How age is on my side. Starting a new career journey in my 50s

August 29, 2024

Age does not define your career choices

Do you long to make meaningful career or life changes, but worry you’re too old and it’s far too late?

If you’re telling yourself you’ve missed the boat and it’s not realistic or possible to effect change, whatever age you are at, this episode is for you.

I am joined by my former client, Anna Perkins, who (and she won’t mind me telling you) has started a new career journey in her early 50s.

Anna has been a marketeer for 25+ years, and while there’s a lot about this role she still really enjoys, she knew that if it’s all she continued to do until the end of her working days, it would kill her soul (her words, not mine!)

After some deep, introspective work to dig out her innate strengths, skills and passions, and identify what would deliver a true sense of meaning and purpose for her, Anna is now immersed in the world of mental health, and is training to become a counsellor.

In this episode, I chat to Anna about how she came to choose this new career path; the steps she’s taking towards it; how she’s found being back in the classroom and what she has learnt about herself through that process, and importantly for a lot of people, how age is actually on her side!

Pull up a chair and come join us.

In this episode we discuss

What life looked like for Anna before we helped her pinpoint a new career journey that would feed her soul
The themes that became apparent for Anna as we dug into her strengths, transferable skills, personal values, and innate passions
How Anna came to realise working in the mental health space really appealed to her, and how she kick-started her work journey in this area through research, volunteering, and new qualifications
What it was like for Anna returning to the classroom in her 50s, and how she had to get comfortable with being vulnerable and not being the expert in the room
How and why Anna now believes that age is truly on her side

This is an insightful conversation, where we also discuss how age is seen as an inhibitor for people looking for longed-for career and life changes, but why it actually isn’t! Anna’s story is a great example of how age and experience actually bring huge benefits, and that it is never to late to go after what you truly want!

A bit more about Anna Perkins

After a short spell as a secondary school teacher, Anna Perkins has spent 25 years in Marketing. She’s worked for some of the world’s biggest brands as well as small start-ups leading teams with a passion for brand development, messaging and clear communications.

Anna has always had an interest in knowing what makes people tick and, in more recent years she has got involved in mental health, both through formal training as well as being the champion and MH team leader in her current role. This started the journey she is now on, which includes working as a mediator, volunteering with Cruse Bereavement and Papyrus, and training to be a counsellor. This has brought together her passions for psychology, helping people and supporting them in their toughest times.

When not reading counselling and psychology books (both for her course and for fun) she reads fiction, borrows a dog for a weekly walk, tries to encourage her kooky cat to have a cuddle (usually unsuccessfully) and enjoys dancing, going to the theatre and live music.

If you would like to know more about Anna or would like to connect with her, please do find her on LinkedIn, or visit one of her two websites: Coffee and Marketing (for her marketing work), or Forseti Mediation (for her mediation work).

There is a community with this show

If you enjoy this podcast show, then you will definitely enjoy being part of the Dream Chasers Unite community.

Come and meet, learn from and be inspired by awesome, like-minded people who are on their own Dream Chaser journeys (at various stages).

Find out what’s possible, by seeing what other people are doing to determine and go after their ideal careers and lives.

Join the group here.

Curious about changing your career?

Book a call with me to chat about how I work with people just like you every day. Life shouldn’t be hard at work.

Finding what lights you up, brings you joy and gets you paid at the same time – well, that’s a eureka moment. Right?

Find out about my Career Transition Programme and book a call with me.

Ways to watch and listen

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