More than half of U.S. workers want to change careers, a number that will likely increase as time goes on. People are living longer, retiring later, and looking for a sense of purpose in their careers, leading them to pursue career changes later in life. The days of pension plans and employer loyalty are all but gone, and workers are thinking of their careers as an extension of their passions, not their employers\u2019 needs. Men and women, especially, may seek a career change as they transition in and out of the workplace to care for children or aging parents.<\/p>\n
Embarking on a brand-new career late in life can be more difficult than starting when you\u2019re young. Sometimes it\u2019s hard to teach an old dog new tricks, and the logistical barriers\u2014not to mention age discrimination\u2014make it easy to stick with the status quo. But if you\u2019re truly unhappy with your career, or if you\u2019d like to pursue a passion you\u2019ve been neglecting thus far, now is the time to get started. The average career change takes around 18 months, and every day you wait puts you that much further away from achieving the career satisfaction or financial freedom you are looking for.<\/p>\n
By this point in your life, you probably know the value of making specific goals. The first step is to really think about what you want\u2014ask yourself why you want to change careers, what you dislike about your current career and what you would like in a dream job. Make a list of your past job experience, skills, competencies, activities that bring you satisfaction, and your career values. This list will give you an idea of what you would be good at and what you might enjoy doing, which aren\u2019t necessarily the same things.<\/p>\n
Changing careers isn\u2019t all about chasing your passions\u2014a job is, before anything else, a way to pay the bills. Analyze the job market to see how difficult it would be to break into your chosen field and what the paycheck might be like\u2014would you be able to meet your financial obligations with this field\u2019s salary?<\/p>\n
Finally, make sure you\u2019re making a calculated decision. Don\u2019t jump into a new career impulsively, because once the novelty of it wears off, you might end up as unhappy as you were before. Take the time to determine what you value in a career and make sure your chosen track meets these values.<\/p>\n
After you set goals, you need a plan to help you achieve them. Depending on the career you choose, you may need to complete additional schooling or training before you can apply. If your new field is vastly different from your current background, you\u2019ll have to spend time networking to meet people who can help you get your foot in the door. Informational interviews can be a great asset to you at this stage, because you\u2019ll not only learn about the job and industry, but you\u2019ll also be more likely to get a job referral from someone you interview. Put the word out through friends and family or consult your alumni association to find people in your chosen field to network with.<\/p>\n
You may find that your dream job requires experience that you don\u2019t have. If there\u2019s any way for you to gain this experience at your current position, ask your boss to expand your responsibilities. You might also consider freelancing or volunteering to get your name out there and to gain valuable experience for your resume.<\/p>\n
Changing careers can affect your finances in unexpected ways. Many people pursue a new career to make more money, but some career changes will actually leave you with less money (in exchange for a more fulfilling job). Keep these financial changes in mind before leaping into a new career:<\/p>\n
Changing your career at midlife can be a lot of work. If you take the time to determine what you want and make a plan to get there, the effort you put in will come back to you in career satisfaction.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Embarking on a brand-new career late in life can be more difficult than starting when you\u2019re young. Sometimes it\u2019s hard to teach an old dog new tricks, and the logistical barriers\u2014not to mention age discrimination\u2014make it easy to stick with the status quo. But if you\u2019re truly unhappy with your career, or if you\u2019d like to pursue a passion you\u2019ve been neglecting thus far, now is the time to get started. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.truenorthwealth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1915"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.truenorthwealth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.truenorthwealth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.truenorthwealth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.truenorthwealth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1915"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.truenorthwealth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1915\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2350,"href":"https:\/\/www.truenorthwealth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1915\/revisions\/2350"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.truenorthwealth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1915"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.truenorthwealth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1915"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.truenorthwealth.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1915"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}