Education does make sense for mid-life career changers… if you choose targeted, focused education from appropriate programs. But it’s not always easy to find the right schools. For instance, online education can be extremely valuable when you choose an accredited program that’s recognized in your field. But you will find many diploma mills and fake schools offering online programs because (a) they’re cheap to set up and (b) they’re appealing to working students. Some of these schools don’t even exist.

Be especially careful of ads inviting you to apply.

It sounds SO appealing: “You’re losing $21000 if you DON’T go back to school…” You complete some questions about your background, age, interest, previous schools and majors. Then a list pops up of schools for you.

Don’t believe it. Check out this page.

Why would anyone recommend schools for you? They’re getting a commission, of course! Who’s paying the commission? Established, accredited schools don’t have to.

I’d also be careful of schools that never fail anyone and schools that permit plagiarized work. “Real” universities and colleges have policies related to plagiarism in their student handbooks.

Additionally, be wary of schools where all the professors came from the same place … usually the school where they’re teaching. A few professors do teach at the schools where they got their degrees but you shouldn’t find that half the faculty graduated from there. Most people teaching at top universities do not teach at the school that granted their degrees. If they do, they usually teach at another institution first.

How do you check out a school? You have to go beyond accreditation. Find out if employers respect your school. I’ve been dozens of students who attended a school at great expense of time and money … only to learn their education had no value. Worse, employers raised an eyebrow: “Why would you go there?”

I’ve created an affordable Report you can download at http://www.MidlifeCareerStrategy.com/schoolbk.html

Most of us have heard the term “mid-life crisis” and maybe we’ve even used it more than once. We’re programed to believe that we – especially men – will experience some bizarre turn of events somewhere between ages 35 and 55.

Now an article in Scientific American Magazine questions the whole idea. Author Jesse Bering notes that scientific evidence shows no more likely of crisis during this age than any other time. In fact, teens often get so frustrated they envy the old, he says. And the elderly often pick middle age as the best time in their lives – the age they’d choose if they could turn the clock back.

My own view is that the ages of 35-55 are ideal for a wake-up call. You realize time is finite and you have to get busy and accomplish those bucket goals. If you feel too comfortable and fail to develop a sense of urgency at that age, you can coast into your sixties and seventies … and then realize your options are more limited.

Just came across an unusually good blog post about people who are juggling multiple careers. The blog owner refers to “slasher careers” – you decide for yourself! They make it clear that their paths are not easy but they are living life on their own terms. Despite at least one wish for a corporate job, I think many of us would agree they’re better off than their counterparts who are still working in cubicles.

The story features …

… a 50-something computer expert who does stand-up comedy (that’s who I’d like to be!)

… a 61-year-old handwriting analyst who also became a successful author of murder mysteries

… a 40-year old who sells books online and writes trivial quizzes (and wishes he had a regular job)

… a 50-something massage therapist who’s also a writer, graphic artist and … well, see for yourself

a title company attorney who owns a beauty school

landscape designer who now has a company offering non-toxic pest control

They’re all role models of people who came to entrepreneurship reluctantly,yet found success to a greater degree than many who sought success with
intentions.

Read the post here and please comment on how you would respond.

Let’s say you’re 30, 40, 50 or even 60. You want to start a whole new career. Maybe you’ve been a massage therapist and now you want to work on a help desk for an IT department. Or you’ve been a psychotherapist and now you want to work in the marketing department of a large company.

I’ve seen articles about mid-life career interns. This article, from a human resource perspective, offers a balanced view: Mid-Life Career Internships

If you read this article carefully, you’ll see that experienced workers are advised to avoid working for free. You’ll also note that these “older” interns present a puzzle to employers and HR departments. When you hear people saying, “It’s sad that we’re seeing people do this,” you have to question how you’d be treated if you were hired. And most of all, you have to ask if you really want to take this kind of step backward. If you’re really miserable, you might start to sabotage your own career success and you’ll be even worse off than before.

When I work with clients one-to-one, I discourage those who want to seek internships or return to school as a transition. A career change at mid-career needs to be handled differently than a career change for 20-somethings.

So what can you do instead?

Instead of internships, I recommend leveraging your current skills and credentials to make a move. When you brainstorm creatively, you can almost always come up with ideas to apply your experience so you start at a higher level in the new company. You skip the beginning stages.

For example, let’s imagine “Cynthia” is a 40-something clinical psychologist who wants to work for a marketing department. She  could explore 2 options. First, she could start by seeking jobs with a company’s HR department or even join a program designed to provide mental health coverage to company employees. She would learn the corporate culture and perhaps make valuable contacts.

Even better, she could begin to explore opportunities in market research. Many sophisticated market research firms use techniques that resemble clinical psychological interviews.

Should Cynthia take courses or get an MBA?

I would encourage her to take some marketing courses to learn the jargon and style of thinking. However, I would not encourage her to dive into a full-scale MBA unless she can comfortably afford a strong program where she will make contacts for her new field. A mid-career professional will benefit most from an Executive program, where you attend on weekends and/or evenings, because you are most likely meet senior level managers and you can network.

At the same time, Cynthia probably won’t increase her chances of getting hired by getting a new degree. An employer is going to ask, “What can you do for us now?” You can leverage an MBA most effectively when you’re in your twenties – just a couple of years out of undergraduate school.

If Cynthia does choose an MBA program, I would encourage her to do a lot of research. The program that’s most convenient, least expensive or least time-consuming may not give her what she needs right now. I’ve written a low-cost ebook on returning to school as a mid-career move: http://www.MidlifeCareerStrategy.com/schoolbk.html

Cynthia might also consider developing her own online business as a career bridge. That’s not as far-fetched as you might think. I recommend starting with Dr. Jeanette Cates and her Success Incubator.

Recently I came across a good blog post from another career consultant, supporting this position: Click here to review it.

And if you’d like to set up a consultation to discuss your options with someone who’s made changes, returned to school and consulted with dozens of professional mid-life, mid-career professionals, visit my services page. Or click on the “services” tab above.

Mid-life career changers frequently consider relocation as part of their career planning. Sometimes they want to move to be closer to family and they wonder if they can find jobs in a new location. Or they’re experiencing layoffs, industry changes or just general boredom and they want to move to a new place.

Moving can give your career a boost if you plan ahead. In fact, if you are considering a major career change, moving makes a lot of sense. Often it’s easier to reinvent yourself when nobody remembers you, especially if you are making a major shift. For instance, friends who remember you as a buttoned-up corporate executive may have trouble viewing you as a laid-back life coach.

Unfortunately, many people decide to move before they are ready. They get out a map, choose a destination that sounds good on the Internet, and take off. Often they anticipate the biggest expense will be the moving van. In fact, your greatest expense will involve relocating or even moving back if you realize you’ve made a big mistake.

Learn more by downloading this ebook at http://www.RelocaitonStrategy.com

Career planning during a tough economy calls for logical thinking. Yet it’s easy to get caught up in a swirl of emotions. You have to deal with rumors, fears and uncertainty. In my experience, the best course of action will not seem immediately obvious. But here’s what I recommend, based on years of living through economic cycles.

Begin by turning off the news. Stop buying newspapers that display scary headlines about jobs and sales forecasts. Be especially wary of news networks and programs. They have to come up with stories every day and they like to evoke strong emotion.

Journalists are wonderful people but they need startling headlines. They work on a case basis, highlighting extreme experiences. What’s happening “out there” may not make any difference to you. I talk to people every day who are changing jobs, getting raises and moving up with promotions.

Mid-life career change surprises many workers, especially executives and professionals who have achieved past success by careful planning. They are often accustomed to moving cautiously. “Should I plan to leave my job after a year?” they ask. “Can you give me a test that tells me where I belong in the world of work?”

Often they ask their career consultants, “How many interviews should I conduct this week? I want to explore one option at a time.”

But real career change doesn’t work that way.

When researchers began studying real career change (instead of rehashing what “everybody” knows) they discovered most career change happens by accident. You research a career in project management. Then you run into a classmate who just finished a degree in information science and realize you really want to work in a library. Or your part-time job – the one you took in desperation – turns out to be so much fun you embark on a whole new trajectory.

Career advisors have two functions. They keep you moving so serendipity is more likely to happen. You won’t bump into your dream career if you are standing still. And secondarily, they help you recognize signposts in your environment. They encourage you to investigate a new path because you don’t know what will be a pointless dead end and what will become an expressway to your dream.

A longer version of this article is available here.

Advertising executive Prioleau Alexander was fed up. His job was all about office politics and ungrateful clients.

So he embarked on a series of minimum wage jobs: fast food cashier, pizza delivery driver, medical tech, and more.

And he wrote a book: You Want Fries With That: A White-Collar Burnout Experiences Life at Minimum Wage.

For anyone who’s wanted to leave a high-powered executive job, hoping for less stress, this book will be a wake-up call. Research has shown that higher level executives live healthier, less stressful lives than lower-ranking employees.

Alexander, an ex-Marine, chooses to report his experience with humor. His approach contrasts sharply with the moralistic approach of Barbara Ehrenreich and the idealism of Michael Gates Gill in How Starbucks Saved My Life.

My only quibble is the misleading title. Alexander never really lived a minimum-wage lifestyle. He had already secured a publishing contract and advance for this book. He commuted from his own home.

No problem. I just wish he had revised his approach to emphasize that he was, in a sense, an outside reporter.

This morning ABC’s Good Morning America featured a brief segment on boomers going back to school. Some of their advice was OK: consider community colleges for flexibility, then distance learning for maximum flexibility.

I have taught in several distance learning programs. Please, please investigate carefully! Many promise flexibility, but you need to understand what that means.

Usually you get flexibility because you don’t have to attend classes. So you can work on your assignments at 5 AM or 5 PM.

Sometimes you get to defer deadlines for projects. But don’t count on it. Some universities will not allow you to submit late papers for any reason. Nearly all have time limits.

I would ask 2 questions:

(1) What’s the grade distribution? If most people get A’s, your university may be accredited but you won’t be taken seriously.

(2) What have the program’s graduates done? Have they remained in their current jobs? Changed careers? Gotten licensed, if applicable? Wish they’d gone somewhere else?

If you can’t get access to alumni, put away your credit card.

More: Back to School for a Mid-Life Career Change