by Dr. Deborah Bauers

Created on: January 19, 2008

You're only halfway through your best years of productivity and you find yourself considering a career change. That could be a very good sign. It might mean that you're watching a world that is changing rapidly and you aren't about to let fresh, cutting edge opportunities pass you by. You have a significant amount of experience behind you, and that makes you valuable. You've "been there and done that," so you are in a lot better position to know what you want and don't want in your next career.

Today's world is not the same place as it was when you were starting out in your first job. People are living longer lives and choosing to continue to work well into their sixties and even seventies. Life is moving along at a faster clip and there is a potential for greater mobility than ever before. New technology is revolutionizing the workplace.

So you're asking yourself, "Why struggle with feelings of boredom or burnout in my current job when there might just be a better option up ahead?" You might even find a better position in the same career field, but with a new and innovative company. All of the changing demographics of the world of work make it possible for you to spend the next fifteen to twenty years of your life in achieving new career milestones.

Contrary to a popular notion, a majority of "mid-lifers" do not suddenly wake up one morning and feverishly race to the local Corvette dealer to purchase that "hot little number" that will put a new spring into a worn-out step. Instead, job dissatisfaction is generally shaped by subtle changes that occur over time. Sometimes these changes are taking place on the inside due to life's experiences, transitioning interests or the process of maturity. Others are the result of external circumstances like unsatisfactory work conditions, lack of promotional opportunities, or growing financial need due to retirement goals. While some members of the middle-aged work force will seek out a fresh job opportunity within a present vocational field others will for opt for a job unlike any held before.

If you are experiencing increasing job dissatisfaction but worry that it may be too late to start over; think again. Consider how Susan and Andrew each made successful job changes in midlife:

Susan's Story

Susan entered the world of work as a high school teacher. In her late twenties, she married and had her first child. She found that she loved being a new mom and when her maternity leave was over, she opted to privately tutor students

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