A Career Pivot at 50: Evolving With Experience

I could have spent the rest of my career in healthcare. I knew the industry, and I'd been part of the early team that helped build Marathon Health. Then, at 50, I jumped into real estate during a tough housing market. It was intimidating to leave work I knew well and learn an entirely different business. It's also been one of the most rewarding decisions of my career.

If you're thinking about changing industries, look at what people have relied on you to do. Maybe you've built a team, helped someone make a difficult decision, or brought order to a project that had gone sideways. Those experiences can be easy to overlook when you've been doing them for years. They can also tell you where you'll be able to contribute in a different industry.

In healthcare, I learned how to build relationships and guide people through decisions with a lot at stake. I use those skills in real estate every day. I also had to learn a new market, new contracts, and how to build a business of my own. Three years into this career pivot, I'm now Realty85's Tennessee Principal Broker. One of the most rewarding parts is getting to use what I learned about building teams to help agents grow their own businesses.

You can explore a change before deciding whether to make it. Talk to someone doing the work you're drawn to. Ask what an ordinary week looks like, what surprised them when they entered the field, and where they think your experience could be useful. You'll learn more about what the work actually requires and whether it's the right change for you.

At 50, I had years of experience to draw on and a lot I still wanted to learn. If you're wondering whether a different career is possible for you, give yourself permission to explore it. You may be surprised by how much of what you already know has a place there.