I’m over 40, is it too late to make a career change?

I’m over 40, is it too late to make a career change?

There are more people over 40 changing careers than all those in their twenties and thirties combined. It’s almost never too late. Over half of our clients are well into their forth and fifth decades and most say they are planning to work for at least another 30 years before fully retiring.

People are living longer and healthier and they want to be fulfilled in their work. Forty- and fifty-somethings realize that life is long; for most, making a career change is really about bringing joy into their daily work life while making a difference in the world.

For many mid-career and seasoned professionals, finding their natural element includes assessing the terrain out there to decide whether they want a job-off-the-shelf or something custom-made. I regularly work with highly creative and entrepreneurial directors and executives who are trying to “find” a ready-made opportunity. If having a great career was that easy, everyone would have one. Think about it, people who are doing great work have invented themselves, they paved their own path.   

The key is not to put the cart before the horse. To get something that really fits, knowing what you’re best at and the specific difference you want to make in the world is much more important than credentials and experience. It’s difficult to master the artful process of breaking a new career if you don’t have a laser focus of where you’re going and why.