Everywhere we look, there’s someone planning their big pivots into a new career or life for themselves. Partly it’s the pandemic’s fault, partly we now live in a world where we can’t get financial or personal satisfaction from the nine-to-five. We’re all looking for something more, and of course, we deserve it, but for all of the well-wishing in the world, making that change is one of the scariest things we will ever undergo.
You need to remember that it’s not just about working on marketing yourself, or acquiring skills, or having a new frame of mind, but it’s everything. It is a mammoth task, but it’s something you can absolutely do, so let’s show you the fundamental truths about putting yourself towards a career change that will make a massive difference to you.
Table of Contents
The Reality of New Tools
If you are 40 and over, you remember the simpler halcyon days before the internet. When shifting careers today, we’re all navigating a world profoundly shaped by tech. Let’s take the copywriting or blogging example, if that’s something you want to shift towards. A decade ago, no one would have worried about whether the text was written by a human or an AI tool, but now AI detection in writing has become almost Orwellian.
That’s not to say we should avoid it entirely; we must understand what AI-generated content looks like, how it is used ethically, and how to demonstrate the authenticity of the work. This example highlights a big point: no matter what field you’re entering, you’re always going to have to master new tools and trends. This is why a growth mindset is not just a skill to get you into your new career, but should be a fundamental foundation of who you are.
Education Is Broader Than the Classroom
When many people hear about educating yourself, thoughts go to heading back to college, earning another degree, and investing time and money to get you where you want. Yes, formal education can be a valuable step, but the truth is that this traditional method isn’t always necessary.
Education takes a number of different forms: micro-credentials, podcasts, online courses, or simply reading industry-leading publications. However, it all depends on what you want to pivot towards. Now the job market is oversaturated and competitive, and therefore, you’ve got to have some edge, and this means, for the most part, showing that you’ve invested time and effort into understanding the industry you want to go into.
Many careers advisors talk about transferable skills, but we’re now seeing a trend where those who’ve done the job previously are more easily slotted into the role. This means that education is not just about getting a piece of paper anymore, but it’s about experience. Experience is an education in itself.
Experience Is an Education
One of the greatest advantages is that you’ve already built an encyclopaedia of lived experiences. You’ve managed crises, worked in different positions, collaborated, and all of these things have educated you in ways that the younger job applicant has yet to encounter.
They are people who’ve been watching The Apprentice since they were in nappies, and they’ve been conditioned to think that a job application process is about spouting something they’ve recently read in what they perceived to be a high-end publication.
Navigating job interviews later in life actually gives you an advantage because you can sit back and ultimately let those people hang themselves. But we have to remember that if we’re going to do these properly, it’s about reframing our existing experience. For example, a mid-life professional who’s left the retail industry and wants to go into education or training may very well realise that decades of staff support, crisis communication, and leadership can translate beautifully into training, coaching, and mentoring.
Education isn’t just about what we learnt 20 years ago, but it’s embedded in our psychological makeup, and it’s just about remembering that this is the narrative you need to push when exploring new opportunities.
Learning How to Learn
Adults learn differently from younger people. You’ve spent a long time understanding what works for you and what doesn’t, or perhaps you are someone who really struggled in education and just went on the treadmill of school, college, and university because it was something that was either expected of you or you didn’t think beyond those parameters.
The benefit of having time away from a traditional education setting means that you have a better understanding of how you learn. This means acknowledging your own learning style and applying this method to align with your strengths.
Efficiency is far more important than it ever was because we’re all pressed for time; therefore, learning how to learn is just as important if you haven’t done it already, and this is where the book Limitless by Jim Kwik can provide you with almost all the tools you need. We have to remember it’s not just about our learning style, it’s also our self-limiting beliefs.
Emotional Resilience Is Part of Your Education
We can talk about networks, mentoring, and pieces of paper, but ultimately, if you are not in the right mindset, you could find yourself hitting brick wall after brick wall. Psychological resilience is critical because you are going to face setbacks and unfair comparisons, internally and externally.
Mindset should be a part of your training. Learn what it takes to handle rejection, practise patience, and reframe failures as lessons. Sometimes this can be the best place to begin before you embark on your re-education journey. We do have to wade through the mud that we’ve very neatly laid within ourselves up to this point, but also remember that nobody is a fixed point in time.
One of the most appropriate lessons here is that actually we can change the makeup of our brain and forge connections between neurons more effectively, it just is a tiny bit more difficult as we get older. If you think that you’re going to be stuck and cannot change your career, then, surprise surprise, you will stay exactly where you are. Take that first little step.
It’s hard, but it’s all about those techniques that borrow from NLP and CBT. Before you go to bed tonight, for five minutes, tell yourself, “I can, I will, I’m unstoppable, I can do everything I want to achieve,” and do the same things as soon as you wake up tomorrow morning. Over time, you will believe it.