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Last Updated on July 22, 2025
Key Takeaways
- Midlife Transitions Are Empowering: Changing careers after 50 is not only possible, it’s an opportunity to align your work with your passions and life goals.
- Books Provide Proven Roadmaps: Each featured book offers practical strategies, real-life examples, and exercises to guide readers through successful midlife career changes.
- Diverse Paths Are Available: Whether you want to start a business, reenter the workforce, or pursue a passion, there are actionable models tailored for different journeys.
- Emotional Insight Is Essential: Titles like *The Third Chapter* and *Life Reimagined* address the psychological and emotional dimensions of late-life reinvention.
- Strategic Planning Pays Off: Financial preparation, networking, and skill-building are common themes that increase success for anyone making a career pivot later in life.
Embarking on a
The transition can be smoother than you think, especially when you’re armed with wisdom from experts who’ve been there, and done that. Our curated list of ‘Must-Reads for Career Changers Over 50’ provides the insights and strategies you need to make your next career move both exciting and successful.
What’s Next?
In What’s Next? by Kerry Hannon, readers find an all-encompassing guide to career transitions later in life. The book combines practical tips, real-life stories, and strategies to help individuals over 50 assess their career paths and transition into more fulfilling roles. Hannon covers critical topics such as networking, job interviews, personal branding, and leveraging social media, supplemented by case studies of individuals who have successfully transitioned their careers.
Whether contemplating a job change within your industry, starting a business, or monetizing a hobby, this book serves as a roadmap to navigate the complexities of shifting careers after 50.
Reinvent your own career or pursue a long-held dream.You may never have a better chance or reason to do so--to get excited about work again and feel passionate about making a difference in the world.
Too Young to Retire
In “Too Young to Retire ” by Marika Stone and Howard Stone, the concept of retirement undergoes a revolutionary rethink. Rather than viewing life after 50 as a time to slow down, Stone encourages readers to consider this phase as an opportunity for new vocational adventures. The book serves as both a motivational manifesto and a practical guide, laying out various avenues one might take when “retirement” is too small a word for the ambitions of those in their later years. From exploring encore careers to volunteerism, or even turning hobbies into income streams, Stone offers a holistic approach to reimagining life after 50.
With Americans living longer, healthier lives, the conventional idea of retirement is obsolete. Millions of Americans are working past the age of sixty-five—not because they have to, but because they want to.
The Encore Career Handbook
The Encore Career Handbook by Marci Alboher is a go-to guide for individuals over 50 seeking a career change that combines personal fulfillment with social impact. The book covers essential topics, including financial planning for transition, skill acquisition, and effective networking. Drawing on real-life examples and practical exercises, Alboher offers a streamlined roadmap for making a meaningful “encore” career a reality.
Until recently, most Americans equated the end of a successful career with the beginning of retirement. No more. Now they want to stay in the game (or better, change the game). They want to leave a mark. Make a difference―and continue to make money.
Second-Act Careers
Second-Act Careers by Nancy Collamer offers over fifty ways to profit from your passions during semi-retirement, making her insights particularly ideal for those considering a career change later in life. Covering a diverse range of opportunities, from freelancing and consulting to starting a
A career guide that rethinks the golden years, this handbook offers 50+ income models for creating flexible, fulfilling, and profitable work during the encore stage of one’s career.
Life Reimagined
Life Reimagined , by Richard J. Leider and Alan M. Webber, is a guide for individuals facing life and career transitions, particularly later in life. The book offers a mix of practical exercises, psychological insights, and real-life stories to help readers identify their unique gifts and passions. The authors tackle key topics such as self-discovery, life meaning, and goal-setting, providing a roadmap for anyone seeking to enrich their “second act” in life. The central message is that it’s never too late to live a fulfilling life true to oneself.
Here is your map to guide you in this new life phase. You can use the powerful practices and insights—enhanced with online tools and exercises at AARP’s LifeReimagined.org website—to help you uncover your own special gifts.
Designing Your Life
Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans uses design thinking as a framework to help you construct a fulfilling, meaningful life and career at any age. Though not exclusively targeted at those over 50, the book’s principles are universally applicable, making it an invaluable resource for people in midlife or later who are contemplating significant life or career changes. With a focus on problem-solving and creative innovation, the authors guide you through a series of exercises and real-world examples to reshape your life trajectory.
In this book, Bill Burnett and Dave Evans show us how design thinking can help us create a life that is both meaningful and fulfilling, regardless of who or where we are, what we do or have done for a living, or how young or old we are.
Pivot
Pivot by Jenny Blake offers a methodical approach to career changes, focusing on assessing what you already possess and what you need to move forward. Particularly useful for those considering a midlife career switch, Blake’s strategies help you leverage your existing
No matter your age, industry, or bank account balance, Jenny's advice will help you move forward with confidence.
Repurpose Your Career
Repurpose Your Career by Marc Miller is a tactical guide specifically designed for Baby Boomers seeking to transition into a more fulfilling career later in life. Miller leverages his own experiences and expertise to provide step-by-step advice, covering everything from self-assessment and networking to
In this age of disruption, digitization, and the gig economy, people need a new mindset and strategies to become continual learners, create their own flexible careers, and cope with ageism.
The Third Chapter
The Third Chapter by Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot offers stories and practical advice for individuals over 50 who are contemplating significant life changes, including embarking on a new career. Drawing on extensive research and interviews, Lawrence-Lightfoot examines the emotional and psychological aspects of these transitions, offering a comprehensive understanding of what it means to reinvent oneself. The book serves as both a source of inspiration and a practical guide, filled with actionable tips and thoughtful insights.
The Third Chapter is not a how-to guide but a fascinating work of sociology, full of passionate and poignant stories of risk and vulnerability, failure and resilience, challenge and mastery, experimentation and improvisation, and insight and new learning.
Next Steps
- Identify Your Core Motivations: Reflect on what drives you—purpose, flexibility, income, or creativity—and use that to guide your next career decision.
- Choose One Book to Start With: Select the title that best matches your goals, whether it’s entrepreneurship, reinvention, or finding purpose-driven work.
- Set a 30-Day Career Action Plan: Create a timeline to explore industries, update
your resume , or reach out to contacts in your desired field. - Leverage Your Experience: Inventory your transferable
skills and highlight them in yourLinkedIn profile or professional bio to attract new opportunities. - Engage in Lifelong Learning: Consider workshops, certifications, or online courses that align with your next step and fill skill gaps for your chosen path.
Final Words
Reinventing your career after 50 isn’t just a possibility—it’s a powerful choice. With the right resources and mindset, you can leverage decades of experience as a springboard for meaningful and fulfilling work. Whether you’re exploring encore careers, turning a hobby into income, or seeking purpose beyond retirement, this stage of life offers rich potential. Embrace the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive. Your next chapter doesn’t have to be a compromise—it can be your most rewarding yet.
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Mark Fiebert is a former finance executive who hired and managed dozens of professionals during his 30-plus-year career. He now shares expert job search, resume, and career advice on CareerAlley.com.
