New Career At 40 - Best Tips On When And How To Do It In 2023

Introduction to Career Change at 40

Samantha Wheeler, a big-shot sales rep at a stable firm was dreading and yearning for a career change at 40. She was tired of being in a career that’s monotonous, sloppy, and unrelatable to her long-term defined career goals.

Her job didn’t suffice her career needs (which goes beyond just a wealthy paycheck). She claims that she hurriedly chose the career to meet the ends and back in her youthful days lacked exposure to a variety of career options. She had no options, career counseling, and training platforms to guide her end-to-end, at the back of her career-conscious days.

This is a story of 42 years of Sales-rep Samatha Wheeler from California. She was tired and devastated in her career and approached our platform JanBask Training for helping with her career overhaul.

She is the epitome of the fact that at any point in life, be it younger age or midlife, you can stand up and walk towards a different career path. There shouldn’t be any age restricting our career decisions. With today’s talent market being flexible, it sure has quite a strict hiring process, but when a candidate has real talent, skills, certifications, and amazing confidence, hiring managers don’t see the age factor as a limiting barrier.

We oftentimes receive such queries from career stuck candidates of all ages from global regions and we ensure to help them navigate a career path that’s satisfactory to them, matches their passion & skills, pays highly at joining and more at growth, and most of all, pushes them to do something extra daily, or something they can be proud of.

Career transitions can be hard but not when you have proper ways to go about them, expert tips, and in-demand career options at hand. So to make your career transition as smooth as possible, in this guide, we will help you explore:

• Reasons when it’s time to change career at 40
• Few ways & tips on how to make a career change at 40 with no degree or any specialization in another career or job
• Some best job options or ideas for a new career at 40
• What is the best career to start at 40? Or High paying career change at 40 choices

So without any ado, let’s dive in and let’s help you make the best career change at 40 a reality!

When It’s Time to Let Go & Consider Career Change at 40?

Not everyone desires a sudden career change in their 40s (certainly most people fear midlife crisis). 40 is an age where you can’t afford to throw everything at risk, and just make decisions out of whim. But sometimes, it is the situation that wears us off and persuades us to take the big jump, in any aspect of life, especially career. 

Here are a few reasons why you must/may desire the best career change at 40. Few reasons why it might be time to stand up for yourself and seek what you truly desire and have tremendous potential for.

1. When You Feel Worn Out or Demotivated to Work in an Existing Career

When you dread the days and look for the weekends. The daily routine tasks feel like they are taking a toll on you. You feel like “maybe you should quit your career once and for all”. You feel like you are missing that drive, inhibition to keep working in that same career.

2. When You Don’t Want to Continue What You Do for the Rest of Your Life

We all have a dream job or career, but sometimes in our primitive ages, it’s normal to pick a wrong career, maybe out of others' advice or due to how popular that career is. But in the end, if that career doesn’t resonate with what you want to do for the rest of your life, it could be time to re-evaluate and reconsider your career path.

3. Is Money No Longer Good or Feel Like You Won’t Be Rewarded With More?

Not all jobs are meant to grow compensation and learning curve-wise. If you are feeling that your current job is not compensating you well and won’t ever in the near future, maybe considering a new career that monetarily grows should be considered.

4. Do You Feel Your Qualities and Service are Underlooked & Could Have Been Justified Somewhere Else?

Different jobs have different ways of utilizing our capabilities. If you feel your current job is not getting the most out of you or your skills are not utilized fully, you might have to think of a career or job that does.

Other Uncontrollable Reasons Why It Could Be Time to Shift Careers or Jobs at 40!

• When a company is downsizing or restructuring - There is no harm in taking a foot back and thinking of job security.
• When the company is dissolving - You can’t help but find yourself a stable title to live up for.
• When there is job relocation - If you can’t move across geographical boundaries for the job.
• When there is poor coordination with employees - Maybe you are stuck in the wrong profile with the wrong set of people who don't appreciate your efforts.
• Efforts are not noticed in the company. Maybe the type of job you are doing doesn’t acknowledge your contribution and doesn’t motivate you to keep striving for the best.

There could be a gazillion reasons why you could feel stuck at your current job and would want to start a new career at 40. You are liberated to change any career at any time, provided you consider careful planning and steps to move to another career.

Read: 7 Steps to Create Professional Development Plan 

If you don’t know how to break the odds, and do the best career change at 40 with or without any degree, here are the tips that will help you the most. And at the bottom, there are the best job or profile ideas for a new career change at 40.

How to Make a Career Change at 40 - Few Ways to Go About It!

If you have re-evaluated your decisions about a new career change at 40, here are a few tips to go about and make that career change in 40’s a reality, without maybe any degree, prerequisite, or some first place experience in another skill/technology.

1. Research for a Career that Fits your Personality & Interest Like a Glove

How to change careers at 40? You need to assess your personality, interests & strengths altogether to decide the right career. Knowing your personality will help you know what kind of career is suitable for you. Supposedly, if you are an extrovert personality, maybe customer-facing roles like Salesforce Consultant could be your cup of tea, while if you are reserved, you would know careers like Azure developers with back-end settings are more suitable for you.

Other than personality, your skills, strengths, passion also should be evaluated. Surround yourself with people who are family and ask what kind of traits they see in you. Do they often tell you have an analytical mind perfect for data science or do they tell you you are a problem solver & would dissolve best in a business analyst role?

For more clarity on how to change careers at 40, there are hefty tools online that suggest a solid career based on your personality and your interests. All in all, you have to look within and think of a career change based on what interests and drives you.

• Top Entry Level IT Jobs That Pays Well
• What Career is right for me? Know that in just 10 steps!
• Things You Should Consider When Looking for a New Job

2. Upskill in the Chosen Career Field as Learning is Way Important

New Career change at 40 isn’t going to be a fun party, you have to move a few paddles to row your boat. Especially since there is tough competition in almost every popularly growing work field, you will have to work really hard on building the skills suitable for the job role or career you are eying for.

Almost after two decades into a different career, it can get really difficult to enroll yourself in university programs or college degrees. This is why online training or self-learning courses as a new contemporary learning style is the best way to upskill under any skills in a quick & shorter duration (as short as 6 weeks or as long as 8 weeks). And by further grabbing the industry-recognized certifications you can validate your knowledge & make a strong statement in the talent market.

Almost every trending IT and management skill you know of has an accredited certification, which we can help you achieve with our smart & industry-relevant course curriculum.

• Read - Online Learning Benefits:  Welcome to The New World of Learning!
• Stages of Learning - How to Implement Them for Better Learning?
• Top IT Certifications That Can Validate Your Knowledge

3. Brush Up Your Resume with Updated Information

Don’t think of going with the same resume which you had created two decades ago. Since now you are applying for a different career or role, you need to have information detailing that role.

You can put up your past work experience and mention the key transferable skills that would be needed in your current profile. Supposedly, if you are applying for a Business Analyst job, make sure your resume sounds as you have:

• Got the desired skill-building training
• You have worked on getting the Business Analyst Certifications (oh, they are plenty of them, more the merrier)
• You have qualities and interest that makes you an ideal Business Analyst 

Recruiters have 6 seconds to glance over a resume, ensuring making it as per today’s market needs. And create different resumes according to the different companies’ requirements. 

Check out this Tableau Developer Resume, for instance, this is how your technical resume should be drafted!

• Top 15 Professional Skills You Need to Get Hired
• Ultimate Guide to List Technical Skills On Your Resume (With Examples)

4. Stay Active in your Professional Network

It’s time to update your professional networks if you have been out of the game for pretty long. Update your profiles on job networking and social media handles. Stay in touch with any hiring managers, friends, old colleagues who could help you embark on new employment opportunities in your newfound career.

Well, if you will choose dominating technologies as your career, you won’t have any trouble landing up a job, yes even despite your growing age numbers. 

Read: How to Prepare for Any Technical Interview?

5. Watch an Inspiring Interview, Movie or Documentary

While switching careers that too at midlife can seem to be nerve-wracking, you need an overdose of confidence to take that big step. The best way to find that much-needed confidence is by watching a movie, famous interviews of celebrities who didn’t fear a career change at 40 or some documentary that helps you push you from your comfort zone.

Well, if you are up for good movies, movies like “The Intern” starring Robert De Niro & Anne Hathway, where a 70-year-old realizes that he is not cut out for retirement yet & decides to start over his career as an intern. 

Such resources can help you break free from the comfort zone and realize that age is just a number and nobody has to tell you when is the right time to do this or do that.

6. Stop Fearing this New Transition

Do not fear this new transition. At first, it is normal to feel quite anxious about what you are doing but don’t let that feeling consume you for longer. Think of all the positives rather than counting the repercussions of you being dynamically shifting careers. Think of:

• How your past corporate work experience won’t let you sink in your next job
• How you have finally decided to do something you are passionate about
• How you would give your heart & soul to your newfound career & call it a day
• How you won’t any longer have to drag yourself to work

Just think of positives and gradually strike out all the negatives. Things cannot possibly go wrong when you get skilled in your career, get industry-recognized certification to validate those skills, and have a dash of confidence & determination pinned along with you to prove to the hiring manager that you are made out of the tough soil.

7. Think Whether You Want to Start Something of Your Own or Not

With two decades of corporate experience and vouching over new skills with accredited training, surely you can start something of your own, if you ever dreamt of a one-man show, all by yourself. Decide whether you want to start your own entrepreneurial journey or keep finding solace in being a dedicated, confident, and persistent employee within a new career field and organization.

8. Have Faith And Start Applying for the Jobs

If you do your hard work, you can definitely go places. Once you are convinced of a career change and equipped with new skills, start applying for jobs with mainstream companies. If you have done your upskilling right, you can start applying to the top multinational corporations. 

At JanBask,  we take complete responsibility for shaping your career “from” and “until” any age. We help you choose popular skills, get upskilled in it with professional trainers and real-time projects, clear the authorized certifications, prepare for the interview with persuasive resume writing, and help you until you get the call letter. With us, you can have your complete career path plan fulfilled. 

Some One-on-One Tips for Career Change at 40

Now we are confident that you would be able to pursue the career that you love the most, but still here are certain tips or pieces of advice that shouldn't be escaped by you.

• Be Practical - While you may have professional experience beforehand but don’t overestimate it and consider it enough for your next career. Make sure to do the necessary upskilling from scratch via professional training online and acquire proper certifications to honor your abilities & knowledge.
• Salary, should it matter? Starting a new career can make you land up on entry-level positions with maybe meager pay (than your previous job) so be open about that. If you don’t have financial baggage or certain livelihood responsibilities, then don’t strike off the new skill or job you're passionate about because of slight or high paycheck differences. If that new career excites you, motivates you, and keeps you happy, choose that over everything else. 
• Gather a lot of information - Keep your research tight at every step of preparing and presenting your candidature to the hiring manager. Know what’s in and what’s out in the talent market and you will be able to make an impact for sure.
• Take baby steps - Don’t expect progress overnight, be cautious, and take time to be certain of the career you have been finalizing upon. Take advice from superiors, colleagues, or any confidante who can clear the air and guide you in the best manner.

Now you know what steps & tips to follow, let’s help you unwind the career change at 40 ideas for skills/technology.

Ideas for Career Change at 40 - Know Your Options!

If you are into IT and management, here are the few best career change at 40 ideas that are heavily paying, growth-prone, amazing at learning curve (you do learn something new each day), and have great flexibility to shift to other roles without any drop in salary.

Read More - Top 10 Skills Companies are looking for in 2021

1. Salesforce Administrator or Salesforce Developer - Their duty is to help companies build or customize the Salesforce CRM for the company’s long-haul productivity & growth. A career in Salesforce is very profitable, as the average salary of a Salesforce admin is $84213 and of a Salesforce developer is $116364 per year. 

Read: Complete Salesforce Career Path

2. Data Scientist - Their job is to analyze, process, and interpret versatile data to help companies make actionable steps & decisions. As a data scientist, you can earn an average salary of $95,000 per year.

Read: Complete Data Science Career Path

3. SEO Expert or Digital Marketer - Their job is to ensure the website or any digital asset is visible in the SERP and helps drive traffic & engagement from the internet for more business opportunities. As a digital marketer, you can earn an average salary of $71,500 per year.

Read: Complete Digital Marketing Career Path

4. Business Analyst - The role of a business analyst is to analyze the market data and ensure the quality of product lines for ultimate profitability. As a business analyst, the average salary you can draw is $85,006 per year.

Read: Complete Business Analyst Career Path

5. AWS Engineer - Their duty is to plan, build, and implement the AWS infrastructure for business’s ultimate scalability & security of businesses. As an AWS engineer, you can earn an average salary of $137,724 per year.

Read: Complete AWS Career Path

These are a few job ideas for a career change at 40 with no degree that are making rounds in the talent market. They can be pursued without any beforehand specialization & work experience. Given, you just need to have quick upskilling and certifications in these, then you will be good to break free and explore the unimaginable but certainly the best career run.

Apart from these, there are gazillions of high-paying career changes at 40 choices that can be explored without any difficulty. Check them out here Trending IT Courses

Final Thoughts on Career Change at 40!

This was it, your complete guide to career change at 40 with no degree of specialization along with ideas. Whenever you feel stuck in your career, you just need to reevaluate your career and take some bold moves to transition towards a new career that satisfies you truly and makes you feel motivated to go to work.

The above tips & choices are equally for people transitioning from other careers or as well as for those who haven’t been into a career at all (yes, life happens). It is never too late or even early to start a job or change jobs. 

Today’s IT jobs are very receptive to candidates who are smart, vocal, skilled, and ready to make things happen even without any specific college degree but just accredited real-time training and certification to prove their knowledge.

If you happen to be in your midlife, colluding with the thought about “how to make the best career change at 40”, then let our expert career counselors guide you for free, treat your dilemma, list down your reasons why you should bloom into a different career, and suggest you most relatable and best jobs for career changers over 40.

FAQs on Career Change at 40!

Q 1. How to Make a Career Change at 40?

Ans:-To make a career change at 40 happen, you need to research the new career of your interest that’s stable, highly compensating, future-proof. Once identified, take upskilling training courses online, start sharing resumes, be active on job hunt sites, make your desired skills stronger and more impressive. In the end, just believe in yourself and be there.

Q 2. What Is the Best Career to Start at 40?

Ans:-Age is just a number only if you are a go-getter & have tremendous potential to carve a niche for yourself. Any career of your interest, choice, or which is in demand can be pursued, provided you need to have really effective upskilling or reskilling around it to have an impressive candidature for the hiring managers.

So to answer the best jobs for career changers over 40 is anything that interests you, pays you well, has a trail of growth in the future, and in the end, makes you eternally happy. If you are still unsure of “what is the best career to start at 40”, our deemed career counselors can help you for free!

Q 3. When It Is Too Late to Change Careers?

Ans:-There is never too late or too early to change a career. You can be 20-ish something and be miserable in your career journey or you can be 40-ish something and decide to take a detour of your career path. 

With the evolution in technology & its related career, the barriers of age factors have started to become blurred. People can stop and start over now easily at any age as long as they are determined and fully there to commit to a new thing.

So if you ask when it is too late to change careers, we would say, when you really dread a career change and still keep holding onto the thought of it. When you know you will be happy pushing the boundaries and you keep resisting change, that’s where you go late.

Fancy Some Next Read About:

• Should You Go For a Career Change at 50?
• How to Achieve Your Career Goals?
• Best Careers for Women - To find your Passion & Become Stable
• How to Stay Organized at Work? (Work From Home Scenarios)

Tell us in the comments below are you thinking of changing careers? If so, what career or steps are you willing to take?

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