12 Tips To Change, Modify, or Pivot Your Career Path at 40+
Are you looking to pivot your career path at 40+? If so, I have great news—it’s NOT too late! You just have do it thoughtfully and strategically.
Here are 12 tips to help you pivot your career successfully:
1. Don’t ignore the warning signs
2. Value your time above money
Time is a finite and precious resource that cannot be replaced. No matter how much money you have, you can never buy more time. Money may be able to provide temporary happiness, but time is what creates lasting joy.
3. Notice if you are disengaged or lack passion
A lack of engagement and passion will hurt you in the next chapter. If you take an honest look and find that this is the case, take some action to refuel yourself—such as taking a class or seminar, traveling somewhere meaningful, meeting up with someone inspirational, or working with a professional business coach who is skilled in finding reserves.
4. Remember to believe in yourself
If you don’t believe in yourself, it’s not fair to ask someone else to. When you believe in yourself, you have more self-confidence in your abilities, skills, and decisions. This self-confidence allows you to take risks, try new things, and pursue your goals without fear of failure.
Believing in yourself also helps you develop resilience, so you can bounce back from setbacks and overcome challenges. When you believe in yourself, you are more likely to keep pushing forward, even when things get tough.
Believing in yourself requires a deep understanding of your strengths, weaknesses, and values. When you have this awareness, you are better able to make decisions that align with your goals and values.
It also helps you become more self-reliant and less dependent on others for validation, approval, or direction. This self-reliance allows you to take control of your life and make choices that are in your best interest.
Finally, when you believe in yourself, you inspire others to believe in you (and themselves) as well.
5. Organize and revitalize your network
Networking is crucial to your career pivot! Here are a couple blog posts that will help motivate you to organize and revitalize your network—Networking Works! Here are 6 Benefits of Networking and The Secret Formula for Networking Success.
RELATED | 6 Expert Job Search Tips
6. Put yourself out there
Putting yourself out there professionally can be challenging, but here are three ways to do it:
- Attend networking events, industry conferences, and professional associations so you can meet new people, expand your network, and learn about new opportunities. Be sure to bring business cards, practice your elevator pitch, and engage in meaningful conversations to make a lasting impression.
- Social media platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter can be powerful tools for building your professional brand and making connections with others in your field. Use these platforms to share your work, industry insights, and professional accomplishments.
- Speaking at industry events, workshops, and webinars can help you establish yourself as an expert in your field and increase your visibility. Look for opportunities to share your knowledge and experience, and don’t be afraid to pitch yourself as a speaker to event organizers.
7. Start gathering information and note trends & conditions
8. Identify new career target opportunities
9. Create your marketing plan and set goals
Don’t be a pinball in a pinball machine. Invest time in creating a job search marketing plan and set benchmark goals to help you stay on track.
10. Enlist your network for guidance and advice
Don’t just connect with your network. Ask them for guidance and advice to help you achieve your goal.
11. Conduct several informational interviews
12. Hire a professional career transition coach to help you pivot your career
A qualified and experienced professional career coach will have years of experience helping hundreds of others pivot their career after 40. They will help you get faster and superior results!
“NEVER get stuck in a sinking boat to busy bailing water and no time to row ashore!” Mark James, CPC
To Your Health, Life, and Career…..Cheers!
Follow Hire Consulting on Linkedin for talent management solutions and executive career transition coaching to help reach your full potential.
Mark James, CPC is the founder and CEO of Hire Consulting Services (HCS). Established in 1999, HCS is a highly customized executive outplacement and career coaching firm for executive-level professionals.
Mark is equipped with over 25 years of experience in Executive Career Management Coaching, as well as Outplacement and Executive Search Consulting. He is the author of the three best-selling books—Keys to the C Suite: Unlock the Doors to Executive Career Path Success, The Interview Mindset: The Ultimate Guide to Mastering Your Career, and The Recruiter Mindset: The Ultimate Guide to Working with Executive Search Recruiters.
Mark uses a proven and successful strategy and structured process to fully enable his clients to conduct a professional job search campaign and with the singular goal of securing their next career opportunity in significantly less time it would take without a career coach. Clients gain a new perspective of their marketing value coupled with executing a strategic plan and closing the deal on their new role in their next job.
