If you’re 40, chances are you’ve spent close to two decades carving out a solid career. You’ve gradually climbed the ladder, gained invaluable experience and developed an impressive set of soft and hard skills – so what if you want a change?
While we’ve all read about Millennials changing jobs every 3-4 years, for those who have kept firmly to the same path, the prospect of change can seem more than daunting. How can you just throw away everything you’ve worked so hard for and start from scratch? The answer is… you don’t.
With the right approach and careful planning, changing direction can be exactly that – a fork in the road, rather than a step back to square one. Here’s everything you need to know.
Mapping your path
With any journey, you need to know the details. You know you want to get from A to B, but how exactly will you get there? What are the steps you need to take? How long will it take?
“Once you know what’s required, focus on the positives.”
The best place to start is with gaining in-depth knowledge of the role you’re interested in. Once you know what’s required, focus on the positives. If you want to work in cybersecurity for example, what skills do you already have which are transferable?
Look at job specifications for the role you’re working towards. If the role is Cybersecurity Software Engineer, you may not have any experience of handling security programming tools, but you probably do have experience of identifying problems and finding solutions.
While you may not have the requisite certifications, you have many years of experience and transferable soft skills that will help you get to where you want to go. By being specific and focusing on your most notable achievements and individual projects, you can determine what you already have – and what you need to acquire.
Train
Once you’ve clarified your new career direction and what you need to get there, you can focus on which certifications you need. Again, specificity is key. What do future employers want to see on your CV? Where are the gaps?
Apart from certifications, think about how you can prove your ability to employers. An effective way to do this is by developing a portfolio of personal projects and learning through doing. If you’re interested in software development, immerse yourself in it.
A good way to do this is by seeking out projects on the side. You could gain experience by taking on projects for charities or nonprofits; the perfect way to practice your skills and demonstrate your commitment to changing your career path.
Ask internally
Moving to another speciality within IT can be a lot less painful if you keep it internal. Your current employers know your skills, experience and ability so giving you the opportunity to try something new won’t feel like a punt, rather a positive move.
They’re likely to see the benefits of an employee feeling motivated and energised by the prospect of a new challenge. They can also give you help and advice on which certifications you’ll need and what skills you need to develop.
Businesses always want to retain talent so if they value you, it’s likely they’ll do what they can to help you change your path. Doing it this way will also make the change seem less daunting: you already know the company, the people, the culture, so you can focus solely on the new job role.
Reach out to recruiters
When it comes to taking a career side step, knowledge is definitely power. If you’re at the start of your career change journey, speaking to recruiters can help to clarify the big issues and help you decide whether this is really something you want to do.
“We have invaluable inside knowledge on how you can realistically achieve your goals.”
IT recruitment companies like Identifi Global, can answer your questions and give you objective feedback on your CV and what you need to get to where you want to be. We are the conduit between you and employers so we have invaluable inside knowledge on how you can realistically achieve your goals.
It’s important to remember that while you’re not starting from scratch, you are inevitably competing with people who have many years’ experience working in your chosen speciality. IT recruiters can give you an idea of the competition and how you can close the gap by selling your experience and getting the right certifications.
Network
As with any change in career or new journey, engaging with the people already doing what you want to do, is key. Look for networking events and meetups where you can connect with people in the field you’re interested in.
Networking can give you a deeper understanding of the area you’re interested in, keep you up-to-date with industry changes, and, crucially, help you develop relationships which could lead to future employment opportunities.
Changing your IT career at 40 doesn’t need to be a terrifying prospect. That’s not to say there aren’t challenges to overcome, but these challenges shouldn’t put you off. Taking a methodical approach and being realistic about what it’s going to take to get there is the key to successfully changing your career path.
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