or craftsman. Alternatively, if you are tired of working alone, you may consider shifting to a team-based position and collaborate with others.
If you plan on starting your own business, you may find that you initially need help from a financial perspective. There are many ways to go about this: you could ask for a bank loan, approach family and friends, start a fundraiser, or apply for a grant (check out Grants Assist reviews on that latter point).
Understand Hiring and Growth Trends
Not all industries provide the same opportunities – and the sectors that display the most promising rewards may not be the same as when you first entered the workforce. So, before choosing an industry, take some time to research the current market and identify the best niche for your needs. For example, today, according to IBIS World, the 10 fastest growing global industries include hotels and resorts, HR, tourism, and packaging manufacturing. Make sure to choose wisely!
Leverage Your Skills and Experience
Throughout your career, you may have built a wealth of experience and skills. This is the time to leverage this unique asset! You do so in a variety of ways:
Leaving a corporate job to start your own business
Offering consultation services
Becoming a coach, mentor, or investor
Teaching other your skills
Moving into a different industry that requires similar skills
What this can look like in reality is swapping teaching for a content writer; if you’re an English teacher, you can become an educational consultant or curriculum developer. If you’re a truck driver, you can look at options such as taking an MC license training course. This means you can move to driving road trains or handling B-doubles to open up even more driving opportunities and take advantage of a fresh change in your career. It’s not about wasting your existing skills but using them to find a more fulfilling option.
Prioritize Your Needs
When you first entered the workforce, you may have chosen your job as a way to support you and your family – and, perhaps, money was a priority back then. But if you have now realized that you are in the wrong career and ready to make a change, you should also reassess your priorities and needs.
For example, you may not be concerned with getting a higher salary, but you may be looking for a better work-life balance to spend more time with your family. Similarly, now that most companies offer flexible work schemes, you may be looking to take advantage of the rise in remote work to travel more.
A great way to start is to note down the characteristics the perfect job should have and then highlight the features you would not compromise on!
Expand Your Network
When looking for the perfect job position later in life, your network counts. You may find out that there are excellent opportunities in areas around you or niches connected to your field of work. If you are unsure how to get started with building a better network of contact, these strategies can help:
Attend industry events like conferences, seminars, webinars
Leverage social media platforms like Linkedin, Twitter, and Facebook groups
Join professional associations and industry-specific groups
Volunteer for nonprofit organizations, community events, and industry panels
Embrace Learning
If you are looking to change careers, the chances are that you’ll need to study to successfully pivot into a new field. While you may decide to go back to college, you can also boost your education through in-person training courses, as well as through online resources. Going back to school – in a way or another – can seem daunting. However, there is a lot that you can do to enjoy the process ahead, starting with understanding the benefits of lifelong learning. These include:
Increased job security
More varied career options
Stronger soft skills like empathy, lateral thinking, and communication
Improved cognitive health
Increased networking opportunities
Higher confidence
Photo by Christina Morillo
Adopt a Growth Mindset
Adopting a growth mindset is critical if you are looking to boost your professional life. And we are not just talking about accessing more money! Defining what your idea of success is can help you start working toward a more specific goal, which can improve your chances of making it! Certainly, setbacks will be part of the journey ahead, but keeping your spirits up and continuing working toward your goals is essential to build a rewarding professional life.
Getting Started
Leaving your job behind and moving to a new industry or workplace can be very intimidating, especially when doing so later in life. Nonetheless, you are not alone in your journey! Speak to specialists in the industry or find a mentor to be able to always rely on help and guidance!
You may want to change careers for a myriad of different reasons. You may be seeking better work-life balance, increased compensation, or, simply, a job that better aligns with your passions and values. The good news is that it is never too late to make a successful change – with the right strategy and commitment.
In this guide, we’ll look at the steps to take to identify the best opportunities to elevate your professional life and find a rewarding job in your 40s or 50s.
Explore New Fields
For many professionals who are unhappy in their current job role, the first option is always to go for a promotion or switch employers. But what if you need a more drastic change? In this case, you should consider looking at different fields that fulfill your requirements.
For example, if you feel stuck at your office desk and you are after a more hands-on role, you may consider becoming a plumber, technician, or craftsman. Alternatively, if you are tired of working alone, you may consider shifting to a team-based position and collaborate with others.
If you plan on starting your own business, you may find that you initially need help from a financial perspective. There are many ways to go about this: you could ask for a bank loan, approach family and friends, start a fundraiser, or apply for a grant (check out Grants Assist reviews on that latter point).
Understand Hiring and Growth Trends
Not all industries provide the same opportunities – and the sectors that display the most promising rewards may not be the same as when you first entered the workforce. So, before choosing an industry, take some time to research the current market and identify the best niche for your needs. For example, today, according to IBIS World, the 10 fastest growing global industries include hotels and resorts, HR, tourism, and packaging manufacturing. Make sure to choose wisely!
Leverage Your Skills and Experience
Throughout your career, you may have built a wealth of experience and skills. This is the time to leverage this unique asset! You do so in a variety of ways:
What this can look like in reality is swapping teaching for a content writer; if you’re an English teacher, you can become an educational consultant or curriculum developer. If you’re a truck driver, you can look at options such as taking an MC license training course. This means you can move to driving road trains or handling B-doubles to open up even more driving opportunities and take advantage of a fresh change in your career. It’s not about wasting your existing skills but using them to find a more fulfilling option.
Prioritize Your Needs
When you first entered the workforce, you may have chosen your job as a way to support you and your family – and, perhaps, money was a priority back then. But if you have now realized that you are in the wrong career and ready to make a change, you should also reassess your priorities and needs.
For example, you may not be concerned with getting a higher salary, but you may be looking for a better work-life balance to spend more time with your family. Similarly, now that most companies offer flexible work schemes, you may be looking to take advantage of the rise in remote work to travel more.
A great way to start is to note down the characteristics the perfect job should have and then highlight the features you would not compromise on!
Expand Your Network
When looking for the perfect job position later in life, your network counts. You may find out that there are excellent opportunities in areas around you or niches connected to your field of work. If you are unsure how to get started with building a better network of contact, these strategies can help:
Embrace Learning
If you are looking to change careers, the chances are that you’ll need to study to successfully pivot into a new field. While you may decide to go back to college, you can also boost your education through in-person training courses, as well as through online resources. Going back to school – in a way or another – can seem daunting. However, there is a lot that you can do to enjoy the process ahead, starting with understanding the benefits of lifelong learning. These include:
Adopt a Growth Mindset
Adopting a growth mindset is critical if you are looking to boost your professional life. And we are not just talking about accessing more money! Defining what your idea of success is can help you start working toward a more specific goal, which can improve your chances of making it! Certainly, setbacks will be part of the journey ahead, but keeping your spirits up and continuing working toward your goals is essential to build a rewarding professional life.
Getting Started
Leaving your job behind and moving to a new industry or workplace can be very intimidating, especially when doing so later in life. Nonetheless, you are not alone in your journey! Speak to specialists in the industry or find a mentor to be able to always rely on help and guidance!
Share this:
Like this: