Are You Searching for Midlife Career Change Ideas?

Changing careers once you've reached the age of 40 can seem daunting, but it's not impossible. In fact, it's an incredibly smart move for many people who have reached the approximate midpoint of their lives. Unfortunately, a lot of mid career professionals simply aren't prepared with the proper mindset for changing careers. That's why I've come up with a couple of midlife career change ideas that can help you if you're ready to make a move.

I happen to believe that a career as an independent consultant is the ideal path forward for professionals looking for change. However, these midlife career change ideas can be applied to just about anyone searching for a new professional life, regardless of the chosen profession.

You Don't Need to Reinvent Yourself

One of the more influential books that I've read recently is Halftime by Bob Buford. Buford has written this book from a Christian perspective, and he wrote it specifically for male readers. However, the major lessons of Halftime are valid for all professionals.

Essentially, people spend the first halves of their lives seeking success, and the second halves of their lives searching for significance. As a result, many people attempt to make 180-degree changes at “halftime.”

Business executives travel to impoverished parts of the world to build water lines for poor communities. Expert engineers decide that they want to become world-class pianists and so on. This type of change might seem invigorating, but is it really the best way to approach the second half of one's life?

In Halftime, Buford states that the first half of a person's life is meant to prepare that individual for the work being done in the second half. In other words, you shouldn't look at a midlife career change as something that requires reinventing yourself; instead, you should reapply yourself. Use the tremendous skills and knowledge capital that you've acquired and put it to use in a meaningful way.

If you think you need to completely reinvent yourself in order to change careers, you might be intimidated by the prospect. Thankfully, changing careers successfully at midlife only requires you to reapply yourself and take advantage of the skills and knowledge you've attained throughout the first half of your life.

Shake Things up With a Counterintuitive Approach

When people find themselves ready to make a career change, they aren't always in the most comfortable position. There are many reasons for starting a new career, but they're often based on negative circumstances.

For example:

• You've just been laid off
   

• You're unable to keep up financially because of stagnant wages
   

• You feel like your skills are being squandered
   

• Your industry is dying as a result of rapid changes in technology

The problem with this scenario is that people end up making decisions in the heat of battle. Decisions aren't necessarily made with the best interests of yourself and your family in mind – they're made in response to feelings of stress, strain and pressure.

This is where some counterintuitive thinking can really come in handy. If you've been laid off, you might think that the best course of action is to scramble and come up with quick solutions, but you're probably better off taking some time to retreat, relax and make a solid decision for the sake of your future.

Instead of making decisions in the heat of battle, which is the worst possible time, take some time to stand back, take a deep breath and assess the situation without the pressure and stress that might otherwise accompany such a change. Go on a vacation. Treat yourself to a night in a fancy hotel room. Finish some projects around the house. By giving yourself a break, you give yourself something incredibly important – perspective.

Retreating is definitely counterintuitive, but I think it's one of the essential midlife career change ideas. When you step away from the heat of battle, you give yourself a chance to make a decision that will be more than just a temporary fix to your career crisis.

In my next blog post, I'll be discussing these ideas a bit more in-depth, and I'll offer some more advice for those of you searching for midlife career change ideas. Stay tuned!

If you're stuck trying to come up with midlife career change ideas, the resources available from Ex3 Matters can help. Buddy Hobart's book, “Experience Matters,” contains some wonderful advice, and the free consulting guides offered on our website are filled with information that can help you put your best foot forward as you begin a new professional life.