Have you been considering changing careers, but keep hearing stories that have you second-guessing your choices? There are a lot of career changing myths out there and it’s time to bust them wide open!

You’re too old: Whether you’re 25 or 45, you might feel like you’re too old to make a move to a new career, but you couldn’t be more wrong! The life expectancy of the average American is almost 80 years old and a man reaching 65 today can expect to live, on average, until 84.3. Women live even longer! You’ve got plenty of time to find, switch and have a rewarding career even if you’ve been working for years already.

It’s too risky:  Sure, taking a new career path means taking a chance. But now is a great time to do just that. The economy is growing again, with unemployment down and hiring up. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment turnover is up which means more and more people are switching things up; and there are more people choosing to leave their jobs than people being let go from their jobs. They’re taking a chance for a better life. Why not you?

You couldn’t learn a new career: Yes, you could! With the right career training, you could be on your way to a new career in fields like automotive technology, computers, healthcare, and some trades in as little as 12 months. Find a program that offers hands-on training taught by professionals from the field you want to enter and you could learn a new career.

You’d have to quit your job to train for a new one: Many career training programs are flexible, allowing you to attend class at night so you can still hold down a job during the day. For programs that are only offered during the day, you just need to ask yourself: is my future worth a small sacrifice? Finding a night job while you attend day classes may be how you start changing your life –for the better.

A career you “love” won’t pay the bills: Not true! Lots of people find rewarding careers across a variety of fields that also allow them to support themselves and their families. Terri O’Brien was over 50 when she took a chance at a new career and found a job she loves as a dental assistant.

If you’re thinking about changing from a job you don’t like into a career you could love, check out the career training programs at Porter and Chester Institute. We offer a wide variety of programs at our nine campuses in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Give us a call at 800-870-6789 to schedule a school tour today.

Resources:

http://www.ssa.gov/planners/lifeexpectancy.htm

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/jolts.pdf