We have often heard, there’s a right time to do everything. Right time to get education, to start working, get married, have kids, retire, and so on. Surprisingly, these “right time” dictates only got attached to women. Actually, given our society, it is truly not that surprising! However, slowly the concept of “right time” with certain things is changing towards a more positive direction, be it marriage or kids or even career.
Yes, it can be daunting to start something new after a certain age like after your 30s (or even your 40s and 50s), but haven’t we all heard the famous idiom – Better late than never! This is especially true when it comes to your careers that you might have put on hold or on the backburner of priorities in the past. It is truly better late than never to pursue your professional dreams.
If you are still hesitant and wondering what it’s like to start a new career or a business after your 30s, here are some stories from real women who made it happen for themselves. They share their journey and learnings with us.
“Starting anew isn’t a walk in the park, but it’s oh-so-possible.”
Nishita Thakur, a computer grad by education, never got a chance to explore her dreams of “storming the IT sector”, after getting married and having twins. As she was tending to her life as a homemaker, taking care of her kids, career did seem like a distinct dream back then. But 9 years later, in her 30s, she finally decided to go for it – the career she always wanted!
“The itch to get back to work was real. So, what did I do? I jumped into the fray with my husband, not just as a sidekick but as a powerhouse partner, to launch a kids’ digital health repository app – blending my passion with my expertise,” says Nishita.
To those who wish to start their career after 30s, Nishita wants to say, “Full-Time, Part-Time, Your Time, do whatever it takes! Dive back in full-throttle, or ease in part-time. Heck, start your own thing! I recently hit up a women’s startup program at IIM Bangalore. Picture this: over 200 dynamo women from all walks of life, buzzing with energy and ideas. It was electric, and proof positive that you can always reinvent yourself.”
She further adds, “Stay sharp and stay relevant. The professional world never stops evolving. Keep your skills razor-sharp. Constantly update and upgrade. It’s your edge.”
Nishita Thakur is currently the co-founder of KidsCur, a digital health repository for children, and also a director at Altilium, a full-service power trading venture.
“Whatever you do you have to keep moving forward”
Monica Negi had a flourishing career in IT, which she had to leave due to family responsibilities after marriage. But in her 30s, she finally decided to change this by starting something of her own. As she still had her family responsibilities to attend to, she looked for something which would give her opportunity to work-from-home.
“It was very difficult part to step into the field of business being a woman and mother of a 5 month old baby. I faced many challenges from fraud to getting no new clients within one year itself of starting my journey.” But she refused to give up and kept at it. She changed strategies, explored new things and finally after one year her business started to take off slowly.
One of the biggest lessons she wants to share with others who wish to start their career after 30s – “It is very challenging for women entrepreneurs to balance their personal and professional life equally. But it is important to work hard and work towards your passion.”
Monica Negi is a travel planner and founder of Daksh Hello Travel.
“A homemaker is capable of much beyond what others think she is capable of.”
Charu Suri, an image consultant, an author and a soft skills trainer, started her career at the age of 55. While moving from being a homemaker to becoming an entrepreneur can be daunting for many, Charu says that was driven by a desire to reinvent herself and to pursue something on her own. “I realized it’s never too late to follow your dreams. I wanted to prove to myself and to everyone else that a homemaker is capable of much beyond what others think she is capable of,” says Charu.
“The biggest lesson I learnt was the importance of resilience and adaptability. Embracing change and being open to new opportunities can lead to remarkable growth, no matter what your age. So, don’t let age define your capabilities. Have faith in your experience, stay curious, and continually invest in learning. Believe me only the first step is difficult. Once you take the big leap, the rest of it is a cakewalk.”
“Struggle is real because whenever you start something new, very less people support you.”
Pooja Puri started her career at the age of 42, and within one year she reached the Director level at Oriflame India. During Pandemic, she made another change. She started a new journey as a content creator on Instagram. In 4 years, her account has grown from 200 followers to almost nearing 50K.
Not one, but with two new starts in her 40s, Pooja wants to share her learning with other women. “So anything you do at any age, these things are very important – hunger to learn, passion to achieve it, and consistency. These things can take you to greater heights.”
She further adds, “Struggle is real because whenever you start something new, very few people support you and this can be discouraging for you at times. But I feel if you are self-motivated, then you don’t need people to push you towards your dreams.”
“I feel I’m an independent identity and I really love that.”
Coming from a business family, Simmi Garg always had it in her mind that she wanted to do something of her own. But she never found the right time or opportunity, until she was 55 and found the way to turn her love for cooking into a business idea by launching her own brand of homemade Indian sweets and snacks, Laddu Pinni.
“I started at the age of 55, and I am away from the digital world. I am trying to learn how to make myself and my brand stand out digitally.” Simmi is now completely focused towards growing her business, Laddu Pinni, single-handedly thanks to her passion.
Her biggest learning from her journey has been, “Earlier I was working with my husband, and when he told me some work, I just did that. But now as an entrepreneur myself, I feel I am an independent identity and I really love that.”
“It was a scary decision, but it has been incredibly rewarding.”
It was at 35 when Gagan Midha finally decided to shift from having a job to becoming a full-time content creator as a way to follow her passion.
“The pandemic was a tough experience, but it also gave me the time and motivation to explore new avenues. That’s when I decided to try my hand at content creation. I have always had a passion for lifestyle, fashion and beauty, and I wanted to share my knowledge and expertise with others. Eventually, I decided to take the leap and pursue my passion full-time. It was a scary decision, but it has been incredibly rewarding.”
She wants to tell others who wish to explore entrepreneurship or career after 30s, “It takes time and effort to build a following, but if you stay true to yourself and keep working hard, success will come.”
Here are some more learnings we would like to share from real women who started or changed their career after 30s…
Amita Sharma says, “No matter what your age; don’t hesitate to move forward. Fulfill your dreams which you didn’t get a chance to fulfill till now and believe me you will be more satisfied and you will feel more positive and energetic than before.”
Batool Shetty shares, “Very important to be financially Independent no matter how old you are. It gives you courage, confidence and happiness which no relation can give. One may fail in the beginning but one must not stop the journey of financial independence.”
Bhavana Manchanda says, “A woman’s biological and career clocks are unfortunately in complete conflict. If you know that a full-time job is something that you want but won’t be able to do, don’t let that passion fade away. Prepare and educate yourself for a ‘second inning’ no matter when it comes. Work on yourself, do some courses to up-skill yourself, and attend events, etc. – whatever it takes to make it even better.”
So, truly when you have passion and drive, do not let age hold you back. Whether it is a career change, starting absolutely fresh or dream to run your own business, it is better late than never to start!
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