#CareerChange #LifeAt32 #MentalHealth #ConstructionCareer
Hey everyone! I’ve been hanging out on this sub for a bit, and I’ve got something on my mind that I’d love your thoughts on. So here goes: Is switching careers at 32 really worth it?
So here’s the scoop: I got let go from my sales and reporting job earlier this year after about 7 years in the game. What a rollercoaster! 🎢 I moved around a bit, from software sales to sales ops, and eventually got caught up in reporting. In retrospect, the last role was a bit too much for me, and the lack of support didn’t help. Plus, personal life took a hit when a relationship I was excited about ended just before all that happened. Talk about a stress bomb! 💣
Now, I’m working part-time in security while job hunting, but I’m starting to think about making a big leap into a different field—like construction! 🏗️ I’ve got my white card and completed a few relevant courses. Plus, I’m weighing out options for getting a degree or going to TAFE. But with my mental health feeling shaky lately, making career moves feels daunting.
Here’s where I’m stuck:
- Financial Anxiety: Balancing my savings (about $135K saved) and expenses without a stable job is a worry.
- Going Back to School: Not sure if I’d benefit from a construction degree or if TAFE is the way to go.
- Age Factor: Am I too late to make such a change at 32?
- Mental Health: Feeling overwhelmed about decisions while trying to focus on getting better.
Honestly, I’m looking for some insight! 🤔 Have any of you made a similar leap, or do you have advice on how to tackle this crossroads in life? What worked for you? How did you handle the stress of change while managing finances? \[\[Drop your tips or personal stories below!\]\]
Thanks for reading, and I’m looking forward to hearing your perspectives!
Prioritise getting your mind right, as you mentioned. After that, there’s not harm in considering a career change. Many people change their path a few times during their working lives.
You’re 32. You’re young, in good health, and you have no wife or kids tying you down.
Go travel. See the world. Go hiking up the mountains, visit temples, lie on the beach, achieve enlightenment.
Then come back and allocate a certain percentage of your wealth (say 50%) to starting your own business. Tell yourself that if it doesn’t work out, you still have your old sales opportunities to fall back on.
You have brought up settling down and getting married a couple of times. You’re only 32. It seems like this is affecting your mental health. I would focus on improving your mental health and worry about career and relationships after that. Your working plan right now seems good, so you should have to worry too much about money.
Your 10’years into a career and 35 to go.
You les than 25% into your working life do what makes you happy
This is the worst thread to ask this question in. Do what you think is right, money will work itself out in the end
12 years into a 45 year career isn’t too early to change. Even if you were 40, as long as you can bridge the training gap financially, go for it.
32? I wouldn’t even be buying green bananas at that age…
I career changed at 31ish and am happier than ever. I couldn’t imagine being stuck in my old career track now or in another 10-20 years. I’m now considering another move, which will take a year or two, which should set me up for 40+ to retirement.
I was 40, an experienced tradie on the top pay scale. Wife, 2 kids and a mortgage. My body gave out, my knees and shoulders wouldn’t do it any more. One day there I was struggling a bit and the supervisor decided he was going to try and wind me up. I gave 2 weeks notice with 2 months to go to get pro rata long service.
I enrolled at Tafe, did engineering drafting and worked a bit casual around the place.
That was 20 years ago and still the one of the best decisions I’ve made.
I’m much happier doing a job I enjoy and get over paid for what I actually do.
Life is too short to be miserable.
I know of those who changed careers at age 55 after going back to university.
Life’s short , live it on your terms.
That’s when I did mine. Best decision I ever made.
If it makes you feel better, I‘m 37 and left a high paying engineering job last two months. I was severely depressed, anxious from constantly being screamed at in work and on the verge of suicide. I decided to call it quits, and was researching methods on how to depart painlessly.
When I stopped working, I also considered getting help from therapists, but they were too expensive. So I started reading books on depression, anxiety (I also have social anxiety), novels and pondered about life. I did all the exercises in those books and felt it was doing some healing inside me slowly. I never knew I was so damaged after being in my profession for almost 15 years but working on those made me feel how broken I was.
I realised my previous work wasn’t contributing anything to the society and was just making corporations richer, so I decided to do something else for the sake of my mental health. I signed up for a course in horticulture at TAFE hoping to work with plants and landscaping one day. Studying there is also a form of my therapy and I have been enjoying it, and meeting some nice people. Found out there were many people like me so I was not alone. I hope when I finished my course, I could contribute in growing plants and creating beautiful gardens for people. I will be much poorer, but I do not need too much money at this point as I already have all these “things” I bought when coping with my mindless job previously.
I am still not working now, but at last I have stopped thinking about dying. I am sure you will get out of it and kill it.
I started my career at 31.
Life is short!
I’m 32 just bought my first home settling next week and I’ve just resigned this week to start something in a new industry.
Life is too short to not take a risk.
Yep. Perfect age to change.
I changed career when I turned 32 last year. I am 9 months in to my new role, new industry. It might be too early to speak of it, but I am definitely happier and more comfortable about myself and life in general albeit starting from scratch in terms of finances (personal circumstance halved my savings) and knowledge about the role and industry. Leveraged my experience and interest and found a good team and a manager who is extremely generous with her knowledge.
Assess your situation and reflect on your goals. Easier said than done but you are in a better position now to know how you would like your future to be.
I am 37/f.
I went back and did an apprenticeship at TAFE at the age of 32.
graduated at 34.
people do it all the time.
I don’t have children. have savings etc. I made the right decision. love what I currently do and much happier.
don’t know what you are asking.
people change careers in their 30s all the time.
I always find the whole. am I too old to change careers question weird esp if you don’t have children.
just do it
do whatever makes you happy.
what exactly are you wanting us to say?
Upvoted for the 2017 Camry
At 35 I made a big risk to buy a business and becoming self employed.
At the time, I had two kids under 6, was renting and had people telling it was a bad idea.
I just didn’t enjoy what I was doing, knowing it wasn’t going to get me far and saw this as an opportunity.
I’m glad I made the career change. I’m now 60 and retired.
It’s never too late in life to make a career change
Write a plan, it does not need to be sophisticated, but it’s something to look at and do it.
I changed my career (advertising executive) when I moved to Australia (with 40yrs). The same year my wife got pregnant, so I had to put on hold, as soon she could work again she asked me if I would be a stay at home dad so she could continue her training (Emergency doctor), yes, I did. I’m coming back now, after 2.5 years, as a software engineer in a clashed market, and she still under training. We are so behind economically, but we have never been happier. So…do it.
OP you’re still young and if you don’t take the jump now you’ll just look back and wonder what if. You’ve got a good foundation to support yourself and nothing holding you down. Sounds like your career may be contributing to your poor mental health. The job market sucks at the moment so it’s a good time to get your education so you’re primed for when things bounce back. Don’t waste your life doing something you hate.
Hey! I’ve read you post history and I empathise with you, I really do. I think that put all your energy into fixing your mental health and getting your mental and physical health in order. Make it your job.
Go to the GP for a mental health care plan and get bloods done, specifically ask for iron, vitamin D and testosterone studies.
Next get into an exercise routine if you haven’t already. You could start with daily walks for about 45 minutes (these will help you think clearly also).
Next counselling or therapy, it does cost quite a bit of money after the 10 sessions under Medicare but it truly is worth it. I have heard that men don’t really process feelings the same way women do so talk therapy may not work for you but give it a go and commit to 10 sessions, make them weekly sessions so that there isn’t a huge gap between seeing the therapist because you want to process your life continuously in those sessions and work on things.
Next do you have some friends you could lean on for social connection? Not even to share your problems but just to hangout? Commit to once a week seeing a friend or an hour phone call with a friend, it doesn’t have to be life changing but even just going out for a drink or walk on the beach with a mate.
Mental health struggles are real and usually have somewhere they started. They can hinder you from accessing your full potential but you have to fight. In your case, I think that you have struggled with your mental health for a while now and it’s something that may continue to happen so you have to work on learning skills to manage it, like the therapy and exercise, eating well, connection etc.
I have struggled with mental health and still struggle and I think everyone does to some capacity but the things above I have suggested have helped me and I think I’m quite successful for my age (not just successful in career but holistically) and I keep fighting everyday.
The clarity of direction and money etc won’t come until you take care of yourself holistically. Some of us have just been dealt shitty cards when it comes to stress management and mental health etc but you’ll be okay as long as you keep fighting.
Good luck 🙂
For you, with that mindset, it is not.
What price do you put on your own happiness?
Is a career change worth it at _____?
Yes.
The only recommendation I can give anyone is to do what you enjoy.
If that’s construction or spreadsheets, whatever it is, that’s what you should consider.
Personally, I’d skip extra university costs and get your hands on the tools first to ensure what u think u like u actually like.
I can honestly say while my woring life may not have been my dream job, it’s been enjoyable, and challenging. As well as lucrative, I know many people who dread getting out of bed on Monday.
Don’t be one of those people.
If you’re good with excel, there should be a lot of data related work out there for you rather than going through an entire degree. Data related doesn’t have to do with sales. Management role needs that kind of skill. I heard SQL is a great skill to have also… maybe explore that a bit before deciding as construction is very different from white collar work.
I changed career just shy of 30. Turned out it wasn’t for me, got burnt out after 5 years (even did a degree for it). Now doing something completely different… going the route of entering a big company and jumping from role to role, happened to land on one with a good salary. Don’t know what the future will hold though.
Good luck.
Yeah it’s worth it.
I’m 32, full time employed and applying for jobs in a different career (all on the job training, I’m not going to uni). So yeah I’d say it’s worth it to try new things.
I know someone who went to uni at 50 to do a psych degree and loved it. Your never too old to change.
Yup. Changed my career from graphic design to product design. Not so much a career change but more of a pivot, was 31 when I did it.
…And best career decision I’ve ever done.
Go for it mate, you’re already thinking about it, nothing changes if nothing changes.
Am sure you can get a referral for some therapy/ counselling sessions from your GP, OP… therapy always helps one to see things clearly
you got one life bro