Have you ever considered switching careers or starting a new career from scratch? This post is all about showing you how to start a new career at 35 and succeed in it.

Making the decision to switch careers or start a new career at 35 can be a very daunting experience. The reason for this decision differs for each person. Whether it is because you are looking for some spark and excitement or because your priorities have changed, it is possible to start a new career at 35 or older and thrive in it.

Career changes are a thing, and in this post, we are going to break down how to start a new career at 35 and thrive in it. At the end, it will not matter whether you have had a career before or not.

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When I made the decision to switch careers, my friends and colleagues were convinced I was going through a mid-life crisis, but today that decision has paid off, and I am glad I took the step even though the cards didn’t look like they were in my favour at the time.

This post is all about showing you how to start a new career at 35 and thrive in it.

A COMPLETE GUIDE ON HOW TO START A NEW CAREER AT 35

Embrace the possibility of change at 35

One of the questions that bothers a lot of women looking to start a new career is, “Isn’t it too late to start a new career at 35?”

The truth is that we have allowed society to wrongfully define what is late and what is not. Ideally, 35 is the age when you truly begin to realise the fullness of your identity and purpose.

At this point, you understand your strengths and weaknesses better. You are no longer swayed by fads and trends or the need to please people because your maturity has grown to this point. Why shouldn’t you be able to make a major life decision at this stage?

Life is not linear, and the experiences you have all add up to shape your decisions. Based on this fact, deciding to start a new career is not only possible but maybe even necessary so that you can express yourself in every dimension possible. This is how you feel fulfilled.

Reflect on yourself and set goals

To successfully start a new career at 35, you want to look inward to properly understand your motivations and map them against your goals. This is important because you want to ensure that your career path fully aligns with who you are. Some practical tips for setting career goals include:

Assess your interests, skills, and passions.

You want to take stock of the things that interest you, the skills you currently have or would like to have, as well as your passions.

When a friend studied law in school, she did it because she was told that it was the only course that would give her some prestige as a woman. And while she was good at it, she was never excited by it.

She discovered, however, that she loved to grow and nurture things. She was delighted whenever something she took charge of flourished. And so she thought, “Why not grow a business?’. This was the point at which she decided to explore marketing, and she fell thoroughly in love with it and now runs a successful 7-figure business. Suffice it to say that she started a new career at 36.

Take note of your soft and hard skills

You want to identify the soft and hard skills that you have acquired while actively working in your previous job or in the course of living life and relating with others.
Even if you have no formal experience with any career, there are some transferable skills that you have acquired in the course of your life and relationships with others. For example, a stay-at-home mom may consider herself to have no skills, but they are the best managers I have ever met.

Set goals that align with you

Setting goals is important because it gives you a roadmap that guides you. You want to set goals that align with your long-term aspirations. You should break down large goals into smaller, actionable steps to avoid overwhelm. Goal setting helps you stay on track and measure your progress. This step is important because when you are looking to start a new career at 35, you don’t want to go in blind.

Research your dream career

Before deciding to start a new career at 35, you need to take the time to research it. You should know everything that is needed to succeed in that career path and decide whether it is right for you.

You don’t want to make the mistake of chasing a career because it is popular or because a lot of your friends are doing so.

With the popularity of technology and tech careers, a lot of people are chasing career paths that leave them frustrated and burned out. A friend, looking to leverage the tech age, decided to pursue a career in Data Analytics. While this is a very lucrative career path, it was not for her, and she ended up dropping it like a hot towel. When she finally discovered a path that aligned with her personality, she began to enjoy herself.

This is why it is important to properly research your dream career to be sure that you can actually thrive in it. You want to feel empowered and liberated, not enslaved.

Acquire a new set of skills or brush up on existing ones

You may find that you have some skill gaps or don’t have any of the skills at all. You should invest in learning by going back to school, taking online courses, joining bootcamps, or getting a mentor in that field to teach you the ropes.
While this can be a huge investment, there are other ways of acquiring these skills even without money. A lot of free or highly discounted platforms exist to help you acquire the skills needed to transition seamlessly into a new career. Some of them include:

• Coursera
• Udemy
• Allison
• LinkedIn Learning
• Skillshare
• Simplilearn
• Freecodecamp
• MIT OpenCourseWare
• Harvard Open Courses
• Yale Open Courses
• Edx

Check out some of these platforms and take advantage of them.

Craft a stand-out resume and cover letter

When looking to start a new career at 35 or older, creating a resume and cover letter that adequately describe your skills is important. When crafting these documents, you want to be particular about highlighting your unique skill sets and how they apply to the career in view.

Activate the power of networking

You cannot embark on the journey of launching a new career alone. A time will come when you want to lean into your network. This is why networking is important. You can build a strong network by doing the following:

Reach out to your existing network

This can include colleagues, family, and friends. Reaching out to them and telling them about your new career path can get your foot in the door. Even if they do not require your services, they may be able to offer some pointers or connect you to someone who does.

Attend industry events

If you are looking to transition into or launch a new career, it will pay you to attend industry events and connect with people who are already in that field. This way, you get a feel for what it means to be in that space. You could subscribe to mailing lists or join professional organisations or bodies to stay up-to-date on the happenings within that field.
 

Seek out volunteer work or internships.

Taking up volunteer work or internships is a great way to build muscle in your new career path. You not only gain experience, but you also build relationships that will be useful someday.

Apply for jobs on career sites and job boards

You need to take action by applying to jobs in your new career field. You can find these job openings listed on company websites or job boards. Some job boards that you can explore immediately are:

• Indeed
• Glassdoor
• Craigslist
• Careerjet
• Dribble
• Behance
• Ziprecruiter
• Totaljobs
• Google for jobs

Consider offering your services as a freelancer

Remote work is gaining massive popularity, and a lot of people who switch careers have embraced this lifestyle.
By offering your skills and services as a freelancer, you are able to explore different career paths. 

As a freelancer, you basically get to choose your work time, hours, and availability. There are a lot of freelance platforms to explore. Find some of them listed below:

• Upwork
• Fiverr
• Flexjobs
• We Work Remotely
• Remotive
• Guru
• Simplyhired
• Toptaljobs
• Designhill
• 99designs

Explore the power of social media

Social media is a powerful tool. You can literally redefine your life and brand on social media. By building a strong brand identity along your new career path, you can build a community of people who will pay for your skills and services.

One of my personal favourites for professionals is LinkedIn. This platform offers so much in terms of career opportunities.
You can also join online communities and forums in your new field to connect with others.

The choice of social media platform is personal, so I encourage you to explore the platforms available and choose the one that you are most comfortable with.

CONCLUSION

Taking the decision to start a new career at 35 or older can be a very intimidating one, but the truth is that you are capable of completely changing the course of your life at whatever age you feel like. All you need to do is believe in yourself and direct your skills, abilities, and experiences towards your chosen path.

So when you feel the pressure to buckle under the sometimes unreasonable expectations of society, remember that you owe yourself a duty to live a rich and full life. If you need to start a new career at 35 in order to achieve this, then take the bold step today, re-invent yourself, and be an encouragement to someone along the way. As the popular saying goes, impossible is nothing.

Get up and unleash the genius in you.

THIS POST WAS ALL ABOUT SHOWING YOU HOW TO START A NEW CAREER AT 35

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