Career pivot at 42 - too late?

May 121 min read

I've been in sales for 15 years and I'm good at it but I hate it. Come home exhausted and grumpy, miss stuff with the boys, always on my phone. My wife finally said something last week that stuck with me. She said I'm successful at work but failing at home and we need to fix it. I'm thinking about going back for something in IT or teaching but I'm scared. Financial risk, starting over, looking stupid in a classroom full of 25 year olds. I've got three kids and a mortgage. Has anyone made a big career shift later in life? Did it work out?

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Comments(3)

JJakeNew DadMay 13

I get the exhaustion and grumpiness part. Coming home angry every day is no way to live and your family feels it. Takes guts to consider a change but sounds like it might be worth exploring some options.

RRob T.New DadMay 13

Forty two is not too late at all. I pivoted careers about five years ago and best decision I ever made. Yeah it was scary and the money took a hit at first but my quality of life improved so much. Kids would rather have a happy dad than an exhausted one making decent money.

MMason K.New DadMay 12

What are you thinking of moving into? Sales skills actually transfer to a lot of fields if you frame them right. I know that doesn't answer your question but just saying you're not starting completely from scratch.