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When “Good Enough” Isn’t Enough: 7 Signs You Need a Career Reset

Career Transitioning
7 Tell-Tale Signs You Need a Career Transition - By Alexandra HumbelAlexandra Humbel Coaching

You may be surprised to hear that most of my clients don’t feel the urge to change careers because they hate what they’re doing. Work is good. Pay is good. The position is generally satisfying. From the outside, everything looks enviable. There seems to be no reason to disrupt the status quo.

And yet — like them — you may feel it deep down, even though things are going smoothly.

Here are some signals that should make you curious.

1. You introduce yourself with a conversational version of your CV.
When asked who you are and what you do, you deliver a polished, well-rehearsed loop. You mask your boredom with a cheerful tone. But something feels… off.

2. You consume stories about people who reinvented themselves.
You avidly read about those who succeeded in another field, or built a different life. Your rational self says it’s too late, too risky, too complicated — and that you lack the required skills. Still, you keep documenting the topic. Avidly.

3. You’re on autopilot.
You go through the motions because you’ve mastered your job. But you’re not fully there anymore. You’re coasting more than you care to admit.

4. The retirement question lingers.
You catch yourself wondering whether you’ll do this until retirement. The thought has become part of the mental furniture. It doesn’t go away. It quietly unsettles you.

5. Other people’s passion surprises you.
You hear someone speak enthusiastically about the very job you’re doing — and you’re intrigued. You used to feel that way. Once.

6. “What if…?” keeps visiting you.
What if you were doing something else? Living differently? Waking up with another agenda? These inner conversations scare you — and make you feel intensely alive at the same time.

7. You fix the surface, avoid the core.
You focus on small optimizations — health tweaks, home projects, marginal work improvements — while sidestepping the deeper question:
Why are you doing what you are doing?

If you recognize yourself in some of these signs, it may be time to sit with that question.

There is no wrong answer. Money, status, convenience, and security are valid reasons to stay. But what else needs to be heard? Who is the person you would like to become? How far are you from that version of yourself? Where would you be in a year if things unfolded as you truly wished? What are you ready to say yes to — and what are you ready to say no to? How would it feel to remain exactly where you are for another year? Another five?

Every life-changing decision starts with listening — really listening — to your true feelings. It requires the courage to face the confusion and the conflicting demands that will inevitably surface. The moment you begin questioning the status quo of your life and work, you may already be in transition.

by Alexandra Humbel
https://alexandrahumbel.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/alexandra-humbel-tell-tale-signs-you-need-career-transition.jpg 1004 1800 Alexandra Humbel https://alexandrahumbel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/alexandra-humbel-logo-tag.png Alexandra Humbel2022-09-05 10:40:212026-02-12 12:23:57When “Good Enough” Isn’t Enough: 7 Signs You Need a Career Reset

How to Know If It’s Too Late for a Career Change (Hint: It’s Not About Age)

Career Transitioning
When it's too late for a career change - Alexandra HumbelAlexandra Humbel

When one of my clients shared this humorous graph with me, I laughed.
Then I paused. And I kept thinking.

Is there really an age limit for changing careers?

According to the unwritten corporate rulebook, the answer seems to be yes. The moment a high-performing professional subtly transitions — almost without noticing — from “high potential” to “senior,” the options appear to shrink at dizzying speed.

You can’t control corporate culture. In many environments, everything pushes you to hold on tightly to your position, hoping you won’t be pushed out prematurely. But while you may not control the system, you are still in the driver’s seat when it comes to the limits you impose on yourself.

And that’s where things get interesting.

The Fear-Based Questions

When the idea of a career change surfaces, it rarely arrives alone. It brings an entire committee of doubts with it:

Is it worth it?

How much effort will it take to start over?

If I start now, how many active years do I realistically have left?

What if it doesn’t work out? Will I regret it?

What will people think?

Am I being irresponsible… or foolish?

What does it mean financially?

All these questions are valid. They deserve to be explored with courage and integrity. They protect you. They ensure you don’t act impulsively.

But if you only listen to fear-based questions, you will only get fear-based answers.

So let me add another set.

The Vision-Based Questions

What are you craving? What truly makes you tick?

What kind of life do you want — beyond the job title?

Are you prepared to say “no” to certain benefits so you can say “yes” to something more aligned?

What is the best-case scenario?

Who do you become if everything unfolds beautifully?

What would your everyday life look like?

How would you feel — physically, emotionally, mentally?

On the contrary, what is the realistic worst-case scenario?

What would the objective consequences truly be?

And finally: what is the price of letting life decide for you by default?

That last question is often the most confronting.

Because staying where you are is not neutral. It is a decision.
Not choosing is choosing.

The Real Question

Is it too late for a career change?

The better question might be:
Is it too late to live the next chapter consciously?

You are not the same person you were at 30. Your priorities have evolved. Your intelligence has deepened. Your “crystallized” experience — the wisdom accumulated over decades — is an extraordinary asset.

The graph may suggest that options narrow with age. Reality is more nuanced. Traditional paths may narrow. But unconventional, purpose-driven, portfolio, advisory, entrepreneurial, and hybrid careers often expand.

The key is not to jump blindly.
The key is to question honestly.

A career change after 45, 50, or 60 is not about starting from scratch. It is about starting from experience.

And sometimes, the riskiest decision is not to change — but to stay stuck in a story that no longer fits.

by Alexandra Humbel
https://alexandrahumbel.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/too-late-for-career-change-alexandra-humbel.jpg 800 1600 Alexandra Humbel https://alexandrahumbel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/alexandra-humbel-logo-tag.png Alexandra Humbel2022-06-26 01:28:102026-02-12 16:18:47How to Know If It’s Too Late for a Career Change (Hint: It’s Not About Age)

The Quiet Crisis of Successful Professionals—and the Opportunity Inside It

Career Transitioning
Why you should spend more time thinking about career transitioning - Alexandra HumbelAlexandra Humbel Coaching

“In the first half of life, ambitious strivers embrace a simple formula for success in work and life: focus single-mindedly, work tirelessly, sacrifice personally, and climb the ladder relentlessly. It works. Until it doesn’t.”
— Arthur C. Brooks, bestselling author and columnist behind The Atlantic’s “How to Build a Life”

The momentum that drives you through the first part of adult life fuels your motivation to gain expertise, power, financial security, mastery, leadership, learning, excitement, and social recognition. Hard work pays off. Challenge makes you grow. Experience sharpens your skills to excellence. Your peers respect you. You belong to a league of successful professionals.

And then something shifts.

It may start quietly: a subtle loss of interest in work you’ve pursued with drive and perseverance for decades. A vague craving for something else. Before you know it, you, a corporate leader, a respected expert, or a successful entrepreneur—admired, even envied— are now questioning the meaning of the story you’ve been telling about yourself.

What changes, exactly? And is decline inevitable?

In Breaking the Age Code, Dr. Becca Levy challenges deeply rooted age stereotypes. She shows that several forms of cognition actually improve later in life, including metacognition (thinking about thinking), the ability to integrate multiple perspectives, skill in resolving interpersonal and intergroup conflicts, and semantic memory.

Arthur C. Brooks builds on this idea by describing what he calls crystallized intelligence: a form of wisdom made of accumulated knowledge and lived experience. This intelligence excels at teaching, mentoring, connecting people, and creating value through the cross-fertilization of ideas. It favors meaning over momentum, contribution over competition.

Which raises an important question:

Do you even realize how good you are at managing transitions?

If you did, you would feel less fear. Think of how many transitions you’ve already navigated. From student to professional. From role to role. From corporate to entrepreneurial paths. From independence to partnership, to parenthood, to caring for ageing parents. Some transitions were deliberate; others simply happened. Either way, your transition muscle is well-trained.

What makes this one different is its insidious nature. It comes from within, carrying a message you may not yet understand—and may not want to hear.

Change, however, is inevitable. If you ignore what your inner signals are trying to tell you, change will still unfold, often in ways you wouldn’t choose. Some people double down, pushing harder to stay in the game at all costs. Others experience a slow erosion of motivation—or both. Sometimes the wake-up call arrives sideways: a job loss, a dip in performance, or concern voiced by those close to you.

So what now?

This is the moment for a profound and authentic reset. Not necessarily a dramatic upheaval, but an honest reassessment. Question your current situation, your beliefs, your identity, and what you think defines you. Explore what still makes you feel alive, what you want more of, and what no longer serves you. This step can feel destabilizing—but it is also deeply rewarding. It shapes the contours of your future self.

From there, resonant choices become possible. Choices grounded in connection to your values, your heart, your inner wisdom. They often require saying NO to habits and beliefs that once supported you but now hold you back. And they invite you to say YES to what truly matters: relationships, meaningful work, self-care, and new avenues of personal and professional growth.

Action follows naturally. And this kind of action feels different—lighter, clearer, more energizing—because it comes from alignment. Fueled by renewed purpose, you’re ready to surprise yourself and others.

Don’t wait for the unwanted wake-up call.
Take the lead.

by Alexandra Humbel
https://alexandrahumbel.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/why-you-should-spend-more-time-thinking-about-career-transitioning.jpg 679 1200 Alexandra Humbel https://alexandrahumbel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/alexandra-humbel-logo-tag.png Alexandra Humbel2022-06-22 02:27:382026-02-18 17:49:41The Quiet Crisis of Successful Professionals—and the Opportunity Inside It

The Mental Trap That Keeps You in a Job You’ve Outgrown

Career Transitioning, Emotional Intelligence
Are you unhappy at work? Be aware of the Sunk Cost FallacyAlexandra Humbel Coaching

If you are unhappy at work, you may be considering a major decision — changing jobs, moving into a new industry, or even reinventing your career altogether.

Yet this possibility often comes with fear and hesitation.

You may catch yourself thinking: What if I regret it?
At least I know what I have.
I may not like it, but it’s familiar.

So what stands in the way of making a clear, informed choice?
And how can you begin to recognize — and challenge — your own internal biases?

The invisible force behind your hesitation

Award-winning journalist David McRaney describes the Sunk Cost Fallacy with striking simplicity:

Misconception: You make rational decisions based on the future value of objects, investments, and experiences.

Truth: Your decisions are shaped by emotional investments — and the more you have invested, the harder it becomes to walk away.

Psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky offered a perspective based on biology and evolution: Organisms that prioritized avoiding threats over maximizing opportunities were more likely to survive and pass on their genes. Over time, this instinct became deeply wired in us.

As a result, the fear of loss often outweighs the promise of gain — even when the gain could lead to a better life.

Behavioral economist Dan Ariely adds another layer with what he calls the “pain of paying”: the discomfort we experience whenever we must give up something we already own.

How the Sunk Cost Fallacy shapes your career choices

You — and possibly your parents — invested in your education so you could start a career in a field of your choosing.

Since then, you have progressed through roles with increasing responsibility, recognition, and financial reward. Or perhaps you created your own business — maybe more than one — and navigated growth, setbacks, risks, and achievements.

All the time, energy, and emotion you have poured into your career have shaped the professional you are today.

So even if your work no longer brings satisfaction, the idea of walking away from what you have built year after year can feel unbearable.

And yet — why are you staying?

Are you honoring your past investments, or remaining loyal to the effort it took to arrive at a place that no longer fulfills you?

Becoming aware of how your decision process

Awareness often starts with small things.

Every day, you make countless micro-decisions — what to eat for dinner, how to react in a meeting, whether to speak up or stay silent. Begin observing how you make those choices.

David McRaney offers a telling example:

“Have you ever gone to see a movie only to realize within fifteen minutes that it’s one of the worst films ever made — but you sat through it anyway? You didn’t want to waste the money, so you stayed and suffered.”

Your career is not a movie. And your investment is worth far more than a ticket.

Holding on to the status quo simply because you have already paid the price will not move you toward what could be.

What is — versus what could be

Questions around career change can quickly become obsessive. There is much at stake, and the desire to make the “right” decision can feel overwhelming.

At this point, I invite you to step back from the career question itself. This may sound counterintuitive, but stay with me.

Your real agenda is not your job.
It is the life you want to live.

A life that includes your health.
The time you want for your family.
Your personal well-being.
The level of income you need to sustain it.

Only from this wider perspective can clarity emerge — about what needs to remain, and what is ready to change.

There is no loss — only transformation

You may believe that all your value is written on your CV.
It isn’t. What appears there is only the visible part of who you are.

At this stage of life, you deserve more than repeating what you already know how to do. You deserve to focus on what you truly excel at — the activities that feel natural, energizing, and meaningful.

Wherever you go, everything you have learned goes with you.

Your experience travels.
Your insight deepens.
Your value does not disappear — it transforms.

And sometimes, what feels like loss is simply the doorway to something more aligned waiting to open.

 

 

 

 

 


Sources
Mc Raney, D. “You Are Not So Smart”
Kahneman, D. “Thinking, Fast And Slow
Ariely, D. “Predictably Irrational”

by Alexandra Humbel
https://alexandrahumbel.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/sunk-cost-fallacy-alexandra-humbel-coaching.jpg 799 1200 Alexandra Humbel https://alexandrahumbel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/alexandra-humbel-logo-tag.png Alexandra Humbel2022-03-25 04:53:002026-02-18 17:51:20The Mental Trap That Keeps You in a Job You’ve Outgrown

If You’re Considering a Career Change, Read This First

Career Transitioning

If you’re standing at the edge of a career change, you’re likely feeling a mix of excitement and quiet fear. Something in you knows it’s time — and yet everything familiar is pulling you back.

Career transitions rarely fail because of a lack of talent or courage. They stall because of invisible beliefs, inherited rules, and well-intentioned voices that make change feel irresponsible, unrealistic, or selfish.

Before you take your next step, pause to see more clearly. These reflections are the things I wish more people knew before embarking on a new professional chapter. They won’t tell you what to do, but they may help you trust why you’re doing it.

1. The only approval you need is yours

Beautifully expressed by Amanda Gorman, the need for approval is one of the most common hurdles that may stop you in your momentum. The minute you share bold, ambitious dreams for yourself, you will see a number of red flags raised around you. Well-intentioned, loving people in your life will instantly reject the idea that you may get lost in ambitious and risky projects. They want you safe, and the status quo is largely safer than… anything else. Red flags will come from all directions. Colleagues or friends may sense an unavowable pang of jealousy at your renewed aliveness. Don’t take it personally, it’s about them, not you. 

2. Big dreams don’t make you a dreamer

The biggest red flag, though, is in yourself. It is cultural. People with dreams are dreamers. Dreamers are no achievers. This idea was drilled in your subconscious at an early stage, and you will find it on your way to a new career. Don’t buy the simplification. Rather, engage in honest exploration: What is really important to you? What does your future, the one you crave, look like, taste like? What is your own definition of success, from now on? Does it encompass every aspect of your life? Does it bring value to you and the people around you? What would be the markers of your future success? The more aware you are of what you really want and why, the more enticing your vision is, the better. As the genius dream architect Walt Disney said, “If you can dream it, you can do it”.

3. Luck is when preparation meets opportunity

How many times lately have you heard yourself say something like, “She was lucky to get this job”? By default, we tend to attribute positive, unexpected events to luck — whatever that word really means. Yet abundant scientific literature suggests that “lucky” people have their own way of attracting luck. They do so in two essential ways: they put as many chances as possible on their side, and they keep their senses wide open to allow meaningful coincidences to occur.

If you want to share a strong business idea with a highly sought-after person, for instance, you may want to make sure your idea truly brings value to them. You refine it, rehearse your pitch until it becomes clear and compelling, gather as much insight as possible about where and how this person might be accessible — and then you let go. Because if your idea is genuinely good, it will find its way into the world. With or without that person.

4. It is so cool to go back to school

A current cause of stress for career transitioners is the necessity to get extra training. Will you be able to learn as fast as you used to? Is your brain capable of memorizing new knowledge? How awkward will it feel to sit on a school bench at your age? What will your ex-colleagues think? How will you cope with homework, supervision, and exams?  Most likely, all of these fears will materialize. Yes, you will feel intellectually rusted. Yes, you will have to deploy your best efforts to catch up. Yes, it will feel awkward sometimes. Yes, some well-intentioned peer will ask what the hell do you expect, getting back to school at your age. And yes, homework sucks. But the reward is invaluable. Your decision to be a student again is a gift you offer to yourself and an investment in your future. The process is fun too. Learning has its own way to pump up your spirit and upgrade your self-image. 

5. You will never look back

Maybe the most important thing I have learned is that there is no way back. More accurately, there is no desire to go back to square one. You are a creature of movement, like all living creatures in this world. The journey towards a fulfilling second act of life is both bumpy and interesting. We talked about the inner reward of learning, and learning comes in many different ways. Questioning the status quo makes you more alive. Taking bold moves towards work and life that you love triggers renewed energy. And keep in mind that you might well become a source of inspiration for other people’s own journey into their own second act.

 

by Alexandra Humbel
https://alexandrahumbel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/career-change-tips-lessons-alexandra-humbel-coaching.jpg 975 1300 Alexandra Humbel https://alexandrahumbel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/alexandra-humbel-logo-tag.png Alexandra Humbel2021-11-13 23:27:072026-02-19 09:59:21If You’re Considering a Career Change, Read This First

Career Transition After 40: 5 Things I Wish I Had Known Earlier

Career Transitioning
Career Transitioning - Things I wish I'd known earlier - by Alexandra HumbelAlexandra Humbel

My mentor suggested that I write a post about the things I wish I had known earlier about career transition. I liked the idea and, based on my personal journey as well as my experience as a coach, I started with five essential points aimed at helping professionals get on the fast lane. 

1. You are not alone

Studies show that an increasing number of experienced professionals are undertaking a career change, and even more are considering it. Three-fifths of UK workers (60%) intend to make changes to their careers as a result of the Covid outbreak, an increase of seven percentage points since July 2020 (53%).*

So why does it feel weird and lonely? It is because nothing prepared you to handle one or several career changes in your life. Society tends to assign you a role, tied to a life cycle: In your junior years, you prove your competence. As you are getting experienced, you excel in your field. And then, what? You retire. While there is nothing wrong with linear career paths, it does not work for everyone. Probably not for you, if you are reading these lines. 

2. Your skills are transferable – All of them

My clients who crave a new career are taken aback by the thought that their expertise might be lost when they change jobs. It is natural to take pride in those skills you have mastered over time. The good news is, you take everything with you on the journey.  Those skills will manifest in creative ways, coming in handy to serve your goals while you are expanding in your new project. Interestingly, ancient or dormant skills will show up and prove valuable to handle new situations. Your brain creates new circuits while tapping into resources you did not remember you had. And this is particularly refreshing. 

 

3. It is OK to be lost in transition

Describing career transitions as uncomfortable is an understatement. More accurately: Everything which made you feel grounded in social status is gone. Welcome to unchartered territories, where nobody is waiting for you with your name on a sign. No driver, no limousine. It requires courage to leave the familiar in order to become a new version of yourself. Uncomfortable, scared, and excited all together, highs and lows are in order. But, as Maya Angelou said: “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” The butterfly is you.

4. Money and time are no excuses

“I will do a job I really love when I have enough time, or money” (or both). 

Does that sound familiar? Of course, these two factors are critical components of a decision, and critical metrics to monitor all along the way. Controlling your time and financial resources through a career transition will be essential to succeed. Be aware that the conservative, risk-averse part of you will always show up with these massive excuses that are the lack of (or the fear of lack of) time and or money. Or both. It is your call to let these fears be the master of you.

5. Nature is in constant change and so are you

“Nothing is absolute, everything changes, everything moves, everything evolves, everything flies and goes away”.

These lines written by the fascinating artist Frida Kahlo can be interpreted as words of regret and melancholy. Or, from another perspective, as the constant evolution of all things that allow rebirth, re-invention, possibilities, relief, reboot, rejuvenation, and creation. When looking back at your career, you may take pride in what you have achieved, and, simultaneously, realize that this pattern is no longer fulfilling you. You can cherish your past achievements and look forward to what you are going to do next. This is not a lack of consistency in your choices. It is about the inherent nature of all of us, to thrive in movement or shrink in stagnation.

 

 

 


*Aviva “How do we live” Report, 2021

by Alexandra Humbel
https://alexandrahumbel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/career-transition-lessons-alexandra-humbel-career-coach.jpg 868 1300 Alexandra Humbel https://alexandrahumbel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/alexandra-humbel-logo-tag.png Alexandra Humbel2021-11-13 22:52:072026-02-20 16:56:56Career Transition After 40: 5 Things I Wish I Had Known Earlier

3 Reasons why Career your Transitions is Stalling (And How to Get Back on Tracks)

Career Transitioning
3 Common Reasons Why Your Career Transitioning Isn't WorkingAlexandra Humbel

Congratulations — you’ve decided to take charge of your future.

You have the experience, the skills, and the desire to move toward a new professional chapter. So why does everything suddenly feel harder than expected? Why are you feeling stuck, discouraged, or drained? What happened to the motivation that once felt unstoppable?

Career transitions rarely unfold in a straight line. In this article, I explore three common reasons why a career change can stall — and how to regain momentum.

1. Do you lack flexibility?

We rarely give enough credit to the power of having a plan — and sticking to it. I am a big believer in planning. That said, real life has a tendency to interfere.

Especially during a career transition, unexpected events are inevitable. Resistance shows up. Doors close. Opportunities shift. The key question becomes:
Is this a temporary hurdle — or a signal to reassess direction?

Life doesn’t pause while we redesign our careers.

Perhaps your partner receives an unexpected job offer abroad.
A promising lead falls through.
A baby arrives.
Health issues demand attention.
Or an unforeseen opportunity suddenly appears.

Whatever the situation, the challenge is to adapt without losing sight of your deeper intention.

When you are clear on your values — what truly matters to you — flexibility becomes easier. Your vision acts as a compass. You may adjust the route, but you don’t lose direction.

When you stay anchored in your why, you become less attached to the how. And this is often where new, unexpected opportunities emerge.

2. Are you feeling lonely?

Career transitions can be surprisingly lonely — even when your life is full.

You may have a supportive partner, family, and friends. You’ve shared your plans and received encouragement. Yet day after day, you find yourself alone with your laptop, navigating uncertainty and self-doubt.

Motivation has a limited lifespan. Discipline eventually gives way to anxiety.

This is normal — and it’s also a sign that you shouldn’t do this alone.

What helps enormously is connecting with people who understand what you are trying to build. Peer groups, professional communities, alumni networks, entrepreneur circles, training cohorts, mastermind groups — both online and in person — can radically shift your energy.

When you find your tribe:

  • You gain perspective and feedback

  • You exchange expertise and feel useful again

  • Your confidence grows through connection

  • Your network expands organically

  • You return to your project with renewed clarity

Career transitions thrive in community. Isolation weakens momentum.

3. Are you stuck in a mental pit?

You started out like a champion, tackling the first steps of your transition like the kick-ass professional you are. Then things started to slow down, hurdles began to accumulate, and your energy started lacking. Self-doubt and guilt are center-stage, draining your emotions and clouding your skies. Positive thinking doesn’t help when the fear of failure is running the show.

The first truth to keep in mind: A career transition always takes more time than expected. Resistance is what you meet most, starting with your own human inclination to cling to the status quo. A change of perspective is needed.

The prescription? Radical honesty and self-compassion. Radical honesty means taking a 360° look at your current reality — without judgment. Revisiting earlier decisions. Checking whether your goals still reflect who you are today. Acknowledging how far you’ve already come.

Self-compassion means recognizing that at this stage of life, you no longer need to prove that you can overachieve. You already did.

Now the invitation is to become a better achiever — one who values emotional and physical health as much as professional success.

Sometimes progress doesn’t mean choosing between “all or nothing.” It means creating transitional phases, parallel paths, or temporary arrangements that restore energy and open space for clarity.

A Final Thought

Career transitions are not linear. They are deeply human processes — shaped by values, identity, fear, desire, and timing. If your transition feels slow or confusing, it doesn’t mean you’re failing.
It may simply mean you’re in the middle of redefining your second act.

by Alexandra Humbel
https://alexandrahumbel.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/pexels-cottonbro-5990037.jpg 853 1280 Alexandra Humbel https://alexandrahumbel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/alexandra-humbel-logo-tag.png Alexandra Humbel2021-10-19 03:04:232026-01-28 11:34:183 Reasons why Career your Transitions is Stalling (And How to Get Back on Tracks)

Reinventing Your Career After 50: What Most People Get Wrong

Career Transitioning
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT CAREER TRANSITIONINGAlexandra Humbel

Have you been repeatedly inspired by the stories of friends, colleagues, or people you follow online who changed careers in their fifties and started something entirely different? Have you wondered, even for a moment, how exciting it would be to follow their example?

Then this article is for you.

In all honesty, nobody ever said it was easy. It never is. But the most difficult step may well be the very first one: overcoming your preconceived ideas about what it takes to follow your inner North Star and begin a meaningful second act of life.

Over the years, I have noticed that the same beliefs come back again and again when professionals start considering a career transition later in life. Here are four of the most common misconceptions I hear before the real work begins.

1. I am too old

Misconceptions about age are particularly powerful because ageing itself remains a taboo. Things become even more uncomfortable the day you realise you are now officially part of the “senior” or “older” workforce. At that point, the only visible horizon seems to be retirement.

If that is not what you want — if the idea of stepping out at a given date makes your stomach tighten — you may find yourself asking: “How old will I be when I finally succeed in a new career?”

The short answer is simple: the same age you will be if you stay exactly where you are.

We age anyway. That is a fact of life.

The better answer is this: you have choices. You always do. A new professional chapter may come with a different lifestyle, one where work and personal life are combined in a way that feels more humane and more aligned with who you are today. Research confirms this shift. According to Aegon’s studies on retirement, many experienced professionals no longer want the traditional “cliff-edge” retirement, but rather a gradual transition toward a rhythm that better suits their evolving needs.

2. I will need a lot of training

This belief is also widespread — and often exaggerated.

Once you are truly clear about what you want to do, the rest becomes execution. If additional skills are required, you will acquire them. Motivation plays a far greater role than age ever could.

One of my clients transitioned from being a CEO in the media industry to becoming a professional skipper, sailing clients across the Mediterranean on a luxury boat. While he had been an experienced sailor for years, he needed a formal certification. He committed fully, trained for six months, and graduated with honours.

The desire to learn does not fade with time. On the contrary, as the Brave Starts survey highlights, the drive to learn remains strong — enriched by the perspective, discernment, and self-awareness that come with experience.

3. I will lose my status

Yes, you probably will. And that can feel unsettling.

But the more important question is not what you lose — it is what you gain instead.

When was the last time you revisited your definition of success? What truly matters to you now? What do you want people to see in you? What impact do you want to have?

Perhaps you want to use your experience in a more meaningful way. Perhaps an entrepreneurial idea has been quietly waiting for permission to exist. There are no right or wrong answers here — only an invitation to realign your actions with your values.

Business cards and titles lose their power quickly when they no longer reflect who you are becoming. As you step into your second act, a new form of status naturally emerges — one rooted less in hierarchy and more in coherence, contribution, and freedom.

4. I will be financially vulnerable

If financial concerns are part of your reflection, you are asking the right questions.

Money matters. A career transition must be approached with clarity, not wishful thinking. You need a full-picture view in order to make an informed decision — one that considers both your needs and those of your family.

This exploration is essential because many of us unconsciously cling to financial standards that no longer match what we truly want. You may discover that you are ready to simplify, downsize, relocate, or redesign your lifestyle. Doing work that feels meaningful often comes with rewards that go far beyond salary, sometimes making it easier to let go of things that once mattered more.

Different phases of life bring different priorities. Reviewing your assets, income expectations, and pension planning helps you understand what you already have — and what you actually need — to support the life you want to live.

 


¹ Unlocking the Value of an ageing working force, 2021

by Alexandra Humbel
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