May 25, 2021
Are you one of those highly successful women over 40 who is looking to make a change in your career? If so, you’re not alone. Many women in their 40s and beyond find themselves at a crossroads in their careers. They may be feeling bored, unchallenged, or simply ready for a new challenge. If you’re in this position, don’t despair! There are many things you can do to make a successful career makeover.
In this blog, we will discuss habits of highly successful women over 40 should do before embarking on a career change. By following these tips, you can increase your chances of achieving your career goals and confidently landing your dream job.
The practices that have led to your past successes are the very ones that can guide you to triumph today. If your aspiration is to emulate the achievements of highly successful women over 40, here’s a comprehensive list of actions you can immediately use. This journey admits no shortcuts – it demands unwavering commitment. Success is an endeavor requiring diligent effort – the application of lessons learned and the nurturing of connections fostered over a lifetime.
Reflecting on the habits of successful women I am always curious about what they did to reach that level of success. How did they become president and CEO? What are the most successful women? Is there a formula? And indeed, I believe there is such a formula. For this transformation, you will not find cheap short cuts that raise and then dash your hopes. This list draws from my own voyage and the diverse narratives of those I’ve engaged with across the years. Most importantly, it serves as a reminder that the reins of your future are within your grasp, and the infusion of passion into your life can yield a wealth beyond the material.
What Is a Career Makeover?
A career makeover is about giving yourself the freedom and opportunity to follow your passion, whether that’s in a city or country you live in or the field of work. If you want to change careers but are locked into a job that doesn’t suit you, thinking about other options can help push you out of your comfort zone and into the unknown. Consider these five things highly successful women over 40 should do before a career makeover. It’s never too late to start your career makeover on the right foot.
1. Dive into Self- Reflection
When envisioning a career reinvention, the initial step is introspection. Prior to embarking on a career makeover, turn your gaze inward. What warrants alteration within yourself? Has your prevailing mindset shifted and you haven’t really noticed? What resonates deeply within your soul? What burdens have you been carrying (that it’s way past time to let go of)? In what areas do you find unmet fulfillment? These queries invite an exploration of your innermost self.
2. Begin with Your Vision
What is your purpose? What profound inclinations have been tugging at your heartstrings for an extended duration? Those inclinations you’ve quietly suppressed, promising yourself to address someday? What evokes joy merely at the thought of its pursuit? Your vision becomes the foundation upon which you shape the blueprint of your career transformation.
3. Embrace Your Strengths, Skills, and Unique Value
Unearth the reservoir of strengths within you and leverage them to enhance both your professional and personal realms. Navigating a career transformation involves not only reshaping your vocation but also redefining your life by harnessing the skills and wisdom that have propelled you to success before. As you embark on this journey, you might uncover certain gaps, prompting you to consider taking courses or obtaining certifications. Perhaps explore job shadowing or engage in informational interviews to broaden your insights. Additionally, contemplate the value of seeking guidance from a career transition coach, who can be an invaluable ally during this transition.
4.Assess Your Personal & Professional Relationships
In the symphony of mental and emotional well-being, relationships form a poignant melody. This encompasses both your personal connections and your professional networks. When was the last time you scanned your surroundings and distanced yourself from energy vampires? These individuals can drain your vitality, leaving you devoid of the enthusiasm required to chase your aspirations. Pave your path in the company of those who uplift you. The words of the motivational speaker Jim Rohn echo here: “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” Although severing ties may not always be feasible, you can certainly limit their impact, thus freeing yourself to cultivate relationships that inspire, nurture, and amplify your endeavors.
5. Cultivate a Future- Centric Mindset: Plan for the Future
Are the skills aligned with your future goals well-defined? In terms of your career, what do you envision for yourself? What about your financial stability, lifestyle, or travel aspirations? Your holistic well-being – encompassing mental, physical, and emotional health – deserves a prominent place in your blueprint for the future.
So, what’s the secret to success for women over 40? It entails delving within and confronting the factors that weigh you down – be it fractured relationships, fatigue, or relinquishing your aspirations. These elements can surreptitiously usher in misery. The solution, though seemingly simple, is profound: embrace the present moment. Engage with the questions posed in each of the five steps. Reconnect with the art of living in the now, placing trust in the divine orchestration of life and its future unfolding.
Some Last Thoughts for Highly Successful Women
Ultimately, a career makeover encapsulates the strategic overhaul of your professional journey, an introspective examination of your needs spanning the financial and personal domains, and a meticulous blueprint of the trajectory you envision for the next 5-10 years. Contemplating a career shift becomes particularly pertinent if your current path hampers your self-sufficiency or your ability to serve others effectively. Remaining tethered to a role that sows discontent lacks justification. The narratives of numerous accomplished women over 40 stand as testaments to the transformative power of career change – an endeavor that can be both gratifying and seamless.
Ready to embark on your career makeover journey and script your own inspiring narrative? How many of these top five actions have you already initiated? Your voice matters, and I am eager to hear from you!
I’m an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and career coach for Twanna Carter Professional & Personal Coaching, LLC. I failed my first career transition from the military so badly, it took me the next 10+ years to build my confidence and recover. I know what it feels like to struggle with imposter syndrome and uncertainty about my worth in the workplace. It’s why I am dedicated to empowering Black women. Helping them navigate career change and uncertainty by providing them with the tools and strategies they need to be successful. Schedule a free 30-Minute Career Solution Call today.
- Why Emotional Intelligence Is the Most Powerful Leadership Asset Black Women Have
Key Points • Emotional intelligence is not a soft skill. For Black women executives, it is one of the most sophisticated and research-backed strategic leadership… Read more: Why Emotional Intelligence Is the Most Powerful Leadership Asset Black Women Have - You’re Doing Director Level Work. Here’s How to Claim the Title.Key Points • You may be leading at the director level without the title, authority, or compensation to match, and this is a systemic pattern,… Read more: You’re Doing Director Level Work. Here’s How to Claim the Title.
- The Hidden Cost of Emotional Labor for Black Women Executives at Work (And How to Stop Paying It)Key Points • The invisible tax is the unacknowledged. The emotional labor for Black women executives occurs when we manage others’ comfort, reactions, and racial… Read more: The Hidden Cost of Emotional Labor for Black Women Executives at Work (And How to Stop Paying It)
- Grounded vs. Performative Confidence for Black Women LeadersBy Dr. Twanna Carter | Executive Presence Coaching for Black Women She rehearses the meeting the night before. Not the content, that she knows cold. She rehearses how… Read more: Grounded vs. Performative Confidence for Black Women Leaders
- Why High-Achieving Black Women Second-Guess Themselves in the Rooms They’ve EarnedBy Dr. Twanna Carter | Executive Coaching for Black Women You have been in the room. You have earned the seat. You have the credentials, the track record,… Read more: Why High-Achieving Black Women Second-Guess Themselves in the Rooms They’ve Earned
- Laid Off in Tech? How ProfileXT® Helps Executive Black Women Pivot PowerfullyMost career assessments will tell you who you are. Very few will tell you where to go. That is exactly where ProfileXT® Helps Executive Black Women do something… Read more: Laid Off in Tech? How ProfileXT® Helps Executive Black Women Pivot Powerfully
- The Invisible Tax. What It’s Really Costing You to Lead While Black and FemaleShe arrives at her ninth-floor office at 7:45 AM, forty-five minutes before anyone else. Not because the job demands it. Because the job requires it of her. Before… Read more: The Invisible Tax. What It’s Really Costing You to Lead While Black and Female
- The Real Secret Behind Executive Presence for Black Women (It’s Not What You Think)In this post, you will learn: You were in a meeting. You presented a strategy that you knew was solid. You spoke clearly, made your case, and held… Read more: The Real Secret Behind Executive Presence for Black Women (It’s Not What You Think)
- The Executive LinkedIn Strategy for Black Women Who Are Pivoting Into Bigger RolesIn this post, you will learn: You have spent years delivering results. Leading teams. Navigating rooms where your contributions were overlooked while your workload expanded. You have solved… Read more: The Executive LinkedIn Strategy for Black Women Who Are Pivoting Into Bigger Roles
- Stop Guessing Your Next Move. How the ProfileXT® Gives Black Women Real Career ClarityKey Points: You’ve been in your industry long enough to know something doesn’t fit anymore. The work is fine. You’re good at it. But it doesn’t light you… Read more: Stop Guessing Your Next Move. How the ProfileXT® Gives Black Women Real Career Clarity
- Executive Visibility for Black Women – Stop Being OverlookedWhy Being Respected Internally Is Not Enough You have delivered results that moved the needle. You are the person your team leans on when things get complicated. Leaders… Read more: Executive Visibility for Black Women – Stop Being Overlooked
- How Senior Black Women in Tech Know It’s Time for an Executive Career PivotYou’ve earned every credential. You’ve delivered results that moved the business forward. You’ve navigated rooms where you were the only one who looked like you, led teams through… Read more: How Senior Black Women in Tech Know It’s Time for an Executive Career Pivot
+ show Comments
- Hide Comments
add a comment