February 23, 2026 
6 Min 
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Many people wake up one morning to realize that the ladder they’ve been climbing is leaning against the wrong wall.
You start your career in accounts, five years later, you’re feeling the pull towards teaching, healthcare, or design. Anything but spreadsheets. Sounds familiar? It happens more often than people think.
According to a 2025 Gallup report, quite a number of employees are actively exploring new job opportunities. Obviously, lots and lots of people just want to do something different with their lives.
But switching careers isn’t about quitting your job in frustration. It’s about making a smart, planned move. And in many cases, that move involves going back to school. Not necessarily for a four-year degree, but for the right kind of training that gets you where you actually want to go.
Here’s how you can successfully navigate the educational side of switching careers in midlife.
The Role of Education in Midlife Career Change
One of the biggest fears career changers have is that switching means starting from scratch.
No 40 or 50-year-olds want to sit in a classroom with 20-year-olds, earning a four-year degree. What about making money? Very few people can afford to stop working just to go back to school.
But those fears are outdated.
Continuing education has changed so much, thanks to the popularity of e-learning and accelerated degree programs. E-learning has, in fact, become so mainstream that the total number of online learning users in the world could hit 1.2 billion by 2030.
Bottom line? You can go to school to learn what you need for your new phase of life without disrupting your lifestyle.
Take education, for example. If you suddenly feel the pull towards a leadership role in education, there are online Doctor of Education degree programs that you can do to get closer to your dream.
Even better, these programs are 100% online, according to Marymount University. This means that you can balance your doctorate and your life seamlessly.
The same flexibility exists across dozens of fields. Coding bootcamps can move you into tech in three to six months. Project management certifications are widely recognized and can be earned in weeks.
The question is no longer whether education can fit around your life. It’s which program fits best.
Making a Career Change Successfully
Start With Why You Want to Switch
Before you sign up for any course or program, first determine why you’re thinking of moving into a different field.
Are you trying to escape something? A toxic workplace. Burnout. A boss who drains you. Work that feels meaningless. Those are really valid reasons.
Or you’re moving toward something different. Maybe you now want to teach, care for patients, or build something of your own.
This distinction matters for your learning pathway. If you’re simply escaping, a short certificate program might suffice. Moving toward a regulated profession like healthcare or education? You’ll need to commit to a different route that may include some form of accreditation.
Get Your Finances in Order First
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, getting a new job can take five to six months. Depending on the pathway you choose, going back to school could take longer.
The problem? You’ll need money. You’ll need to pay for tuition, books, and so on. Even if you keep your current job, your expenses will definitely go up. You don’t want to start a program and stop midway because you ran out of cash.
Here’s what you should do:
- Build an emergency fund. Aim for 6 – 12 months of living expenses
- Create a transition budget. Cut any extra spending now so you can afford tuition later
- Look into financial aid for adult learners. Ask your employer if they do tuition reimbursement. Also, check to see if your program and school is eligible for FAFSA
All these might look like too much hassle at first, but financial planning is the foundation of many successful life decisions.
Identify and Repackage Your Transferable Skills
Many pivoters make the mistake of thinking they’re “starting over.” They aren’t. If you’ve been managing a team in retail for 15 years, you’re walking into the classroom with fifteen years of experience that your younger peers don’t have. And that’s a big deal.
What you need to do is identify those skills that make sense for your next phase of life and leverage them.
Things like:
- Leadership and team management
- Project management and hitting deadlines
- Strategic thinking and problem-solving
- Teamwork and collaboration
Employers see soft skills like these as important to work readiness, according to the U.S. Office of Disability Employment Policy.
The school system is no different. When you write admissions essays or talk to professors, highlight these skills. They prove you’re not just a student. You’re an asset to the cohort.
Network Strategically
Finally, once you’re in a program, network strategically.
You’re in school or doing a program to get the skills you need for your next phase of life. But this is also the best place to meet some of the people who could actually help your next move.
These people can become your best leads for placements, internships, and jobs after graduation. At the very least, they can point you in the right direction.
This networking is important because of what’s known as the hidden job market. The hidden job market is basically a system of filling openings internally or through referrals instead of posting them on job boards. Reports suggest that up to 70% of job openings are part of the hidden job market.
You have a better chance of clinching a suitable role when you leverage your network than not.
Going Back to School for a Better Career is Worth It
Changing careers isn’t easy. Going back to school can make it feel even harder. You may need new skills, new certificates, and a whole new routine. It can be challenging. No doubt about that. But it’s totally doable. And it’s absolutely worth it.
Start by getting clear on why you’re making this change. Then make sure your finances can support the transition.
Most importantly, take it one step at a time. Test the path first. Build skills slowly. When you’re sure about the move, then go all in.