Have you ever considered switching careers?
Perhaps, you had a dream to work in a particular industry or to start your own business but you’re wondering if you’re too old to start and if it will ever be successful.
Well, I have some good news.
I am here to debunk many of the myths and stereotypes that are holding us back from truly living our lives.
Lessons from Martha Stewart
Love her or hate her, one thing we cannot deny is that Martha Stewart is a woman who has defied many odds. She has broken stereotypes and myths about changing careers and starting businesses later in life.
She switched careers a few times.
She worked as a stockbroker in her early 30’s, at 35 she started a small catering business, and it was this business that presented a book deal opportunity in her 40’s, and the rest as they say, is history. Even after her stint in jail in 2004, she went on to build a billion-dollar empire.
Her life exemplifies what is possible when you do not allow other people dictate how we live our lives or what is “appropriate” for us.
While this post is not about Martha, I believe her story is inspiring and is a reminder to never give up on our dreams.
The world (your family, friends, colleagues, and society) may seek to define you or pigeonhole you, but it is up to you to decide who you want to be and what you want to do.
Why does this matter?
The danger of these myths is that they have fuelled our fears. They have created these negative assumptions about trying to do something new, and they have ultimately stopped many of us from taking these bold steps later in life.
If you have ever considered a new career, going back to school, or just trying something new, then keep reading.
3 Myths about Starting a New Career in Your 30’s and 40’s Debunked.
Myth 1: It’s too late to change.
One of the biggest myths about switching careers in our 30’s is that it is too late to do so. We are told that our 20’s are for experimenting, and our 30’s and 40’s are a time to build on the result of our experiments.
While I can see the logic to this, I also believe that we all have different paths, and humans are too multi-faceted and multi-talented to be restricted in this manner.
More so, some of us only come into our own later in life – in essence, we learn more about ourselves – what moves us and the things we love — as we grow older.
Which means we can come up with life-changing ideas later in life.
Myth 2: I will have to start from the beginning.
“No knowledge is lost, every knowledge has a principle, a lesson that becomes a gem when applied. Find the principle, then apply the knowledge.”
CIO
The above quote is such a powerful reminder for every woman who has ever bought the idea that switching careers means starting from the beginning.
I’m here to tell you that you never start from the beginning.
You may know a bit of my story, but the gist is that I have a legal and policy background, and rather than continuing my work as a lawyer, I chose to start a business as a health and Safety Consultant.
Now, it may seem like a nonsensical move but there were a few things that led to the switch.
I do recall that one of my major concerns was that I had no prior experience in the health and safety space, which meant I would have to start from the beginning.
Thankfully, I learnt that this would not be the case.
As a lawyer and policy advocate, I am interested in facts and gathering data to better understand behaviours, this perspective and interest is one of the things that has set my business apart and makes us unique. Even while I was getting my HSE certifications, my legal background helped me drill into the reasons for certain safety rules and regulations.
Never downplay your previous experience.
Even if you were a stay-at-home mum before going back into the job market, you can bring your skills in organisation and coordinating your home to any job or tasks you do.
Myth 3: Starting later in life means I may never get to the top.
I have spoken to a few women who have shared this fear with me.
They believe that switching careers in their mid-30’s will make it almost impossible to have a successful career in their new field.
For them, they are considering the sunk cost from all they achieved in their previous career. And I do understand this. If you gave almost a decade of your life to a job, career or industry, where you rose through the ranks; starting out again may feel like a waste of all that effort and time.
But one thing we must never forget is that “staying at the top of the wrong ladder is much worse that being at the bottom of the right one.”
In her book “Top 5 Regrets of the Dying”, author Bronnie Ware shared that one of the biggest regrets of the dying was:
“I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.”
With benefit of hindsight, people often bemoan the dreams they failed to pursue out of a fear of failure or what people think.
I pray we never have this regret.
Remember what I said in Myth 2; Starting a new career later in life means you’re coming in with some previous experience and perspective, you are hopefully older and wiser, with more value to contribute, which means growing in your new career will take a much shorter time.
More so, your willingness to learn, innovate, and implement new ways of doing things is what will take you the farthest.
Your Dream Life Starts Here
Are you ready to take steps towards achieving the dreams and goals for your life?
Do you believe you will need some support through this process? I recommend that you tell a trusted friend or partner and ask them to hold you accountable.
However, if you don’t have anyone available or you need more structure and support, then you can join “My Dream Life Accountability Program” coming up soon.
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