Career Change at 35: Is It Too Late?

I don’t want to leave you hanging, so let me start here:

I’m 35 right now, and I’m in the midst of a career change. So I’d say, no, it’s not too late for a career change at 35.

I finally decided to pursue a new career path at age 32, and admittedly, it feels like it’s taken a long time to get here. But even if I were starting today, at the ripe old age of 35.75, it would be worth it to me.

If you’re considering a career change in your mid-30s, welcome — and get ready to meet your favorite version of yourself.

It’s Never Too Late to Switch Careers

Is 35 too late for a new career? What about 45? 55? 60?

According to ZipRecruiter, about 1 in 4 workers over the age of 55 have reported having trouble finding work during their job search, and over half (53%) have experienced ageism in the workplace.

In the safety of that anonymous survey, even 25% of employers admitted that between 2 equally qualified candidates, one age 30 and the other age 60, they’d choose the 30-year-old. (Bear in mind that age-related discrimination is illegal at the federal level … for workers 40 and over. Sorry, 39-year-olds!)

And if 25% would anonymously admit to ageist hiring practices, how many more are doing it and just not admitting it?

So look. I get that choosing a new career at 35 is scary.

But at age 35, you probably aren’t facing significant age-related barriers yet. So your 30s are an amazing time to take the leap!

Feminine-presenting person in green halter top smiles open-mouthed and grabs their hair playfully as they stand next to a partially obscured road sign in the desert. It probably says "Speed Limit 35" but we can only see "Limit 35" — *This road may be “Limit 35,” but your career isn’t!*

And even though ageism is a valid concern as we get older, don’t let it stop you. You deserve a satisfying professional life no matter what age you are — and that includes your 40s, 50s, 60s, and retirement.

Why Start a New Career at 35? 11 Great Reasons

There are so many great reasons to start a new career — but a great reason for one person might not be a great reason for someone else.

So here are a wide variety of potentially great reasons to make a career change at 35:

More meaning or purpose in your work
A less demanding industry or profession
More challenging opportunities
Part-time opportunities
Better salary and benefits
Never changed careers before, or not for a long time
Made a career change that wasn’t for you
More travel
Less travel
Working directly with clients
Moving behind the scenes

Yes, some of these are in direct opposition to others. That’s because, again, the right choice for you isn’t the right choice for everyone.

Some of us are looking for more advancement opportunities and ways to climb the ladder. Others want to get off the damn ladder entirely.

That’s why the only person who can determine what a successful career change looks like for you is… you.

Feminine-presenting person with short brown hair wears green blazer and glasses. She is talking on the phone while walking through a park or other green space. — *Do you want to take work calls from wherever you are — or leave work at the office? There’s no right or wrong answer.*

5 Key Steps: How to Change Careers at 35

It may not surprise you that the steps to switch careers at 35 don’t look much different from the steps you might take at other points in your life. Still, if you haven’t changed careers in a while, or *cough* never (that was me), a refresher doesn’t hurt.

1. Assess Your Current Job

Don’t skip this step! Before your job search, and even before deciding on your next career, you need to understand how you got here.

What aspects of your current career make you want to run away and never come back?

What do you still enjoy about your job?

By understanding your current situation, you’ll have a much clearer picture of what you want and don’t want from your new career.

Not sure where to start?

Our free Career Fit Checklist has can help:

2. Research Job Options

When you’re trying to decide on a new career, it’s easy to fall into the quiz trap. Everywhere you look, there’s a “Should I Quit My Job” quiz or “Find Your Perfect Career in 5 Easy Questions” survey.

If you’re a people-pleaser or don’t have a strong sense of self (like me when I was first considering a new career), these quizzes can throw you off.

Their generic answers — “Teacher,” “Graphic Designer,” “Entrepreneur” — can be marketed or presented in a way that sounds cool at first, but might not align with what you want or need.

Feminine-presenting person sits upright in bed, using a Macbook latpop. In the foreground, a golden retriever is asleep on the bed. — *Even your dog has had enough of your online career quizzes. “You have the answers already, Mom!”*

Instead, try to remember this: You don’t need advice or generic quiz results. Really!

That’s because you already have opinions and ideas about your next career choice.

Yes, you do — even if you can’t see them yet.

You’ll start to find them once you believe your ideas are valid and begin to feel that you can trust yourself.

(Easier said than done, but career discovery coaching can help!)

And here’s a fun thing about your brain: the more you focus on something, the more you’ll notice that thing everywhere. Maybe everyone started talking about your college before you picked it, or every runner you pass is wearing those shoes you’ve been researching.

Thanks to your reticular activating system (RAS), your brain focuses on identifying and collecting data about that topic on autopilot!

So as you keep thinking about your career path, you’ll naturally begin to see the clues about your next career all around you.

3. Identify Transferable Skills

I recommend saving this until after you’ve identified your favorite potential careers.

For me, it was really difficult to see how my skills from my current career path could apply to literally ANYTHING else — until I found my path.

Then I began to see all kinds of connections. I started to see how a few important skills of mine would transfer perfectly (like in-depth 1-on-1 conversations, writing, and project planning). And as I looked at the new skills my coaching career would require, I had more confidence that my existing skills would help me gain experience in the new ones.

But for me, this wasn’t possible until I had the career identified and that new set of skills in front of me.

So I say: Don’t stress about picking a new career BASED on your transferable skills. Instead, find fulfilling career paths you could see yourself really loving — and then let those paths reveal your transferable skills.

4. Build Your Network

I’ve probably worked with thousands of people throughout my career. Colleagues, contractors, clients, people at conferences and networking events… thousands and thousands.

So tell me why, when I’d been on LinkedIn since college, I had just barely 200 LinkedIn connections 12 years later?

Well, for one thing, networking was not my strong suit. Plus, I never really thought about my next job. I wasn’t planning for the future — I was too busy panicking about the present.

Yet, it’s amazing the traction I’ve gotten from just a handful of people in my small network.

Feminine-presenting person with short brown hair wears a beige plaid blazer and looks down at her phone in her hand. A white to-go coffee cup is on the counter next to her as she stands in a brightly lit turquoise coffee shop. — *Stay connected by saving new contacts right after your calls and meetings! You never know how old connections can come in handy when you change careers.*

I’m still kicking myself about all the missed opportunities I could have had. Imagine if I had stayed connected to even 20% of the people I worked with over the years…

So take it from me and don’t miss your shot. Make those connections now — while you still have access to your work emails.

Which brings me to…

5. Update Your LinkedIn Profile and Resume

If you, like me, haven’t updated your LinkedIn profile since your last promotion… or maybe even before that… this is a good time to do it.

The degree to which you update it will depend on where you are in your career change. If you haven’t told a soul, don’t go much further than making sure your job title is current and your description of skills and duties is up to date.

Maybe solicit a few endorsements or recommendations. But (duh) don’t post about your interest in a new field or list yourself as “Open to Work” before putting in your notice.

This is a teachable moment, friends, because my LinkedIn profile is out of date as I write this. So if you’re reading this and noticing that my LinkedIn profile still doesn’t reflect what I’m doing now, maybe call me out? #accountability

Want more ways to prepare for switching careers? Check out 4 Powerful Ways to Prepare for Career Transitions

Best Jobs to Consider For a Career Change at 35

“Ok Lucy — what are the best careers for a 35-year-old?”

Nope! Sorry. You won’t catch me giving that kind of advice.

Person sits at light wood table with an espresso cup and saucer and laptop in front of them. The laptop is open to Google and the person's hand hovers near the keyboard as though they're about to search for something. — *Google loves a definitive query, and boy do we love to search for the easy answers! But unfortunately, your most fulfilling career is not in a top search result or clickbait article.*

As a coach, it’s my job to help you develop self-awareness. In other words — you have the answers already! You may just need some support to bring them to the surface.

Think about it! I’ve never met you. Unless you’re already a client, in which case, hi! But either way…

What could I tell you about yourself… that 35 years of living in your own skin hasn’t taught you already?

Which is to say — I can help you to:

Have compassion for yourself, just as you are, right now
Understand what motivates and de-motivates you
See what isn’t working in your current career
Identify what you’d like from a future career

But I will NOT:

Tell you what your dream industry or dream job should be
Give advice on changing careers based on my personal opinions or experiences
Say or imply that I know what’s best for you
Center my experience in our sessions (although sometimes I might on this blog or social media…)

So, if you want a list of the 12 Best Careers For A Career Change At 35, this isn’t it — but you don’t need that list anyway.

Career Change at 35 FAQs

What should you know to change careers at 35 (or any age)? Here are a few questions people ask about this topic.

Is 35 too old to get into tech?

Your age isn’t the determining factor for getting into tech! You may be worried about ageism or falling behind your Gen Z peers, but the fact is that your knowledge, skills, and confidence will be your best assets in breaking into tech or any new career track.

So if you have no tech experience, yes, you will need to get educated. You might not have on-the-job training opportunities for tech jobs that pay well, so look into degrees, certifications, and training programs related to what you’re into.

To change careers and start in a new industry, focus on following your interests, leveling up your skills, and building self-awareness, self-compassion, and self-confidence to keep yourself moving when the going gets tough.

Queer person with short brown hair, glasses, and a black sweater with white pattern sits at conference table with laptop in front of them, hands tented as they smile and talk to someone else at the table. — You’ll need the right skills to break into tech, but don’t let any part of your identity — age, gender, sexuality, race — stop you from pursuing the career you want. Photo by Mapbox (not affiliated).

What is a good career change at 35?

A successful career change at 35 is the one you want. Period.

If you go for a career that you aren’t actually interested in, just because it’s popular, sounds impressive, or has great pay — it’s not a good career change, in my opinion.

Many would disagree with that, and I get it. Very, very few of us would do our jobs for free, and let’s not pretend that we would.

But taking a job that “you couldn’t pay me to do” because it happens to pay ridiculously well is probably not a great move in the long run.

However…. To each their own. And that’s the total beauty of coaching!

My opinion about your career change doesn’t really matter. Because if your career goal is to grit your teeth through something you hate for a few years and aim to retire early — if that’s your top priority, that’s ALL that matters.

Read more about changing careers in your 30s here: Want A Career Change In Your 30s? What You Need To Know

Can you still be successful at 35?

The key for you here is:

What’s your definition of success, in general?

What does success look like for you — and is that different from your perception of success in general?

Because maybe you’re asking if you can achieve financial stability at 35. But you might be asking if you can get a C-level position at 35. Or if you can save someone’s life at 35. Or if you can start your own business, or go to medical school, or find a better balance between family and career at 35.

By the way, the answer to any of these could be “yes!” Just, first, make sure you’re marching toward a definition of success that you really want for yourself.

Black background with yellow-orange neon sign that says "Go up and never stop" with an arrow underlining the text — *What does career success look like for you? Is it a continual growth journey (like the phrase on this sign), or a destination you can enjoy at your own pace?*

Is 36 too old to start a new career path?

Absolutely not! Get after it.

I’ll turn 36 during my first full year of business, and I don’t feel too old. (Except when I vacuum… ugh, my back! Thank you, robot vacuums.)

Can I ask you a question, though?

This could be something to journal about — and by “journal,” I mean voice memo, talk through with a friend, think about in the shower or on a walk… however you process your thoughts. Because I’m curious about this:

Are you actually worried that you’re too old?

Or are you afraid you can’t do it? Or that you don’t know how? Maybe you worry people will judge you, or that you’ll have regrets.

In other words — I could be wrong, but this probably isn’t really about your age.

Just think about it!

Conclusion: Is It Too Late to Make a Career Change at 35?

No.

But if you spend the next 2 years, 4 years, 8 years dreaming about making a change… you might end up at 40, 45, or 50, still asking if it’s too late.

Even then, I’d tell you it’s not.

But you might rather have 5-15 years of a more fulfilling career under your belt by then.

And if that’s the case — let’s talk.