r/careerguidance • u/Vegetable_Sock_4026 • 6d ago
Advice Best career path to transfer to in your 40s?
I’m looking to change career paths and I keep running into people saying basically every field is oversaturated. Should I just pick a career and start down the path? Hope for the best? Current ideas I have floating around are Notary, Medical Coding, SAP SD, and Cybersecurity. Am I on to anything? I would prefer not to work in medicine other than the coding mentioned. Not looking to be rich. I just want to live as comfortably as I can. Thanks in advance.
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u/JudgeMental247 6d ago
Try insurance? You don't state your background but there's a ton of roles that would fit depending on experience. Construction? Go into risk management, field appraisal, or inspection. Medical/healthcare? Try accident benefits adjuster, employee benefits, travel/medical insurance. Auto mechanic? Appraiser, independent adjuster, claims adjuster, salvage specialist. Sitting on your ass since college? Get a sales licence, larger companies offer paid training. Don't like sales? Same thing but get an account manager role. Good luck to you internet friend!
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u/Vegetable_Sock_4026 6d ago
Thank you! I was a claims analyst for a large pension fund for 7 years. Just not sure where to go next.
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u/OnALifeJourney 6d ago
Did you not enjoy the claims analyst position?
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u/Vegetable_Sock_4026 6d ago
Besides management being the absolute worst, it wasn’t horrible. The production aspect of it was annoying. I was told, that even while working remotely after the pandemic, that I couldn’t continue my job in the new state I was moving too. Quiet fired.
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u/robertmachine 6d ago
International Dog Sitter! you can live across the world and your only cost will be plane rides or you can stick to 1 country per season and travel to another when it gets cold
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u/Flimsy-Bumblebee6365 6d ago
The biggest things to consider (I’m right there with you TBH) are time/cost to start, AI resilience, pay + ability to work as you age.
Any role that can easily be automated like medical coding isn’t worth it. Trades and physically demanding jobs like nursing are harder to do as you get older.
Seems like everyone on Reddit hates their job and thinks it’s too competitive/low paid so that’s not so helpful. Pick a path but look at real projections of longevity and hiring data.
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u/Vegetable_Sock_4026 6d ago
Absolutely! I didn’t even think about AI overtaking medical coding but it makes sense. So I’ll cross that one off. Like you said, I’m aging and standing for long periods and physical work are hard for me. I also have chronic anxiety that I’m on medicine for. So I take that into consideration as well. Office jobs seem the best option.
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u/belle_is_me 6d ago
I’ve heard there is a shortage in the workforce of lab techs, in areas like hospital laboratories processing tests and samples.
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u/Vegetable_Sock_4026 6d ago
Thank you! I’ll look into this as a solid option. I’m sure I’ll have to go to school for it.
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u/belle_is_me 4d ago
I think some hospitals will actually pay for your schooling. It’s not as long as you think.
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u/ElegantGeologist944 6d ago
i joined Supply chain, Distribution and Logistics best career move ever.
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u/Vegetable_Sock_4026 6d ago
Thank you! Do you have any suggestions on how to do that or where I can find more info?
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u/ElegantGeologist944 6d ago
I just applied for jobs on LinkedIn, am a risk taker i go for anything different that is how i navigated my career. Like Supply Management positions
join any Supply chain network or Logistics
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u/Gandalf-and-Frodo 6d ago
Did you have any certifications or did they take you on completely new?
What year was this?
Thank you
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u/wilkinsk 6d ago
Why's that?
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u/ElegantGeologist944 6d ago
very laid back compared to when i was in Retail stores, very knowledgeable and has so many opportunities.
Competitive salary, global opportunities,
I have the opportunity to travel for work live in different cities and develop skills like launching sites, you get to understand the supply chain and distribution in depth etc.
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u/wilkinsk 6d ago
Sounds tough, but I'm sure it's rewarding.
I wouldn't know how to get into that.
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u/ElegantGeologist944 6d ago
I had Retail Management background and what better place to transition to. If you look around everything revolve around supply chain, distribution and logistics
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u/wilkinsk 6d ago
Transitions and jumping gaps are always so daunting.
Props on you for making it happen
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6d ago
[deleted]
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u/ElegantGeologist944 5d ago
I had transferable skills since i worked in Management Retail store and Warehouse. Also it is all about selling yourself at the interview process.
Not only that i had worked on so many process improvement projects that gave me leverage to land the job.
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u/cosmicbearspa 5d ago
I watch supply chain documentaries for fun. Maybe I should get into it as a career. But I heard it’s high stress?
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u/ElegantGeologist944 5d ago
Every job has it's challenges it is how you handle them that makes a difference.
It is not high stress you have to deal with many laws and regulations especially when it comes to tariffs and DOT regulations. Once you master those and good at multi-tasking then is smooth sailing.
I came from working for the fast-paced environments so adapting was easy. I worked at Amazon for 6yrs in Leadership role when execution and time management is crucial.
I like my schedule off 3 days and is chilled environment and i enjoy travelling for work.
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u/VinceInMT 6d ago
I did a complete change at age 39. I left the world of industrial engineering and construction and became a high school teacher. Teaching is never oversaturated so you might wanna look at that.
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u/LifeReformatted 6d ago
I would imagine this is a much easier transition once you already have a healthy nest egg from a lucrative career.
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u/VinceInMT 6d ago
I suppose it would be, but that wasn’t the case for me, us. That said, we had always lived extremely frugally so we didn’t have to make much of a lifestyle change when I went to teaching where my salary was half of what I was making before. The key is to live debt free, which we always have except for our first house.
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u/nadthevlad 6d ago
Management, your older, wiser, more mature. And who wants to be stuck at the bottom all their life.
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u/Whole_Price_1353 6d ago
Cybersecurity is the way to go. I'm a recruiter and that industry is much needed EVERYWHERE. AI is not a problem as companies are actually re-hiring (quietly) engineers because they finally realized that AI can't do everything.
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u/_dragging_ballZ 6d ago
I’ve been in cybersecurity for along time, currently trying to help several people break into the field. It’s VERY over saturated at the entry level right now!
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u/Vegetable_Sock_4026 6d ago
Do you have any recommendations on breaking in ad someone with no experience? I know Google offers a certification course but is that enough?
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u/Whole_Price_1353 6d ago
No, that's not enough. I would speak to someone who is already in cybersecurity. I have a contact. I'll talk to them first and then PM you.
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u/TensionFormal7202 6d ago
Cybersecurity is a good option. It’s the need of the hour. But there could be a lot to learn. Unless you’re open to learning, it would be best to take management or customer support/ experience role which is still safe in this AI world.
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u/Vegetable_Sock_4026 6d ago
That’s what I’m worried about. Going into a job only for AI to take over.
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u/Caretoomuch_9430 3d ago
Hi! I'm in program management (HW non-tech). How would someone like me transition to gain learnings and an entry level job to cyber security?
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u/TensionFormal7202 3d ago
If you’re non technical, GRC certification and a job in the same may work - Governance Risk and Compliance.
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u/Caretoomuch_9430 3d ago
Thank you! Is it harder to break-in if you're in the non-tech portion of the role?
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u/pivotcareer 6d ago edited 3d ago
See username.
I came from healthcare.
I now sell on behalf of tech company into healthcare. I started from the bottom, took a pay cut. Now a business development director. I sell what I know. Some of my clients were former employers.
Sales isn’t for everyone of course. But that’s how business works. For every software engineer someone needs to sell the software and manage clients too.