Changing Your Career Late In Life—It’s Never Too Late
What Now?
Feeling stuck in the same career you’ve been chipping away at since you graduated trade school or university? Each year, scores of people face the same challenge.
Whether they’ve been laid off or are simply unhappy in their jobs, they might wonder if they really want to stay on the path they’ve laid out for themselves—or if it’s possible to make a change after 30, 40, or 50.
You’re Not Alone
While our parents or grandparents might have stuck with the same job—or even the same company!—for decades on end, that kind of “job for life” is now far less common than it was in years gone by. The statistics paint a pretty damning story.
What Happened To Commitment?
According to a recent survey, when someone in their early 40s started a new job, 33% lasted less than a year, while 69% lasted less than 5 years.
And, according to government research, college grads between the ages of 18 and 46 have an average of 12 jobs during their careers.
As nice as the thought is of finding a great fit and making it work for years on end, it simply doesn’t seem realistic in the current landscape.
Recareering
If you think about it, the practice of “recareering,” as it’s often called, makes sense. We tend to choose our career path at a remarkably young age—before our brains have even finished maturing.
And while, in many cases, this works out fine, when you hit a wall in your career, it can seem intimidating and difficult to attempt any sort of pivot.
How Old Is Too Old?
Many people are reluctant to leave their careers behind because of a sunk-cost fallacy. Be it the time invested or money spent on education, walking away can feel like you’re throwing something in the garbage.
But the longer you wait in an unhappy state, the more of your own personal time you’re wasting—and no matter the age, time spent being miserable is the biggest waste of all.
