Your past isn’t obsolete—it’s valuable capital. If you’re considering a midlife career change, you don’t need to start from scratch. You already have more than enough—wisdom, insight, judgment—to launch into something new. Let me show you how to identify seven key transferable skills you already possess (yes, you!) and how to turn those into income, joy, and purpose.
When I was 29, I changed my career completely. I went from a managerial corporate position into life coaching—a profession that, at the time, most people hadn’t even heard of. It wasn’t easy, but it was right, and I never looked back. I discovered that my skills weren’t outdated. In fact, they were gold—waiting to be used in a different setting.
You don’t have to throw away decades of experience just because you’re over 40. You just have to repurpose it.
Let’s talk about the seven most monetizable transferable skills I’ve seen over and over again in clients who’ve successfully changed careers mid-life.
1. Communication – Your Secret Weapon
Have you led meetings? Written reports? Negotiated with clients? Then you’re already equipped with one of the most in-demand soft skills in any
industry.
You don’t have to be a public speaker. Even writing emails that get action or being the “translator” in a room of technical experts is a form of communication mastery.
Monetize it:
- Consider roles in client relations, training, marketing, or coaching.
- Freelance writing and editing are booming fields for those with a knack for clear expression.
- Try This: Rewrite your résumé to highlight how your communication drove results (e.g., “Facilitated cross-team communications, reducing project delays by 30 percent”).
2. Problem-Solving – Your Built-In Consulting Tool
Mid-lifers are pros at solving problems—we’ve been doing it for years, whether at work or while managing a household. You’re the one people come to when there’s a mess to clean up or a process that needs fixing. That’s not just helpful, it’s billable.
Monetize it:
- Project management, consulting, or operations roles are a great fit.
- Offer freelance problem-solving for small businesses (they love experienced minds who fix things fast).
- Try This: Identify three challenges you solved in past roles and turn those into case studies or stories for your LinkedIn profile or pitch deck.
3. Mentoring and Leadership – Yes, You’re a Guide Now
By the time you’ve hit your 40s or 50s, you’ve probably mentored a few people, even if informally. Whether it’s a new hire or your own kids, you’ve guided others to succeed.
Monetize it:
- Roles in coaching, HR, or leadership development.
- Become a certified coach (like I did) and use your real-world experience to guide others professionally.
- Try This: Think about who’s come to you for guidance in the last five years, and why. That’s your value right there.
4. Organization – The Underestimated Superpower
If you’ve ever juggled meetings, deadlines, or even birthday parties and school schedules, you’ve got elite organizational skills. And those transferable skills are desperately needed in the freelance and remote world right now.
Monetize it:
- Virtual assistant roles, remote admin positions, operations, or event management.
- Start a side hustle helping small businesses get their systems in shape.
- Try This: Create a portfolio of organizational tools or processes you’ve designed (even a color-coded Google Sheet counts).
5. Emotional Intelligence – The Leadership Edge
You’ve learned to read the room. You can de-escalate tension. And you know when someone’s upset, even if they don’t say a word. That’s emotional intelligence, and it’s worth its weight in gold in today’s workplace.
Monetize it:
- People-facing roles like customer experience, coaching, conflict resolution, or management.
- Become a mediator or trainer in EQ or team-building programs.
- Try This: Take our free Emotional IQ Quiz to identify your top personal needs and strengthen your relationships at work and home.
6. Resilience – The Unteachable Advantage
Been through layoffs, life changes, raising kids, losing loved ones—and still standing? That resilience is your advantage. You can weather storms and keep going. Companies and clients want you.
Monetize it:
- Consider mentoring others through transitions.
- Apply for roles in crisis management, non-profit leadership, or any setting that values calm under pressure.
- Try This: In interviews or bios, highlight your ability to “manage through change”—it’s a key phrase employers watch for.
7. Industry-Specific Knowledge – Your Unique Currency
Even if you’re leaving your current field, your inside knowledge is still useful. In fact, it’s what separates you from a 25-year-old applicant. You know how things really work.
Monetize it:
- Become a consultant to startups in your former industry.
- Teach, write, or speak about your past field—there’s always a hungry audience for insider tips.
- Try This: Write a LinkedIn article titled “Five Things I Wish I Knew Before Entering [Industry]” and see who reaches out.
Practical Next Steps
If you’re still not sure what direction to go in—or which of your transferable skills are strongest—start here:
1. Take the Career Change Kit. This comprehensive assessment will show you exactly how your brain is wired, which environments suit you best, and what careers will play to your strengths. It is an eye-opener for our career-changing clients who want greater clarity on their new direction.
2. Make a “Skills Inventory.” Write down all the things you’ve done—at work, home, volunteering, anywhere. Circle what you enjoyed most. Those are your high-energy zones.
3. Update your LinkedIn to reflect your future, not your past. Use a headline like, “Helping Teams Communicate with Clarity | Ex-Project Manager | Future Coach.” You’re inviting in the new while honoring the old.
4. Set a 90-day goal. What can you do in the next 90 days? Start training? Redo your resume? Have three coffee chats? Action builds confidence. You don’t need to know the full plan—just the next right step.
You’re Not Starting Over. You’re Starting Fresh
There’s a huge difference between “starting from scratch” and “starting fresh.” You’ve got the valuable transferable skills. You’ve got the insight. And you’ve even got the scar tissue—and that’s not a liability, it’s an asset.
I hope this gives you the inspiration and the tools to make your next move with power and purpose.
Resources:
- Coach Yourself to a New Career by Talane Miedaner.
- The Career Change Kit with the online computerized career assessments to help you determine your hidden talents and abilities, your personality style and behavior, your hidden motivators and your ideal working environment, and much more.
- Our Online Coach Yourself to Success Course.
