There are many reasons to change your career. Most people think that you can not do this after you reach a certain age, but more and more people are doing this as they approach fifty or are in their fifties. Here are some things that I’ve done while changing my career at the age of 49 and some tips that might help you with your career path.
One of the first items to determine is,.Do you have any responsibilities that are holding you back? This is a huge step because responsibilities come in all shapes, sizes, and packages. Questions like:
- Will I be able to pay my bills?
- Will I be able to support my family?
- What will happen to the friends that I had at my last job?
- Will we be able to stay in touch?
- What will I DO in a new career?
- Will this cost? If so, how much?
- Will I have people or a community to support me?
- Will I be able to make new friends?
- Should I do this now while the economy is so uncertain? Should I start this during a pandemic?
If you have experienced any of these thoughts, you have probably been able to silence these thoughts … temporarily. But once they are there, they will resurface. This also means that you are unhappy with your current situation. So, you can suffer for the next 15 years (give or take a few) or you can do something about that unhappiness and find a new career!
The second item to do is to determine what you want to do. This is easy and hard at the same time. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself.
- Do you have career goals in mind?
- If so, what are they?
- Is there a dream job that you have always wanted but were afraid to take a risk and go for that career?
- Will this move allow you to reach your financial goals? Is this move in-line with your core values and beliefs?
Take a look at all the options in front of you. Don’t get sidetracked by all the ‘squirrels’ that are out there! Listen to what those you respect are telling you, then decide if that lines up with your core values and beliefs. Why? Because you never want to compromise your core beliefs!
Finally, the choices that are the hardest to make are the best ones to make. It might not seem or be lucrative right now, but you never know what’s right around the corner. Remember all that glitters isn’t gold. Sometimes the best road is the roughest road because at the end of it will be all the goals and successes you always dreamed of. Just stay true to yourself and your goals and success will be inevitable!
Stay tuned for my next blog on my personal journey to my dream job!
