March 2nd, 2024 – When Is It Too Late To Make A Career Change?

Never. That’s the quick answer. But I want to talk about why.

This is a question I saw recently on the reddit thread r/stenography. Someone asked if making a career change in their late 20s was worth it. Not only was I so happy to see the entire thread filled with people who were supporting and encouraging this person to take the leap and go for it, but it was something that really hit home for me. I am very passionate about this question and subject, as it holds great meaning and value to me.

The society we live in today is not great. There is a myriad of problems we could discuss, and the economy is a significant issue. It has become necessary for people to look for second jobs to supplement their income, or get work-from-home positions to try and save on costs. There is a stigma in our society surrounding changing careers, or switching between jobs, or changing your path in life. This is a ridiculous, unnecessary, harmful, and frankly, nonsensical stigma. Especially in today’s society where people can work 60 hours per week and still not be able to afford both rent and groceries.

Even if that wasn’t the case, changing career paths later in your life should not be stigmatized. Changing jobs multiple times should not be stigmatized. Not only that, but it should also not be something you’re afraid of. So today, I want to discuss the reasons I am so passionate about this topic, and why I believe it is never too late to make a career change.

Asking to choose at 17 is outrageous

This is at the top of the list because it is one of the things that bothers me the most. If you want to be successful today, you need to start planning early. Without a decent education, you’ll struggle to find a high-paying job. Without a high-paying job, you’ll struggle to make enough money to survive in today’s society. That doesn’t even begin to talk about retirement.

Let’s talk science for a second. In your brain is a centre called the prefrontal cortex. This part of your brain is responsible for decision-making, planning the future, and regulation of behaviour, thought, and emotion. This part of your brain doesn’t fully develop until you are around 25 years old. Did you read that? TWENTY FIVE. Women will develop earlier, but it can still take to your mid to late twenties to see full development. So, tell me, why do we ask children at 17 years old to decide how they are going to spend the next 50 years of their life? How in the world is a person without a fully developed brain supposed to decide the job that will consume over 1/3 of their life? That is 90,000 hours. The amount of things a 17-year-old person doesn’t know is insane, and we want them to decide their future?

This is a societal problem, and it burns my blood, but it’s not the point I’m trying to make. You are not going to make your best decision at 17, so why do we stigmatize making a better decision when you’re older? We shouldn’t. If you made a decision at 17 that you’re not happy with anymore, and you want to make a change, you shouldn’t feel like you can’t do that. This brings me to my next point.

There is no maximum age for happiness

If you’re not happy anymore, you have every right to make a change. No matter how, no matter how quickly or slowly, you don’t have to remain unhappy forever because society told you that once you chose a job you have to stick to it. That’s not true in this day and age and you don’t need to limit yourself. It doesn’t matter if you are 35 or 55, if you decide you’re not happy in your job anymore, then you have every right and every responsibility to yourself to try and make yourself happy.

People change their minds all the time

There are a lot of things I don’t like about our current society, but we have the freedom to change our minds. No one can tell you that you can’t change your opinion. In fact, it’s one of the greatest strengths we have as a person, to change our opinions and ideas. If where you are doesn’t fit your ideals and morals anymore, or if you simply want to try something different, why shouldn’t you go for it? The stigma exists to perpetuate an idea that not remaining loyal to a company makes you selfish, or lazy. Those things simply aren’t true.

You are more financially stable and knowledgeable in your later years

Once you’ve worked for a few years, you gain more knowledge. You’ve seen and understood the economy and the workforce. So, you are in a much better position to negotiate a new life for yourself. You have more financial literacy, you have a better understanding of what a job will require of you. This ensures you have a better understanding of what you can and cannot give to a future employer. As well, as you have worked for a few years, the chances of you having savings and a way to keep yourself afloat while you switch career paths are much higher than when you were younger. These are things you didn’t have when you were 17. These are things that have contributed to your current understanding of what will make you happy. Making the choice now to fulfill those needs for yourself is logical, justifiable, and indisputable.

If it’s not stigma you’re worried about, but instead it’s the fear of switching into a new, unknown field, I still think your future is bright. You aren’t 17 anymore, you have solid, referenceable work skills. You know what you can offer, and how you should be compensated for it. So, if you’re not currently fulfilled in your position, and you know now what you need or want, go for it. Carve that life for yourself. Your experience in your current field is an excellent reference source for your ability in a new field. Transferrable skills, willingness and eagerness to learn, and proven ability to positively contribute to a working environment.

May discover a unique career

I mentioned this before in my blog post, “Is Being A Scopist A Good Fit For Me?” Even if you are a great world traveler, I am willing to bet there are careers you have never heard of. This was even more true when you were younger. If you discover when you are 40 that there is a career that you know in your bones is perfect for you, why would you stay in your current job? Why would you not pursue a career that will make you happy and utilize all of your passions and skills? That seems a bit ludicrous to me. The things you discover throughout your life are a blessing, don’t waste them. Maybe it really is your destiny to be a skydiving instructor in Peru. Who knows?!

Can easily receive education

There is a phrase, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Well, I’m happy to report that science as proven that theory to be false. I believe the same metaphor can be applied to humans. In our older years, long after we have spent decades in the same field of work, you are still capable of learning new skills. You can excel in a new field with enough dedication and passion. And you can receive new knowledge fairly easy these days. The internet has an unlimited amount of information, meaning you can learn anything from how to speak Japanese to quantum mechanics.

If you’re interested in a new career, want to learn more about a new job, or want to train yourself how to be successful in a new field, the internet has the answers. This is something that wasn’t available even as recently as 1980. No matter how old you are, the age of the internet makes learning new skills a lot easier than ever before. If you’re worried you will struggle with the learning curve of a new career, you have resources to rely on. Society can’t tell you that you’re too old to make a change, and you can’t let fear dictate your life.

You know what makes you happy

If you had a conversation with yourself at 17, do you think the answer to, “what makes you happy?” would be the same as it is now?

It wouldn’t be. Because now, you have spent a lot more time understanding yourself, learning about yourself, and experiencing the world. You know what kind of career makes you happy, you know what kind of life is going to bring you fulfillment. Changing careers later in life is logical, it means you’ve figured out what makes you happy and you have the courage to pursue it. You have more knowledge to draw on now to decide how you want to spend the rest of your life.

In Conclusion

All of this to say, there are a million reasons why you should not feel like you can’t make a career change later in your life. Whether it is society that told you you can’t, or your own fear that made you believe you couldn’t. You should not let anything stand in your way of creating a better life for yourself, and achieving the happiness that you deserve. We spend way too much time in our lives working, so we should invest our time in making sure we at least enjoy it.

I hope you enjoyed this week’s post. If you did, make sure to leave a comment down below and check back for a new post on the Next Step Scopist blog!

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