Should you make a midlife career change?

Since you’re reading this you’re probably wondering, “Is it really possible to make a midlife career change at 40? Or 30? Or 50? – and actually make it work?”

I’ll be very clear and brief: If you’re middle aged and reading this, you probably need a midlife career change.

In fact, it’s not just possible to make it work, it’s necessary – if you really want to make it work. And that means you can do it, and you must do it. When you change from what’s not right, to what is right for you, IT DOES WORK by default. (And rather ironically, as it does work, you begin to feel like you’re not ‘working’ so much.)

“I never worked a day in my life, it was all fun”.

Look, let’s be frank, by reading this you’ve put your hands up as someone who’s contemplating a midlife career change. I know that about you already and we’ve only just met. OK, if that’s the case, you’re looking for ‘better’. Which means things aren’t currently working as well as they should for you. And ‘better’ is out there. And you know you deserve better. Now, let’s invite Thomas Edison in again, because he also agrees that things could be better:

“There’s a way to do it better – find it!”

That ‘better way’ out there for you is findable. And with some help, you can find it. And we can help you. You might want to start by planting 3 seeds (ok, words) in your mind, which we’ll water and grow together:

1. Fit
2. Value
3. Rewards

First, it’s fit – and we need to understand what ‘shape’ you really are. What are your strengths, talents, things that come easier to you than they do to others (that people might pay you for). If you’re a round peg, you don’t want to be in a square hole. You want a round hole. Because that’s valuable. That’s what makes the world go round.

Which leads us to the second, point; value goes up when you’re serving others (people, businesses, or a whole market) in a way that FITS you and puts you in the strongest possible position to make impact, enjoyably, to those people.

And when that happens, you get number 3, the ‘rewards’.

That’s how you earn a living enjoyably, and in a way that’s fulfulling. That’s a pretty good reason to make a midlife career change.

Why would you struggle and battle on playing any other game than the one you can and will win?

So, yes. you can make a midlife career change in your 30’s, 40’s, 50’s or 60’s, and make it work. In fact, you could be 99, and STILL change who in the world you add value to, if you wanted to. Your 100 years of wisdom might just be valuable to someone out there who’d pay you. (And that single line confirms and waters our ‘3 seeds’: FIT, VALUE, REWARDS.)

The opportunity to make this change for the better is out there for everyone. Somewhere out there is a way for you to earn a living that’s better and more rewarding than any other way out there.

I wonder what it is?

Our best advice is: find it.

Are You Too Old for a Midlife Career Change at 40?

So, you’re wondering if you’re too old for a midlife career change at 40 (or whatever age you are at midlife that you’re stressing about!) Let’s clear that up swiftly. Ever told a young person who thinks they’re too young to achieve something,

“if you’re good enough, you’re old enough.”

This is one of our 3 seeds: VALUE. If you provide enough of the right value, for people to pay you (or to achieve whatever purpose you’re going for), then you’re old enough. Age does not matter. Child stars exist for a reason. So, let’s flip it. If follows that,

“if you’re good enough, you’re young enough”.

Seed word 2, ‘value’. If the value is there, and people will pay you for it, and providing you fit (seed word 1), you’re young enough. Age becomes irrelevant. Value takes over. There’s a position for everyone. Some roles demand an older person. Because that’s where the value lies. OK, not the high jump at the Olympics. But perhaps a role using your experience and wisdom to guide or lead others. Or a role sharing the thing you’ve learned to do best at throughout your entire life. Others might just value that. There is an ideal role out there for everyone. You’re doing yourself and the world a dis-service if you don’t find yours.

At this point, you might be thinking “won’t employers overlook me for someone younger?” Yes. Some will. The wrong ones. The ones who think that a younger age is more valuable to them than what YOU can do for them. That’s up to them. They may prefer to employ a younger person who they think can learn and step into the role. And that’s fine. You don’t ‘fit’ them. But there will still be the right opportunity for you out there somewhere. Where you can get paid by someone (direct customers, or an employer) for your expertise, experience, wisdom, skills and talents. Someone out there wants that now. As you are. Ready to go.

Your current job is to find them.

You’re going to need to position yourself in the strongest position you can. And feel great about it. And then sort through the people who might want it, until you find the one’s that really value YOU at your best. They are out there. And there’s never been a better time than today to get connected to the right people and opportunities in the world. (Tomorrow it’ll be even easier). But you do need to learn how to do that. And how to put your best foot forwards.

So, in short, you’re not too old for a career change, providing it’s the RIGHT career change. The one where you’re even more valuable to the right group of people who pay you. When you see it like that, you’re the perfect age, to change. Glad we’ve cleared that one up then.

Let’s keep going..

Well, let’s qualify this. It’s not by default ‘the best time for a career pivot’ for everyone. It’s the best time for a career pivot if you are middle aged AND sufffering earning a living in a less than enjoyable way! Yes, that makes NOW the best time for a midlife career change. Simple.

But you don’t do it blind. You must think things through. And you almost certainly need more information to think about (rather than just thinking things through with your current knowledge). Then you must generate some ideas, and test them out – research them and hold them up against reality. We help you do all of that in our course which you can sign up to above.

But if your research indicates that it’s not, on balance, a good move, then don’t do it! It’s obviously not the best time! But if the checks come in, and the investment seems to make sense, then what are you waiting for? So many people are in a bad position, where the system they are in is draining them for all they’re worth, and there are quite simply other better options out there. They just need to not be fearful of the change and ‘see’ what’s ahead clearly before leaping.

Switching careers later in life isn’t just a smart thing to do, it’s potentially the best thing you could ever do, providing you do it properly. You have accumulated valuable experience and refined your skills (even the ones you didn’t notice that other people did notice). In fact these are your secret weapons. It’s just hard for us to spot them within ourselves! Hence why we tackle them in our ‘Ultimate Career Reboot’ ecourse.

Midlife is the BEST time for a career pivot, IF you’re going to be better off than you were. And that’s something you can work out, if you are methodical and have an encouraging plan!

What If I’m 35? 40? Or 50?

Just re-read the above. You’re PERFECT to change! Providing you’re thinking things through properly. Myself and my friend and colleague Ritchie have created an e-course that is essentially a ‘thought process’ that helps you move through this big decision, checking every corner, before making any leap. We know lots of people who have made a career change at 40, 50, even 60. (Did you ever see the Blues singer ‘Seasick Steve’? He was 66 when he made it.) Career change at 40?? Add 26 years and then ponder if you can still do it.

What’s more, is we use the resources we have available to us (that’s us and YOU) to the full. I read a book years back called “Getting everything you can out of all you’ve got” and the title alone is a whopper of an idea, isn’t it? We want to help you squeeze maximum ‘juice’ out of all your resources and all your opportunities.

Which is why on our e-course we help you tap into your friends and family (to get their ideas and support and encouragement) and also A.I. (Chat GPT in particular) to help you generate ideas you’d have never ever thought of. We keep it all simple, so anyone can do it. It’s all in the e-course. But back to doors closing…

Yes, some doors are closing, as younger people and A.I. step into our lives.

But YOU are old enough to know that when one door closes, another door opens.

You know this! You’ve spent years saying it, or hearing it. Well, pay attention to your valuable wisdom! Doors are opening like never before. But they lead to new paths that you’re not familar with. That’s the ‘scary’ bit. But your wisdom and experience can add value to the right ones.

You know this.

You know that young, inexperienced people can do certain things that interest them, they can think fast, they can build stuff! But you know they aren’t seeing what you can see. Remind yourself of this. Mark Zuckerberg HAD NO IDEA what the thing he was building (Facebook) was going to really do. He saw what was in front of his face, built it using his skills, and had no idea that all the young (mostly at the time) men who joined him would fail to think of any downsides.

Without getting bogged down in the ripple effects of this, and every problem (and opportunity) it’s created – which are beyond comprehension to be honest, I mean TikTok wouldn’t exist if Facebook hadn’t first, and so on..) but the point is, experience, and experienced minds, can add value to things that make all the difference.

A career change at 40, or a career change at 30, or 50…..they’re an opportunity to sieze, proudly and confidently.

You might have spent your career solving problems. That’s helpful. Thank you for your service! But maybe now is your time to sieze and exploit an opportunity? One to put yourself in the strongest most fulffilling position you can?

This might be the very best time for your midlife career change?

If you’re interested, below is our intro video the course. If you like the sound of it, you can sign up using the button above.