How to Make a Mid-Career Change

Are you in the midlife of your career, and looking for a change, either to a new career or to add more excitement, energy and boost to your current one? Mid-career change has become more socially acceptable these days, especially if you have a good sense of what you like to do, know what brings you pleasure, and can quickly adapt to new roles. Any search for a new career must involve not only matching you to the work, but work-life integration as well. To get started on your search, take these 12 steps when considering a mid-career change.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. 
   Analyze the Things Affecting Your Career

   Analyze your current situation—specifically any changing desires, unanticipated events, aging, mid-life crisis, expectations of others, stress, burnout, and anything else that is affecting your current career.

2. 
   Develop Potential Career Opportunities

   Assess interests, values, and skills. Explore your passion, hobbies and any other interests that can be developed into potential career opportunities.

3. 
   Identify Priorities for Changing Your Career

   Identify the three most important priorities for changing your career. Obtain information about career opportunities and determine what kind of new career to start.

4. 
   Develop a Career Roadmap

   Develop a Career Roadmap™ to ensure a successful mid life career change. Write down career goals, gather information about prospective careers and make necessary decisions to pursue opportunities that may arise.

5. 
   Realistic Midlife Career Change Expectations

   Establish an action plan that is built upon realistic expectations and which draws upon available resources.

6. 
   Identify Career Resources

   Identify and overcome resource barriers.

7. 
   Career Stakeholders

   Turn personal contacts into career stakeholders.

8. 
   New Career Structures

   Experiment, learn, take risks, and network to create new career structures.

9. 
   Deal with Doubt & Uncertainty

   Learn how to deal with doubt and uncertainty as the new career unfolds.

10. 
    Strategies to Achieve Career Goals

    Implement actionable strategies to achieve new career goals.

11. 
    Career Re-training Programs

    Invest in re-training programs that will build on your existing expertise and knowledge.

12. 
    Manage Emotions

    Look at mid-career change realistically to manage emotions such as fear, anxiety, or a sense of loss.

Tips & Warnings

• Use the resources below to help you successfully manage a mid-career change.

Resources

• FREE SPECIAL REPORT: Read This Before You Take Another Job
• Answers to Your Questions about Job & Career

[admiller]

on 4/14/2009 It's important to assess interests and values. If I had done this in the first place, I would not be making a career change now. Devoting time to discovering my passions has really helped me put my career change in perspective. Thanks for taking the time to put these tips in writing.

[Desula]

on 6/28/2008 Thank you for the information on career changes.

[luv2blog]

on 6/28/2008 Networking is invaluable when changing careers.Great article. 5 *****

[2besure]

on 6/27/2008 This time pick a job you love. Great information!

[2besure]

on 6/27/2008 This time pick a job you love. Great information!