There can be many reasons you might be looking to re-launch your career in your 40s, many people are just ready for a change, you could be seeing huge industry changes that are making your position untenable and you could be the victim of redundancy through no fault of your own or you could be looking to re-enter the workforce following a stint as a stay at home parent. No matter what the reason it can be a daunting challenge to look to win a job in an entirely new career sector. Here is a guide to a few things that can be extremely useful.
Think About Your Skills & Advantages
If you don’t have a clear idea of what kind of new job you are looking for then it’s a good idea to think about your skills and experience, what have you done in the past and what type of role would these skills be an asset for you in? With this info at hand, you can go and prove to a new employer what you can bring to the table. Also, it’s key to show examples of this, it’s easy to say you can do something, but to show examples of achievements can go a lot further in securing the position.
Start Your Own Venture
Maybe you don’t fancy going in and being employed again, perhaps you want to be your own boss, do things your way and make your own money. So why not start your own business the advantages are clear as you can craft the business to work the way you want, and the success and earning potential are unlimited, theoretically at least. However, the potential for losing money is also just as unlimited so it’s ultimately a risk vs reward calculation, be sure to research thoroughly and know where the profit will come from and what the potential issues and costs will be.
Go Back To College
Going back to study can be a great idea as a mature student as you are better equipped with life experience, you are (probably) more emotionally mature and have a greater motivation not to fail. Even if you think you cannot go to college or university as you don’t have the entrance requirements then don’t worry there are ways, firstly your career achievements will be taken into account and there are also access to higher education that you can complete to get in.
Consider The Benefits Of Part-Time
There is a lot to be said for part-time work as well and it’s not all low-quality, lowly paid positions. You may be looking at a lot of different options in this regard there are freelance and gig-economy work these days and although these modes of working can get a bad reputation if you are looking for a flexible set-up due to family commitments or whatever else then it might work for you.
Look For A Promotion In Your Current Employment
So far we have talked about looking elsewhere for opportunities but there is a lot to be said for looking internally, especially if you work for a large employer. The first port of call would be to speak to your current boss about your career advancement opportunities. Certain organisations will also have a lot of training opportunities within the organisation.
Author: Pete McAllister
