How to Change Careers Late in Life
Many people find a need to reinvent their professional lives unexpectedly in their later years. The cause may be corporate downsizing, health issues or even burnout. The good news is that making a change is not necessarily a bad thing. With some imagination and a little bit of luck, you may find yourself better off in a newly invented career than in the same old job.
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Instructions
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Make a list of your skills, accomplishments and experiences and formulate a functional resume. A functional resume lists your skills under various headings like "Communication Skills." Perhaps you acted as a liaison between your department and top management or trained employees by giving presentations. These communication skills can be transferrable to other positions and other lines of work. A laid-off teacher might find employment as a private tutor, a motivational speaker, a career adviser or an educational consultant.
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Investigate the possibility of freelancing in your chosen field. For example, an experienced nurse in a hospital might find freelance positions as a private-duty nurse providing in-home care. Freelancing can provide the opportunity to pick and choose which jobs to take and to determine the duration of the job. Older people can find part-time schedules less taxing and more fun.
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Look for opportunities to turn an avocation into a vocation. You may have developed special skills through the years by spending time gardening, playing the piano, carpentry or video production. With a little research, you may be able to find lucrative work based on the knowledge you gained pursuing a well-loved hobby, or even start your own business.
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Look for consulting opportunities in your profession. Sometimes companies are more than happy to hire a worker on a part-time consulting basis. Typically consultants do not receive benefits such as health insurance, but the hourly rate can make up for it.
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Explore the possibility of participating in a grant program or obtaining a scholarship for retraining. There are grant programs designed to help older workers find employment in their community, like the Senior Community Service Employment Program from the Department of Labor. Scholarships like the AARP Foundation scholarship for women over 40 and the University of Wisconsin-Madison Alma Baron scholarship for women over 45 help women go back to school.
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Tips & Warnings
Use social networking sites like Facebook and LinkedIn to find a job once you have decided on a direction.
