Preparing for a Career Change in Your 40s

"I am 63 years old, I think by far ageism is my key limiting factor." A client shared this with me last week. Because ageism + outdated hiring habits are very real. Resumes that quietly shout “I’m older” get filtered out before anyone sees your value. Thankfully, fixing this is simple once you know where to start. And unlike fighting the entire hiring system, this won’t cost you months of your life and every ounce of your confidence. Use this 3-step Age-Smart Resume Framework 👇 1️⃣ Trim your timeline Focus on the last 10–15 years. Older roles can be moved into a short “Earlier Career” or “Additional Experience” line. Tip: If a much older role is still essential, highlight the achievement, not the date. 2️⃣ Rewrite your summary Instead of opening with “Seasoned professional with 25+ years of experience”, lead with who you are and what you do now (e.g., “Operations Director who cuts costs and improves delivery speed for global manufacturers.”). Mistake to avoid: Putting “20+ / 30+ years of experience” in the first line of your resume or headline, it frames you by years, not impact. 3️⃣ Modernize education If your degree is more than 3 years old, you don’t need graduation years. Listing the degree, school, and location is enough. This keeps the focus on your qualifications, not the date you finished them. Quick example: Avoid → “B.A. in English, George Washington University, 1979” Use → “B.A. in English, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.” A quick example: I worked with a client in his early 60s who had a 4-page resume: - Every role since the late 80s - “30+ years of experience” in the first line - Graduation dates from decades ago - Brilliant background. But on paper, his resume was aging him before anyone got to his accomplishments. We: - Cut detailed experience to the last 15 years and turned older roles into a short “Earlier Career” section. - Replaced “Seasoned professional with 30+ years…” with a strong branding line focused on outcomes. - Removed old graduation dates and added recent upskilling and certifications near the top. Within two weeks, he started getting more interviews for roles. Same person. Same experience. Different first impression. 3 reasons why this works: Reason 1: It shifts the focus from age → relevance. You’re showing what matters most to employers now: recent wins, relevant skills, and current impact. Reason 2: It removes unnecessary age “signals.” Old dates, lengthy timelines, and "30+ years" language quietly trigger bias. When you edit those out, you’re not hiding your age; you’re removing distractions so your strengths get seen first. Reason 3: It positions you as experienced and current. A modern summary, focused timeline, and updated education section send a clear message: “I have depth of experience and I’m still growing, learning, and contributing.” You don’t have to erase your history. You just have to present it in a way that lets employers see your value before your age.

4 more years. 57 is the average age at which candidates are considered ‘too old’ for job roles, according to TotalJobs. Which means people my age have 4 more years until they're hung out to dry by ageist recruiters. That's 4.2 million people in England and Wales alone – representing £138 billion in economic output – at risk of being overlooked simply because of their age. There are people and organisations doing great work to bring this issue to the attention of decision makers. People like Lucy Standing CPsychol, AFBPS, CPBP, MSc, BSc and organisations like 55/Redefined . Believe me, I would love to not have to give this advice, but this is what candidates can do to take control of their job search: 1. OWN IT! Your years of experience aren't baggage – they're your superpower. Showcase how you've navigated industry transformations and led teams through change. Talk about tangible achievements. 2. Stay current: be active and visible on the platforms where recruiters and hiring managers will find you. You might not love LinkedIn, but it's an essential part of the job search process, and being here proves you're digitally fluent. 3. Focus on recent wins: (I hate having to say this but) structure your CV around the last 10 years of achievements. Go large on tangible results that demonstrate your current value. 4. Grow and nurture your network: most candidates land roles through a referral. Your decades of relationship-building are pure gold. 5. Target age-positive employers: 55/Redefined has a list of age-inclusive employers. Look at the demographic of a company's employees on LinkedIn. Contact them proactively.     Your experience isn't just years on the job; it's battle-tested judgment, refined leadership skills, and the ability to see around corners. Experience should be celebrated, not penalised. This is the one discrimination that everyone is going to face. If you agree, please share this post and MAKE SOME NOISE! ♻️

It’s not always about age. Sometimes, it’s about value. A few weeks ago, I spoke to a 51-year-old professional who had just lost his job. CTC: ₹45 LPA. Experience: 20+ years. He had applied to several openings, cleared initial rounds, but never made the final cut. His conclusion? “They don’t want to hire older people anymore.” But here’s the truth—age wasn’t the real issue. Let’s look deeper. He had spent 17 years in one organization. Stable job, predictable routine, steady increments. Then he moved to another company, worked for 1.6 years, and was let go. Now, when he applies for senior roles, the competition isn’t just younger candidates It’s people his own age who’ve worked across multiple organizations, learned new tools, handled diverse teams, and adapted to changing business models. Those peers are now earning ₹70 LPA or more. So, when hiring managers compare profiles, they don’t just see age. They see value. And a CTC that’s significantly lower sends a silent signal: “Maybe this person hasn’t grown at the same pace.” “Maybe the impact isn’t comparable.” It’s not fair, but it’s real. In today’s market, CTC is often a proxy for performance and market relevance. If you’ve been in a comfort zone too long, your pay may not just reflect loyalty — it may reflect stagnation. The lesson? Don’t wait 17 years to find out your market worth. Keep learning. Keep moving. Keep evolving. Because the market doesn’t judge you by your age. It judges you by your relevance.

Marsha was in her 50s and hoping to make a career pivot. "Have I got chance?" she asked me. I'll tell you what I told her: Ageism in the job market is real. But, if you are prepared, you can overcome the obstacles. It had been years since she'd applied or interviewed for a job. We worked together on her resume, LinkedIn, networking, and interviewing to package her for the job she wanted. When she called to say she'd gotten an offer for a great new job in pharma, with a 30% pay increase, I was jumping up & down!! I want to be clear that this was not easy. It took a lot of focus. Here is the multi-pronged approach we worked on together: 🎯 Resume Strategy: ↳ Focus on impact ("Delivered $2M in savings" vs "25 years of experience") ↳ Go back no more than 15 years  ↳ Highlight current technical skills, leave off old ones ↳ Take the graduation year off all degrees ↳ Contact info should include only city, state (no street address) ↳ Ditch the AOL, and hotmail email addresses; they date you 🌐Networking Strategy: ↳ Reconnect with former colleagues & give them an update ↳ Practice talking about your skills and abilities ↳ Speak to others who've successfully overcome the age barrier ↳ Make sure your LinkedIn profile follows best practices ↳ Work toward 500+ connections ↳ Post and comment on LinkedIn weekly 🏢 Employer Strategy: ↳ Target 40-50 companies with age-diverse cultures ↳ Talk to people in similar roles & ask about key skills ↳ Ask HR/recruiters about their hiring process ↳ Follow each employer on social media to learn priorities 💡 Interview Strategy: ↳ Lead with energy and genuine interest ↳ Show you've done your research with deep preparation ↳ Be ready with stories that include cross-generational work ↳ Share examples of your adaptability and growth mindset ↳ Talk about new skills you've built and show you're on top of trends ↳ Communicate your experience working with diverse people 🤵🏼Personal Strategy: ↳ Take additional courses & certifications to keep your skills fresh ↳ Stay current in your field with podcasts and social media ↳ Make reasonable adjustments to your appearance ↳ Clothes should fit well and be current, but not "trendy" ↳ Avoid language that "dates" you (ask a trusted younger friend) Remember: You're not "overqualified" You have battle-tested wisdom. That, along with these strategies, will set you up as a strong candidate! ♻ Repost to help people who are facing ageism in their job search 🔔 Follow Sarah Baker Andrus for more strategic career insights

"I declined the role at Apple!" A mom texted me this at 9pm last night. On paper, it was her dream job. Title. Pay. Prestige. In reality? It meant a 2-hour commute and missing school pick-ups. This is what “you can’t have it all” actually looks like. It's rarely one big decision. It’s 12 small trade-offs every day. The promotion or family dinners. The 5pm meeting or watching soccer practice. And somehow, it feels like you're choosing wrong. Most people think there are only two options: 1: Push harder. Get promoted. Miss everything. 2: Pull back. Protect your time. Watch your career stall. Both feel like failure. But here’s what I’ve learned watching thousands of women navigate this: The question is rigged: "Career or family?" assumes ambition and children are opposing forces. They're not. The women who've found peace didn't balance better. They rejected the premise. They stopped asking, "Career or family?" And started asking: "What does success look like for me in this season?" Because ambition doesn't disappear with kids. It just stops fitting the script you were handed. Before kids, success meant: The next title. The bigger role. The faster climb. Now, it might mean: ↳ A role that stretches you without taking your evenings ↳ Turning down the VP offer with 60% travel ↳ Taking a 20% pay cut to finish work at 5:30pm This is the third path. Where you trade status for long-term fulfillment. You're proud of your career AND connected with your kids - without losing yourself. It's a different definition of winning. The hard part? No one applauds this choice. LinkedIn celebrates promotions. Nobody posts "I turned down Director to keep coaching my daughter's soccer team!" So when you choose the third path, it feels lonely. You wonder if you've lost your edge. Choosing a life that works for you isn't loss of ambition. It's the highest form of ambition. The women I know on the third path? ↳ They're leading teams AND making it to the game. ↳ They bought back 10 hours a week and still got promoted. ↳ They skip the work dinner, build strategic visibility instead, and make an impact anyway. They're not doing less. They're playing a longer game. If you're standing at that crossroads, ask yourself: What would success look like in the season I’m actually living — not the one I lived five years ago, and not the one everyone expects? That’s the first step on the third path. I help moms at Fortune 500 companies build careers that fit the season they’re living. If this resonates and you’re not sure how to start living the third path, I put together a 1-minute quiz to help you pinpoint what's driving your overwhelm — and the first move to redesign your ambition around your life. Comment “yes” and I’ll DM you the free quiz link.👇 --- ♻️ Repost if you reject society's career vs. kids narrative. 🔔 Follow Shivani Berry for frameworks to build a career you're proud of while staying connected to your kids.

Most people think you have to choose. Build multiple careers OR be a present parent. Follow your purpose OR maintain stability. Create meaningful work OR have family time. Anu Sehgal chose differently. Entrepreneur. Author. Educator. Mom. She runs The Culture Tree. Creates children's books. Produces cultural programming. Leads community events. All rooted in heritage. All built around family. Here's what changed everything: A 2021 UK survey found 63% of workers had or planned portfolio careers. But most scatter their energy everywhere. They burn out before they break through. Anu's framework works differently: 1. Build from Identity, Not Aspiration Your strongest work comes from who you are. Not who you think you should become. Every one of Anu's ventures connects to her heritage and cultural education background. The work sustains her because it flows from core identity. Quick Fact: Research links strong professional identity to higher career satisfaction. Try this: Write down your three strongest identity markers. Build only from these foundations. 2. Let One Lane Seed the Next Don't reinvent yourself with each career. Expand from what's already working. Anu's progression: Entrepreneurial work → Writing → School partnerships → Cultural festivals. Each step built on the previous one. No energy wasted starting from zero. This is why her portfolio feels coherent instead of chaotic. Try this: Before launching anything new, ask "How does this connect to what I already do well?" 3. Use Structure to Protect What Matters Portfolio careers need boundaries, not balance. Anu manages multiple ventures while raising children through: • Non-negotiable family routines • Disciplined project timelines • Saying yes only to mission-aligned work "It's all about balance and knowing what to prioritize at each stage." Quick Fact: Studies show boundaries drive career success and satisfaction. Try this: Block your family time first. Build everything else around it. 4. Test in Seasons, Not Sprints Most people try to launch everything simultaneously. They overwhelm themselves before anything takes root. Smart approach: Test one potential career per quarter. Give it 90 days of focused attention. Measure real traction, not just excitement. Only add the next career when the current one runs sustainably. Try this: Pick one new direction to test this quarter. Ignore all other opportunities until you have data. The choice between meaningful work and family life is false. You just need the right system. ♻️ Share this with someone juggling multiple dreams 🔔 Follow Kabir Sehgal for more insights

In one of my recent career coaching sessions with working professionals who have decided to pursue higher studies, a learner shared his challenge of balancing work, family, and study. He felt overwhelmed by the demands of his job, academic responsibilities, and personal life. This is a common concern, and it's essential to address it to achieve a healthy work-life balance. 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤-𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 1. 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐬: Begin your day by listing tasks in order of importance. Focus on high-priority tasks first to ensure critical work gets done, reducing stress later in the day. 2. 𝐒𝐞𝐭 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐁𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: Define specific work hours, study time, and personal time. Communicate these boundaries with colleagues, professors, and family members to avoid interruptions and maintain a clear distinction between different aspects of your life. 3. 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬: Leverage tools like calendars, to-do lists, and time-tracking apps to organize your day efficiently. Apps like Trello, Asana, or Google Calendar can help manage tasks and deadlines for both work and study. 4. 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐬: Incorporate regular breaks into your daily routine to recharge. Short breaks during work or study hours can boost productivity and prevent burnout. 5. 𝐃𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐓𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐬: Don't hesitate to delegate tasks when possible. Sharing responsibilities at work and at home can free up time and reduce your workload, allowing you to focus on essential tasks. 6. 𝐀𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐝 𝐌𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠: Focus on one task at a time to enhance productivity and reduce errors. Multitasking can often lead to decreased efficiency and increased stress. 7. 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞: Schedule time for hobbies, exercise, and relaxation. Prioritizing self-care is crucial for maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Implementing these time management techniques can significantly improve your ability to balance work, family, and study, leading to greater satisfaction and well-being. Remember, finding the right balance is an ongoing process, and it's okay to adjust your approach as needed. 💙 #worklifebalance #timemanagement #productivitytips #selfcare #boundarysetting #focus #stayorganized #careercoaching #professionaldevelopment #lifetips

Stop filtering out older candidates. I see the same pattern in hiring conversations. A CV lands on the table with decades of experience and the first reaction is hesitation. Not because the person can’t do the job, but because of assumptions about motivation, adaptability or salary expectations. The problem for SMBs is that this filters out exactly the people who have already solved the problems you are facing today. You lose the benefit of hard-earned judgement, pattern recognition and the ability to steady a team when things get busy. That is often the difference between surviving a growth phase and actually navigating it well. Here’s the one moment that matters. Experience is not the issue. The story you attach to it is. When clients meet these candidates, the narrative usually changes. The person they thought would be “too senior” turns out to be the one who brings clarity, calm and maturity to decisions. The person they assumed wouldn’t stay is often the one looking for exactly the kind of environment an SMB can genuinely offer. And more often than not, they become the hire who lifts capability across the whole team. The prize is simple. Better judgment. Better delivery. A business that becomes easier to run because someone with mileage knows how to stabilise the work, not just push through it. If you want to widen your talent pool this year, start by dropping the assumptions. Assess what the person can do for your business today, not the stereotype attached to their age.

A £140k Commercial Director sent 60 applications over four months. She is 52. She got two first-stage interviews. Her CV is excellent. Twenty-eight years of P&L ownership, three successful turnarounds, and a track record most hiring managers would build a team around. The problem is not on paper. The problem is the date next to her first degree. A poll of 4,000 UK adults this January found that 51% believe job applicants become undesirable to employers by their mid-50s. More than a third said it happens at 50 or younger. 8% said as early as 40. The age group most convinced this is real? People aged 45 to 54, because they are living it. Here is what nobody says out loud. Age discrimination is illegal under the Equality Act 2010; there is no qualifying period, and the compensation is uncapped. So it does not arrive as a rejection that mentions age. It arrives as silence, or as a phrase that cannot be challenged in a tribunal. ❌ Listing every role since 1997 and a graduation date that lets a screener calculate your age in three seconds. ✅ Lead with the last 15 years. The screener cares about recent, relevant delivery, not your first graduate job. Remove graduation dates from the education section. You are not lying. You are refusing to give someone a reason to filter you before they read your achievements. One caveat, because someone will ask. This is about the CV you submit into a screening process, not your public profile, which does the opposite job: it is a credibility record where the full career arc is the asset. ❌ Answering 'I have over 28 years of experience' in the opening of an interview. ✅ Lead with outcomes, not tenure. 'I have taken three businesses through turnaround, the most recent a 40% margin recovery in 18 months.' Years invite the question, 'Is she winding down?' Outcomes invite 'how soon can she start?' ❌ Accepting 'we went with someone who was a better culture fit' as a real answer. ✅ Recognise the euphemism. 'Culture fit' is the phrase that survives a tribunal when 'too old' would not. It is not always age. But when a 52-year-old with a stronger CV loses to a 32-year-old on 'fit,' the word is doing work the law does not allow anyone to say directly. I call this ‘The Invisibility Filter’. The point where a candidate stops being assessed on capability and starts being assessed on assumptions about energy, cost, and how long they will stay. Now, the question most companies cannot answer honestly. In your last ten hires for senior roles, how many were over 50? If the honest number is zero, the issue is not your applicant pool. It is full of qualified over-50s. The filter is happening between their CV and your shortlist, and 'culture fit' is where it hides. Have you felt the invisibility filter in your own search? Or have you sat on a panel and watched a stronger candidate lose on 'fit' to someone twenty years younger?