There are countless reasons you might want to change your career after 40. Whether you’re looking to make more money or you want to be more in control of your lifestyle, people change careers all the time.
At 40, you still have at least 25 years left to contribute to the workforce. So, it’s definitely never too late. Here, we’re sharing our tips on how to make a career change after 40 to transform your future for the better.
Understand Yourself
First and foremost, you need to understand where you are, what you value, and what you want before you make a career change.
Chances are, something’s not feeling quite right in your current career. You might be seeing the signs of burnout or you see no future with your company.
Once you know what you don’t want, it’s time to find out what you do want. And don’t be surprised if your priorities look a lot different than they did at 18!
This stage takes deep personal work and introspection but it’s a necessary step to making a career change after 40.
Focus on Soft Skills
Soft skills are your personality traits and habits that make you a strong candidate for certain positions. They’re qualities like leadership skills, strong communication, a team player, detail-oriented, organized, or a self-starter.
Soft skills are, in general, easily transferable from one career to the next. By focusing on these transferrable skills, you can start down a path toward a fulfilling second career.
Embrace Being a Beginner
This one’s tough but definitely necessary. When we pivot after 40, we must embrace being a beginner. But, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going back to square one.
It’s likely that you have plenty of soft skills from your previous career and those qualities shouldn’t be undervalued. But, especially if you’re going back to school or upskilling in any way, you should expect to feel like a beginner when you make a career change.
It’s important to embrace that you’re learning something new and that it’ll take time before you master this new career path. In short, keep your expectations in check.
Plan Ahead
Even once you decide to make a career change at 40, you shouldn’t necessarily quit your current job right away. You’ll need to make a plan which will take time and money.
Start saving up in case you have to go a few months without a job or take a smaller salary in your new career.
You’ll also want to plan ways to continue your education and see if your current employer has re-training offers or tuition reimbursement programs.
Overall, a career change is stressful enough. So, don’t make it more exhausting by not planning ahead.
Need a more structured approach to making a career change after 40? Check out the Another Rose Framework to move forward with the support you need.