Is 60 Too Old To Start A New Career?: My Story

Today, I’ll be answering the question, “Is 60 too old to start a new career?”. Here, I will share why I changed careers after turning 60.

You might be asking if it’s too late to start a new career at 60. After all, some research indicates that 60+ job changes aren’t something you should do.

What steps should you take if you lose your job or encounter physical, emotional, or other challenges when you’re 60 or above? Well, I sincerely hope this post might help you. 

4 Reasons Why I Decided To Start A New Career at 60

If you’ve visited my About Page, you know that I worked as a specialist for one of the leading manufacturers of motors for the robotics industry.

For years, I enjoyed my job. I had a great boss and worked with a team of research and development engineers and specialists. And our facilities had state-of-the-art equipment. But, as with all corporations, things don’t stay the same very long.

1. Changing Job Locations

When the announcement came that the small team I worked with was being moved to another facility, we weren’t exactly thrilled.

And for a good reason.

We’d be moving to an outdated multi-storied manufacturing building. Because of all the renovations over the years, it was difficult to navigate, and some of the long, dark hallways led to hidden rooms and offices that hadn’t been used in years.

Then, to add to the creepiness, the entire building was lit with old fluorescent bulbs that gave off a dim yellowish glow that added to the depressing atmosphere. Thankfully, after we were there a few years ago, they updated them to brighter LED lights.

2. Hostile Working Environment

Every manufacturing facility has a personality of its own.

Some are friendly with lots of collaboration, and everyone works as a team, whereas others are quite different.

Unfortunately, fear is prevalent in certain corporations. I have experienced this myself. As jobs within the corporation become siloed, information isn’t shared with coworkers or managers. Many times workers felt that sharing information would make them more vulnerable to being replaced. It creates a hostile environment filled with paranoia and fear where everyone is only looking out for themselves.

I’ll let you guess which type of environment we’d stepped into. Needless to say, getting used to the whole vibe and atmosphere was a challenge for our small team. But in time, we eventually settled in.

3. Added Responsibilities Without Compensation

Then, a year or so later, we were told that the corporation was dismantling our R&D team and we’d be assigned to other positions where we’d be working for a different manager(s).

Once that happened, things changed even more. As the days progressed, they added more and more responsibilities to our already overloaded schedules.

And, other than the standard company increases (which were sometimes frozen a year at a time), there was no financial compensation. Because my workload had more than doubled, I was working 50-60 hours a week and most Saturdays.  

While I knew I was fortunate to have a job, that still didn’t reduce the physical exhaustion and frustration I was feeling. By this time, I was serious about leaving and began asking myself, “Is 60 too old to start a new career?”.

4. Burnout and Recurring Health Issues

I was beginning to have recurring health issues because of the stress and long hours.  Plus, I was missing out on much of my life and couldn’t spend much time with my wife and our adult kids. And I couldn’t take any time for myself. 

While I maintained my usual high-quality work ethic and standards, I was burning out. I hated Mondays. I felt trapped and like I was wasting my life. 

You might be feeling the same way, and you’re wondering if 60 is too old to start a new career.

Asking The Big Questions

I had to ask myself some serious questions.

• What are the long-term effects this is having on my health?
• What is this doing to my relationships with my family?
• Is the financial benefits worth that kind of sacrifice?
• If I keep working here, what kind of physical shape will I be in at full-retirement age?

And then, I asked more critical questions.

• Is this really what I want to do with the rest of my life?
• What would I rather be doing for a living?
• Is 60 too old to start a new career?
• What are the risks? And what are the rewards?

And finally, the big question:

• What can I do to improve the quality of my life?”

Finally, I said, “Look, I will not live this way any longer.”

Creating A Plan to Change Careers

So, my wife and I developed a step-by-step plan to change our life for the better.

I knew, aside from being in the robotics industry, I’d had a set of skills that could possibly allow me to make a living from home. So, I decided to enroll in a major university to hone some of those skills, and a few years later, I earned a degree and graduated with honors.

Right before graduation, I applied online for a job as a content creator for a major brand. The interview went extremely well.

Yet, I was a little hesitant and requested that we have another interview. This helped me think through taking this step and get some clarifications about the responsibilities I’d be taking on. All the while, I was asking myself if I was up to this type of challenge.

Then, after the interview process, they made an offer, we negotiated and I accepted the job.

Is 60 Too Old To Start A New Career?

The next day, I went to the office and informed them I’d be leaving the company.

It’s never wise to burn your bridges, so I worked out a two-week notice and left on excellent terms. My last day was on a Friday, and I began working for my new employer on Monday morning.

I’ve been working for them for nearly 4 years. I have no regrets. In fact, I wish I’d decided to make the change sooner.

I’ve never looked back.

I’m far less stressed, my health has improved, and I have more time to be with my wife and kids. I matched my base salary the first year with great benefits. And I get to work with some of the best people in the world. I love what I’m doing, and I do it all working from home.

So, to answer the question, “Is 60 too old to start a new career?”. 

The short answer is…NO… it’s not.

I know that everyone’s situation is different. But if you’re still asking yourself, “Is 60 too old to start a new career?” I hope my story will help you make the decision that’s best for you.

If you have any questions about the step-by-step process I went through to make my dream job a reality, contact me.

T L Walters Midlife Career and Life Coach

T.L. Walters helps clients turn midlife changes into opportunities for success and fulfillment. His unique approach stems from his own successful career pivots at ages 50 and 63. Terry holds a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Liberty University, and a Diploma in Counseling where he specialized in Life and Career Coaching and Alzheimer's Care.

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Midlife Career Change and Life Coaching