Age affects the options for getting a new job but it is not impossible. Wanting is power. Below I explain some tips to overcome the fear of change.
Age is something that generates difficulties in many aspects, especially in the workplace. Most companies require people under 30 years of age to perform their jobs. At 40, the most normal thing is to feel “old” to find a new position, especially if it involves a turn in the profession to do and even more so with the current times. But if we think about it coldly, that person still has 25 or 27 more years to continue working and can do so in a very productive way.
Well, at the point where you see that you are reaching 40 and you are clear that you want a change in your profession, what can you do to do it without it involving “suicide”?
The most important thing to keep in mind is that you want and you must leave your comfort zone But to do this you don’t have to launch like a kamikaze. If you have a job that supports you, it’s not about leaving it alone, but rather slowly looking for a different path. If, on the other hand, you are unemployed, it may be easier for you to move on to something new, although you may be in a hurry given the economic situation you are going through. My advice in this second case is that you look for a job that you have usually done (since it is easier for you to get a position given your extensive experience) with the aim of securing an income and subsequently looking for your new direction.
Steps to follow to lose the fear of changing careers
1) Inspect what you like: By the time you reach 40, you probably have a clear idea of what job you DON’T want to do. Maybe you are not so clear about what you would like to do. Maybe you didn’t study something that caught your attention at the time out of fear, or you left a career or professional training halfway. Perhaps you have now realized what you would like to work on or your great passion. Consider what you would like to dedicate your working hours to over the next 25 years. I insist on the word “would like”, since you have probably been working for years out of obligation and perhaps it is time to work on something you like.
If you are not clear about what you want to do, then it is important that you select, within what you like, which jobs you see with the most professional opportunities at your age, that is, in which positions someone with maturity and work experience may be needed.
2) Train yourself in the selected work area: If you don’t have enough training or what you have is a bit rusty, refresh your knowledge. Sign up for specialization courses, preferably that contain internships, since in future job interviews they will be able to value this practical training as experience. Nowadays almost all training can be done online, so it is no longer so difficult to access new knowledge.
3) Combine some type of volunteering with your work: It seems hard at 40 to have to work for free again, but it may be the way to get a job. Think that if you don’t have experience in some way you have to achieve it. If you do it as a bonus to your job it will not affect your finances and you can take it as a hobby.
4) Start an active job search: You can do your day and when you get home start sending resumes like a crazy person. Also retrain yourself in aspects that may be important such as languages or the use of new technologies. It might be good for you to take a course on how to write an attractive resume or write cover letters.
5) Dare with your own business: If you are clear about what you want to do but you can’t find any company that will give you the opportunity, perhaps the time may come to jump into the pool and start your own business. There are sites where they advise new entrepreneurs for free and help with the creation of the project. Weigh pros and cons and pursue your dream.
To finish, I would like to explain the case of a patient who is an example of improvement. A 52-year-old man who had worked his entire career as a bank teller. He had extensive experience and had come to have great comfort in his work. However, he considers himself an adventurous person and he did not feel well in that job. The fact is that he had studied to be a tour guide for pure pleasure and that study led him to dream of changing jobs and making a living from it. At first he combined it with work at the bank. He began to get specific jobs on weekends. At one point, he decided that it was more rewarding to work those weekends than the rest of the days, so he started looking for work as a guide and finally changed positions. Today he works what he likes and although financially he lives worse and the job is more unstable, he considers himself a fulfilled person.
