Written by Changing careers at 30 can feel incredibly daunting, especially when you’ve already spent many years in a previous field. Perhaps a career that once inspired you is no longer fulfilling, or you want to finally take that leap of faith into your dream field. Either way, changing careers is something to consider deeply, no matter what age you are.
Why change careers at 30?
Shifting to a new career at any point in your life will affect your finances, your relationships, and maybe even your health. These changes will in fact have a positive impact when making the change to a more satisfying and fulfilling career.
At 30, you have likely been unhappily working in the same career for 5 years or more. It makes sense to change careers now while you still have a few more decades of work ahead of you. Why be unfulfilled for more time?
Many people don’t have any significant responsibilities at 30 years of age. It may be easier to switch careers now while the stakes are lower. Millennials are now putting off life-changing events which require career stability.
According to the Population Reference Bureau, the median age for marriage in the US is 29.9 for men and 27.9 for women. The United States Census Bureau states that the percentage of women having children in their late 30s and early 40s has in fact doubled between 1990 and 2019.
Signs that you might need a career change
There are a few signs which may indicate that it is time for a career change. Don’t confuse these with job dissatisfaction though, you can hate your job and still love your profession. These signs may include:
- You no longer feel passionate.
- You feel demotivated. You lack dreams or goals in your job.
- Your job is affecting your mental or physical health.
- Your salary isn’t enough, or not enough for the amount you do.
- You constantly daydream about following a different path.
Need that extra push? Check out our article on making changes when you lack motivation.
Make a career change: step-by-step
Once you have decided to change careers, the next thing to do is plan extensively to ensure the process is as smooth as possible. Here is a step-by-step guide to follow.
- Evaluate your current career
Before making a drastic change, examine the aspects of your current career which you enjoy, and the aspects that you’d like to change. You need to narrow down exactly what you want: a huge life overhaul may sound like the best solution, but not being 100% sure will lead to dissatisfaction. Some questions you may want to ask yourself are:
- What do I enjoy about what I do now?
- What drew me to this career path in the first place?
- What excites me about a new career path?
- What are some things I’d like to change about my current career?
Swapping careers is a serious decision and acting without thinking could prove a disaster. Make sure you take time to narrow down your long-term goals and what you want out of this change.
- Conduct research into possible new fields of work
Some careers may require further education or maybe even a secondary degree. Don’t jump into this blindly though; conduct thorough research into what is actually required within your desired field.
Job search engines such as Indeed and Joblist can be a great starting point to figure out what kind of education or experience you may need. Trawl through descriptions to find the applicable skills you need for the career change you want. Some hiring managers will prefer experience and skill over a specialized degree.
- Assess your strengths
Before you make the change, consider what you could bring to the table personally. What drives you? What environment do you tend to work best in? Assessing your strengths in this way will help you narrow down what you can bring to a profession as well as what it can bring to you.
- Assess your personal and professional networks
Networking is crucial these days: finding the right career and opportunities available to you is all about the relationships you have in the field. In fact, 70-80% of people get their jobs through people they know.
Your professional network will almost certainly comprise individuals within your current field. If this is the case, you may want to start looking at your personal network for professional connections. If you have contacts who work in the field you wish to work in, pursue stronger connections with them.