<p>I don't know what I want to do--anything other than what I did before sounds appealing (I am burned out). Is it too late for me? Could I really DO this? How would I start? Which institutions cater to old (not even gonna say "older") folks like me? And how to find money to pay for tuition? I have kids to put through college. Am I dreaming? Did you make a midlife career change, and how did you accomplish it? I need role models and inspiration!!!</p>
<p>I know a woman who graduated from law school at age 62 and is now working as a lawyer. </p>
<p>I knew a man who was a veterinarian, but decided to become a psychologist, and got his masters in counseling when he was in his late 60s, then opened a practice focusing on geriatrics.</p>
<p>I have friend who started college when she as in her 50s and got her doctorate in literature when she was 70.</p>
<p>I have a friend who is 65 and just started a masters program in criminology after retiring from being a nurse.</p>
<p>I have a college student friend whose mother – who appears to be in her late 40s – is in medical school.</p>
<p>If you would go to school as an undergraduate, check to see whether colleges you’re considering have financial aid that you might qualify for.</p>
<p>From what I’ve seen, it may be easier to get financial aid for graduate school than for undergraduate program. However, this also depends on the graduate program. Unfortunately, I don’t think there’s much aid available for law school.</p>
<p>Also spend the time and money to get a career assessment from either a counseling psychologist who specializes in that field or from the career office or counseling center at your local university. Often universities/colleges provide such assessments to the general public for free or at very low cost.</p>
<p>I think it’s great! If you have time and energy (and the $$$ can get ironed out) go for it!</p>
<p>If you’re willing to share, what is your current job area and what area(s) of new interest do you have?</p>
<p>Go for it!</p>
<p>But with that said, talk to as many people as you can in your chosen field and observe them. I know it’s illegal to discriminate based on age, but we all know that it happens. If you look around the types of places that you’d like to work and only see faces 15-20 years younger than yours, try to figure out why. I know of a few companies who only seem to hire very attractive people around the age of 25-30. Could it be that the only applicants for all of their jobs are very attractive people around the age of 25-30? I somehow doubt it.</p>
<p>You get my drift- just make sure that age discrimination isn’t rampant in the field before you get too far into it.</p>
<p>If coursework is necessary, see how much you can get done at your local cheap community college. One recovering-academic friend of mine did that, and ended up with a full Associates Degree and a whole new career.</p>
<p>Wishing you all the best.</p>
<p>“And how to find money to pay for tuition?”</p>
<p>I hope this is a joke. If you already have a phd I would hope you would be paying your own way.</p>
<p>If you’re not sure what direction you’d like to head in and would like to conserve money - maybe taking some courses at a CC, as ‘happymomof1’ stated, would be a practical way to go. Look through the course list and just take an eclectic curriculum of courses as they happen to interest you. Of course, if having a real income at the end of all this is important, then you’ll have other factors to consider such as employability (including the age factor), salary levels, etc. </p>
<p>You might also want to skip the college or other degree altogether and start some small business that you find interesting and either do it with the knowledge you already have and can easily research, or take some targeted courses, probably in a CC, that can help you with it. For example, one friend of mine decided to quit the computer field and open a bike shop.</p>
<p>Whatever you end up doing - good for you! I think it’s a great idea to now ‘do something completely different’ (to quote Monty Python or something).</p>
<p>sorry not to add yet another go-for-it vote, but this sounds really self-indulgent to me:<br>
what does your husband say about this idea?<br>
you appear ready to move to another town if accepted into a school you like - how do your kids feel about leaving their current school(s) so you can go to college, again?
if you need financial aid, how can you afford to quit your current job?
unfinished work with your family, and obviously a lot on your plate, at whose expense will you be taking this time to obtain your next degree?</p>
<p>A friend of mine has a long-term plan to do a complete change of career, which will involve moving out of her office-bound job into one that involves quite a bit of physical labor and totally different skills. She is taking evening classes at the local adult education center, one or two at a time. It is as much for the sake of learning as for the credentialling. </p>
<p>I don’t think those classes are expensive; the main obstacle is finding the time to take them, and the courage to take the plunge and start a whole new career in her late 50s.</p>
<p>No.</p>
<ul>
<li>- i was just kidding, yes.</li>
</ul>
<p>I’m not opposed to the idea per se, but the cautionary posts are touching on important issues. </p>
<p>Certain businesses really only have entry level positions available to people that they expect to have long careers. Some make demands on people for the first 8-10 years of their career that are best absorbed by those 30 and under. </p>
<p>Its possible to remake your life, but it will take some thought to do it successfully. You’ll need to reflect on what it is that’s unsatisfactory about your current job. Pay, recognition, absence of psychic income, hours, unpredictability…</p>
<p>Most jobs have something “wrong” with them. I used to joke with my co-workers that if the kids in school pursuing careers in our field knew what we spent our time doing, they wouldn’t want these jobs (despite the decent pay).</p>
<p>
Let me guess, you’re a proctologist.</p>
<p>Hate to rain on the parade, but in this economy there is quite a backlog of people with experience who will be trying to get the same jobs as you. Being over 50 is not a plus. I found each job search I have done over 40 was harder and it took me longer to get the next position. Put the current economy and all the people trying to get jobs (and this will last for a few years)… if you don’t need to make money at the end of this “switch”, then go for it. Otherwise, I am not optimistic about your chances of getting a job.</p>
<p>MomPhD, are you talking about doing a 180-degree turn or are you thinking about a field where your existing knowledge can and will be useful? I know a number of middle-aged scientists who moved away from the bench into (somewhat) related careers: clinical research associate (despite the title, CRAs do not work at the bench), patent agent (all it takes is passing an exam given by the USPTO and a technical degree), patent attorney (in addition to passing the Patent Bar, the person got a JD), nurse (went back to school), small business owner, enterpreneur (with and without an MBA). Additionally, I also know a guy in his late 40’s who is a medical student. Switching careers at your age is doable. Will it be easy? Most likely not. You should carefully weigh your options and look into future employability, too.</p>
<p>H has gotten a masters practically free. With two kids in college, he filled out FAFSA and his tuition was heavily discounted. This was his second masters.</p>
<p>The more the merrier. The more people in school, the cheaper the freight on each.</p>
<p>MomPhD, I am reading a book called Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career ([Amazon.com:</a> Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career (9781578517787): Herminia Ibarra: Books](<a href=“http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1578517788/ref=ox_ya_oh_product]Amazon.com:”>http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1578517788/ref=ox_ya_oh_product)), which interviews a number of people who have made successful career changes to see what approaches work and what don’t.</p>
<p>I’m not switching careers but I am starting a book on how to think about career choices and will use some conversations and wanted to see how they handled the stories of all of the people they looked at.</p>
<p>Perhaps a certification rather than another degree would be helpful in career switching? That’s how I switched in my mid-40’s.</p>
<p>Or perhaps you might start with a career counselor, who can help you figure out what you really want. Then you can figure out how to get there.</p>
<p>I started classes at the local community college this summer. This fall I am taking 3 classes. Even CC isn’t cheap. My books from the bookstore were to be 550 but I was able to get old editions and used editions on line for 130. </p>
<p>I have found it exhilerating to be amongst the “young ones” in school although I get some strange looks from them. It is also fun and rewarding to be learning new things. </p>
<p>I am not looking to change careers but to reenter my original career after a long time off for child rearing. Before taking classes I did interview for various positions and found my middle age was a factor in the hiring process and I know it will be a factor in the future. The classes I am taking will give me an additional certification which is in need today.</p>
<p>Getting new education and starting very different career seems possible if the new career involves running your own business or otherwise being self-employed or working with a family member. But assuming you will need several years of schooling to retool, you’ll be pushing 60 by time you begin this new career. I can’t envision very many established companies hiring someone of that age for entry-level career jobs.</p>
<p>That’s what I am doing! Attending a CC for a few pre-requisites and then applying at the local state school for a MS program next year. I am about your age. I have put this off for years but finally figured why wait any longer? Getting a corporate job may not be easy after 55, but there are usually options for those who are doing what they love to do. In law, for example, a 55 year old is not likely to get hired for a prestigious law firm but may be perfect for the family law practice in town. And besides, it’s not whether you can afford to do it, it’s whether you can afford NOT to in the long run. Sometimes value cannot be measured in dollars.<br>
@Northstarmom: Thanks for that post, it made my day!</p>