Tips for a midlife career transition!

It’s only a matter of time before we start facing the heat of a mid-life career crisis in our jobs. It’s rarely a sudden development, instead it starts sneaking in slowly but definitely. Workplace politics, burnout, self-doubt, ego clashes, a diminishing management trust; the reasons can be way too many! Switching careers later in life can happen for various reasons. Maybe your job loses its sheen or you simply realise that your passion lies somewhere else.  While every change carries with it the risk of the unknown, some find this thrilling and welcome the challenge. And others travel the path unwillingly, dragging along the way.

Whether it’s midlife or post retirement, second careers are becoming increasingly widespread. A lot of times it's just a desire to do something different! Whatever be the motivation, you can always plan a midlife career change by engaging in a bit of in self-introspection. It can get challenging initially, but if planned appropriately and executed well, it can turn out to be a rewarding and enriching experience.

 

Changing Lanes...

Midlife is the perfect time to dust off those ignored parts of yourself. It’s an opportunity to discover what you want to do, with a focus on individual growth and purpose, fulfilment and gratification. If you are trapped in a dead-end job and detest the idea of going to work every day, these feelings gradually infiltrate the rest of your life leaving you feeling disgruntled, unappreciated and sad. Inversely having a job you adore can make all the difference in your life! Often, the reality of an unsatisfying job hits you around the age of 35-40. If you took an unsatisfying job when you were young, you are typically all geared up to make drastic career change in your midlife to gratify your needs for personal fulfilment and contentment. But changing careers is a huge thing and any decision related to it should not be taken in hurry. Sometimes, people who have had a fast-paced, high-earning career, make a decision at midlife that they want to slow down and so something more significant. Some yearn to try something they've secretly desired, like following a passion or turning it into a business. Whatever be the case it’s always better to indulge in some soul searching to discover your true motivation and purpose behind wanting to change careers.

 

Explore and learn:

Instead of jumping quickly into something new, take time to assess your skills and think about things you love to do. While it’s great to take inspiration from all those who ‘made it’ later in life, you need to critically contemplate over your individual situation from all considerable angles before making a similar move. Make sure you’re not anticipating a new career through rose tinted glasses. Talk to people who have been in similar situations, do an in-depth research and make sure you have a genuine passion for it which is so absolute, it’s almost real. And even if it doesn't become your new career, it will surely enrich your life in some way. So don’t limit yourself!  Be open to ideas and explore them. A midlife career change can be frightening initially as it involves a huge risk of leaving a secure job along with the fear of rejection. But there will always be some uncertainty involved, so don’t let that stop you or paralyze you from attaining better things in life.

 

Tap your network:

One of the toughest emotions that you battle during a midlife career change is the feeling that you have to do it all single-handedly. Changing careers requires nerve, and doing it all by yourself can get pretty taxing. So reach out to people you have built and maintained professional and personal relations with over the years. They can be great allies when it comes to a mid-life career switch. Connect with them through social networking and share your career aspirations with them. You can also talk to people who are presently working in your desired profession to get a better insight and perspective.

 

 Prepare your cushion:

One of the biggest challenges you face while making a midlife career change is managing your finances. So before you embark on the journey, get your finances in place, settle your debts and save for emergencies. A proper financial planning before your change can not only boost your confidence levels immensely but also lessen your fears. So run through all the probable financial scenarios and have both a best-case and a worst-case scenario, and assess it from all sides. Speak to your friends, your financial adviser and most essentially your family. It’s always sensible to bounce off ideas of success and failures with the people you care for and respect. And be pragmatic. Set goals and plans that are feasible and possible to accomplish.

Remember guys, it’s never a sure thing! As you explore career changing possibilities, you might feel disoriented in the beginning. But as you become more involved, you’ll begin to feel more ready for a new career and life.  But make sure you have a plan about how you’ll go about making the switch. Because if you rush in without a proper strategy, chances are it will backfire!