36 too late for a career change?

[MumAgain22]

As above really. Would be leaving a well paid but unfulfilling job and have to take a hit in salary for likely 2/3 years but would hopefully be something I’d enjoy more. DH feels at 36 I’ve left it late to change career and it’s risky as salary may not rise as expected.

AIBU to pursue it?

Definitely not too late - what do you want to do?

Absolutely not. You still have another average of 30 years to work.

Not too late at all. I changed at 43 after 8 years off. To be fair my earnings never caught up in real terms to what they were previously. However, what I did previously was never workable with children. I moved local and to the public sector.

No regrets.

I did a career change at the same age. It was tough and fortunately I didn’t need to drop salary during the time I was training. It’s never too late

No! I’m in the process now at 47- got at least another 20 years toil so might as well enjoy it! You likely have at least 30 years ahead of you in the workplace, longer than you’ve been in work so far. Absolutely not too late.

You only get one life OP, don't spend it wishing you were somewhere else. Go for it!

I've just changed career in my fifties.

You are 18 years away from having been eighteen years old. You are thirty years away from retirement age. Go for it!

Never, I changed career at 39 and happily

Omg 36 is ancient! You're so old, can you even use the internet? Definitely too old to be thinking about having a career. Careers are only for those in their 20s. Whatever job you decide to do at 20, you must stick with it for all eternity.

Meanwhile, in the real world, people start their third or fourth new career in their 50s as they're not due to retire til they're like 68. 36 is actually pretty standard age for a second career. I'm around the same age as you, we're probably not going to retire until we're 90 so do whatever you want!

Life is a journey, you’re not to old!!

You're 36, not 56! Of course you're not too old to start a new career!

Of course not, you still have decades left before retirement. Plenty of the people I trained with were 40+ and I work with plenty of people who only started in physio 40+ too. It's a very clear cut career though with all of the wages etc online- can see why he's concerned if that's not the case for the change you want to make; but being miserable at work is no small thing, I'd say give it a go (whilst remembering the grass isn't always greener).

This!

I'd change husbands as well as your career. He doesn't sound very supportive.
Edited to say I'm in my 40s and currently changing career with supportive DH. It is possible.

Changed career at 42. I became a university lecturer, teaching people who want to do get into the industry I left. I never saw myself teaching but here I am and, mostly, I don't regret it.

I changed career at a little older than you. After retraining time have worked in that sector for about 20 years, will do another 7 before retirement age. How is it too old to retrain when you will get over 30 years in your new career.

Technically, you might be working another 36yrs to get a pension so no, not too old to change at all OP!

I didn't change career specifically, but changed sector and dopped pay by £24,000 at one time. The reduction in stress was worth it for me. I've since caught up pay from that time, but had other opportunities I would never had had if I'd stayed in the same role. My work/life balance is 100x better and I don't regret the drop in pay for a brief time.

I think I may have first seen this Michelle Rial graphic on Mumsnet, but it always come to mind on these types of threads.

Good luck to you OP, it may be hard work and have financial downsides in the shorter term, but like many posters have said, it's totally doable and could bring so many positives for you in the longer term.

Go for it while you feel passionate about it and have so many career years ahead of you!
I’ve gone back to uni to change careers in my mid 30s and it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. There are many people on my course older than me, doing the same. You spend most of your life working, why shouldn’t you do something you love?

Too old at 36? Don't be ridiculous! I changed career last year at 59 and it's going brilliantly.

Definitely not too old! I worked in a highly stressful profession for thirty-five years, retired and became bored after a few months. I retrained and went on to another career for a further ten years.
Do what you want to do - life's too short not to!

Thanks all, your comments have given me a lot of encouragement! x

I changed career at 57 (I'm 60 now). It wasn't easy but I've never regretted it.