Most people would agree that 20s is viewed as the time whereby you should enjoy your freedom – to explore the various career opportunities, globetrot around the world, experiment with starting a business, essentially to go chase your dreams.
By the time you reach 30, it is generally expected that you should already have a rough idea of what you want for the rest of life and is already on the path towards achieving your life goals.
However, as you advance into your 30s and find yourself questioning about your career choices, does it imply that it is time for a career switch? Making a career switch in your 30s can seem to be a huge leap to some and it might create a bad impression on potential employers and colleagues. As dreadful as it may sound, switching careers in your 30s is not necessarily always a bad thing (as some naysayers may paint it out to be). After all, would you rather feel fulfilled at work than to have to drag yourself out of bed everyday just look forward to the end of the day?
Here are some common myths that you might expect to hear from naysayers together with some useful advice to make a successful career switch.
“YOU SHOULD ALREADY KNOW WHAT TO DO”
This common myth is based on the fear of change. After all, you have already spent the say the last five years with the same company. People would already assume that you would have got it all figured out by the time you reach your 30s. However, preferences change and goals evolve over time. At times, change is necessary to upskill yourself and adapt to a new environment which could ultimately help you to grow both personally and in your career.
“YOU ARE TOO OLD”
There is no rule that dictates the “right” age to make a career switch. After all, age is just a number. Furthermore, your 30s is not exact far from the midway mark to your retirement age and there is still time to switch careers. With perseverance and the right network connections, you can still climb up the corporate ladder.
“NO ONE WILL HIRE YOU”
On the contrary, you will in fact be a highly valuable asset to the prospective organisation and employers might be impressed that you have the courage to make the career switch. Given that you already have the working experience, you are likely to already have hone the necessary interpersonal skills such as presentation skills, managerial skills and so on. At the same time, you would have likely build up a network of contacts across the industries which could help you further advance into your new career. These are skills which a fresh graduate or a working professional in their 20s is unlikely to possess.
Making a career switch in your 30s is certainly not an easy decision. However, that does not mean that is impossible.
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