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No matter what age or stage in your life you choose to change careers, this process can still be nerve rattling. But for adults who are almost or are in their early 40’s, a career change may be a bit more challenging. There are many things to be considered, such as age discrimination, financial resources, the need for further education, and even their source of motivation. If you’re in your 40’s and you feel like a career change is necessary, here are some important tips that can help you succeed in this exciting endeavor:
Take an inventory of your current skills.
The very first thing you need to know is what skills you have, and which among those skills you enjoy and which ones you did not enjoy. Take into consideration your hobbies, past work history, and even your volunteer experiences. This step is very important because it will help you evaluate your qualifications for the next career path you wish to pursue.
Get as many career ideas as possible.
Check out the classified ads to see what opportunities are there you may explore. There are many local businesses also that you may want to work at, or even own, so you’ve got to take note of all of them, and include them in your list of potential careers you need to further research.
Go for a career that you can enjoy, and not one that can only make you earn money.
Even at the age of 40, you still need to learn new things should you decide to pursue a new career pathway. With that said, it is very important that you have enough enthusiasm and passion to be able to enjoy learning new things. Also, the more you enjoy your chosen field of work, the more time you will be willing to spend at it. This gives you a bigger opportunity to increase your earning potential in the long run.
Once you’ve researched the careers you’re interested in, narrow down your career choices.
It’s not enough that you identify the careers you think are interesting; you’ve got to do enough research about those career options to know which ones will suit you best. You may visit your local library, or even do an online search to gain as much information as you can about the careers you are considering. Your goal is to narrow your choices to around three careers, which you should get to know on a much deeper level.
Have a clear picture in your mind of what career you really want to pursue.
At this stage in your life, you’ve got to have a sense of certainty when it comes to the kind of career you will have. You cannot be complacent all the time that you can change careers over and over again regardless of your age. You’ve got to be very specific and you need to know the details very well. When you can clearly imagine yourself in a certain career, it will be easier for you to decide what career planning you should perform .