I just hit a milestone: a midlife crisis. I thought I took steps to prevent a midlife crisis, but here I am. My midlife crisis is my career change, or the lack there of. Changing careers at midlife is tougher than expected. Happily, I am not alone. The average person changes careers seven times. This infographics shows some of the reasons, causes, effects and results of a career change at midlife.
There are many reasons people decide to change careers. Some of them include downsizing, being underpaid, lack of growth opportunities, no advancement opportunities and feeling trapped. Sometimes you have to change to improve your work and life balance. Ultimately, if you feel like you are going through a midlife crisis and you need a career change, just do it.
One of the ways to change is to go back to school and get a degree. You are never too old for college. I recently graduated from college and I saw many students that were over 40. Some were undergraduates earning their bachelors and other were enrolled in graduate school for their masters. In the end, it is about the education and finding a career that fits your needs. The only suggestion I have is for employers to give older workers a chance.