A guide to switching careers later on in life

Career

Are you feeling stuck in your current career, and you want a change? If so, that can be both exciting and scary.

It’s exciting because you’ll be able to do something you really want to do, but it’s scary because you’ll be stepping out of your comfort zone.

However, the fact is that (for a variety of different reasons) many people start to think about a career change later on in life, and it’s good to know that, although it will take some planning and thinking, it’s definitely not impossible.

If you want to change careers, don’t give up; here are some tips to help you make that move and take the next step. 

Why do you want to change?

Before you make any changes to your career or life in general, it’s wise to think about just why you want to change careers in the first place.

This can help you realize whether it’s a good idea (or just a passing fancy), as well as cement what kind of career you might want to change to. Some of the reasons people have for changing include:

It could be any or all these things, and knowing what your motivation for change is will help you determine what you should do next, so it’s well worth thinking about. 

Know your transferable skills

No matter whether you like your current career or not, you’re sure to have picked up a variety of different transferable skills along the way, and it’s a good idea to make a list of these skills and add them to your resume so that you can apply for other jobs with confidence. Transferable skills include leadership, problem-solving, project management, communication, and so on. 

Don’t be shy about listing out all the things you’re good at, especially as this could be what sets you apart from other candidates. 

Gain knowledge 

Your transferable skills will be one part of your application, and they’ll certainly be useful as it means you’re starting from a good position. However, depending on what kind of career you want to go into, it might be that you also have to get some additional knowledge and perhaps even some formal qualifications.

Make sure you research what’s needed so you can be completely ready to make the switch; it’s far better to go to school part-time or look for the best copywriting courses, so you have the skills required for your dream jobs than it is to just plough ahead and start applying and only find rejection instead of finding a new career. 

This can be a difficult thing to do, especially if you’re excited to get started and gaining this new knowledge is going to slow you down, but it’s better to take your time now than it is to waste your time on applications that no employer is going to want to see because you don’t have the qualifications they’ve specified.