Transitioning to trades mid-career

Editor’s Note: This is the seventh of 12 columns on work in the trades appearing on the second Sunday of the month. Last month we reviewed strategies for handling seasonal layoffs in the trades and today we look at strategies for switching to the trades at mid-career.

When you were a kid, did you ever dream about driving a tow truck or operating a Bobcat? Maybe you pictured yourself building things or being part of a health care team. If you made that leap as a young worker, you’ve already launched yourself into a career in the trades. But what if you took a different path, into teaching or sales or office work, for example?

For mid-career workers, it’s easy to assume that the door closes quickly for careers in the trades. That is, if you didn’t start out on that path in your teens or 20s, there’s not going to be a spot for you now.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Due partly to the critical shortage of workers in many of the skilled trades, and largely to the changing nature of the work itself, career changes to this sector are a realistic option at an older age than ever before.

The trick is to identify occupations where brain has become more important than brawn. There are some jobs that will always be difficult for an aging set of knees or shoulders, while others have become less physical in nature.

As an obvious example, a 50-year-old might not be well-advised to start a new career as a mason, lifting and hauling bricks and bags of mortar all day. Even a person in good health could assume that their working years in this arena would be shortened by the onset of age. But that same 50-yearold might be an excellent candidate for other aspects of the work, such as estimating jobs and sourcing materials.

And of course, construction jobs are only a small slice of the big picture when it comes to work in the trades. Occupations in manufacturing, for example, are frequently dominated by technology and computer processes rather than physical tasks.

When the term “trades” is taken even more broadly, it includes work such as nursing, assisting in fitting prosthetics, styling hair, and even preparing bodies in a mortuary. It’s hard to overemphasize just how many jobs can be covered by this term. As a shortcut, if the work does not require academic training, but does request a certificate or technical training, you’re probably looking a job that fits under the trades umbrella.

And why should anyone in their 50s (or older) consider entering what might be foreign territory, careerwise? Well, for one thing, because work in the trades can be a lot of fun, not to mention well-paying.

These jobs can also be a good safeguard against a downturn in the economy. In our last recession, there was a notable trend of college-educated workers picking up technical school certificates to help them weather decreased hiring in their primary careers.

If this idea is starting to win you over, here are some questions you should consider when choosing a trade as a second – or even third – career.

What motivates you to make this switch? If you’re looking for a certain level of pay, or type of daily activity, you’ll want to shop for the right trade.

Do you feel more drawn to being “out in the field” or “on the floor” or would you enjoy work that involves more desk or phone work, such as estimating, purchasing or drawing blueprints?

Do you plan to grow old in this career? If yes, watch out for physically-demanding fields.

How much training can you afford to take?

Can you bring any of your earlier career learning into play in the new field?

One last tip: Don’t delay on making this decision. If years pass while you think this over, you’ll be losing the opportunity to make the most of your new career path. It’s better to say yes or no and move on than to let the option run out on you.