Starting a New Career at 40

Job satisfaction isn’t easy to find. It’s why a lot of people switch jobs and careers all the time. But, by the time you’re 40, there’s a good chance you’ve cultivated a specialized skill set. Transitioning to a new career will force you to learn new things and acquire new skills. It can be scary, and it is certainly risky. If you’re in a position where you know you need to get into a new career, but you aren’t sure where to start, these tips can help. By considering two factors that your new career needs, you can avoid a lot of mistakes and find opportunities that will help you make more money and find better job satisfaction.

Catering to a Busy Schedule

Here’s the thing about switching careers after 40. Unless you’re independently wealthy and looking for a new hobby, you don’t exactly have an abundance of free time. You can’t just drop everything to go back to school and master a new field or industry. You have to pay the bills while you make the change, and that isn’t easy.

No one can tell you what profession you should choose, but if you haven’t found your calling yet, then your career change should at least consider time management. You want to find a transition that doesn’t waste any time. Online education and certifications that don’t require entirely new degree programs need to go to the top of the list. These are jobs that can include IT, bookkeeping, real estate and similar professions that are valuable but not prohibitively difficult to pursue.

Money Still Matters

Accessibility is important in your new career, but it can’t come at the cost of income. It’s going to do you little good to transition into a new career and then make too little money to pay the bills. You have to have money, and that’s why you want to focus on professions with good and reliable pay.

When you need accessibility and good income potential, the range of opportunities will diminish. What you may eventually find is that the best transitions will require at least some level of certification (this is good for creating labor scarcity and improving pay scales) and don’t necessarily pay by the hour. When you get rewarded for effort, you get the chance to increase your earnings beyond what is possible in an hourly-wage position.

When you connect the dots, they lead you down a narrow path. There are a few new careers that could fulfill all of your needs. One that you shouldn’t overlook is real estate. While you need a license, you can obtain it with a manageable amount of new education. From there, you’ll get out what you put in, and your real estate career has the real potential to completely redefine your outlook on money. All you need to get started is an online real estate course.