Change of Career at 40?

March 23, 2025 3:52 AM

I've worked as a geologist and a research engineer, and am wondering about a change of career. I'm considering firefighting, or becoming a therapist, or trying to move into some kind of project manager role. Anything that allows for working remotely or with flexible hours is a big plus. Problem solving, language skills, outdoorsy skills, project management, building a team - these are all things that I enjoy and am good at. What job would allow me to put them all together?

A quick work history is about ten years experience in exploration geology, often in remote regions - started in Australia and NZ, then PNG and Uganda. Eight years experience as a research engineer at a research station in Sweden. Currently working on a short term contract as a mine geologist at a mine in Australia - I'm Australian and have moved back to be closer to family, but will be returning to Sweden within two years. So starting a new bachelor degree, for example, would not be possible at the moment.

I don't think mine/exploration geology is sustainable in terms of family logistics - the time away from home is a big burden. I really enjoy the work though, with the blend of science and research and short term goals along with bigger projects to organise and work on in the background.

I was a part-time firefighter for several years and would enjoy doing it full time. It's not easy to get into here, and by the time I was qualified it would be time for us to return to Sweden.

I started thinking about becoming a counsellor/therapist recently - flexible hours and the ability to work from home are a huge plus, and I think I would have some aptitude for it. Not sure how realistic it is, but being able to work with men who are struggling is something that I'd find quite rewarding.

I have always enjoyed working on projects, managing the planning and foreseeing problems and getting them running, so perhaps some kind of project manager position would be interesting - no idea how to actually get into that though.

I enjoy writing and language, and am good at taking in information and being able to focus on the most important aspects of a complex task or project.

I also love woodwork and various other crafts, but am hesitant to try to turn it into a full-time thing as I'm worried it would take some of the joy out of it.

I guess by it's very nature this is a vague question, but if you have any personal experience of the careers above I'd love to hear your thoughts, or anything else you think might be worth looking into.

Thanks!

posted by twirlypen to Work & Money (12 answers total)

perhaps some kind of project manager position would be interesting - no idea how to actually get into that though

pmbok [pmi]
posted by HearHere at 4:35 AM on March 23 [1 favorite]

Can you explain more about where you are intending to live? Are you expecting to be dividing your time between Sweden and Australia indefinitely? One issue with a regulated career like being a therapist is that regardless of where *you* are located, you’ll generally need to be licensed in the place where your patients are located.

If you’re interested in becoming a project manager the easiest way is probably to move into a project management position in the industry where you’re already working. Are there people/companies/departments you work with who are less field-y and more remote/project oriented?
posted by mskyle at 5:04 AM on March 23 [2 favorites]

pmbok [pmi]

I don't think you should spend your time trying to get some sort of certification, but I'll note that if you do go down that route, you want the PRINCE2 (far more popular in Australia and Europe) not the PMP (more popular in the Americas).
posted by NotMyselfRightNow at 5:08 AM on March 23 [3 favorites]

Look into Yrkeshögskola in Sweden. Generally two years of study, often as a compliment to an existing skill set, and created to adress needs in the labour market, so usually with high employability rates and usually very practically based. One example that springs to mind is, for example, wind turbine repair technician. They have other wild things like “center coordinator” which leaves you with q skill set suitable for being in charge of a shopping center or small town center (so everything from safety to business negotiations). Explore their site and catalogues, you never know what you might see.
posted by Iteki at 5:23 AM on March 23 [2 favorites]

I will add that I think there is a market for native English speaking therapists here, especially for “home culture” ditto. Now, my preconceived ideas about Australian men is that they might be a bit therapy resistant, but I bet if they’ve been in Sweden a good while they both need counseling and would be thrilled to find a peer who can offer it. Your professional background as well could help you really create a niche for yourself in, for example, crisis teams working towards some of the many male-dominated industries here, like steelwork, automotive production, forestry, mining etc. I bet those lads at Northvolt are being offfered concealing as part of their shut-down process for example..
posted by Iteki at 5:29 AM on March 23

Of everything you've outlined as a switch, Project Management is probably the simplest in terms in terms of investment and opportunity. PRINCE2 certification is very straightforward and not difficult (I did a practitioner course that took seven days and 1 exam to complete). It helps a lot of you have experience of working within project frameworks (not as a PM, but seeing how the processes are applied in different scenarios).

You can get a lot of experience quickly because contracts come up all the time, and these are roles that aren't difficult to do remotely (depending on the industry). They can be very high stress though so you may want to consider which sorts of projects you want to take on, and most PMs tend to specialise so the mileage can really vary.

Have a look at the kinds of projects you would like to work within and check out what Project Manager roles are being advertised in those areas, that'll give you a sense of what sort of experience you might need to evidence/certify for.
posted by freya_lamb at 5:40 AM on March 23

The easiest way to transition into PM roles is usually to start doing them in the industry you are already a part of. How can you get into managing the things you do now on behalf of headquarters, either of your company or a similar one?
posted by jacquilynne at 6:22 AM on March 23 [4 favorites]

Fwiw, project management is, imho a bit of an oversaturated market here (swe) especially for newbies. If you have the experience you don't necessarily need the training, they hire hugely on vibed here, and half the rolls you see are considered "project manager", it's an umbrella middle-management term. Swedish style is also to re-invent the wheel, or to say you are using a system but only use the parts you like, propitiatory methods are also common, Stockholm municipality uses "lilla ratten" for example. However, you can used the Arbetsformedling site to get a feel for what employers are looking for. Prince2 is mentioned in 22 ads, Scrum in 306, Agile in over 800.
posted by Iteki at 8:32 AM on March 23 [1 favorite]

I want to say gently that the way you're talking about being a therapist does not suggest, to a casual reader who is a therapist, that it's going to be a great fit. yeah, it's nice to set your own schedule but I think there may be a lot more to becoming a therapist and doing the work that you're thinking. I could be wrong!
posted by less-of-course at 10:44 AM on March 23 [1 favorite]

The friends I have who are counselors love their jobs and some were able to become self employed quickly. However, they all note that the compensation is low.
posted by Geigs at 11:20 AM on March 23

(Maybe Sweden is different, but in the U.S. a job like wind turbine tech would typically be a 100% travel role.)
posted by cnidaria at 11:48 AM on March 23

With your background I would look into engineering consulting. Esp if you get a Project Management certification of some sort. You have the field experience to be able to review whether a project is feasible, which is a big benefit in my experience.
posted by suelac at 8:15 PM on March 23