From 45
Career advice from 45: choosing for the second half
You have another fifteen to twenty working years ahead of you. You may still enjoy your work, and still wonder whether you want to keep doing this until you retire. Career advice does not mean you have to change jobs. You explore what your options are while you stay in your current role.
Why the question changes around 45
What matters to you at work can change over the years. At thirty you may have wanted to move up, take on more responsibility or earn more. Now you may value enjoying the work, having autonomy or a better balance. You know your job well, and you are asking whether it will still give you enough in the years ahead.
Choosing a different direction also has financial and practical consequences. You may have a mortgage, children, or a partner to take into account. You want to know what a change means for your income and your security. Career advice helps you examine those consequences before you decide.
What career advice produces at this age
You map out the knowledge and experience you have built up, which work gives you energy, and which options match that on the labour market.
You do not have to start over. You already have experience, skills and knowledge that other roles can use. During the programme you explore how to deploy them, inside your current job or elsewhere. The full range is on our career coaching page.
The three outcomes that come up most
A career programme can lead in different directions. These three options help you work out how much change you want and what it would take.
| Possible outcome | What it asks of you | What it gives |
|---|---|---|
| The same work, a different remit | A conversation with your manager about different tasks or responsibilities | Income stays the same, change within weeks, low risk |
| A related role in another sector | Working out where your experience is useful and applying selectively | Income roughly level, genuinely new surroundings, moderate risk |
| A real switch with retraining | Taking a course, investing time and allowing for a lower starting salary | The largest change, and the longest run-up |
Can I get this paid for?
There is no national scheme that automatically reimburses career advice. You may be able to use a training or development budget from your employer, or arrangements in your collective agreement. If you work for yourself, the costs may count as business expenses under certain conditions.
Want to ask your employer to contribute? Explain how the programme supports your development and your employability within the organisation. That makes clear why it is in their interest too. What a programme costs and what that depends on is set out in the cost of career coaching.
From
€1000
for a career scan - tailored options on request
- Your employer's training or development budget
- Arrangements in your collective agreement
- A tailored quote up front, so you know where you stand
- Transparent rates, no hidden costs
What a programme looks like
The programme has four steps. At the introduction we discuss what you want to explore and how much guidance that calls for. The number of sessions and the run-time depend on your question and the direction you want to examine.
Introduction
We discuss why you are looking for career advice and which decision you want to be able to make afterwards.
What you have built up
We map your experience, qualities and drivers, including the skills you take for granted in your daily work.
Testing against the market
We examine which roles suit you, what they pay, and what additional knowledge or training might be needed.
A plan with a first step
You draw up a concrete plan with a first action you can carry out within two weeks.
Would you rather find out where you stand before committing to a full programme? Start with the career scan.
Frequently asked questions
Am I not too old at 45 for a career switch?
No. With a state pension age above 67 you still have more than twenty working years ahead of you at 45. So there is time to choose another direction. Which move is feasible depends on your experience, your financial situation and any training you would need. During career advice you explore which options fit you.
Do I have to take a pay cut if I move?
Not always. If you move into another role inside your current organisation, or into comparable work elsewhere, you may well keep your salary. Retraining for a different profession can mean a lower starting salary. We look in advance at what different roles pay and at how you can limit the financial effect of a move.
What if my employer will not contribute?
First ask whether a training or development budget exists and whether career advice can come out of it. You can explain how the programme supports your long-term employability. If your employer will not contribute, a shorter programme at your own expense is an option. For the self-employed the costs may count as business expenses under certain conditions.
How does this differ from outplacement?
With outplacement the departure from your employer is already settled, and the employer usually pays for the guidance towards other work. With career advice you are still employed and you are the one exploring whether you want to change anything. You may well decide afterwards to stay with your current employer.
Another question about your career? Get in touch, without obligation. We are happy to discuss which kind of guidance fits your situation. Is a departure already settled? Then read outplacement for the over-50s.