How to Change Your Career in Your 30s and 40s
I remember it like it was yesterday: three weeks into my “dream job,” the one I had worked for years to get—the one where I finally used my college degree, then my Master’s, with an emphasis on career development, at a major university.
Three weeks in, I felt that familiar pit in my stomach creep in, cold and heavy.
‘Oh no. I think I made a mistake.’
Part of it was just boredom. But mostly, it was the crushing weight of feeling trapped. Is this it? Is this what I’m supposed to go do for the rest of my entire life?
It’s a terrifying question when you’re facing a career transition later in life. You're not the emerging adult who can just pack a bag and move. You're the person who looks in the mirror and says: “I’m 38 years old. I have a mortgage. I have three children. I have a business and a community that I'm invested in.”
For us, the classic advice of, “Hey, just go do what you're interested in,” doesn’t quite cut it. That's a luxury for the "launchers," not for us "pivoters."
The real question is: How do we change our career with what we have now and where we are now, without sacrificing our income or our work-life balance?
That’s what this is about. As an ADHD Career Coach with Life Sketch Counseling Coaching, I’ve spent 15 years working with thousands of people in these exact transitions. Let’s get you the clarity and the game plan you need to move forward.
Two Types of Career Changers:
Launchers vs. Pivoters
In my work, I see two distinct groups of people wrestling with career decisions:
1. The Launchers (Emerging Adults)
These are the young adults, often with little to no experience, still trying to figure things out. For this group, the advice is primarily about self-discovery and interest. What do you like? What do you want in the future? This is the stage where the pressure is immense to "choose your path" and "follow your passion" for the next 30 years.
But as a young adult, the world is terrifylingly exciting. The world is your oyster which is often the start of decision fatiguge and analysis paralysis. College acts as a time-buffer before ‘choosing your career.’
So again, how do you figure this out? Many try personality assessments or career interests inventories. Some will seek professional guidence. Everybody will be asked axnosioum, “What Do You Want To Do?” So we throw some ideas out there and hope they stick.
When graduation comes around, they want “to use my major.” - Most don’t by the way. And then they try to get a job while hoping it’s a good fit.
God speed.
2. The Changers (Midlife Career Transitions)
But If this is you, trying to change career in your thirties and forties ? The first question is why? Because everyone who switches their career has a motivation - some purpose for the change. From my experience, there are three buckets who’re struggle with changing their career at 28, 35, or even 47.
Why People Carees | 3 Common Reasons
THE BURNT-OUT PROFESSIONAL: You’ve worked in your field for seven, ten, or even twenty years and are utterly fried out. You were good at it, but you don't actually like doing it anymore—a surefire recipe for burnout. This can be exacerbated by ADHD Burnout or if you’ve lost your passion and tired of working past your capacity. Maybe it was just a toxic work environment that stripped you of who you truly are.
THE NEEDING (WANTING) MORE: You started a career when you didn't know what you needed. Now, you need more money, more freedom, more autonomy, more fulfillment, or just a better work-life balance. Maybe it was just a boring job. Maybe you followed you heart and now you’re broke.
THE NEVER-GOT-STARTED: Maybe you're currently currently under-unemployed 32-year-old who changed your major four times and has had several start-stop jobs. Some people ientify with the failure to launch. You need a path, not just a passion.
My question is, does the cliché advice of “just do what you’re interested in” still work for us? Is it just fantasy. Should you drop everything and finally do what you love? Take the leap and just go for it? (I’m not against this btw but does it work for you?)
I love hiking. I love being outside. But, honestly, no one is going to pay me to do leisure for a living—at least not enough to finance the mortgages and the life I’ve built. And just to prove it, I even worked as an Outdoor Pursuits Coordinator once, where I was taking people skiing, running the bike shop, and managing the climbing wall. It was literally every hobby I’d ever had wrapped into one job. I was still unsatisfied and frankly, bored. Why? Because it wasn't meaningful enough, and it wasn’t going to move my career forward in the direction I wanted it to go.
NOW WE’RE ADULTS
Yes, we have responsibilities. And, yes, we have commitments.
But you may also have 10-20 years of experience. It’s a hell of a lot of ‘sunk cost,’ the college degree, the network, the professional reputation. If I switched into commercial real estate, who would I know? Family. But not my community, associations, or the hundreds of psychotherapists, psychiatrists, educators, coaches, and health providers I’ve worked with. Not the 500+ followers on LinkedIn.
We can’t just walk away and let it all go. Can we?
What Makes a Career: Role + Field
To address our central question of, ‘how to make a midlife career change?’, we have to look at the structure of a job. A job is made up of two primary elements: Our role and our field.
1. The Role (or Job Title)
This is the actual work—the tasks, the responsibilities, and the skills you use. Its what you’re doing day in, day out.
Example: Counselor, Advisor, Coach, Manager, Developer, Sales Rep.
So what does a manager actually do? A salesman is communicating constantly with potential customers (nurturing, customer service), tracking leads, and generating prospects. You’re working on your messaging and your pitch. Maybe the company has it’s own flavor, but anyone who job it is to sell is doing the above activities the majority of the time.
2. The Field (or Industry)
This is the context—the industry, sector, specialty, or type of company you work for. Call it your niche. Your profession. The sales
Sales Example: HVAC, Pharmaceutical, Medical Devices, Milk and Dairy Products, Small Business Services.
Counselor Example: College and Career Counselor, Licesned Addiction Counselor, Trauma Therapist, Summer Camp Counselor.
This is where you work, literally and figuratively.
When you’re seeking a career change, you are going to change one or both of these elements. This is the difference between taking a Leap and making a Pivot.
Career Change the Hard Way
The Leap: Changing Both Role and Field
A Leap is when you try to change both your job title AND your field at the same time.
For example, me going from a Career Counselor (Role) in Self-Employed Private Mental Health Practice (Field) to a Retail Commercial Real Estate Broker. That’s a giant, double jump.
The Problem with the Leap: High Cost, High Risk
Financial and Time Investment: You are likely going to have to go back to grad school, do an expensive boot camp, or invest significant time and money into a new certification.
High Risk/Low Guarantee: Success is never guaranteed, and what if it doesn't work out? What if you invest all that time and money and realize, once you’re in the weeds, you actually don't like it? (The idea of the career is often much more attractive than the actual work.)
Starting Over at Ground Zero: You throw out all your experience, your insider knowledge, and your network. You literally start at the bottom.
I have seen it work, absolutely. My friend Renee, for instance, went from a High School Teacher to Software Development via a boot camp, and she is crushing it. She put in the time, but she also had a plan. But for every Renee, I've seen others with high-income but sporadic careers where the gaps are now getting hard to explain as the market gets tighter. What used to seem secure is now scarce.
If You Must Leap: Mitigate the Risk
If a Leap is the only way forward, you have to be thoughtful. We need mitigated risks—not just shooting a cannonball, but starting with a few BBs first.
Network Strategically: Who you know really does help. And not just professionally—talk to the neighbor, the person you met at a soccer game. Leverage your existing, non-professional network.
Test It Out (Before You Quit!): Do not quit your job before you know.
Shadow someone.
Conduct an informational interview.
Start a part-time side hustle or gig to test the waters.
If I was pursuing real estate, I'd mentor with an established broker, helping out flexibly to see if the day-to-day work actually fits my life.
Career Change Made Simple
The Pivot: The Path of Least Resistance
The Pivot is the easiest, most common, and often the most successful way to make a mid-career change without starting over, sacrificing income, or completely wrecking your work-life balance.
A Pivot is where you change only one of the career elements:
Option 1: Change the Role, Keep the Field
You keep your industry, your network, and your institutional knowledge, but you change the actual work you do.
Example: Sales Rep —> Manager
Same Field: Same company, same product.
Different Role: Ask anyone who’s stepped into management—it's a 100% different job. This is a pivot.
Client Example: From Coach to Creator
A client spent his life in collegiate and professional sports (Field). He loved making content but didn't have the graphic design or marketing degree.
He pivoted to a Content Creator/Social Media Manager (Role) within an Athletic Department (Field). He kept his network, the sports culture, and all that insider knowledge. All he needed was a side hustle to build a portfolio and get his foot in the door. He changed the work, kept the world.
Option 2: Change the Field, Keep the Role
You take your existing, honed skills and apply them to a completely new industry.
Example: Accountant at a Bank $\rightarrow$ Accountant at a Non-Profit
Same Role: Still managing books and taxes (the core work).
Different Field: Completely different mission, pace, and culture.
Client Example: From Developer to Designer
A client was working as a Software Programmer (Role) at a fantastic, high-paying, ethical company (Field). He was outrageously bored. He felt like a "human robot" with no autonomy.
He initially quit, got fed up, and then came to me. After going through my ADHD Career Change program, he realized he didn’t hate the company or the field; he hated the role.
He reapplied to the same company, but this time as a Product and Project Manager (New Role). He got to lead, coordinate, and have the social interaction he craved. He kept the great pay, the company culture, and his tenure, but changed his day-to-day life.
This is the power of the Pivot. You leverage the assets you've spent 10, 20, or even more years building—your network, your industry expertise, your job security—and change only the element that is causing the pain.
⏳ It's Not Too Late, But Time is Ticking
If you're reading this, you are in a state of change. Your career needs to grow and adapt with you.
If you have no idea what your next step should be, I encourage you to seek out a resource, a guide, or a coaching program. Clarity precedes action. You can’t build a game plan without knowing where you should be going.
I’ll leave you with this last encouragement: It’s not too late.
You might not feel young, but you're not old yet. I’m 38. If I transition now, I could still have an active 30-plus years in a new, fulfilling field. You have the runway; you just need the map.
Is your next change going to be a Leap or a strategic Pivot?
What’s Your Next Step:
Stop Feeling Trapped and Your New Career
You've got the vision, you've accepted the reality, and you know you need to take the leap and do a career pivot. But knowing the theory and creating a concrete, accountable plan are two different things.
Don't let another six months go by feeling bored or stuck. It's time to exchange confusion for clarity.
Here are the resources I've built to help you make your change:
1. The Quick Start: Grab Your Free Guide
If you're still saying, "I don't know what I'm interested in," or "I don't know what I'm good at," you need to start with self-discovery and direction. I created this guide to give you the foundational tools you need to stop overthinking and find your unique path.
⬇️ Download the FREE ADHDer's Guide to Career Change
This free blueprint delivers actionable strategies to help you:
Find Clarity: Pinpoint the exact element of your career—Role or Field—that needs to change.
Identify Your Strengths: Translate your lifetime of experience into marketable career assets.
Overcome Paralysis: Develop the structure and momentum to defeat the common cycle of procrastination and avoidance that holds Pivoters back.
Click here to download your guide now and gain the confidence to define your next move.
2. Life & Career Coaching: Transformational Programs
The most effective way to guarantee a successful transition is through a structured, personalized, and accountable coaching program. My hybrid life/career coaching programs are built to get you unstuck and move you to action—fast.
Choose Your Accelerator:
ADHD CAREER CHANGE: 9 WEEKS TO FIGURE OUT ‘WHAT’S NEXT?’
Best For: The person who needs to determine their career direction and a game-plan for moving forward.
Focus & Results: Clarity & Direction. Envision your future, build a life plan, and explore a fulfilling career path designed specifically for the ADHD mind.
Learn More: ADHD Career Change
JOB SEARCH ACCELERATOR: CAREER CHANGE A-Z
Best For: The number one thing that holds us back in our job search is a lack of clarity. Not only do you need to know your path, where you fit, and what you can offer - you need to be able to communitate that with your network, on a resume and Linkedin Profile, and especially in interviews. The job search accelerator will give you the framework and support to start your new career fast.
Focus & Results: Confidence & Results. Boost your interview skills, master effective job search strategies, and get hired faster and with greater confidence.
Learn More: JOB SEARCH ACCELERATOR
Stop spinning your wheels. Invest in a framework that guarantees forward momentum.
3. Schedule a Free Consultation
If you're not sure which resource is right for you, don't guess. Don't waste another week feeling stuck. Let's talk strategy now.
Book a FREE COnsultation with us. We'll quickly assess your current challenges, figure out whether a Pivot or a Leap is necessary, and determine the single best step for you to take today.
Book Your Free Consultation and Get Unstuck.