By Jax Stys, certified life coach
Quick answer: Can you really change careers after 40? Yes. Lots of women who changed careers after 40 went on to do their best work. Vera Wang opened her first bridal salon at 40. Julia Child published her first cookbook at 49 and started her TV show at 50. Laura Ingalls Wilder published her first Little House book at 65. Your years of experience aren’t wasted. They’re what you build on.
Hey you. I’m so glad you’re here.
I’ll be honest with you. I know this one from the inside.
I was downsized from my mortgage underwriting job at 44.
I had to figure out what came next.
And I had to do it in midlife.
I’m Jax, a certified life coach for women over 40. After that layoff, I started a blog, then a podcast, and rebuilt my money along the way. As of October 2026, I’ve paid off $45,000 in debt. So when I tell you it’s not too late, I mean it.
Let’s get into it.
No. Changing jobs and careers is a normal part of working life, at every age. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that people born from 1957 to 1964 held an average of 12.7 jobs between ages 18 and 56. Women in that group averaged 12.5.
And a lot of us are thinking about a change right now. In a 2025 AARP survey of adults 50 and older, 24% of workers said they planned to change jobs that year. That was up from 14% the year before. And 16% of those planning a change wanted to start their own business.
Some women want work that pays and also does good. A 2014 study by Encore.org found more than 4.5 million Americans ages 50 to 70 were already in these “encore careers,” and more than 25 million more wanted one.
Here’s the truth. We’re not the same women we were at 25. We know what we’re good at. We know what drains us. That’s not a late start. It’s a head start.
Vera Wang, Julia Child, and Laura Ingalls Wilder all made their biggest career moves at 40 or later. Each one shows that a setback or a late start can point you somewhere better.
Before she was a famous wedding dress designer, Vera Wang was a competitive figure skater. When she didn’t make the Olympics, she turned to fashion and spent more than 15 years as an editor at Vogue.
Then she was passed over for the top job, editor-in-chief. She went on to work as a design director at Ralph Lauren. In 1990, at 40, she opened her own bridal salon in New York.
She wasn’t a trained designer. She has said she worried, “I thought maybe it’s just too late for me.” It wasn’t. Her name is now one of the best known in bridal fashion, and she’s still at it in her 70s. You can read her story in this CNBC interview with Vera Wang.
Her lesson for you: Getting passed over can be the push you needed.
Julia Child didn’t grow up a cook. She worked in advertising early on, and she didn’t fall in love with French food until she moved to France in her mid-30s. There, she trained at the famous Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris.
After years of testing recipes, she published her first cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, in 1961, at 49. Her TV show, The French Chef, started in 1963, when she was 50. She changed how Americans cook. Here’s her full story on Biography.com.
Her lesson for you: You’re never too old to fall in love with something new and start from scratch.
Laura Ingalls Wilder spent most of her life homesteading, moving from place to place, and working through hard times. She didn’t start writing until her 40s, when she began writing for a farm paper, the Missouri Ruralist, in 1911.
Her first book, Little House in the Big Woods, came out in 1932, when she was 65. Little House on the Prairie followed in 1935. Her childhood stories have been loved by millions. See the PBS American Masters timeline of her life.
Her lesson for you: Your life experience, even the hard parts, can turn into your best work.
Usually it’s quiet and small at first. Most midlife career changes don’t make headlines. They look like a night class, a part-time gig, or a side business started at the kitchen table.
That was me. After my layoff, I decided my whole security would never again sit with one employer. So I started small. A blog. Then a podcast. Then my life coach certification. None of it made money overnight. That wasn’t the point at first. I wanted purpose and my voice back.
I share the whole story in how I switched careers in midlife.
Start small and test before you leap. These five steps are where I’d begin.
Grab a journal or the notes app on your phone. List what you enjoy and what you’re good at. It sounds simple, but knowing yourself is the base of any reinvention.
Try this: Write 10 things people always ask you for help with. Circle the ones you’d happily do for free.
Your network is your secret weapon in midlife. Go to a workshop, join a LinkedIn group, or message old coworkers. The people you’ve met over the years can open doors you can’t see yet.
Try this: Send one message this week to someone who works in the field you’re curious about. Ask for 15 minutes.
Picking up a new skill can give you an edge. Sites like Coursera, Udemy, and LinkedIn Learning have low-cost classes on things like digital marketing and project management.
Try this: Pick one short class and finish it before you sign up for another.
You don’t have to jump in head-first. Try freelancing, consulting, or part-time work in the new field first. You get to learn without betting everything.
If you want ideas, here’s why every woman over 40 needs a side hustle, and how to start one.
A career change takes time and patience. If one door doesn’t open, try another. In that same AARP survey, 74% of workers 50 and older said they thought their age would make it harder to get hired. So if you hear a no, you’re not alone, and it’s not the end.
Not sure what you even want next? Start with how to find purpose in midlife when you don’t know what’s next.
No. Changing jobs is common at every age. A 2025 AARP survey found that 24% of workers 50 and older planned to change jobs that year. Your skills, experience, and self-knowledge can make a midlife change easier, not harder.
Vera Wang opened her bridal salon in 1990 at 40, after years as a Vogue editor. Julia Child published her first cookbook at 49 and started her TV show at 50. Laura Ingalls Wilder published her first Little House book at 65.
Start by listing the skills you already have that carry over. Then take one short class, talk to people in the field, and test it with freelance or part-time work before you quit your current job.
Not right away for most women. Testing the new path on the side first lets you learn, build income, and make sure you like it. When it’s working, you can make the full move with less risk.
Dream big.
Start small.
Keep going.
Vera, Julia, and Laura didn’t have it all figured out at 40. You don’t need to either, my beautiful friend. You just need the next step.
If you want a real plan for your next chapter and someone in your corner, join me for the 6-Week Strategy Session.
With love and confidence,
Jax
