Posted by Dave Lorenzo - Business Coach

Paul is a friend of mine who decided a couple of years back, at the age of 36, to change careers. He has been in computer programming and tech support since he started working, and though he enjoys the analytical aspects of his job and the generous pay and benefits, he says he is tired of sitting in a dark room in isolation for most of the day. He recently told me, “My job is stressful, and I am only noticed when things are broken. I don’t get a lot of positive feedback.”

A couple of years ago, Paul started taking night classes to get his real estate license. He had always been drawn to this area, and he decided to explore it in more detail and perhaps even try his hand at it. Several months before earning his license, Paul transferred to a part-time analyst position at his company and landed a training position at a real estate company, which he is enjoying tremendously. He loves working with people all day, visiting the city from end to end, and helping clients find their dream home or profit from their real estate investments. He is beginning to train coworkers to do his programming job, and he’s looking toward leaving the computer job behind and becoming a full-time realtor.

Paul is an excellent illustration of the feasibility and promise of mid-career change. A lot of people worry that if they switch career fields late in the game, they’ll lose all the experience and knowledge they have gained in the initial field and lag behind in the new area. For himself, Paul says he has not found this to be the case at all. The skills he learned in programming have come with him to his new work, and everybody loves having an IT guy around. Most importantly, he enjoys his work and looks forward to it each day.

Don’t be afraid of change. Change for the better is wonderful and liberating. In fact, the most successful people evolve and reinvent themselves all the time.

Filed under: Career Options
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1. […] And if all this career advice is not enough, try out this guy’s site. He actually knows something about changing careers. […]

   Pingback by The Boomer Chronicles » Blog Archive » Free Advice for Boomers on Changing Careers — December 30, 2006 @ 11:05

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