Are You Ambitious Enough For A Career Change After 50?
A career change after 50 or even 60 or 70 is not a problem, if you have a strong desire to do something or achieve something and have found a passion!
It is a question of ambition, are you really ambitious enough to attempt to do something new?
If you find learning new skills and adapting hard then perhaps you should continue to do the same things you have always done and get the same results. If you desire to be in control of your life then take the helm and take control of your career.
I was speaking with a Facebook friend of mine this morning, as he is looking to make a career change and is over 50. (50 is the new 40 remember!)
Through no fault of his own, the company where he worked closed down, so he is revamping himself and would like to ideally become a photographer.
He has the luxury of taking his time to find the right path, and is currently kicking a few ideas around before he takes the plunge and goes full force into the next stage of his life.
His passion is photography, but feels that he has no track record, so no one will take him seriously and is thinking of going into this life-long passion until he waits until his retirement funds kicks in. He is also thinking of becoming a social worker, which I think of course he could easily do as he is a good listener and very empathetic, from what I can gather from our engagement over the last three or so years on Facebook and other platforms. The good news is I work very closely with an award winning photographer and teacher who can help him with ALL of these issues.
Many people have gone through a career change after 50 and gone on to become hugely successful. Many people have gone through a career change after 60 and even 70 in some extraordinary cases.
Going through a career change after 50 is not easy at all, but it never is
It is not easy going through any sort of career change after 50 or at any other age, especially when you have spent your whole life doing something completely different.
There are many challenges with people who have had a career change imposed upon them, naturally their self-esteem suffers, naturally moving into a new era of their life is a nerve wracking one and of course naturally they are worried about being a success in whatever they do so they can pay their living expenses.
All of these things effect their decision making process and of course will remain thoughts they worry about day to day.
The best bit of guidance anyone can have is from Goethe!
In 1835 an Irish poet named John Anster published a translation of Part One of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s tragic masterwork “Faust”.
Strong drink is what we want to gull the people,
A hearty, brisk, and animating tipple;
Come, come, no more delay, no more excuses,
The stuff we ask you for, at once produce us.
Lose this day loitering—’twill be the same story
To-morrow–and the next more dilatory;
Then indecision brings its own delays,
And days are lost lamenting o’er lost days.
Are you in earnest? seize this very minute–
What you can do, or dream you can, begin it,
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it,
Only engage, and then the mind grows heated—
Begin it, and the work will be completed!
Taking the time to grab a piece of paper and drawing a line down the middle is a great place to start, on the left hand side put positives, right hand side put negatives and then making a decision becomes easier…my dad used this technique with many of his 2500+ students over 17 years of teaching business at post graduate level…
Once the decision is made, taking the time to believe in yourself and finding the right help is crucial to making whatever you do a success. If you are taking a career change and would like to meet someone who could help, message me I might just know the person you are looking for, or at least know where you can find them.
Once you have decided what you are doing for a career change I would recommend you took the time to think about personal branding and if you are interested we have a new offer coming along with our personal branding course…message me for details on nat@natschooler.com
Brilliant Nat.
And thank you. Happy to share my story.
Best wishes
Rudi
Thanks Rudi, glad I could be of assistance in your thought process and give you a good introduction