Gone are the days when hitting 40 or 50 meant slowing down in one’s career and life. These days, a lot of mid-lifers are starting afresh and reinventing themselves. This comes easily for a lot of them because they have savings tucked away. Plus, they already possess this sense of confidence in life, which has been moulded by having gone through different phases in life, such as getting a full-time job, getting married, being promoted at work, and having children.
On top of that, education for adults is no longer what it used to be. Not only are traditional learning institutions creating programs for older students, but you have online learning too, which offers various informal courses not only for enrichment but skills development as well.
Popular Classes for Mid-Lifers
So, if you’re a mid-lifer who’s ready for a change – a career change, specifically — finding the help you need will not be too difficult. There are short and full courses that you can take to provide you with the knowledge and develop the techniques you need for a different job. And when it comes to highly in-demand classes for mid-lifers, listed below are five.
1. Baking classes
Baking courses, both short and full, are available all year-round. Some communities offer baking classes as a part of livelihood programs or as pastimes for women. There are even summer break baking classes provided for kids.
But, if you are a consummate baker dreaming of opening your own bakery or dessert shop, it’s best to sign up for baking classes at a prestigious culinary school. Through these, you can develop into a real expert and be awarded a certification or a diploma. You can sign up for such high-level baking classes in Dubai.
2. Gourmet cooking
Food-focused interest is common among midlifers, especially women, because the role of a mother usually develops the fundamental skills for delicious cooking. Thus, it comes at no surprise, a lot of ladies in their 40s and 50s long to make cooking their job.
Gourmet cooking is the perfect course for them to take. This course introduces sophisticated techniques that can transform the simple joy of cooking delicious meals for the family into an art form. The course does not only cover cooking per se, but it also includes plating and other complementary techniques.
3. Business management
Starting a business has never been about just having a great product or service to offer; it requires administrative or management skills as well. This is something that a lot of aspiring entrepreneurs or business owners recognize. They can’t just be talented bakers, chefs, or crafters; they need to be true business folks.
For their pursuit of thriving in a highly competitive business scene, they must possess solid business management knowledge. Therefore, business management and executive leadership courses are also popular among mid-lifers.
These learning programs are some of the smartest strategies for launching into a different career path. They will not only develop your savvy in running an enterprise but also mould your personality for the role of the one who’s completely in charge of the business. Often included in such courses or training programs are how to write a business plan and financing.
4. Farming
One of the unexpected developments in the last decade is the increased interest in farming. In countries like Italy, France, China, Japan, and even the US, there has been a significant increase in corporate folks retreating to the provinces to become farmers.
For some of them, the decision is driven by the need for a different pace and way of life. Meanwhile, for others, it’s because they’ve inherited a farm from their parents. And there are also those who are motivated by the demand for high-quality ingredients and the need for self-sufficiency.
Whatever may be the reason, farming has grown to be quite a trendy course for mid-lifers. And, considering the situation the world is in at the moment, it’s projected that more people would be learning how to farm as an income-generator and clever strategy for life management.
5. Barista training
With coffee very much a part of people’s lives, it presents an ideal new career option for mid-lifers who want to become business owners. Barista training delves deep into the art of coffee making. It is creative, fun, and can seriously create a profitable business.
For a lot of older people who want a more exciting career, opening a coffee shop is a fantastic option. First of all, coffee smells wonderful and it’s a great beverage to work with. Secondly, being a barista is quite a social job. Thirdly, there’s continuous growth in being a barista because there are all sorts of possibilities with coffee. And lastly, there’s just something extraordinary about the coffee shop atmosphere. These variables somehow make up the dream life for them.
There you have them – the most popular classes for mid-lifers. Which of them are you interested in trying?
Beyond classes
Although the classes can equip you for a career change, there are other lessons that you also need to learn. According to Vicky Taylor, an insurance analyst who became a business owner at 55, there are a lot of learning curves when making a career shift. In her case, she struggled in buying merchandise for her shop. But her tip is to ask for help and competitors are actually not stingy with advice.
Also, keep things exciting by always looking for ways to upgrade. Get in on trends or better yet, learn to start them yourself. Food trends, especially, roll out fast, and there are usually many of them. Therefore, stay updated about them on social media.
Likewise, invest in the latest technology and experiment with innovative business practices, such as sharing your brick and mortar store with a non-competitor enterprise to manage high start-up costs effectively.
Do the legwork. Change, particularly for your career, can be daunting even if you feel like you have everything figured out. However, just go for it and use whatever fears or uncertainties you may be feeling to intensify your drive to succeed.
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