{"id":882,"date":"2020-07-06T17:11:50","date_gmt":"2020-07-07T00:11:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/contractorslicensingschools.com\/blog\/?p=882"},"modified":"2020-07-06T17:11:50","modified_gmt":"2020-07-07T00:11:50","slug":"is-a-career-change-in-your-30s-or-40s-a-good-idea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/contractorslicensingschools.com\/blog\/is-a-career-change-in-your-30s-or-40s-a-good-idea\/","title":{"rendered":"Is a Career Change in Your 30s or 40s a Good Idea?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>If you\u2019re like a lot of people, you were raised with the idea that you\u2019d learn a skill, get a job and keep it until you retired. The past few decades have turned that belief on its head. The concept that you\u2019ll get a job when you graduate from school and stick with the company for the next 40 years is extremely outdated. While some people still do this, changing jobs and even careers mid-life is completely normal. Here\u2019s how to determine if it\u2019s the right decision for you.<\/span><\/p>\n

Job Satisfaction
\n<\/b>It\u2019s true that most people don\u2019t look for work because they love doing it more than anything else. However, it\u2019s worth keeping in mind that job satisfaction is an important factor in your ability to keep working within a particular field for years. People who hate what they do or who have grown tired of it often realize that it spreads into the rest of their lives. When you spend a third of your time doing something that doesn\u2019t make you happy, it\u2019s going to be harder to enjoy yourself in your off-time. The trick is to determine whether or not it is your particular job or your career in general that\u2019s causing the issue. If it\u2019s the latter, you\u2019re probably better off making an adjustment sooner rather than later.<\/span><\/p>\n

Upward Mobility
\n<\/b>Upward mobility might feel like an obsolete term from a completely different world, but it still plays a role in your future prospects. The ability to continue to grow in your career depends on the job and where you\u2019re at right now. If you\u2019re in your 30s and realizing that you\u2019ve almost hit the max on where you could go, you have to decide if you\u2019re OK staying where you\u2019re at. Some people find a great deal of satisfaction in a job where they aren\u2019t constantly having to break the mold. But if you\u2019re looking for something with more variety, or you\u2019re starting to feel like you\u2019ll be doing this job forever, it might be time for a change.<\/span><\/p>\n

Future Plans
\n<\/b>Of course, the timing of a possible career change depends heavily on what you\u2019re planning to do with the rest of your life. Someone who is planning to do something big like start a family or relocate may not have as many options to re-define themselves as someone who has comparatively few new things on the horizon. While many people decide to jump into a new career with both feet, it\u2019s worth evaluating when is the best time for you to do this. Sometimes, waiting even six months or a year so you can prepare makes a successful transition much more likely.<\/span><\/p>\n

Financial Responsibilities
\n<\/b>For most people, the older you get, the harder it is to abruptly shift from one financial situation to another. If you have a house with a mortgage, and a family with lots of expenses every month, you\u2019ve got fewer options than someone who is single and able to move almost anywhere. But it\u2019s worth keeping in mind that a job transition doesn\u2019t have to be a complete pivot from an established, comfortable situation into chaos. If you outline your liabilities, you\u2019ll know what standards you need to be able to hit with a new career.<\/span><\/p>\n

Transferable Skills
\n<\/b>If you expected that the only way to change careers is effectively to start over, you might be pleasantly surprised. When you start in a new field in your 30s and 40s, people evaluating the skills you bring to the table aren\u2019t going to look at you as if you just turned 18. This means that you may have a variety of talents or develop skills that would benefit you in your new career. Take some time to think about the soft skills you\u2019ve picked up so far, such as:<\/span><\/p>\n