5 Fairy Tales About A Career Change At 40

Flash-Non-Fiction: 3-minute read

You hit your forties, and suddenly that career ladder you’ve been dutifully ascending starts giving off serious “is this thing up to code?” energy. The view is… adequate. The title sounds important at dinner parties. The paycheck clears. And yet, some annoying little voice inside keeps asking, “Wait, this is the final destination?”

Cue your old fears, now cosplaying as “practical advice” and “being realistic.”

Today, let’s gently eviscerate these fears with facts.

Here are the five biggest fairy tales about a career change at 40, or after 40, and the reality checks that might dramatically improve your outlook.

Myth #1: “You’ll have to start from scratch.”

Ah yes, the 2 a.m. special from your inner saboteur.

Plot twist: You’re not starting from scratch — you’re starting from decades of competence.

You’ve accumulated years of judgment, problem-solving wizardry, emotional intelligence, and the ability to lead without having a meltdown. These superpowers don’t evaporate when you pivot. They’re literally your competitive advantage.

The real work? Teaching a new industry to recognise your value. That’s not starting over — that’s strategic rebranding.

Myth #2: “You’ll make less money.”

Maybe. Maybe not. (Helpful, right?)

Sure, some folks take a temporary financial haircut during a transition. But I’ve watched just as many people increase their earning potential once they stop forcing themselves into ill-fitting roles.

When you strategically align your expertise with what you actually do well — and what the market desperately needs — your value doesn’t shrink. It multiplies.

Also, burnout has a price tag. Misalignment bleeds energy, joy, and productivity. When you’re actually engaged, your performance improves dramatically — and not altogether surprisingly, so does your bank account.

Myth #3: “You’re too old to change careers.”

Adorable. But no.

You’re not too old — you’re too experienced to keep tolerating mediocrity.

Career pivots at this stage aren’t panicked escapes; they’re intentional pursuits of meaning.

Every lesson, every failure, every soul-crushing meeting — it’s all been training. You’re not a beginner. You’re a strategic powerhouse with better instincts than your 25-year-old self could’ve dreamed of.

Myth #4: “You’ll lose your professional identity.”

Ooh, this one hits different because it’s wrapped in feelings.

Who are you without that LinkedIn headline? Without your corner office?

Here’s the thing: you’re not your job title. You’re the brilliance that made that title possible.

When you stop clinging to labels and reconnect with your actual purpose, you realize your professional identity was never meant to be permanent. It was meant to grow.

Repositioning your expertise doesn’t delete your identity — it upgrades it.

Myth #5: “It’s too risky.”

You know what’s risky? Staying exactly where you are.

Burnout, resentment, and the quiet desperation of “is this really it?” — those are the slow-motion disasters that steal your best years.

Yes, change requires courage. But the real risk is waking up half a decade from now in the exact same spot, still muttering “what if.”

The truth: you don’t need to YOLO your entire life. You can pivot strategically, methodically, with actual structure and support.

Which is precisely what I share in my online course (with or without one-on-one coaching) How to Change Careers Without Starting Over – The Ultimate Career Transition Roadmap for Mid-Career Professionals.

It’s not a guide to dramatic bridge-burning. It’s a blueprint for repositioning your expertise — safely, confidently, and with a plan that doesn’t involve panic.

So the next time your inner critic hisses, “You’re too old for a complete career change at 40”, just smile sweetly and reply, “Bold of you to assume I’m starting over. I’m starting smarter.”

Because the only thing riskier than changing direction — is staying stuck pretending you’re fine.

Stress destroys Lives. To find out what you can do to safeguard your sanity by taking my insight-giving quiz, subscribe to my mailing list.