In the modern world, it鈥檚 not uncommon for people to have a few careers in their lifetime. In fact, some choose this as an intentional path. But some of us unintentionally follow a linear path to career development only to discover a wall that will not let them go any further.
The good news is this: the world is changing around us. We don鈥檛 have to become stagnated in our careers feeling the monotony of the same kind of day on repeat.
But what do you do if you鈥檙e over 40 and want to reinvent yourself? What can you do to shift out of the boredom of your current career trajectory and into a new exciting path? These are important questions that many of us will be asking ourselves at one time or another.
In this blog post, I will share some practical strategies that you can use to change course after 40 and share tips on how to go about doing that successfully. I have used these practical strategies to reinvent myself over and over again.
Investigate career options based on your strengths
Go to school, get a degree, get a job, start your career. That is pretty much what we have been advised to do for decades. Some people have decided to opt out of this path. Whichever direction you go, your options should include an assessment of what you are naturally good at.
Other than competitive sports, there are few opportunities for people to receive real feedback on where they naturally excel. You are wired for success but your wiring will not be a perfect fit for every environment or job situation. Assessments like StrengthsFinder can help you zone in on your natural comfort zone.
I first discovered this assessment in 2008 at which time I didn鈥檛 take it seriously. Then, I took another look at it a few years later and decided to reframe my skills using my top five talent themes:
- Learner
- Strategic
- Achiever
- Responsibility
