10 Best Jobs For A Career Change At 40

However, it’s a common misconception that a career change is out of the question after a certain age. We’re here to tell you that simply isn’t true.

Key Takeaways:

• It is not only possible, but very normal to make a career change later in life.

• There are many benefits to making a career change at 40. For starters, many of your skills are likely transferrable which will boost your confidence.

• Don’t be daunted, but there are challenges to changing your career at 40. Still, with patience and persistence you can make the most of your change.

• Looking for new education or training opportunities are great ways to start a career change.

Making A Career Change At 40

If you are 40 or older and considering a career change, you are not alone. A shift in your occupation is a great opportunity to reassess many important things in your life, such as your work-life balance or certain passions or interests you might have.

Starting a new career opens up a variety of different avenues for your life as you move forward. You aren’t stuck in your career forever. You can consider a change at any age. There are plenty of very successful people who have made career changes over the age of 40.

Now that you’ve made the decision for a career change, you might wonder what the first step is.

Especially when you have been with a company for a long period of time or in a specific industry or occupation for a while, it might be daunting to try and understand how to start something brand new.

It’s first important to take a look at the positives and negatives of making a career change later in life, as well as best practices in making an actual career change. We’ll also list the best types of careers for individuals in their 40’s or older and give advice for how to change careers.

What’s Good About Making A Career Change

There are many benefits to making a career change at any age, but here we will focus on what the positives are about making a career change in your 40’s.

• More confidence. When you’re young and entering the workforce, you’re traditionally more insecure and uncertain about many things. You’ll constantly second-guess yourself and often have other colleagues doubt your work until you prove yourself.

  As an older individual, you’ll have worked your way past those pesky workplace politics and be able to truly shine with confidence in a new occupation and company.

• More experience. Even if your experience isn’t directly transferable during a career change, you will still have experience working with a team, reporting to a manager, office protocols, and best email practices.

  You’ll also have learned soft skills during your time working, including things like how to deliver bad news, how to have difficult conversations, how to compromise, and more.

• Time’s still on your side. If you feel like you’re too far down the road to possibly make a career change, try to reframe the way you view your professional career.

  If you are in your 40’s, you still have 25 more years until retirement age. This is more than enough time to build a new career path for yourself.

  You may also have more skills and experience under your belt than you think you do, making up for some time and making your experience much more enjoyable than you may have even imagined.

• Lifestyle impact. Changing careers to something you genuinely love and enjoy can positively impact your overall quality of life. Choosing a career path that makes you smile every morning or brings less stress into your life is for the better.

  It can greatly impact both your physical and mental health and make a huge difference in how you live your life.

  Perhaps you’re looking for more of a work-life balance to allow yourself more time to accomplish other tasks in your life. Maybe you’re a recent empty-nester and are looking for more responsibilities.

  Whatever the case, you can tailor your new career path to fit your life in a way that impacts you positively.

What Makes a Career Change Difficult?

Although career changes are overwhelmingly positive, there are still some difficulties to consider before you make the leap.

• Dependents. Not all individuals at middle age have older children who are either able to be self-sufficient or have since moved out of the house. If you still have young dependents to care for, making a career change could be even more difficult.

  Consider things like being required to take a pay-cut, longer hours for training, and possibly less flexibility, depending on the industry.

• Higher regular expenses. As an older individual, you may have more costly regular expenses such as a mortgage, car payment, or medical expenses.

  This is a huge consideration for those looking to make a career change, especially if they are entering a field that has lower pay averages than the ones they are leaving.

• Transition period. Consider your transition period and your current role. You may have to take some additional time while you’re still working to enable a smooth transition out of your current job into your new role.

  This might include taking courses, doing research, or refreshing certain skills you feel may be necessary.

• Learning curves. For those entering a new career path, anticipate and prepare for a learning curve. You may be familiar with your new career on a high-level basis, but there may still be a learning curve when you get into the details of your job responsibilities.

  This may include new technologies, different processes, or different industry standards, depending on your career choice.

How to Make a Career Change

The decision to make a career change truly lies within you. If you are at a point in your life where you feel like a change is necessary, then do it. You will always find that there are people in life who advise against things and may try to deter you from making this shift.

These could be colleagues, friends, family members, or even your current managers. Remember that this choice is yours and yours alone to make. If you want to make this change, you can do it.

Try to reframe a midlife career change into a positive endeavor. Don’t be discouraged by the difficulties you may be anticipating in making this jump, but instead focus on the positives you’ll experience once you’ve gotten past the hard part.

The first step in making a successful career change is really to understand what it is you want in your next career and choosing carefully.

After 40 years of experience on Earth, you may be looking at the world a little bit differently and therefore have different hesitations, ideas, or experiences with a variety of different careers.

If you’re not sure what you want to pursue, but certain you want a change, consider re-taking a career test or speaking to someone who is familiar with placing individuals in suitable careers. This can help to narrow down your choices or consider career paths that you may not have thought about.

Next, consider the lists above and weigh your pros and cons for a move into the specific career you’re considering. Think about the kind of training and education necessary for this shift, and be sure to do some additional research on the current job market, especially for where you live.

What Are the Best Careers to Start in Your 40’s?

What are the best careers for people over 40 to consider as a midlife career change? Here are a few suggestions that can help individuals feel financially secure as well as satisfied.

1. Veterinary technician. If you love animals and you’re not afraid of a little drool, consider a career as a veterinary technician. This career will allow you to spend time with animals and pursue your passion in an age-friendly environment.

   Unlike becoming a full veterinarian, veterinary technicians can become qualified for an entry-level position with just a two-year program.

2. Marketing. Marketing is one of the best jobs for satisfaction. If you enjoy being creative, working with innovative teams, and knowing what makes people tick, you might want to consider this career path.

   The average age of this career path has been moving up over the past few years. Marketing managers, on average, are at least 42 years old.

3. Patient advocate. If you’re passionate about helping people and enjoy staying organized, consider a career as a patient advocate. These individuals typically work in hospitals where they help patients tackle a number of different hurdles, including insurance rejections or assisting with necessary follow-up doctor appointments.

   Many universities have the option to obtain a certificate on a fast-track.

4. Tutor. If you have knowledge in a specific area or have worked as a teacher, a tutor might be a career to consider. You can work in-person or even online and from the comfort of your own home.

   This allows you the opportunity to continue to teach individuals with more flexibility in your personal life.

5. Retail. There are plenty of retail jobs out on the market, and many pay well and offer full-time benefits. Retail positions are one of the most common jobs for individuals over the age of 40.

   In a retail job, you’ll meet people of all races, ages, and backgrounds. If you enjoy working with people and pride yourself on customer service, this might be a job for you.

6. Administrative or Executive Assistant. This is a perfect second career for many individuals. Most professionals looking for an administrative or executive assistant hope that their hires will remain consistent. It’s a perfect job for those who can stay organized and have a talent for multitasking.

   The median age of this job is 46, making it a great next career for individuals who are looking to add more balance to their life.

7. Independent Contractor. If you have spent any period of time in any major industry, then you have the potential to open your own contracting business.

   If you can guide individuals through a specific industry or project or offer assistance or skills, you can make this work. The best perk? Setting your own hours and picking your own clients.

8. Event planner. If you love throwing parties or events in your personal life, why not consider it as a second career path? This job involves client management as well as staying organized, but if it’s something you enjoy, this could be the ideal career for you.

9. Translator. If you know a second language, you can consider using it for your second career. Translators can be used for translating video scripts, documents, website copy, and more.

   They can also translate spoken words in real-time. Translators are typically required for a variety of different industries and can involve many different tasks, keeping your days exciting.

10. Project manager. Project managers are the key to keeping things running smoothly at organizations that have various projects running simultaneously.

    They are responsible for overseeing all projects, ensuring all deadlines are met and that everyone has the tools necessary to do their job well.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is it too late to change careers at 40?

No, it’s not too late to change careers at 40. In fact, it’s never too late to change careers at any age. Granted, there are challenges, however, there are many benefits to changing careers as well. It’s very common for people to change careers later in life, so don’t worry, you’re not alone!

2. How do I change careers at 40?

There are many ways to change your career at 40. It all depends on the new career path you want. Some careers require degrees or certification. This would mean you would need to get additional training or education. Other careers, you may need to simply rewrite your resume to reflect your transferable skills.

3. Will people judge me if I change careers at 40?

No, most people will not judge you if you change careers at 40. There will also be some detractors, however late career changes are growing more common in the workplace, which has means your friends, family, and coworkers should not be so caught off guard by a career change.

Author

Caitlin Mazur

Caitlin Mazur is a freelance writer at Zippia. Caitlin is passionate about helping Zippia’s readers land the jobs of their dreams by offering content that discusses job-seeking advice based on experience and extensive research. Caitlin holds a degree in English from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA.

Expert

Matt Warzel, CPRW, CIR

Matt Warzel a President of a resume writing firm (MJW Careers, LLC) with 15+ years of recruitment, outplacement, career coaching and resume writing experience. Matt is also a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) and Certified Internet Recruiter (CIR) with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Marketing Focus) from John Carroll University.