Navigating career transitions in your 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond

Larissa Bates is a Career Services Specialist at CSU Global.

Regardless of your age, it is never too late to make a career pivot. One such example is Carl Allamby, a man who in his 40s changed careers from auto mechanic to medical doctor. He knew the years it would take to make that change would pass either way, so he decided he might as well spend them working toward something he had always wanted to do.

Whether your career shift is as drastic as Dr. Allamby’s or a more simple pivot, there likely are many challenges that you will face along the way. A career shift requires perseverance and commitment, but it can happen successfully at any age.

Each year, Colorado State University Global helps thousands of working adults earn the degree or certificate they need to make a career pivot, build career-relevant skills, and keep pace with new opportunities. With 100% online programs, eight-week courses, no set class times, and flexible weekly deadlines, CSU Global is built to help working adults of all ages balance school with work, family, and life.

However, generally, folks at different ages are transitioning careers with different levels of experience, and for very different motivations. Depending on your age and experience, you might consider slightly different approaches to your career transition.

Someone in their 30s might be less concerned about healthcare and insurance coverage while planning a career shift, but for someone in their 50s and beyond, that might be an important factor to navigate while making a pivot. Comparatively, someone in their 40s may be looking to advance to a higher position or find a pathway that provides career longevity, especially since many folks are no longer retiring at 65.

In addition to different motivations for the career transition, age might lead you to be at a very different starting point in terms of experience. Someone with over two decades of professional career experience is likely leveraging a completely different career network than someone who’s only worked in an industry or role for five years.

This article reviews some of the different strategies and approaches to consider that can be specific to each population based on age. However, since age is not the only factor for determining where someone is in their career, it is recommended to look at them all regardless of your age. Additionally, there are some general strategies that are great to consider for anyone making a career transition, regardless of age.

Career Change in Your 30s: Explore Your Options and Build New Skills

Stretch: If you are currently employed, consider asking for a stretch assignment. A stretch assignment can add duties to your current role and help you test out new work before making an official transition.

Expand: You likely have many working years ahead, so focus on expanding your network, rather than chasing trendy or popular careers. Your dream role might be something you haven’t heard of yet. For example, technology companies may also need buyer/planners, implementation managers, account executives, project managers, and other professionals beyond technical roles.

Study: If you have some college credit but have not finished your bachelor’s degree, your 30s can be a smart time to complete it. Many professional roles still require a bachelor’s degree, and many adults already have credits they can put to use. Look for transfer-credit-friendly universities and ask whether your employer offers tuition reimbursement or education benefits.

At CSU Global, incoming undergraduate students bring more than 50 credits on average, which can help shorten the path to a degree and prepare you for opportunities in fields such as business management, project management, cybersecurity, IT, human resource management, healthcare administration, and operations and supply chain management.

Career Change in Your 40s: Leverage Your Experience to Move Forward

Leverage: Consider leveraging your professional expertise and being open to consultant roles. For example, if you’ve had an extensive corporate career, start-ups, non-profits, and organizations that are navigating growth are often looking for experienced leaders to come in and support during transitions. Vice versa could also be leveraged with more established companies looking to modernize with fresher ideas and business practices.

Learn: Your 40s can be a smart time to consider a master’s degree or graduate certificate because you often have a clearer sense of your strengths, your industry, and the career paths or pivots that interest you most. Higher-level roles often command higher salaries, and specialized knowledge can help you prepare for leadership, management, or more technical positions.

At CSU Global, graduate completers report a median annual salary increase of $30,000, which means that a degree could pay for itself in as little as two years. Our most recent return on investment report highlights strong salary outcomes for several graduate programs, including:

• Master of Healthcare Administration: Graduates saw a 76% median salary increase three to five years after program completion, from $60,000 to $105,000
• M.S. in Human Resource Management: Graduates saw a 54% median salary increase three to five years after program completion, from $62,500 to $119,000
• M.S. in Leadership and Organizational Development: Graduates saw a 45% median salary increase three to five years after program completion, from $82,350 to $119,000

A graduate certificate can also be a practical way to build focused skills before committing to a full master’s program.

Socialize: You might think about expanding your community involvement. Expanding your social network both through professional networks like clubs and memberships and through social networks like volunteering and attending networking events is a great way to gain exposure to other career ideas and connections.

Career Change in Your 50s and Beyond: Turn Your Experience Into New Opportunities

Education: Certificate programs can be a practical option in your 50s and beyond, especially if your industry is changing, your job feels less secure, or you are ready for a fresh start. CSU Global’s certificate programs can be completed in as little as six months to one year, making them a focused way to build relevant skills, show that your knowledge is current, and connect your experience to new opportunities in areas such as project management, construction management, operations and supply chain management, and business analytics.

Revisit: Your network is likely to include many people who know your work and understand the value of your experience. Don’t hesitate to reach out to former colleagues, bosses, clients, or other professional connections. Consulting may become either a goal or a necessity in your 50s and beyond, and the combination of updated skills and a strong network can help you identify opportunities you might have otherwise missed.

Specialize: Rather than looking for what’s trendy, think about what your niche. Does your background afford you a unique set of skills, knowledge, experience that could be valuable in another field or industry? A focused specialty can help you position yourself for consulting, contract work, leadership roles, or new opportunities that build on what you already know.

Career Change at Any Age

Regardless of when you are making the leap, there are a couple of general career transition tips that are valuable for folks of any age:

Network: Leverage your current friends and professional network. Specifically, you should work to identify loose ties or second- and third-level connections, such as a friend of a friend or a colleague’s friend’s spouse. It is important to share your transition goal with people that you trust. You never know who might already be connected to someone in your field of interest and willing to facilitate an introduction on your behalf.

Join: Another great strategy is joining professional organizations or clubs. If your targeted career field has a professional membership group, you could see if there is a local chapter or consider attending conferences to network.

Find Mentorship: Seek out stories of success. It’s highly unlikely that you are the first person ever to make this career pivot, and it’s possible someone already has the cheat code to success. Search for role models who have already successfully made the career transition. You don’t even need to meet these people; studying their stories can inspire you to stay motivated on your own journey.

Upskill: Education is always a great strategy when considering a career pivot. If you can’t commit to a full bachelor’s or master’s degree, certificate programs are a great way to build out your knowledge, especially if you’re exploring a new field.

If education is on your career trajectory, CSU Global would love to be part of that journey. Check out our degree programs and connect with our enrollment team for additional support in exploring our academic programs.

CSU Global students and alumni have lifetime access to CSU Global Career Services through Global Connect, our virtual career center. Access includes 1:1 career coaching, resume reviews, mock interviews, and LinkedIn profile reviews. If you have any questions or need any additional support with your career transition, please contact career.center@csuglobal.edu.