Career change: ramp up or dial down?

[Hiddenawaytoday]

I'm 40 and feeling very ready for a substantial change in career. My current work is desk-based and numeric, and it's feeling increasingly meaningless. The effort to keep doing things which feel dull and pointless is draining.

I'm feeling drawn in two completely different directions. One option would be to ramp up and do something that is full-on, fast-paced but hopefully enjoyable and rewarding. The other option is to slow down - I could probably get enough to live on if I developed a couple of passions further and added in a bit of tutoring. The thought of ramping up feels more exciting but maybe it's just "grass is greener" syndrome and I worry about exhaustion and regretting adding more stress into my life. Dialling down sounds pleasant and lovely to ditch work-stress but I've got 25 years of working life left and may get a bit dull and life would be more frugal.

For context, I have two primary-aged kids and a hands-on DH with flexible working, with reasonable financial security but not a load of spare cash floating around, so either option fits with family life.

Should I ramp up or dial down?

Ramp up at 40!

Up- once you go down it will be harder to get up to where you can get up to today

And you don’t have to stay up forever, but worth trying it out!

Thanks! That's encouraging. I was wondering if anyone else had gone either way or the other and if so, how did it work out for you?

I feel exactly the same and similar age, job etc. I have the capacity and energy to ramp up, but I no idea in what I should be ramping!

What does dialling down mean here? If you just mean taking it easy at work, I’m not sure this is a great idea. It’s a long way to retirement and would be very boring. And it’s never guaranteed that pace and type of work stay the same. But your comments about tutoring suggest you’re thinking about cutting down, and I think that is worth considering if you have interests that will fill the gap. I’d be warier if you don’t already have those interests though.

I’m a few years older and in a similar situation. I put a lot of time and energy into specific hobbies, and rebalancing life to allow for those and still some downtime is massively appealing. However, they do mean I already know I don’t want a bigger job. Or a complete change (unless it was hobby-related which is theoretically possible but unlikely). It’s more a case of plodding on or PT in my case.

I’m in the same situation as you, but 2 years younger. My career gradually becomes a ‘job’ that makes end meet. I’m stuck at my current role with no immediate progression. I’m also bored to some degree and eager to learn. But I’ve got two small children which means I need to be careful about my choices.

@Anusername That describes my job well. @Byllis For me dialling down would be to leave my job and use my work skills to do occasional free-lance work (it is unlikely there would be frequent opportunities so I couldn't rely on just that), putting work into a passion hobby that could make a small income and topping things up with tutoring. Then having time for the things I enjoy like exercise, gardening and cooking and spending more time with the children. It does sound appealing but I think I am leaning towards trying the ramping up. I can always rethink down the line.

At age 40 I would ramp up. Lots of time for dialling down when you are in your 50s!

I think it’s mid-career crisis! I did ramp up before having my 2nd child at 35 but it didn’t go well. In fact, it was a disaster - too demanding and I was exhausted. I was also TTC at that time and it really didn’t go well. So I came back to my previous role which is much nicer. I just had my 2nd child more than a year ago - back to work for a couple of weeks. But the feeling of being stuck came back.. now I’m not sure what I need to do.

Ramp up now and put as much away in your pension as you can so you have options when you get older.
If it doesn’t work out, it sounds like you could certainly dial back to plan B.

@Anusername I definitely am hanging a mid-career crisis! But I don't feel staying where I am and hoping it improves is an option I can deal with. I wouldn't have had the energy to think about career switches before my DC were at school though.

How old are you children?

@Anusername 6 and almost 9.

Why staying where you are is not an option? Are you thinking of switching to a slight different field hoping to learn again?

I feel like I can't stay because the idea of another year, let alone 25, doing something that feels meaningless and dull fills me with dread. I'm thinking of retraining in something completely different.

I know what you mean. Do you have any concrete ideas which field you want to retrain into? I think nowadays it’s very typical for people to switch careers. Now that AI is taking over some of the job gradually I don’t think it’s the normality any more for people to stick with one career 😂

I'm thinking about a few options and have been doing a bit of volunteering around them. Counselling, social work and midwifery are the types of things I've been looking into.

I ramped up massively at 40, now 45 and c suite. It’s weird knowing that I’m at the top of my career with no more promotions, kind of what now?
It’s very intense though - I have 1 child the same age as yours and am in the office 5 days a week. You need a massive focus on building in rest and reset time into your calendar and family time is sacred to us.
The nice part is that we can afford brilliant holidays every few months and will be mortgage free shortly.
The way I see it is I have to work so might as well do the best job I can.

I ramped up as was bored in my previous jobs; younger child was in year 5. Was fine first 3.5 years; ended with bornout and off at the moment. I am ready to slow down and have more balance again

Wow that impressive! I presume you didn’t change career but just more devoted to work at 40? But it’s impressive progress within 5 years. Which level were you at before deciding to ramp up?

I had just reached Director level and not a career change. But I did change companies and took a lot braver moves. Some of it comes with turning 40 and not caring what people think anymore - I was able to speak up in situations that I was previously terrified in (and still have to give myself a pep talk on). Plus accepting that I’m not in my 20s anymore and actually am a grown up who has relevant experience! Making decisions without fear put me in front of very senior people in my industry who promoted me and trusted me.

I’ve done the dialling down for the last 18months. Enjoyed it initially- really needed the break tbh before I crashed and burned, a simpler life was lovely … for a time… but then found that my brain has started turning even more to mush, losing motivation for many things as not enough to keep me occupied, and just feeling like I’m over the hill at 41! Also its hard living more frugally, with my two young teens (who don’t need me in quite the same way anymore and finding their independence) and thinking about providing more for their next stage of driving/universities etc… so… have just accepted a great job and so looking forward to dialling it up again!!

if you have the energy and the drive I’d say dial it up… you can always ramp down later as plan b if you find it’s too much/not enjoying it, but you will never know unless you go for it now! I’ve found it much harder to get back ‘in’ than I thought after a period of being out of the rat race…

very very interesting as I totally relate to the ‘making decision without fear’ and ‘adult with experience’. I am still at a stage where I care too much about what people think of me and have too much fear when deciding what to do. I am the breadwinner at my household and I do have that pressure on me. Tbh I think this real pressure can make me very constrained and nervous at work. May I know how you changed your mindset?