What You Should Know Before Changing Your Career Path In Your 30s
Oh, age 30. I am 29 today and the thought of 30 being my next milestone if gut-wrenching.
You question all the decisions you've made up until this point, especially your career choice. Eighty five percent of adults are dissatisfied with their career, as discovered by this Gallup study. If you fall within this category, or are simply in need of a change, the reality of age 30 lurking around the corner causes a lot of people to stress about their current career commitment.
To change your career at 30 is scary because you are at an age where accountability for your time is absolutely higher. Whether you have been in the trenches climbing the corporate ladder or have followed your passion for the last 10 years only to realize: Oh shit, what the hell am I doing? Don't worry, there is hope. I consider one of life's pleasures to be the potential to reinvent one's self in all stages and your career rebirth is no different should you use some of these steps as a guide.
1. Find your passion and build your career around that.
The path to change your career at 30 may not always lie in a complete environment change but rather in a mindset and routine change. When carving out your new path, it is important to use your interest as a guidance system to help you solve a problem and not simply chase after a sexy career title. I recently interviewed international business development strategist, Edwina Kulego who also was feeling mundane at her job.
Rather than leaving the security of her corporate position, she custom-designed a new role tailored around her interests and pitched it to her boss. It worked because she was solving a real problem. If you need help figuring out what your interest are, check out Pathfinders. Through a series of programs, Pathfinders will help you outline your natural abilities and potential career paths.
For some additional inspiration, click here to check out my interview of Edwina Kulego.
2. Build your career around your strengths and you will make yourself indispensable.
Before you take any leaps and Eat.Pray.Love this process, I challenge you, like Edwina, to take a second look at your current environment and figure out the areas where your abilities could be best used. One beautiful thing that comes with knowing your strengths and interests is that it allows you to serve from your unique perspective.
If you design a career or business that is uniquely you, then your service becomes harder to replicate and your job becomes a whole lot more enjoyable. The grass is not always greener on the other side. The truth is, although I don't have a tremendous amount of experience in a specific work field, I have bounced around jobs in a variety of industries and I am pretty sure that what I am doing now is along the lines of where I would end up should I walk away now.
3. Embrace Mentorship.
I am one of those people who was extremely smart growing up but, during my time in college, I lost interest in pretty much everything I thought I was meant to do. I didn't grow up surrounded with ambitious or successful adults who spoke to me about the practicality of planning out a career path. It's hard to imagine something is possible if you don't have role models that hold those positions.
If you are like me and are someone who needs to absolutely reset her career but feels too old to start all over, the quickest way to see the reality of your goals is to develop relationships with people who are already doing it and can advise you of the different options that you may not be aware of.
4. Take classes for a specific skill that you would like to improve.
You don't need a college degree to further your education. I don't know about you, but knowing shit is kind of cool and absolutely necessary to grow at any phase in your life. In my case, one of the biggest hurdles preventing me from growing my business is my lack of management skills; hence I need management classes. Depending on your specific situation, you might be overwhelmed with the thought of going back to school but that may not be necessary.
You can just take a course in a specific area of growth that you desire in order to change your career at 30. The confidence in your acquired knowledge might be the clarity you need to define your new path. Click here for the 13 best online selling classes that you can now enroll in for only $10.
5. Strengthen your networking game like seriously.
Don't underestimate the power of networking. The easiest way to broaden your chances in life is to expand your network. By networking I mean meet a whole lot of new people but I also mean become useful to a whole lot of people. The book Nonstop Networking offers practical ways to be useful to virtually everyone you meet while having your needs met in the process.
Also you should not be going through this alone; share your desire for a career change with family and some of the new people you meet; you'll be amazed what surprises lie in your path.
6. Create a routine that maximizes your productivity and absolutely works for you.
Your dissatisfaction with your current career choice might be stemming from an unhappiness with your current routine. Take massive steps to change your environment and routine. Your daily routine should include goal setting, some form of exercise (even if it's just stretching in your apartment floor, or walking around your block for 30 minutes), and meditation for clarity.
Check out more skills for igniting behavioral change via this podcast here.
Naomi Alabi is a fashion entrepreneur and Women Empowerment Advocate. She is the creator of Street Fashion Week and Women of Power. Follow her on Instagram and check out her new series “Women of Power" here.
Featured image by Getty Images
- 8 Career-Defining Moves To Make In Your 30s | Career FAQs ›
- 30 Reasons Your Career Only Gets Better in Your 30s Read On ›
- 10 Career Lessons You Should Learn By Your 30s ›
- 10 Best Career Moves for Women in Their 30s | HuffPost ›
- Career Moves to Make in Your 30s | Money ›
- 10 Life Lessons to Excel in Your 30s | Mark Manson ›
- Career Advice: Moves to Make in Your 30s | Money ›
- 5 Ugly Myths About Changing Career in Your 30s - TalentCulture ›
- 5 Ways To Reinvigorate Your Career In 30s ›
- What Science Says About Being In Your 30s | HuffPost ›
- Changes to make in your 30s - Business Insider ›
- This Is What Happens to Ambition in Your 30s ›
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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The Power Of Your Big 3: Understanding The Astrological Significance You Hold
Explore your sign’s 2024 horoscope predictions to learn what is in store for you this year in love, career, and more. Check out the love compatibility of each sign to learn more about zodiac pairings and all things compatibility.
Astrology has become even more mainstream and a phenomenon than it ever has in the past. We have gone beyond the, “What’s your sign?” and have moved into “What’s your big 3?” seemingly overnight, and rightly so due to the significance of knowing these important details. Your Big 3 in Astrology represents your sun sign, your moon sign, and your rising sign.
This trifecta is thought to be one of the most significant details of your birth chart and gives you and others more of a full-picture look at who you are beyond just your sun sign.
What Does Your Big 3 In Astrology Say About You?
Knowing your big 3 is important, especially if you are someone who has never really resonated with your sun sign. You read about what it means to be an Aries, but may not align with what you see or your experience with other Aries. Meanwhile, the whole time, you have a Libra rising, the complete opposite sign of Aries, and this is why you have always seen yourself as a more laid-back and less confrontational Aries.
Elements hold a key role in your birth chart and having a big 3 where the elements are all compatible or the same often signifies someone who knows who they are and is comfortable in their skin. Whereas someone with a different element for each part of their big 3 may have challenges with identity or defining who they are or how they want to present themselves. It’s a different type of perspective when looking into your big 3, and it helps you see where your strengths and needs are in life, and how to tap more into this potential.
Your Big 3 In Astrology Explained
Your big 3 can help you navigate life by understanding which part of you comes out more in different circumstances. At home, you are most like your moon sign, when you are out and about, you are most like your rising sign. Whether you are at home or out and about, your goals, purpose, and interests are most like your sun sign.
You can find out what your big 3 is by looking up a ‘Birth Chart Calculator’ on your search engine, typing in your birthday details (you will need to know your birth date, location, and the exact time you were born), and generating your birth chart.
Read below for your sun, moon, and rising signs.
YOUR SUN SIGN
Your sun sign represents the core of you and what motivates you to shine and be your best self. This is your personality, goals, purpose, identity, ego, interests, direction, and where you light up in life.
FIRE SUN (Aries Sun, Leo Sun, Sagittarius Sun)
If you are an Aries sun, a Leo sun, or a Sagittarius sun, you are outgoing, confident, fearless, and in tune with yourself and your personal goals and desires in life. You go after the things you want, and you are not afraid to take up space. You are someone who prefers to be more independent, and you are often in more leadership roles in life.
EARTH SUN (Taurus Sun, Virgo Sun, Capricorn Sun)
If you are a Taurus sun, a Virgo sun, or a Capricorn sun, you are grounded, dependable, loyal, hard-working, and logical. You prefer the finer things in life but also work hard to get where you are. You are someone others feel they can rely on, and you are often a support for other people in your life. You are very connected to the material sides of life, and have a gift for manifesting.
AIR SUN (Gemini Sun, Libra Sun, Aquarius Sun)
If you are a Gemini sun, a Libra sun, or an Aquarius sun, you are light-hearted, free-flowing, intelligent, and communicative. You speak what is on your mind, and you love to connect and communicate with others. People know you for the things you say and your out-of-the-box ideas, and you are someone who is open-minded and provides a safe space for people to be authentically themselves.
WATER SUN (Cancer Sun, Scorpio Sun, Pisces Sun)
If you are a Cancer sun, a Scorpio sun, or a Pisces sun, you are thoughtful, generous, emotional, loving, and compassionate. You care deeply about the people you love, and you are always there for others. You may be more emotional than most, and this is due to your strong intuition and open heart. You are creative, inspiring, and motivated towards connection in life.
YOUR MOON SIGN
Your moon sign represents your emotions. This is the way you express yourself emotionally, how you process your emotions, what you need in love, what makes you feel safe and nurtured, your desires, intuition, your inner world, and what’s going on beneath the surface.
FIRE MOON (Aries Moon, Leo Moon, Sagittarius Moon)
If you are an Aries moon, a Leo moon, or a Sagittarius moon, you are someone who is not afraid to communicate your emotions or how you are feeling, and you can feel your emotions from a mile away. You are confident in yourself and are someone who stands up for what you feel is right. You have a strong need to be seen and heard in your relationships, and a certain type of understanding is needed for you to emotionally thrive. You may have some challenges with anger or high energy and are working through emotional impulses in this lifetime.
EARTH MOON (Taurus Moon, Virgo Moon, Capricorn Moon)
If you are a Taurus moon, a Virgo moon, or a Capricorn moon, you are someone who is emotionally grounded, safe, comforting, and logical. You aren’t overly emotional and may not show your emotions to people much at all, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have them. You think before you speak, and you process your emotions before acting on them, and you tend to be more down-to-earth and understanding when it comes to other people’s emotional worlds as well. You are someone people go to when they need someone to talk to you as you are a very good listener.
AIR MOON (Gemini Moon, Libra Moon, Aquarius Moon)
If you are a Gemini moon, a Libra moon, or an Aquarius moon, you are someone who is fun, outgoing, and emotionally open-minded. You don’t like heavy emotions or too much emotional drama, and you tend to be more go-with-the-flow in this area of your life. Good conversation and mutual understanding are very important to you in your relationships and you want funny banter and inspiration in your connections with others.
WATER MOON (Cancer Moon, Scorpio Moon, Pisces Moon)
If you are a Cancer moon, a Scorpio moon, or a Pisces moon, you are someone who lives by their heart and values your emotional world deeply. You crave a deep type of intimacy in your partnerships and you need a partner who is going to give you that type of emotional connection. You are more private with your emotional world and you tend to hold a lot in, but this can often lead to sudden outbursts as well. Overall, you are the definition of emotion and others learn a lot from you on what it means to love and to feel.
YOUR ASCENDANT (RISING SIGN)
Your ascendant sign represents your perception and the energy you put out into the world. This is the way you come across to others, the way you express yourself, your physical traits and aesthetics, how you manifest, society, and what you expect from the world around you.
FIRE ASCENDANT (Aries Rising, Leo Rising, Sagittarius Rising)
If you are an Aries rising, a Leo rising, or a Sagittarius rising, you come across to others as confident, bold, and stylish. You are known for the way you look or the way you present yourself, and you are usually adorned in bright colors or wearing something that others take a lot of notice of. You are someone who walks into a room, and all eyes are on you, and you love that. You want to be on the move and on the go, and you love to show up in the world exactly as you are today. You see the world with a lot of possibilities and like it's yours to have fun and enjoy yourself in.
EARTH ASCENDANT (Taurus Rising, Virgo Rising, Capricorn Rising)
If you are a Taurus rising, a Virgo rising, or a Capricorn rising, you come across to others as responsible, beautiful, natural, and dependable. You are a hard worker, and you may be known for your career or the work that you do. You are someone who walks into a room and people feel an immediate sense of comfort and like you are someone they can trust. You have strong values and goals, and you are someone who knows what they want. People love to be around your down-to-earth energy, and you make others feel safe and grounded.
AIR ASCENDANT (Gemini Rising, Libra Rising, Aquarius Rising)
If you are a Gemini rising, a Libra rising, or an Aquarius rising, you come across to others as outgoing, friendly, and talkative. You see the world as a place to learn, connect, and be inspired, and you are on a quest for knowledge and understanding. You connect with people from all walks of life, and you tend to have a pretty open-minded and unique friend group. You care a lot about your style and aesthetic and always strive to be authentically you wherever you are. You can talk to people for hours and are often meeting new people and making new friends wherever you go.
WATER ASCENDANT (Cancer Rising, Scorpio Rising, Pisces Rising)
If you are a Cancer rising, a Scorpio rising, or a Pisces rising, you navigate life through the lens of your emotions, and you are deeply connected to the undercurrents of life. You are ruled by your emotions, and this side of you is not something you can keep hidden away easily. You get emotional when you think about society and others at large, and you want to be known for the kind and sincere person you are. When you walk into a room, you feel other people's energy right away and are highly empathic and intuitive.
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