Midlife Career Change: Best Advice and Real-Life Stories

Whoopi Goldberg used to be a funeral makeup artist once…are you inspired yet?

If you’ve already read the first part of my work about starting a new career in your thirties or even later and wish to learn more, you came to the right place. This part shares real-life examples of taking a new path in life and offers helpful and specific advice. If you didn’t read the first post, check it out!

🔗 How to Prepare for a Midlife Career Change in 2024

Career Change Myths & Truths

Straight to the topic, here are the most common misconceptions:

❌ You’re too old to start a new career.

✅ In fact, it’s never too late to make a change, and many studies show that adults are usually successful when switching their vocations.

❌ The job market is too harsh.

✅ In fact, while there are new hiring practices, this doesn’t mean they’re impossible to get into. Keep trying, and I’m sure you’ll find something that fits!

❌ Everything must be planned out.

✅ In fact, instead of trying to manage every minute detail of your new path, learn to relax and go with the flow. When things go sideways, you can adjust with higher flexibility.

❌ You need a new degree.

✅ In fact, getting a degree can be optional in many labor-related jobs where you can learn online and in your free time.

❌ Your passion can’t become a career.

✅ In fact, people who love their job don’t spend one minute working and enjoy what they do.

❌ You must start from scratch.

✅ In fact, starting something new doesn’t mean starting from nothing. You might already have the experience and skills to be a perfect fit.

❌ You failed at your current career.

✅ In fact, doing something you are no longer passionate about is more disruptive than choosing a new path.

❌ Your new career will be a forever commitment.

✅ In fact, nothing lasts forever, and the same goes for your new job. You may spend years in a new field or lose interest in a couple of months, and that’s fine.

❌ There’s only one way to change careers.

✅ In fact, everybody has their own story, and there’s no universal path to success, so find the one you’re most comfortable with.

❌ Drastic changes equal happiness.

✅ In fact, sometimes, people are an inch away from the career of their dreams but pursue something entirely different for a dopamine rush.

Get Inspired by These Career Change Examples

If you’re still on the fence about diving into a new career, these are success stories of people who changed their lives deep into their midlife:

• Ken Jeong, the star of Community, The Hangover series, and his own show, Dr. Ken, was a successful physician in South Korea before entering the movie industry at 37.
• Ava DuVernay. After spending most of her life in PR work, Ava turned her sights to filmmaking in her early 30s and has since worked on big productions, such as the film adaptation of Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time.
• Stephen King. The king of horror was just a high school janitor before he decided to pick up the pen. Nowadays, he’s a multimillionaire writer with an impressive catalog of released novels and movie adaptations.
• Whoopi Goldberg. From a funeral makeup artist to an Oscar-awarded movie star, Whoopi Goldberg had a surprising career shift, to say the least. Of course, not all of her works were successful (I’m looking at you, Theodore Rex!).
• Harrison Ford, the future Han Solo and Indiana Jones, worked as a carpenter full-time before becoming an international movie star. Star Wars made him the idol of millions when he was 35.

Midlife Career Change — Key Questions

Some people know what they want to do, when, and where. They already have a goal and a plan to get there. But others can feel lost and seek guidance. The following questions can help you come up with the most essential decisions.

Step#1 How to Choose?

When it comes to switching careers, preparation is vital. Do this to get more solid outcomes:

1. Adapt your resume. Refresh this document’s objective and details to tell your story and demonstrate how your expertise applies to the new field. Customize your cover letters for each position specifically.
2. Prepare for job interviews. Look for the latest interview practices and common questions in a particular industry. This information will help you ace interviews and increase your job chances.
3. Update your skills. Establish educational opportunities that will help bridge the gaps between old and new skills. Do this before leaving the current field to make the transition more efficient.
4. Expand your network. Before you switch industries, ask the people around you for advice and guidance about beginning work in this area.
5. Ask around at your current job. For example, if you want to switch from sales to social media management, you might consult your colleague about this department!
6. Research alternative careers. Find out as much as possible about a new field and the roles that may suit you. Talk to people in those lines of work and ask them about what it’s like.

The following websites will help you better understand what you’re looking for:

🔗123 Career Aptitude Test. Find careers that suit your personality the best. This website provides a list of work environments and occupations in under 10 minutes.

🔗 Career Explorer. Tell the platform about your career values, abilities, interests, and personality types, and get the most fitting position suggestions.

🔗 Keirsey Temperament Sorter. The service allows you to understand your temperament better. The discoveries it provides help with job search and performance satisfaction.

Step#2 What to Choose?

Even with the right skills, deciding where to proceed with the career takes time. You may switch an industry, position, or everything at once. So, let’s look at all of them. Shall we?

Industry

Choosing a different industry may seem drastic, but many choose this route. Of course, there’s no guarantee that you’ll find satisfaction, as this choice requires specific competence in the field you are entering. With the right approach, you won’t even notice the change.

• For example, a finance analyst can quit working for a bank and become a financial advisor for college students.

Profession

There’s also a chance that you find satisfaction with a different position but in the same industry. It’s even easier to adapt as you already know how things work and may have possibly rubbed shoulders with someone from the same department.

• For example, a front-end developer can retrain to become a back-end programmer.

Everything

In the most radical cases, people turn their lives upside down. They choose to build a startup in their garage, run an online business, start over in another country, etc. This is perhaps the most risky approach to having a better professional life, requiring a lot of time, effort, and education.

• For example, a salesperson can become an HR expert, or a former bodybuilder can become a movie star or a politician.

Switching Careers Is Beneficial, and Here Is Why

Choosing to switch careers in your 30s or even further in life has several advantages.

1. Short adaptation period. Starting a career in a new field may look challenging at first glance. But you have already done much from a professional standpoint, and many of your skills are easily transferable to a new area.
2. There’s still time left. Many people who start fresh have plenty of time before they retire at 67. You can even work well into the pension years if you wish.
3. Better life satisfaction. Finding a new field can balance your life and drastically improve your financial situation. Plus, it gives you a chance to do something truly fulfilling.
4. Your mental health can improve. Switching careers can be positive if your current job only brings misery and stress. This reduces burnout and lowers the chances of depression and anxiety disorders.

I hope I’ve put your mind at ease about making this important decision! Even if things don’t work out how you wish they would, don’t be deterred by the setback. You still have plenty of time to find what you love, so don’t be too hard on yourself.