The Question: How Do I Change Industries at 40 Without Feeling Like a 22-Year-Old Intern?

(This question is based on a post I recently came across.)

I just turned 41 and I’m feeling completely stuck in my career. I’ve been in the same industry since my mid-20s and feel like I’ve outgrown it. But every time I look at job postings in other fields, I feel underqualified or like it’s too late to start over. Explaining why I want to switch industries in interviews feels awkward, and I worry about starting over like a clueless 22-year-old intern. How do I make a big career change later in life without feeling like a clueless beginner?

My Answer:

I feel like the way you’re thinking about this transition might be holding you back in two ways:

1. Lack of clarity about what you’ve outgrown and exactly what you want next

You mention both that you’ve outgrown your industry and that explaining why you are transitioning industries feels awkward. That suggests to me that you could have more clarity on what specifically no longer fits and why you want to take this next step. Without that clarity, you risk experiencing the same frustrations into your next role.

Here’s a personal example: years ago I made a big career change (I left academia for entrepreneurship), as I was leaving my role as a professor, I thought:

• “I’ll never apply for a job again.”
• “I’ll never have to publish again.”

Silly me! Haha! Now I “apply” for every new client to hire me and publish articles in blogs and newspapers instead of academic journals. I’m glad I left, but if those had been my only reasons, it would’ve been a bad move (thankfully those weren’t my only two reasons).

Hindsight has taught me a better approach is to get super clear about what you want before you make a move.

One way I do this is by identifying necessary conditions (an idea from my engineering background that I’ve found really helpful for getting unstuck).

Here’s the process:

1. List what you like about your current role.
→ Example: “My current salary of $X..”

2. List what’s frustrating about your current role.
→ Example: “The culture feels too constrained.”

3. Turn each like and frustration into a necessary condition.
→ Example: “I need a role that pays at least $X.”
→ Example: “I need an environment that supports creativity and autonomy.”

Use those conditions to evaluate job options or brainstorm new pathways forward and aim to only accept roles that meet all of them.

The benefit is two-fold: when you’re clear on your necessary conditions, you’ll know which paths truly fit, and you’ll have a much easier time explaining your transition in interviews.

2. Starting a new career doesn’t mean starting over

It sounds like you’re seeing a career change as starting from scratch. But you’ve built skills younger people don’t have: perspective, judgment, resilience, and the ability to navigate complexity (in addition to whatever technical skills you may have). Those skills come with you everywhere you go.

Take some time to reflect on why you think your career transition is “starting over” and what it would take for you to shift that way of thinking.

 [I won’t pile on more here since this is already way longer than I wanted it to be (sorry!), but I’m happy to share a few ideas on how to do this if it’s helpful. I have additional tools and resources that can help, don’t hesitate to reach out.]

Best wishes on your next step!