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Career restart at 40


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Hello All,

 

So, I am curious what insight or advice I might glean from all of you. I am 40, male, single, no kids, never married, very well educated, good looking, and not very happy about it. My career appears to have derailed in a industry that is very ageist and I'm looking at backup plans though I would rather not. Also, have about $80k in student loan/tax debt, underemployed, unemployed currently, and just dreading taking on a McJob. Binational, bicultural, alone in a big city away from family who live somewhere that would be very difficult for me to acculturate to, but wary of needing to take care of parents in next few years.

 

So how did I get here? I guess I didn't know any better, and was too busy having a good time instead doing the right thing at the right time. I got lucky on being admitted to a top university and partied but I graduated, so I wasn't picked up by a top firm. Finally engineered my way into one in NYC but didn't like it. Switched careers at 27 years old to a very nepotistic field in LA and seemed to get some traction. Then became involved with a girl, too involved, and between she and I, I managed to not push forward as I should have. Wound up depressed and isolated at the end of the relationship, my contacts disappeared in the industry upon whom I relied for work, and now, I no longer have the passion to play with the kids to start networking over from scratch. I tried going back to banking and didn't like it. I recently managed a staff of 400 persons so I have the ability but my resume is a mish-mash of Fortune 20 executive trainee jobs and freelance jobs in my current deadend field. It is very hard to get hired with this background. Most people by 40 are at the top of their game having spent a decade in their field.

 

So what to do? I find it hard to leave this industry and the thing I've always wanted to do--I could come back to it. I could certainly leave LA. I've outgrown it, but after living in LA, NYC, DC, Chicago and Boston, there are very few places that would be appealing. And now I am 40. I am very interested in meeting a nice lady and starting a family but am not financially ready for it. With an 80K burden and with my age and no assets, I'm not very attractive for an attractive lady who has her act together, and I am not looking to take just whatever I can get. So I'm thinking of going back to school. I'm thinking of either doing it in Austin, possibly in LA, or in Mexico, in a field that won't make a lot of money: mexican folklore and cultural studies, or activism studies (if such a thing exists).

 

Pros of school: chance to meet intelligent women and specialize in a new field, also opportunity to move my career out of support positions into leadership position.

 

Cons of school: more debt, 2 additional years out of the work force, reenter career marketplace at 42 rebranded but essentially as a newbie.

 

So another central question is: how do you get ahead of the ball again. I was once the wunderkind, but those days are gone, but that is essentially what I'm trying, and need to do again. Any tips? Has anyone rejumpstarted their career after a derailment? I would be very interested in any advice.

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skydiveaddict
Hello All,

 

. Any tips? Has anyone rejumpstarted their career after a derailment? I would be very interested in any advice.

 

 

Perhaps look into

 

A drastic career change perhaps, but it's decent money and it's a fun job

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MorningCoffee

40 is young, so a restart is totally doable.

 

But not sure the fields you mention provide all that many opportunities. They sound narrowly academic (pardon me if I am not aware of a vast and growing field in Mexican folklore or activism studies :confused: ).

 

So it's not the restart at 40 or 42 itself but the field you choose to enter and the opportunities it will give you.

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desertIslandCactus

Choose The field that you would Enjoy the most as an occupation. Strive with further schooling if necessary.

 

Apply to companies who would have the position you seek even if you must take a job lower than that you wish. Work your way up to the position.

 

Lastly, most importantly .. look to becoming a freelance in the job/product you would wish and/or starting your own company. You can begin your own company while working in another unrelated field for income.

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Hi NL,

 

Personally I would not get into any more debt. You have enough education, and I would take that and mold it into a better paying job. I would PAY OFF those student loans asap, those things are a ball and chain IMO.

 

Your in the LA area...there is a lot of aircraft co (Northop, Boeing, etc) that pay priddy good and the work is exciting IMO, I've always been atracted to aircraft. Those co's are always looking for management positions...you sound upper levels BTW.

 

As for the girl, my prayers are with you!

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I started to study for my new carreer when turning 42 yrs. After spending 17 yrs in travel business I decided to start studying at the uni for becoming a reg. nurse and I am about to graduate next summer. Have already been working as a nurse (doing vacancies) during my studies and could not have chosen a better profession, so I am content! Having 2 children, teenager and an adult one, it´s been sometimes hard but I guess the good things in life does not come easily? Planning on moving to an other country for work with my teenager when graduating. So it´s never too late! And I still feel young at 45yrs old!:)

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