A fresh career start isn’t starting over—it’s choosing where your experience takes you next. Photo: Depositphotos.
Thinking about changing careers in your 40s, 50s, or even 60s? Your next professional chapter could be your most rewarding yet.
For many people, reaching midlife brings a surprising realization: The career they worked so hard to build may no longer be the career they want. Perhaps the excitement has faded, priorities have shifted, or a long-held ambition is calling. But is it too late to make a change?
Not according to Dr. Claire Handby, an executive coach, Non-Executive Director, and author of Uptick: Clarity, Courage and Confidence for Your Next Chapter (2026).
In the Fall 2026 issue of Healthy Aging® Magazine, Handby shares her personal journey from a successful career in management consulting to a new professional life that includes executive coaching, board appointments, university teaching, and writing.
After more than two decades working with major international consulting firms, Handby reached a turning point in her late 40s. Despite her professional accomplishments, she began questioning whether the path she was following was still the right one.
Her experience challenges a familiar assumption: that career opportunities diminish with age.
In fact, Handby argues that the judgment, relationships, confidence, and experience accumulated over decades can become powerful advantages when pursuing something new.
But a successful career transition involves more than deciding to leave a job. It requires understanding what matters most, recognizing the value of your experience, and approaching change with both enthusiasm and practical planning.
In her article, Handby explores why professional reinvention can be an important part of living well, what holds people back, and how to begin imagining a different future.
Could your next career chapter be your best one yet?
