Are you or someone you know thinking of making a career change at 40? Here’s all you need to know about how to make the shift as well as succed.
Career change at 40
Career shift or changes in the life of professionals is common. While it is not so risky at a young age, career change at 40 can be a little challenging. But with proper plan and action, it can be smooth and easy.
In this article, we will discuss the best ways of switching careers and the best careers to start at 40.
Also read: Career Gaps | 10 Best ways to explain gaps in your resume effectively!
Why changing careers at 40 is a good idea?
Changing careers at 40 will help to overcome the feeing of uncertainty and stagnancy in the professional life of individuals. You can strengthen your network, and who knows may start a business or firm of your own.
You maybe thinking is it too late to change careers at 40? Well the answer is No. Choosing a new career is not age centric. So career change at 40 is not a hindrance but a possibility to explore new roles and responsibilities.
How to change careers at 40?
In this section we will discuss on how to change careers at 40 or how to switch careers at 40.
First foremost you need to understand and analyze the various career opportunities and select “which career is for me”. Secondly, you need to check if you possess or can acquire new skills if you want to transition to new job. Midlife career change is not unusual but needs thorough analysis of your skills, finances and risks to be undertaken.
Now the next question is how to find a new career or how to pick a career. Education and passion are the two important aspects that drive the decision. Career changes at 4o demands upskilling and invest time to sync with the new career.
Also read: Career affirmations | What are career affirmations and 25 famous examples!
Best careers to start at 40
You must now be wondering on which are the best careers to start at 40. In the subsequent sub-sections we will discuss in details on the best career change jobs and the most rewarding jobs, you can opt for.
1. Start event planning if you are feeling lost in your 40s
If you are feeling lost in your 40s and is experiencing career burnout at 40, event planning is a good opportunity. Even if you are starting over at 45, it is a perfect way to excel. With an average salary of almost USD 41K per year, event planning needs you to be proficient in hospitality and related fields.
2. Be a medical administrative assistant if you are starting over at 40
If you are starting over at 40 or looking for a career change at 40, medical administrative assistant can be an ideal option for you. So that will be a good answer for the question on what is the best career to start at 40. You need to efficient in customer service activities and develop the skills if you are starting over at 45 with nothing or starting over at 40 with no money.
3. Translator is one of the most satisfying jobs
One of the most satisfying jobs at 40 is to be a translator. With a salary of approximately INR 46K per year, translator is a versatile career and is the most exciting job one can pursue. You need to grasp the knowledge and fluency on the language you want to focus on.
4. Jobs for 40 year olds with no qualifications
What are the best jobs with no experience or job for 40 year olds with no qualifications?
If you are opting for finding a job after 40 or you want to change career at 40 with no experience, the options available are of a security guard, sales executive, bartender, or a delivery driver
5. Ideas for new careers at 45
What are the ideas for new careers at 45 or 40?
Here are some of the career change at 40 ideas or 45 ideas – dental assistant, personal trainer, patient care technician, cosmetogolist, or medical insurance billing and coding specialist.
Also read: How to find the best remote medical coding jobs in 2021?
6. Careers for women
The best careers for women or high paying careers for women include online teaching, freelance writer, virtual assistant, graphic artist and illustrator, yoga instructor, and accountant. Life coaching jobs are also one of the top careers for women or fun jobs for women.
7. Career ideas for men
One of the interesting career ideas for men is to be a SEO specialist. Devising strategies for increasing search ranking of websites through content optimization and usage of keywords is one of the key responsibilities; perfect for life after 40 for a man.
8. Easy career changes that pay well
Listing down the easy career changes that pay well when you are 40 or above are personal financial advisor, medical assistant, energy auditor, accountant and financial manager and marketing representative. So if you looking for a best second career and need a new job, then these are good options.
9. Personal care aide as a second career
As a second career, personal care aide is a good option. Its about helping patients or old people in performing their daily chores like shopping, household activities etc. Its one of the popular 2nd jobs ideas or second career ideas at 40.
10. Best jobs to get without a degree
The best jobs to get without a degree are home health aide, wind turbine technician, massage therapist, landscaper and groundkeeper, nail technician and dental assistant. So if you are looking for new career opportunities, then these are the good options for you.
Also read: 25 Highest paying remote jobs in 2021 | Best work from home jobs
11. Restaurant cook as one of the best midlife career changes
One of the best midlife career changes is to become a restaurant cook. You need to undertake cooking lessons to gain expertise. For a midlife career change, this is a very good option and especially if you have a passion for cooking.
12. Going back to school at 40 best careers
Here are some of the going back to school at 40 best careers – registered nurse, medical administrative assistant, and physical therapist. If you are planning for reinventing yourself at 40 and thinking of what can I study after 40, then you can try for a software or a web developer. These are things to do when you’re 40 and single or if you have planned for going to college at 40.
13. Second careers for accountants
Second careers for accountants can be financial journalist, banker, Federal financial investigator, finance professor, financial planner, financial analyst, business analyst, financial controller, and finance and insurance manager. All are respectable roles with good salaries.
14. Best IT careers
Which IT career is right for me?
The best IT careers to opt for at 40 are – software developer, IT manager, information security analyst, data scientist, database administrator, and computer systems analyst. IT jobs will continue to flourish even in future so a good option to pursue.
Also read: Remote IT Jobs | How-to guide to start a fascinating IT career?
15. Career change to administrative assistant
If you are opting for a career change to administrative assistant, then you can opt for being an assistant manager, human resources coordinator, executive secretary, accounting clerk, sales associate, customer service representative, office manager, and many more.
Which career is for me
If you are thinking which career is for me, then there are plenty of opportunities to try out at 40. Check out your skills, your passions, educational qualifications and the areas where you are interested to gain knowledge. You can also consult a career counsellor to gain a better perspective on what’s the best career for you.
How to figure out what you want
How to figure out what you want in your career change at 40?
Best is to perform self assessment of your skills. Check back your work history. Try to find out if you are able to grasp the knowledge on other areas. Attend some training programs or learning courses. Then you can decide, “what should I do with my career”.
Best careers for the next ten years
The best careers for the next ten years are solar photovoltaic installers, information security analysts, statisticians, home health aides, medical assistants, personal care aides, occupational therapy assistants, nurse practitioners, translators, software developers and health specialties. The salaries are also quite reasonable and can be adopted by professionals even after the age of 40 years and above.
Best certifications for remote jobs
The best certifications for remote jobs are professionals certificates on computer programming, accounting and taxation, UI and graphic design, translation and interpretation, communication design, copyediting, online teaching and technical writer. These certifications will help in finding out jobs that can be executed from home remotely at ease. You need a good communication device and fast internet connection for performing remote jobs.
Kuntala is a versatile writer with a focus on diverse areas around work, productivity, collaboration at work, hiring, management, HR, and training. Her background of past experience in technology and consulting helps in molding razor-sharp insights into the research and user-focused content she creates. Professionally she is an IT consultant in a sales role and also a writer of short stories and poems, travel blogger, and fashion influencer.
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