Changing Careers in Your 30s? Here’s What You Need to Know

The concept of what makes a career has changed radically over time. A few generations ago, college graduates counted themselves lucky to land a job with a solid company, with a steady paycheck, the possibility of promotion, and, eventually, a pension to see them through their retirement years.

Today, Gen Z and Millennial workers typically job-hop every few years or less — not because they’re irresponsible, but because the idea of staying with one company your entire working life is both outmoded and unlikely, as businesses merge or pivot or dissolve. Staying put is no longer the best way to gain career experience and get ahead — and if you want to explore a different career avenue altogether, switching it up is essential.

So, what should young people do as they enter their thirties and want to shift companies, or even career paths?

In a recent interview, investor Kapish Haldia says, “As I turn 30, most of my friends have left or are in the process of leaving their jobs to bet on themselves… through acquiring a small business in a blue-collar industry, building an agency, [or] coming up with ways to optimize or disrupt industries they spent their first professional decade in. It’s an exciting wave of opportunity that was not as widely available five years ago.”

Here are some tips to facilitate a career change in your thirties:

Know you have time to make this change.

You may feel established, with a mortgage, family responsibilities, and bills to pay. You may also be concerned about losing any accrued retirement benefits. However, career change is happening all around you every day. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the average person switches careers 10-15 times in their work life! It’s better to be happy and fulfilled than plugging away in a career that drains your energy every day.

Decide whether a career change is in your best interest.

Have you lost your passion? Is your health negatively affected? Do you feel that no matter how much money you make, you’ll still be unhappy doing what you do? These are all strong signals that a career change might be the right step for you now.

Take inventory.

What skills do you have? What do you enjoy about the work you do now, and what do you dislike? Take some career quizzes to help you evaluate your strengths and areas of interest.

Do your research.

Consider taking your new field for a test drive, as you would a potential car purchase. See if you can volunteer or freelance as a side hustle in your new field while keeping your present job, to get a sense of fit. You may also be able to arrange a working vacation in this new area. Knowing as much as possible before you make a major change can save you from making a major mistake.

Update your skillset to fit your new field.

Some or all of your existing skills may be transferable to your new field, but you may also need additional training, a certification, or even another degree. Factor all of this into your decision before taking the big leap.

Tap your network.

You’ll likely do this again: 70 percent of Gen Z and Millennials actively planned a career transition in 2023! That’s the majority of the workforce, so you’re in excellent company.

Jeff Bezos was a 30-year-old senior vice president at a hedge fund when he decided to start an online bookstore in 1994. He called it Cadabra, then Amazon. And we all know what happened next.

If you feel the call to change careers — or to take the leap and start your own business — do your homework, and go for it. This is the nature of work life for people in their 30s and 40s today. Most of the workers in your age bracket are changing careers approximately every three to four years. Good luck!