The idea of changing your career and shifting gears later in life can be both scary and exciting. Obviously, you’re considering the change for a reason. Maybe you aren’t happy with your current position. Maybe you’re feeling uninspired. Or, maybe you spent many years as a stay-at-home mother, and now you’re ready to get back into the working world.
Whatever the case, you might wonder how you can jump into something new and be taken seriously, especially if it’s an unfamiliar industry.
Thankfully, it’s easier than you might think to navigate a midlife career change as a woman. With a few actionable steps and some planning, you can make the transition easier and land the job you truly want.
Determine Your Goals
There will undoubtedly be bumps and challenges along the way as you navigate a career change. One of the best ways to keep working through them while staying focused is to have clear goals in mind.
Imagine your goals for a career and how you can achieve them. Do you want to be in a management position? Do you want to find something that inspires you and makes you look forward to going to work each day? Or do you want to make a higher income than you have right now?
Understanding your goals is a great first step. They will keep you motivated and determined. Focus on creating smaller goals along your journey instead of one or two large ones. When you achieve smaller goals, you’re more likely to keep moving forward.
Focus On Your Strengths
Whether you worked in a completely different industry or stayed at home for the last 20 years, you have strengths and skills. As you create a resume or apply for a new position, think about those skills and how they can help you. You likely have more transferable strengths than you realize. For example, you may feel way more confident engaging in conversations and talking to people now than when you left high school.
If you feel like you’re lacking in certain areas or the job you want requires specific skills, work towards upgrading and strengthening those areas. That might mean going back to school or working through a training program. Not only will that help you learn the necessary things, but it will also prepare your mind for the change and help you feel more confident in a pool of younger or skilled colleagues.
Be Ready to Work With Younger People
Speaking of younger colleagues, they can be one of the most challenging parts of a midlife career change. That doesn’t necessarily mean people will be unkind or unfair. But it’s easy to feel self-conscious when most of your co-workers are significantly younger. You might initially find yourself feeling like you’re stepping into a high school lunchroom and not having a place to sit.
Don’t try to be someone you’re not. Don’t assume you know more than your younger colleagues because of your age. Let your personality come through, and try not to focus on age as you work together. Your younger co-workers could end up becoming close friends and you can still learn a lot from them.
Network
Even if you’ve revised your resume and bolstered your skills, it’s important to find ways to stand out in the hiring pool. One of the best things you can do is to put yourself out there by networking.
Attend events within the industry and community. Meet people who have influence or can help you land that dream job. Connect online through websites like LinkedIn, or ask if you can job shadow someone in your desired position. Meeting the right people can boost your confidence and help you get your foot in the door.
Counselling can Provide Support
Don’t let your age or lack of experience in a certain industry keep you from going after the career you want. Keep these tips in mind as you navigate a midlife career change, and make sure to take care of yourself along the way.
Therapy can be a good option to discuss your fears, concerns, and anxiety. You can also learn new skills that can support you in your career change journey. People don’t only attend therapy when things go wrong. Therapy can offer a variety of benefits including identifying your strengths, focussing on personal growth and awareness, improving confidence and self-esteem, navigating challenges and disappointment, and building new skills.
Reach out to Onyx and get paired with a best fit therapist to support you on your new career journey.
