Changing careers in your 30s is a big step and a leap of faith. With some work experience behind you, making a change at this time can feel both risky and exciting. Deciding to change your career can be the right choice for you. It might not be your career that’s making you unhappy, but your job. Before you swap your suit for a chef’s hat, spend time to figure out what’s causing the problem. If you do decide to change, understand what you are before you quit.
Sometimes we dream about a career change when what we actually dislike is the job. Maybe you don’t like your boss, or you don’t get along with your co-workers. Maybe you don’t agree with the choices that your company makes. These are issues with your job and not your career.
If you get along with your boss and your coworkers, and the company is doing the right things, but you still get the Sunday night dread, then the issue might be your career.
Take the time to analyze your current job to figure out what the problem is. Can you fix the problem without changing your whole career, or are you in need of something that your job isn’t giving you?
You need a new challenge
Maybe you feel settled in your job. You know how everything is done, and you’ve streamlined the processes so well that there’s nothing left to streamline. You come to work and know exactly what you need to do, and everything is done by the end of the day. You’re bored.
Maybe you’re craving a new challenge. If you feel like you’ve learned everything about your job and there’s nothing left to fix, it could be time for a change.
Changing doesn’t have to mean a brand new career. You could stay with your company but transfer to a different position. This would let you tackle a new set of challenges but keep your pay level and benefits. If you can’t transfer, take on new projects outside your typical responsibilities could be what you need. You could also look into retraining, and looking for something completely new like psychology job openings.
You’ve got new priorities
Perhaps things have changed and now you have a baby, an elderly parent who needs more help, or a spouse in the military. There are lots of things that can happen that force you to reassess your priorities. Maybe you’re not interested in reaching the corner office anymore, or you just don’t like where your current path leads.
You want to pursue your passion
When you were growing up, maybe you wanted to be anything from an astronaut to a zookeeper. As you grew up, you dropped some of the bigger dreams, like being a pop star, and chose something more achievable, like marketing.
Picking something achievable doesn’t mean it’s your passion. Maybe you’ve always dreamed of writing a book or being a painter. Whatever your passion is, you’ve decided that you’re wasting your time and you’re going to pursue it.