A mid-life career change? yes, it’s possible!

September is a time for change. For starting or learning new things, maybe even for a career change. This September was no different in this respect. I spent 3 glorious weeks in France, discovering, visiting and learning new things.

At the end of the month, I returned home feeling optimistic that life was about to take one of those defining turns. During my vacation, I had received a call inviting me to attend a job interview. Earlier in the month, I had applied for what sounded like a dream job. When I read the job posting, I thought “this job is made for me! I want it!” So, I applied.

Interview jitters

I was a wreck at the interview. Maybe it was the jetlag. Or, the lack of sleep. Or, the inner voice that said “I want this job!! This job is perfect!” The stakes were high. If I didn’t get the job, I had already made plans to leave my current job. At some point, enough is enough. I was ready for a change. I left the interview feeling deflated. I was sure I didn’t get it. I went over the questions and my answers and felt that I could have done so much better.  I sent the customary “thank you” note and thought “oh well, there’s always the next opportunity.” And then, the following day I received the call: the job was mine!!!

To say I was excited would be an understatement. This is a dream job.

Switching careers in your 50s

How did I switch careers at this stage of my life? Changing jobs is scary. Changing careers in your 50s is downright terrifying. But it’s doable. The first thing I did was think. A lot. I was miserable at work. I’m also proactive. I needed to do something. I started by taking a 6 month deferred leave from work. I needed time away from the daily grind to think about my life. I spent a lot of time reflecting on what I wanted. What made me happy? What was essential? What was negotiable? What was non-negotiable? Early in the process, I reached out to a friend that I admired and asked if I could pick her brain, as it were. We met for lunch. That lunch led me to buy the classic book, What color is your parachute? I diligently worked through the worksheets. Still, nothing jumped at me.

There were some good things about my former job. My colleagues were wonderful. Together, we weathered some very challenging times. We laughed when things got out of hand. We shared stories. I will miss these ladies. But, I know we will stay in touch. Food has a way of bringing us together.

Networking is essential

I continued to talk and network. My friends were amazing. They listened to me as I rambled on about career change. I also reached out to some of my extended network and asked people if I could meet and chat. These chats were invaluable. I realized that the more perspectives I heard, the more ideas I had. I let people know I was looking for a career change. I reached out to Marc Miller from Career Pivot. I sent him some PMs on Twitter and he always answered my questions. https://careerpivot.com/

I signed up for webinars and bought some eBooks on career change. It all started to add up. Little by little, I could see a light at the end of the tunnel.

I realized I could change careers. I saw that I had possibilities. After my leave, I headed back to my job. I wasn’t happy to be going back. Four days in, I got sick. Quite sick, as a matter of fact. I ended up taking 9 sick days. One thing I’ve learned in the last few is years is that when my body talks, I listen. I knew my days were numbered. I asked my director if I could add some marketing tasks to my job. Since I had a marketing degree, adding marketing tasks to my job would allow me to use my extended skills. She agreed. I was thrilled. That was the beginning of my career transition. I loved the marketing tasks. They added a fun component to my day. I wanted to do more marketing.

The new job

The new job is all about marketing and business in an education setting. I’m thrilled. I’ve only been on the job for three weeks. It’s still early in the game. And yet… This job feels so right. I’m really enjoying not only the job itself, but the team. I’d forgotten what it was like to want to go to work every day, to feel rejuvenated at work.

The takeaway? If you want to change your life, you can! Do your homework. Network. Stop and think. Take lots of notes. Take a chance. You never know where it will lead you. It’s never too late to do what you want to do. Remember, magic happens outside your comfort zone.