How Do You Pivot a Career at 40?
Pivoting a career at 40 can be a daunting yet rewarding endeavor, so we’ve gathered insights from career coaches and CEOs to guide you through this transition. From adopting a confident mindset to planning, networking, and overcoming age bias, here are the top fourteen pieces of advice to help you navigate a successful career pivot at this stage in life.
- Adopt a Confident Mindset
- Embrace Career Change at Any Age
- Focus on Money and Marketing
- Consider Tangential Career Shifts
- Showcase Transferable Skills and Confidence
- Embrace Lifelong Learning and Adaptability
- Find Your Career ‘Sweet Spot’
- Strategize Your Career Pivot
- Follow the ‘Four P’s’ for Success
- Assess Opportunities and Define Success
- Stay True to Your Definition of Success
- Consider Education for a New Field
- Leverage Existing Skills and Interests
- Plan, Network, and Overcome Age Bias
Adopt a Confident Mindset
It all starts with your mindset. Start by seeing your background as giving you an advantage in your next venture. Nobody has the unique combination of experience, skills, character traits, and personality that you do. Your years of experience working in your previous field give you a fresh perspective in your new one. Combine this confident mindset with the requisite new skills and intentional networking, and you’ll find success and fulfillment in your new career path.
Linda Evans
Career Coach, Launched By Linda
Embrace Career Change at Any Age
Some people tend to think that changing careers when you are 40 (or older) is uncommon and extremely hard—but none of those things are true.
A career pivot around 40 happens very often, but there is a bit of shame around it and the feeling that “they should be happy with their careers by that age.”
So, first, embrace the fact that career change can happen at any age, and there is nothing wrong with that. If you are 40+, get crystal clear about what you want your next career step to look like. Aspects including value alignment, impact, work-life balance, and a great company culture should be considered.
Take your time to investigate the company and talk to people working there. Don’t rush the process, because you don’t want to join a new company and three months later realize you just hate it.
Shift your storytelling from tasks to results. Put yourself in the manager’s shoes and let them know the results you generated before and how you can solve the problems they have now in the company.
Your experience and background are great assets you have to offer. Embrace them, speak with confidence, and remember all the great things you can offer to the company that hires you next.
Juliana Rabbi
Career Coach for Remote Jobs, Juliana Rabbi
Focus on Money and Marketing
Money and marketing are the two most important areas to focus on at this halfway point in your life. Money means that you have considered your financial situation, know what you need (versus what you want), and have a financial cushion to protect your life situation during your career pivot. A car is a need, but a brand-new BMW is a want.
Marketing means that you have an online presence—a professional online presence that showcases who you are and what you offer. Social media is not an online presence. A link-listing website is not an online presence. A website with your own domain name, focused on the profession you are pivoting to, is what you want.
G. Scott Graham
Business & Career Coach, True Azimuth Coaching
Consider Tangential Career Shifts
Pivoting your career often looks different when you’re 40 or older. Rather than starting over, which can become increasingly challenging as you amass additional experience and bills, consider if there’s a tangential position or industry that captures your interest.
If you work in the nonprofit sector, for instance, might you be drawn to social impact in the tech industry? Making a smaller career shift, rather than completely starting over, can be less intimidating and allow you to hit the ground running in your new role. Moreover, it can increase your chances of standing out in the already saturated job market.
Dr. Kyle Elliott
Founder & Tech Career Coach, CaffeinatedKyle.com
Showcase Transferable Skills and Confidence
Successfully pivoting your career at 40 involves leveraging your extensive experience and demonstrating your unique value. Showcase your transferable skills throughout your resume, tailor your professional summary to align with each company’s specific needs, and highlight key metrics that demonstrate the impact of your work in previous roles.
Build confidence by focusing on your strengths and addressing any self-doubt or limiting beliefs. Network with industry professionals to provide valuable insights and open doors to new opportunities. Embrace your experience, continuously improve your skills, and maintain a positive, proactive approach to ensure a successful career pivot at 40 and beyond.
Karen Kunkel Young
Executive Leadership Coach & Career Coach, Karen Kunkel Young Coaching
Embrace Lifelong Learning and Adaptability
Pivoting your career at 40 is like switching dance partners mid-song—daunting, but with the right moves, you can still steal the show! One practical tip that worked wonders for me was embracing lifelong learning as if it’s the fountain of youth. Whether diving into new certifications or networking like a seasoned socialite, staying relevant in a rapidly evolving market is key.
For instance, when I shifted gears from retail to tech, I didn’t just dip my toe—I cannonballed into coding classes and tech conferences like a pro. Remember, age is just a number, but adaptability and passion? Now that’s timeless!
Josh Burris
CEO, STNDRD
Find Your Career ‘Sweet Spot’
You can absolutely pivot your career at 40, and I have seen people do it many times! Some of my clients have done a massive career shift and followed a long-held dream (like opening a bakery), and others have made smaller shifts into new roles or industries. If you are considering a career shift, it’s critical to get clear about what would give you a strong sense of satisfaction on a regular basis.
Picture a Venn diagram with three concentric circles. One is filled with what you CAN do, the next with what you WANT to do, and the third with what someone will PAY you to do. In the middle of those three is your “sweet spot” to aim for as you start a pathway to your new career.
Three very important things to get clarity on before making any big career shift are:
- What are the things on a daily basis that give you a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment at work? For example, are you someone who needs to see tangible outcomes regularly from your work, or are you more satisfied by creating a big-picture vision for others? Understanding in detail more about what lights you up on a regular basis will help ensure better alignment and contentment with your next career.
- What skills, education, languages, and experience are required in that field? For example, would you need to go back to school for a master’s degree or certification, and if so, is that worth it to you?
- How much annual salary/earnings do you need to earn to make a new career path doable, and how soon do you need to earn that amount? After you have clarity on that amount, do research on the current market value for any roles you are considering to see if that will be possible to achieve.
Understanding these things in detail will help you make more informed choices about your next steps rather than getting swept up in the idea of something that perhaps isn’t fulfilling in reality. It takes effort and intention to make a career shift, and you want to make sure that you’re heading down a path that will help you achieve whatever your career goals are.
Amanda Fischer
Executive Leadership & Career Coach, AMF Career Coaching & Consulting
Strategize Your Career Pivot
To effectively pivot at 40, think about the way a basketball player pivots—one foot moves in a new direction; one foot stays in the same place. First, take a look down the “court” to decide the general direction you want for your career pivot. Second, look right in front of you to figure out what specific first step would move you closer (i.e., internal promotion, new certification, joining a board, moving to another company).
Third, determine your competitive edge, as that is the “foot” that stays in place to give you stability and value. Fourth, identify “lean-out” roles where your competitive edge can land you the job, but there are growth opportunities to keep “leaning out” and “pivoting” towards your long-term career goals.
Denise Fowler
Founder and Career Coach, Career Happiness Coaching
Follow the ‘Four P’s’ for Success
I made a complete career pivot in 2021, at 43 years old. I quit the secure, federal government office job I’d held for 20 years. I sold everything I owned and moved thousands of miles away. I took a part-time, 100% remote “consulting” job (mainly so I’d have health insurance), and then I started my own company so I could follow my passion and build my dream life.
In 2021, every single person I discussed my plan with thought I was crazy. I did it anyway.
Three years later, my life is truly amazing, and I’ve never been happier or healthier. Those same skeptics now call me and ask how I did it. Here’s what I tell them:
- PRIORITIES – I got really clear on what I wanted my daily life to look like—and realized it simply was not achievable if I stayed on my original career path. That motivated me to prioritize “getting my life right” over advancing in a career that wasn’t aligned with my true goals.
- PRACTICE – I studied the smaller career leaps I’d made in the past (things like changing career fields, moving to a new organization, taking “stretch” assignments) to bolster my confidence toward making this bigger, scarier change. I recognized that I’d landed on my feet every time I’d previously leapt into the unknown, and that made it easier to step outside my comfort zone with conviction.
- PEOPLE – Throughout my career, I’d built strong relationships with previous peers, subordinate employees, and leaders who trusted me and valued my work. Because of that positive reputation, some of these folks went out of their way to provide support and create new opportunities for me when they learned what I was planning. In fact, I was recommended for the part-time gig directly by an executive I’d worked for in the past, even though it was in a completely different “swim lane.” These folks also routinely send clients to my business.
- PLANNING – I did not leap impulsively. Leading up to my pivot, I made smart financial decisions and created an “emergency fund” in case things didn’t work out. I carefully adjusted my lifestyle so that the part-time salary was enough to cover all my expenses while I started my business.
These “Four P’s”—Priorities, Practice, People, and Planning—were crucial to my successful career pivot after age 40.
Melanie Lashus
Career Coach, Live Your Lightning, Inc.
Assess Opportunities and Define Success
Speaking from the perspective of someone who made a career pivot several weeks shy of my 40th birthday, successfully pivoting takes into consideration several factors: (1) assessment of opportunities in the targeted field you want to pivot into; (2) taking stock of your network—who may be able to advise you on making a successful transition; and (3) defining what success means to you prior to the pivot.
Taking into account these factors allowed me to make good decisions when assessing which opportunity would be best to transition into, along with adjusting to a new work environment.
Vanessa Francis Gray
Career Coach, VFG Consulting Group
Stay True to Your Definition of Success
A pivot at 40 is powerful. I have worked with many clients, especially women, who mention this milestone birthday as a catalyst for making a career change. Truthfully, it’s usually less about the career itself and more about the life circumstances surrounding people around the time they turn 40 that inspires a change. To be successful, you really need to figure out what success means to you—and stay true to it!
At 40, you have a great deal of life and career experience that is transferable. Don’t ever doubt that. Whether you switch industries, change levels of leadership, or move from W-2 status to consulting, knowing why you’re making the change will create clarity others will value, too. If you feel stuck or need help crafting the story around your change, there are professionals that can support you!
Jennifer Spoelma
Career Coach for Creatives, Career Foresight
Consider Education for a New Field
Mid-career professionals looking for a hard pivot into a new field might consider going back to college or graduate school—even while working full-time.
If your career progression has stalled due to the “paper ceiling,” a relevant degree is a clear indicator to recruiters of your preparation for a new industry, paired with years of transferable skills from previous roles. Plus, being back in the classroom after 40 is exhilarating, when career and life goals are clearer than in your 20s.
Dr. Jena Pugh
Graduate School Strategist, Dr. Jena Pugh, LLC
Leverage Existing Skills and Interests
Most people let the idea of “starting over” derail their goals, so find a way to not start over—at least not completely. Ask yourself what you have in hand already—a particular skill, network, interest, etc.—that you can build something new on. For example, an entrepreneur might say, “I have a friend who makes apps, and I have a deep interest in hand soap. I could build a business around an app that recommends the best hand soaps.” (Silly idea, but you get the picture…)
Our human brains try to get us to avoid risk by creating feelings of fear. Sometimes fear is a legitimate response to imminent danger, but often it’s unfounded. And you have to be able to know the difference.
If your brain says, “Changing industries this late in life will RUIN YOU,” and you think to yourself, “Well, I do have a stable, well-paying job, so why wreck that?” Then you are likely to overlook the impacts of NOT making a change, which are often more significant than we can comprehend.
So if you’re afraid to make a change but know you can’t stay where you are forever, be looking out for jobs that are adjacent to your own or opportunities that you already have some of the pieces for. No need to make sweeping changes to your whole life all at once—and you probably don’t have to! Look around and see what’s out there, and see what will fit you.
Lauren Daly
Academic & Career Coach, College Hacked
Plan, Network, and Overcome Age Bias
Successfully pivoting your career at 40 involves strategic planning, skill development, and networking, while addressing specific challenges. Start by evaluating your skills, interests, and values to identify a new career path that aligns with your passions and strengths. Invest in acquiring necessary skills through courses and certifications, leveraging your transferable skills like communication and project management. Networking is important—connect with professionals in your desired industry, attend events, and seek informational interviews.
One challenge you might face is age bias, which can be overcome by demonstrating your adaptability and willingness to learn. Another challenge is the potential financial strain during the transition; address this by building a financial cushion before making the switch. Finding a mentor can provide valuable guidance and support. Consider starting small with freelancing or part-time roles to gain experience and build a portfolio.
Jaswant Singh
Owner, Acadlog Private Limited
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