I wrote this blog post several years ago when I had my blog Cashmere & Prosecco, and it was one of the most pinned blog posts I created. Since I shut the blog down quite some time ago, I always hung onto this post and now’s the time to bring it back to life!

Let’s Talk Career Change… those two words can be frightening to say out loud, especially for those of us over 40. Is it feasible to do? How many times have you asked yourself, what am I doing?

First off, there is nothing wrong with staying in a career path that you genuinely enjoy and are passionate about and are building a great future for yourself and your family. What I am talking about is, how many out there feel stuck in going nowhere careers? Career changes don’t always have to mean, leaving the company you work with. There could be a different department in your organization that piques your interest but it isn’t necessarily in your trained field.

Are you out there thinking I have no idea how to make a career change? Scarcity comes into play. It is scary to think especially when you are at that time of your life where you have a foundation of pensions, benefits, employee share plans etc. and have responsibilities like mortgages and kids off to college. You see other poeple just up and quitting and taking on a whole new world. I bet if you asked them, they would share with you all the thoughts running through their mind and how long it took them to actually make the change.

How many are afraid to take that leap?

I can honestly say I have held back on fear for a long time with the many questions of how can I financially manage, being single and only having one solid income to pay the bills and save for retirement. Can I afford to take a risk to change careers? Really too many to list.

Here is a list of questions that I ask you to ask yourself:

Is what I am currently doing in my career bringing me happiness?

1. Am I struggling to stay focused?
2. Is the email you get from a colleague making you cringe?
3. Do I feel satisfied?
4. Am I feeling valued by my employer?
5. After my day is over, do I have the energy to be productive at home?

If any of those questions resonate with you, then I ask you “What are you doing to make that change?”

How can I get to where I want to be?

I would give yourself a minimum of six months to put your passion to fruition and start saving the income you could generate from that aside, so when you are ready to say I Quit! you have a reserve fund. It sounds easy enough, right? It can be hard with general life, bills, and emergencies that come up, but if you are disciplined enough, it can happen.

If you are thinking I want to be self-employed, the big question people ask themselves when they want to leave their corporate jobs to be self-employed is, “I don’t have any money to start”. Also, be mindful to not fall for online scams on get-rich-quick promos. How can I start a side business without any money? Great question, in reality, it is challenging, but you can with none or very little funds. Find a niche that resonates with you and join some Facebook groups to learn more about if there is a masterclass available.

I would take a look at your budget and identify what you are spending on that you don’t necessarily need. Do you need to go eat out multiple times a week? Do you need several bottles of Prosecco throughout the week? Ok well maybe !! Yes ok back to context.

You have to have a Niche. Find that one area you excel at. What are your secret skills? Maybe it is the art of Moonwalking, or you have this inner comedian in you that is just bursting to come out. To start with a side hustle, what is your secret sauce?

Examples of Side Hustles

1. A hobby you already have, ie: knitting, you are already spending the money to buy yarn so why not start making things to sell at local craft fairs or even on Etsy

2. Setting up a YouTube Channel to demonstrate your skills, it is a free platform and once you get a minimum of 1,000 subscribers you can start to monetize your channel.

3. Resume Writer, you may work in a recruiting department and see resumes daily, you have a knack for what to look for and could start a resume writing side business.

4. Waiting Tables, it’s a good way to earn extra cash to stash away to build your nest egg. Keeps you on your feet and extends your skillset in customer service and multi-tasking

5. Surveys, there are lots of survey companies that pay you to take surveys.

6. Starting a blog. It does cost a small amount to start as you need to get a website and domain started and there is an associated cost to start that. It isn’t a lot but something to think about. Once you have your blog launched, there is an option to get paid to blog through affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, e-courses etc.

There are so many options out there, Pinterest and Google are great resources.

In Conclusion

Whatever it is that you have a passion for, just do it. Find Facebook Groups or Meetups Groups for your specific niche.

Thanks for taking a read and I hope I have inspired you to step out of that comfort zone and take that leap into your dream destination, if that is the Corporate world great if it is something totally on your own then even greater 🙂.

Quote of the day :
“Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Get confident being uncertain. Don’t give up just because something is hard. Pushing through challenges is what makes you grow.” – Journeystrength

xo Jennifer