According to a recent study conducted by Zippia, “32% of people aged 25 to 44 have considered making a career change within the past year.” The study also highlighted that “58% of U.S. adults want to change careers, but the risk of starting over is a barrier.”
Although a considerable number of middle-aged people want to make a career change, they don’t because it’s too risky. But what’s more dangerous is staying in a career that you no longer have a passion for or feel connected to. Staying stuck in a job you hate can lead to diminished mental, emotional, and physical health. It can also lead to you feeling disappointed and thoroughly dissatisfied with your life.
Instead of remaining in a career that doesn’t align with who you are anymore, see how you can successfully navigate a middle-aged career change to bring you back to life.
If you’re contemplating making a middle-aged career change, you must take your time with the decision and approach it with a realistic mindset. This article aims to help you do just that. Here are six tips containing advice for successfully navigating a total career change as a middle-aged man.
Know Why You Want to Make a Career Change
Many people make the mistake of going into a career change without any real understanding of why they want to embark on the journey. As a result, the career change becomes less and less doable because the process is a lot more complicated and disorganized.
Take some time to think about why you want to change careers. Are you burnt out in your current role? Has your passion for your current type of work diminished? Is pursuing your passion more doable now that you’re older? Do you currently have the resources to branch out and do what you love?
In addition to knowing why you want to change careers, ensure you’re ready for it mentally and emotionally. You want your mindset to be positive, your emotional maturity to be at a high level, and your spirit intact to set up a successful career change and enable you to deal with career pressure that arises in your new position.
You also want to have a solid vision for your career change.
Have a Solid Vision for Your Career Change
What ideas do you have for a new career? What industry or role do you want to transition into? Will it allow you to tap into a specific passion or get you more in alignment with your life’s purpose? How will your career change work with your background, interests, and long-term career goals?
Answering these questions and more will help you define your vision for your career change. Take a look at your strengths. Your new career should allow you to nurture those strengths and set you up to excel in your new role. You’ll also want to be sure to explore a career direction that challenges you.
Next, be realistic about the job search.
Be Realistic About the Job Search
Even if you have highly sought-after skills and experience, your job search could still be long and drawn out.
Be realistic about the job search and how long it may take for you to land a new role in a new industry. Give yourself enough time to search for a suitable position at a company you love or enough time to find new clients if you’re taking the freelance route.
Furthermore, if your heart is set on fast-tracking your job search, lean into your personal and professional connections.
Lean into Your Personal and Professional Network
All of the professional relationships you’ve nurtured over the years and personal connections you’ve enjoyed are excellent resources for finding your next gig.
Lean into your professional network. Let your colleagues know what industry you’re transitioning into and ask that they keep you in mind if anyone mentions needing what you now do. You can also ask friends and family to keep an eye out for any vacant positions that match what you’re looking for in a role.
When you find a new career or role, ensure you’ve got a plan in place for the transition.
Develop a Plan for the Transition
When it’s time to make the transition, it’s best to have a plan in place that addresses all of the things that could make the change a bumpy ride.
For example, you may have to relocate to be successful in your new career. This means uprooting your family, distancing yourself from friends, buying a new home, and creating a whole new life in an unfamiliar town or city. In middle age, change like this can be overwhelming.
So, it’s crucial you layout how you’re going to adjust to your new life in a new city and how you’ll help your family do the same. Consider how you’re going to make sure the move is seamless, how you will immerse your family in the social scene, and how you’ll stay on top of everyone’s mental health.
When navigating a middle-aged career change, you must also consider how the transition will affect the people in your life.
Consider How the Career Change Will Affect the People in Your Life
You’ve likely carved out a routine and accumulated adult responsibilities at this stage in your life. You may have a spouse, children, long-time friends, community relationships, and extended family. These people are a massive part of your life, and you want it to remain that way even amid a career change.
So, have a deep conversation with your partner about how this change will affect them and your relationship. Determine how much support they’re willing to give you and how they plan to maintain it throughout the transition. Also, it’s essential to have a conversation with your children about how they feel about the change. Reassure them that fatherhood will remain a top priority no matter where your career takes you.
Furthermore, chat with your friends and anyone else significant in your life about your career change and how it will affect your relationship with them moving forward.
Conclusion
Successfully navigating a middle-aged career change is possible with extensive preparation. The first part of the prep work is solidifying why you want to make a career change and having a solid vision for the transition. Also, be sure that your mind and heart are ready for all that comes with changing careers.
Second, you must be realistic about the job search. Lean into your personal and professional networks to make your job search more productive and pleasant.
When you’ve landed a new role, be sure to have a plan for navigating the changes that are sure to come with a new career. And finally, consider how your career change will affect those around you, whether your children, spouse, friends, or extended family.
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