Changing careers is a huge deal for anyone, but if you’re a little later in life and have been doing the same job for many years it can feel incredibly daunting. However, if your job is no longer a fit for you or you require more than what your position can offer you, it’s well worth looking into. More people than ever are changing careers later in their life, and it’s definitely possible. Here are just a few reasons why. 

More laws surrounding age discrimination

One of your major concerns when it comes to changing careers later in life is likely to be age discrimination. It’s no secret that employers have been known to overlook older candidates in favour of a younger workforce- but thankfully this is all changing. Discrimination in any form is difficult to overcome and unfortunately it is still out there, but as an older worker you have more rights now and employers can’t simply pass off your application because of when you were born. The world is changing and jobs are changing too, and no longer do you need to be extremely physically fit or even completely able bodied to work and provide something great to your workforce. Since so much is now done online (rather than manual jobs), older workers, disabled workers and those with other issues are able to enjoy a stable job, doing something they’re good at. 

The world and therefore job industries are changing

A job is no longer ‘for life.’ Industries are changing dramatically, businesses come and go and due to changing technology and customer demand, we need to be flexible in our careers. While this does mean a change for older industries, it also means lots of opportunities to work in new fields and new businesses, chances are many of the skills you’ve developed over the years will be transferable. 

Flexible education

In the not so distant past, completely changing your career would often mean going back to university for a number of years, which wasn’t something that everyone could afford to quit their job and do (or have the time to do). This meant that changing careers was often out of reach for many. However these days, education is much more flexible, and you’re able to study anything from engineering to counselling courses online to get the qualifications you need. Online study is flexible meaning it’s something you can do around a full time job, and then you can apply for new positions once you’ve qualified. There’s no need any more to take years away from earning to study full time, as it’s something you can do from the comfort of your home.