Sure, pondering over a career switch after the 40s is a great idea!

Yes, you read that right. It is all better if you are considering joining the tech industry.

It can offer some serious job perks that you will love to welcome at a time when you already have so much experience from the previous job(s).

Career change is one of the biggest trends in the industries that are constantly in a flux in this digital age of technological and communication advancements.

Here is why considering a career switch after the 40s is a superb idea:

You can look towards an overall expansion in terms of updating your skills to the current times and forming and nurturing new work ties to take you through the years that lie ahead.

You will feel a rewarding sense of control when you finally decide to switch careers at such a time. Only a person confident enough about his skill set would actually toughen up to the challenge and come out the better from it.

There sometimes is a tendency towards career complacency in the 40s after having been in service for a considerable portion of your life.

It usually results in a career slowdown making way for a total standstill. You can easily step aside that obstacle if you decide to speed up the pace by a new and challenging career change at this time.

There is always plenty of surprise in novelty. And it might be the perfect break you need from the humdrum of your current job.

It will help you be in refresh mode with renewed vigour for life as well your job.

The best thing is, you would not have to worry about stocking up your arsenal in this age thanks to the bountiful blessing that is the Internet.

From upskilling yourself the right way to learning about updated interview methods, there is very little that the web will not aid you to do in case you to take the decision of switching careers in your 40s.

Tips to Help You Become a Techie Post-40

If coding is your new-found love and you are contemplating about a career switch in your 40s, then the tech world does have opportunities galore for you.

True, the industry is predominantly ruled by the young guns. But once you create a footing for yourself, there is simply no stopping you in tech if you are driven and passionate enough.

Here are the 5 top tips to help you create a fulfilling career in tech post your 40s. Go by these and take the industry by a storm!

1. Load up on the ‘universal’ skills

The 20s and 30s are the times to load up on tonnes of skills, including the universal ones.

The keys to finding rewarding careers lie in being able to pick up the set of skills that make you a valuable candidate no matter which job you apply for.

These skills include, but are not limited to:

• effective communication,
• knowing how to manage time,
• the capability of meeting deadlines,
• staying calm under pressure,
• emotional intelligence,
• problem-solving,

and the likes.

Make sure you devote your 20s and 30s into loading up on these skills in addition to the technical ones required to serve your specific industry or domain.

Related: 5 Convincing Reasons to Start a Business in Your 20s and 30s

2. Brush up your online presence

Having a great online presence not only makes you more visible to potential employers but also speaks volumes about your enthusiasm to stay abreast of the current trends in the industry.

While being 40+ is sure to bring some unfriendly questions your way, the best way that you can hit them out of the park is by showing that there is still juice left in you to run that extra mile needed in tech jobs.

Make sure you set up a reliable profile on social media platforms.

Keep track of the webinars and podcasts coming your way that help you gear up on some useful tech knowledge.

These apart, you can also try your hand at a tech blog to show off what you know, and double it up as a valuable addition to your portfolio.

3. Upskill like never before

Upskilling is the way to go in this century. There is simply no going around this one.

As job scenes rapidly transform and merge the digital with on-site, one has to have multiple skills tucked in their quivers. Upskilling helps in becoming the big fish in interviews.

Besides learning the basics of coding, see if you can try your hand at picking up some more complex computer languages.

Pick a niche that piques your interest in tech. You also make sure to gather all necessary skills for working in that domain.

However, just because you love to code in your preferred language does not mean that you can get away with minimal or no knowledge of the other languages.

You can look towards an overall expansion in terms of updating your skills to the current times like enrolling in online courses to learn about data science essentials which will help you be updated in the latest data science trends and forming and nurturing new work ties to take you through the years that lie ahead.

4. Network some more

No matter how many say that in-person networking is passé and all you need to do is maintain a virtual network for connecting with your professional acquaintances, in-person communication still has the edge over virtual ones.

However, the best way to go about this is to blend both into a working whole that you can tap into in times of need.

Find established techies and follow influencers on Twitter to get into the tech zone little by little, so when the time comes for referrals, you stand a great chance of making it to the list of top employers.

5. Try your hand at some side projects

You know a great way that you can do away with awkward queries about your age? Having an updated CV that says about the various tech projects that you have successfully completed despite being a 40+ professional.

Take up as many side projects that you can from online portals if needed, and make it a point to carry through with them in style.

Having a few tech projects under your belt will make sure that the employers are confident enough in your abilities at tackling the challenges that are sure to come your way once they hire you.

If you have finished projects that are worthy of mentioning, make sure you highlight them whenever going for a job interview.

You can also try sharing your experience of the same in your blog for additional impact.

Conclusion

Be prepared to face some raised eyebrows when you walk into that interview room.

Some skeptics will always think that you are actually on the wrong side of the 40s to be interviewing for the techie position. But why should you let something as insignificant as a few raised eyebrows dim your shine?

Embrace your tech knowledge and take that plunge.

Simply go by the 5 awesome tips we shared to prepare yourself for the interview, and before you know it, you would have bagged the job on the spot. Good luck!

About The Author

Nathan William is a Melbourne-based techie who offers custom CDR for Engineers Australia at MyAssignmenthelp.com. He is a software engineer managing his own digital solutions firm Down Under and offering assignment help for tech students in the country. Being passionate about country music, he likes to tune and strum his guitar when not writing enriching blogs on tech trends of the current times.