Those on their 2nd or 3rd career, what horrific mistakes did you make?

I'm 42 years old. I've been a high school teacher all my life, and I'm currently building a second career in software development.

I like that having a second career keeps me fresh - I'm constantly challenging myself and looking at things in new ways. Also, it's great to have domain knowledge in one area and look at things from a different perspective in another area.

So yes, strike out before you grow old and stale in one field. But look to bring your expertise into the new field, so you offer something that people fresh out of college can't offer.

My first career was in sales. I sold cellular phones for about 6 years. My biggest mistake was thinking your job is a meritocracy. Ok, Ok. I know nothing is truly a meritocracy[[0]. I was a top performer and got passed up for a promotion several times. Naturally, this means my other mistake was not making friends with the people that can promote you.

0 - http://readwrite.com/2014/01/24/github-meritocracy-rug

I used to be a digital artist, and I loved it, but I've decided to switch to computer science and startups. This was an extremely difficult decision, because it is very hard to quit something you are very good at after ~8 years and start from scratch in a completely new field.

It vas very tough for me, and still is. But it was also the best decision I've ever made. The amount of things I've learned and understood about myself and the world in the process is incredible, there's nothing I would trade that for.

Change is hard but is definitely worth it. Also don't forget that as you get older you lose your ability to change your mind and learn new things. If you think about trying something new - don't waste time hesitating, the sooner you do that the better.

IMO, there's three driving factors behind switching careers:

1. Personal Happiness. If you hate what you do, chances are that negativity is affecting other aspects of your life.

2. Financial. We work to live, not live to work.

3. Future Job outlook. If you suddenly found yourself unemployed and looking for work, do you feel comfortable/confident enough your odds of finding another job?

If any of these apply, then strike out and make waves. If they don't, it doesn't mean that you shouldn't change careers, but I'd consider something else first - like a new hobby or improving another aspect of your life.

My biggest mistake was not starting earlier. I'm a 39 year old Firefighter/Paramedic, and it's a job that I won't be physically able to do forever. I moved away from my stressful career in IT, and found that while even this job is stressful, I have more free time to travel, explore hobbies, get in better shape, etc. It was a pay cut for sure, but I'm a whole lot happier.

The long term plan is nursing.