Changing Careers At 30: Tips For Success

Did you know that Jeff Bezos was 30 years old when he decided to quit his job as Senior Vice President at D.E. Shaw to start Amazon? But big career moves aren’t just reserved for industry titans like Bezos. The average person changes careers multiple times throughout their working life. In December 2022, LinkedIn and CensusWide asked more than 2,000 U.S. workers about their professional plans for the coming year. It turns out that 72% of Gen Zers and 66% of millennials are considering changing careers—compared to just 55% of Gen Xers and 30% of baby boomers.

Your thirties can be an ideal time to reinvent your career. At that point, you have substantial life experience, a solid set of transferrable skills and a strong professional network. Plus, you’re more financially stable than you were a decade earlier. Some reasons for changing careers at 30 include wanting more flexibility, needing a new challenge or a desire to start a business, among others.

Have you decided to embark on a career change but don’t know where to begin? These five strategies will position you for success.

Engage in self-reflection

When thinking about changing careers, make sure you’re doing it for the right reasons. For example, don’t make a career shift because you’re sick to death of your nagging boss or exhausted to the point of burnout. However, if you’ve decided to pursue a passion or improve your work life balance so you can spend more time with family, those are valid reasons to chart a new course. Remember, it’s always better to run towards something you want rather than away from something you don’t.

Assess your transferrable skills

Once you’ve decided to take the leap, assess your transferrable skills. The good news is that you’re not starting from scratch. Instead, think of it as starting from experience. Some examples of soft skills transferrable to any industry include adaptability, communication and leadership skills. If you find that there is a skills gap, locate education and training resources like podcasts, webinars, online courses and certification programs. You might even be able to complete your training while still employed in your current position.

Lean on your network

Next, leverage your network to conduct informational interviews. Don’t forget to connect with people at alumni groups and professional organizations. Even friends and family might have contacts in the field you are researching. Another smart move when changing careers is to “try on” your new profession by volunteering, interning or shadowing someone. You could even freelance or start a side hustle. That way, you gain experience (and money) while building your network and learning more about your future career.

Set clear goals

Changing careers can seem daunting. But you can avoid overwhelm by breaking your bigger goal down into smaller more manageable steps. One way to accomplish this is by setting SMART goals:

Specific: make your goals specific and narrow
Measurable: apply methods of measuring your progress
Achievable: allot the time and resources necessary to achieve your goals
Relevant: ensure all your action items help you move closer to your goals
Time-based: set a deadline to achieve your goals

For instance, do you plan to pivot careers in one fell swoop or more gradually? If you need additional training, how long will it take you to complete it? By creating an action plan, you’re making a potentially lengthy, difficult process more achievable.

Be patient

Starting out in a new field will take time and effort. So, don’t hesitate to ask for help. Leaning on your support system will also help keep you inspired and motivated. Another way to stay positive is to focus on incremental progress. That way you have an excuse to reward yourself along the way. Finally, don’t forget to plan time for self-care. Changing careers can be stressful. If you aren’t careful, you could burn out before reaching your goal.

Changing careers is more of a marathon than a sprint. So, keep your expectations realistic. Still, there are advantages to making a pivot in your thirties. For one thing, you still have plenty of time to plan for retirement. Another benefit is that you typically don’t have as many responsibilities as you would in your forties or fifties. So don’t wait. Your dream career could be just around the corner.