Considering a Career Change at 30? Here's Why It Could Be Your Best Move Ever
Listen to the urge.
Photo: Create & Cultivate
The urge to make a career change at 30 (and during your 30s) is extremely normal. In fact, a whopping 73% of 30-somethings say they want to change careers (up by 10% compared to 2013), according to a 2015 study. What’s holding you back? 43% of those interested in making a career change cited the lack of financial security as a major barrier, and 36% said they worried about a lack of experience or education.
Being passionate (and happy) at work is critical, so those barriers shouldn’t stop you—or anyone else—from pursuing a career change at 30. Yes, as a 30-something, leaving an established career behind is an uncomfortable thought, but your dream career is worth a few months or so of unease, i.e. battling “the unknown.” (And think about it this way: You’ll always have that field to fall back on if things don’t work out.)
Career advice expert and spokesperson for TopResume, Amanda Augustine, has stellar advice for making a thoughtful career pivot. Is it time for you to take the leap? Here’s how to do it.
1. Understand the industry speak.
When you’re looking to make a pivot, something that will give you an advantage—and boost your confidence—is being able to talk about the industry as though you already work in it. Look through job ads on career boards specific to your new industry, and study how hiring managers describe those positions. What keywords are you seeing over and over? Take note, and make sure you know what they mean.
Augustine recommends doing some productive social media stalking, too. “You can follow industry leaders and influencers on social media to get a better handle on the industry buzzwords and catch up on the latest news that’s affecting target employers,” she says.
Then, apply those keywords to your resume and professional profiles. “You’d be surprised how many of your skills can be translated into a new industry—you just may need to change the terminology you use to describe them,” Augustine says. So, let’s say you used to analyze data in the finance industry—now you’re an expert in using that data to forecast trends in the marketing world. Done and done.
2. Make your connections count.
Just because you don’t know a ton of people in this new field doesn’t mean you can’t leverage the strong network you’ve already spent years building. It’s all about tapping those second- and third-degree connections.
If you’re hesitant to make an ask, consider how you can help the other person first. “As with any networking relationship, the goal should be to provide value before you start asking for favors,” says Augustine. “If you’re considering a change and want to leverage a contact’s expertise or resources, begin by re-establishing the relationship. Never call someone out-of-the-blue and start asking for help. Look for opportunities to pay it forward—this can be as simple as offering to make an introduction to someone else in your network or sharing a resource you found.”
Consider this approach: make a list of the people you want to reach out to, with a second column about how you provide something valuable to each person simultaneously.
3. Decide what compromises you’re willing to make.
In Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford commencement address, he said, “I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter into one of the most creative periods of my life.”
Steve Jobs is always good for an inspirational quote, but it’s okay if you’re apprehensive about being a beginner again. Especially if it means looking for positions that have less seniority than the one you currently have, taking a pay cut, or taking a community college class in a room full of 18-year-olds. Acknowledge how you feel, but remind yourself that you’ve had the courage to course-correct (as those 18-year-olds will do one day, too) and follow the path toward your dream job. “Remember that sometimes it’s necessary to make a lateral move, or even a step-down, in order to move up on the right path,” says Augustine. “Accept this fact, and you’re already in better shape.”
In terms of cold, hard numbers, “re-evaluate your finances and identify areas where you can cut back your expenses to make the transition less jarring,” says Augustine. This might also mean thinking ahead of time about your negotiation needs once an offer is on the table. Say you have to take a small pay cut; you could ask to work from home one day a week to reduce commuting costs.
“It won’t always be easy, but keep your eye on the prize,” says Augustine. “If you’re passionate about this new direction, all this hard work will be worth it.”
An original version of this article appeared on Levo.
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This post was originally published on January 24, 2016, and has since been updated.
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3 Ways to Maintain Excellence in the Workplace
Ever heard of a fall resolution?
The words that every eager job seeker yearns to hear amidst ongoing applications and interviews are: You’re hired.
The relief that comes when the human resources department of your desired company calls and informs you that you’ve been selected for the position is positively overwhelming. A megawatt smile stretches its way across your face and you liken your emotions to The Little Engine That Could.
But after dedicating a significant amount of time to the position and mastering the ins and outs of the workplace — and observing the politics of the business — you begin to notice that you are exceeding the expectations of the role and are not being properly compensated for it. Whether the sought after compensation is verbal praise, an increased salary, leniency on hours, or additional gifted days off, your toleration threshold has lowered and the undervalued itch begins to scratch.
Though it can be easy to complain to coworkers, abandon your role and run for the hills of another company, slack off in your position, or unashamedly and inappropriately wear your emotions on your sleeve, none of these quick fixes allow you to nurture one of the most valuable and respected employee traits: character.
As eager and driven employees, our goals are set to move from point A to point B as quickly as possibly. While drive is necessary and healthy, the workforce journey is much more than just an increased annual salary and a title change on your business card. The ups and downs that your career will take you on can teach and refine you as an individual … if you let them. Character is so rarely praised, yet is integral in leading a healthy staff and propelling a business for success.
"...the workforce journey is much more than just an increased annual salary and a title change on your business card."
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In your waiting to switch jobs or for increased compensation, and between those moments of great exasperation and defeat, choose to build and strengthen your character. From character, excellence overflows and the desire to endlessly perform to your best becomes priority.
Here are three ways to maintain excellence in your workplace:
WORK TOWARD YOUR NEXT JOB
Though you may feel you’ve mastered all you can in your current position, challenge yourself with tasks that can translate over to your next job. If you finish a task early, ask your boss for additional projects that you can apply your own creativity to. Be willing to extend yourself outside of what you know and learn skills that your next position may require. Keep in mind that your portfolio is a reflection of you, so be proud of what you showcase to future employers and perfect as many skills as possible in your present position.
LEAVE A COMPANY ON A POSITIVE NOTE
The last way that you would want an employer to remember you is negatively. You may be in the process of interviewing for outside positions, but intentionally maintain a positive attitude while at your current company. You have worked hard in your role and want the option of listing your supervisor as a reference further on down the line. Industries are small and your path with current employees may cross later on, so choose a positive attitude that reflects integrity and character.
REALIZE THAT LIFE IS MORE
It can be easy to find self-worth in your job title and salary, but true meaning and purpose are not dependent on your resume or monetary worth. People are why the workforce functions, so focus on nurturing and maximizing those relationships and networks. If there is an individual at your company that you admire, grab lunch with them and pick their brain. Perhaps you have a coworker that is struggling with something outside of work — ask them how they’re holding up and invite them out for coffee. You may never be in the same circles again with the people that currently surround you, so maximize the time that you have with them.
Though the feeling of defeat can overtake us at times, seek the positive in your current role. Character is widely valuable to you as an individual and is something that can never be taken away by an employer, no matter how undervalued they make you feel. Strive to attain it.
Have you struggled in certain role at work? What did you learn from it?
The original version of this article appeared on Darling Magazine.
Image via Marlena Pearl Photography