Career Change 40 - Why Not Try Something New?

When you were 20 or even 30 the thought of changing careers seemed easy. You may have felt you had time on your side and had no fear of change. Well Ok, I accept it may be more of a challenge now you are looking for a career change at 40 plus but it can also be an exhilerating experience. If you have found yourself in a rut with your present position why not see this as an opportunity to follows your dreams. If you feel you need a little help with a career change at 40 I would suggest you start by undertaking a SWOT analysis.

A SWOT analysis is looking in depth at your Strengths, Weakness', Opportunities and Threats. Your strengths lie in your skills and abilities in areas outside your present job requirements. It could be photography, teaching, gardening, dancing or even music. One of your hobbies or whatever you are good at can be looked at as a possible next career move. Weakness'; have a look at any areas where training or extra qualifications may be required. If you are not a professional in your hobby field, do you need extra development or training? Do you have opportunities in the locality for the type of work you want to do and do you think you can compete in this field. This will help you a lot in deciding upon your career change at 40 plus.

After this, start listing down the possible jobs or work that may suit your situation. It is wise to also note your dislikes i.e. if you do not like animals, or you were into commerce before and now don't want to even consider it. You can also consider plannning a career around the combination of two skill areas. If you love animals, for example, consider the opportunities open to you. You could start a pet grooming service or kennels!

After you have chosen your favoured combination, you can then begin to work towards it. For example, if you choose pet grooming, consider if you have the right training? Will you be really comfortable with all pets or do you need to specialize?

If you love children and feel working with pre school age, then there are a lot of options, like becoming a play therapist. If you know a sport very well then you can start classes for children of all ages. You can also consider summer camps and winter camps for the children and if you were in commerce then how about arranging classes on commerce subjects. You can make your classes interesting and different from a school environment.

If you were a computer programmer or software engineer you may like the thought of starting your own repair workshops locally and this could lead on to supplying second hand and new computers and laptops. You could also consider classes for computer literacy and teach the basics such as Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Email accounts.

Sit down carefully and consider in depth the different options available to you. Thorough research into your career choice is a must to make a sound decision. A career change at 40 plus is a big leap, so plan carefully as it may also mean a change in lifestyle. If you choose correctly it could be the best thing you have ever done and that is a very exciting prospect!