This article is reprinted by permission from NextAvenue.org. Debbie Halpern, 58, of New Jersey, has thought about making a career change for years. Halpern says. “I worried I was too old or maybe I wouldn’t enjoy the work. And what if I went through all that effort and, in the end, couldn’t make a good living? In retrospect, all the excuses were probably driven by an underlying fear of failure.”
Halpern is not alone. Many older adults, especially women, wonder if they should change careers. While the reasons may vary, making a change later in life can be scary, especially when you know if you do, many of your co-workers could be half your age.Different reasons for change In Halpern’s case, she had contemplated a career change for a long time. She says, “I thought about becoming a therapist before I initially went to college, but somehow instead I went to business school. Even though I had a successful career in business, I always thought about ‘my road not taken.’” See: Getting older and losing confidence? Here’s how to get it back. In contrast, Kasey Kelly (a pseudonym) of New Jersey never thought about being a nurse when she was younger. An advertising executive for many years, Kelly found herself interested in a caree …