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What are your options? Your age is not something you can change, so that's off the table. Your degree is finished, so unless you want to go back and change fields, that's a done deal. Your past work and military experience is, well, past. So, it looks like working with what you have already accomplished is going to be your best option. Unless you have a time machine, start from where you are now and stop looking for opportunities to regret how you got there.
View your experience and education as something you have accomplished and something of value that you have to offer. Everyone finds their feet at different times. You bring life experience and maturity that a younger person would not.
No one can predict the future, we can only do the best we can with what we have at the moment. Your career and retirement prospects are unknown, but they will not get better by lamenting not having started sooner. Don't apologize or feel you need to make excuses for how you arrived at your current status. Figure out how to frame your life experience, work experience, and education as pluses, not minuses. If you're asked for clarification or elaboration, just tell the truth without a lot of extraneous detail and maybe include something you learned from the experience or how it can make you a more effective employee.
You don't need to explain or apologize. You are what you are, just like everyone else.
38 isn't old by any standards. What may limit you is your degree because I just don't know of that many employers looking for people with Bachelor's Degrees in Psychology with no experience.
Do you live in a big city? There may be employers who would look to hire case managers, human resources, counselors, etc.
I'm not sure if I should be concerned about the impression of potential employers or not, as they typically don't ask one's age at interviews (or do they?)
Call me confused but isn't this the sort of thing someone would be concerned about if they wanted to hire a psych degree? Isn't impressions and how they matter part of the degree?
Maybe not the age part but the rest of it too. The impression I get is you aren't interested in psych but didn't want to do a business degree even though you want to work at a non profit...
What choice do you got besides a late start? Hard to turn back the clock and make up for lost time at this point. Learn to make the best of what you can and call it life
Call me confused but isn't this the sort of thing someone would be concerned about if they wanted to hire a psych degree? Isn't impressions and how they matter part of the degree?
Maybe not the age part but the rest of it too. The impression I get is you aren't interested in psych but didn't want to do a business degree even though you want to work at a non profit...
What choice do you got besides a late start? Hard to turn back the clock and make up for lost time at this point. Learn to make the best of what you can and call it life
What I meant by impression is specifically what they think about someone starting off their life at the age of 38. Not other things that contribute to an impression. Either way, I'm getting the message that employers won't care so much about that? Even though that's what I always thought. I enjoyed psych as a major, but it's not really feasible to get a job within a clinical setting with a bachelors in psych, not only that, I'm not sure I would want to. But I wouldn't be against it either.
No, that is the impression... No one starts life at 38... They spent 38 years getting to that point. Now you have to make those years mean something to you
You spent 4 years in the infantry, then 7 years in college. What about the other 10 years since you hit 18?
Edit: floating around retail doesn't cut it for an adult with a goal in life. Unless you somehow floated your way into gaining management skills
38 isn't old by any standards. What may limit you is your degree because I just don't know of that many employers looking for people with Bachelor's Degrees in Psychology with no experience.
Do you live in a big city? There may be employers who would look to hire case managers, human resources, counselors, etc.
That's kind of how I feel. I don't feel or look old at all, and physically I'm still at my prime. Some of that is probably because, as you say, 38 isn't old. But also, I was blessed with great genes from my mom (who also had the same characteristic) I guess I'm just mulling over what is typically considered normal, especially considering careers are supposed to last a good while.
No, that is the impression... No one starts life at 38... They spent 38 years getting to that point. Now you have to make those years mean something to you
You spent 4 years in the infantry, then 7 years in college. What about the other 10 years since you hit 18?
I joined the military at 23. Prior to that, I worked retail. Upon going to college, it took me 7ish years to complete my degree, but I also took 2 years off do deal with some personal issues that cropped up.
I didn't work in college due to not needing to, but I did get certified and volunteer as an EMT, and also did some time volunteering at an animal rescue.
No, that is the impression... No one starts life at 38... They spent 38 years getting to that point. Now you have to make those years mean something to you
You spent 4 years in the infantry, then 7 years in college. What about the other 10 years since you hit 18?
Edit: floating around retail doesn't cut it for an adult with a goal in life. Unless you somehow floated your way into gaining management skills
Yes, I did end up floating around for some time. Now that's what I'm dealing with. Yes, I do regret misspending those years, but that's what happened. Thus, my current search for advice.
Last edited by Skyler0311; 10-16-2018 at 01:48 PM..
So my situation seems to be unique. I just recently completed my degree in psychology. I'm 37, about to turn 38 at the end of this month. I've done google searches for advice online for people in my situation, and they are not very helpful as they assume someone at my age already has prior life and professional experience and are thus considering a career change.
I spent the last 8 years in college. It took me longer due to taking time off to deal with personal issues.
I'm unmarried and have no children.
I did a 4 year stint in the military prior to college. Before that, I kind of floated around working retail and restaurants. I'm not sure if I should be concerned about the impression of potential employers or not, as they typically don't ask one's age at interviews (or do they?) and I look pretty young due to my parent's genes. But also, how viable is a career at my age? Will I be able to have a full life at work, and still retire?
Or have I screwed myself due to my life's decisions?
Thanks
It will be difficult.
I tried to change careers at your age and am still trying.
No matter what anybody says, most companies will prefer a younger, traditional candidate. I have all the required education, from a good school, plus many years of tangential experience. It's worth almost nothing.
What is worth something is direct experience in what you want to do.
While your background is not ideal, once you get a few years of direct experience, and you're a 44 year old mid-level employee, you'd find your situation much better.
Unfortunately, it will be hard to get the first job.
My suggestion is just hit the pavement as hard as you can and keep looking.
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