r/careerguidance • u/Suitable-Jello • 5h ago
Advice Anyone became successful later in life?
I'm turning 26 soon and I'm not happy with my career and where I am in life. I'm wondering if anyone who's had a similar experience in their 20's was able to find success later on and if so- how were you able to get to that point?
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u/MathMindfully 5h ago
I think pretty much everyone sucks or at best is mediocre in their career until their late 20s. Most people don't really come into their own until their 40s are early 50s. Then a lot of people are perfectly fine with just being decent at their job and don't try to get too much fulfillment from that area of their lives.
Anyway, I got this idea from a book called Keys to the Kingdom by Alison Armstrong. I'd recommend reading the cliff notes if you're short on time, but I did really enjoy the book. I'm not sure it's useful enough for a full read, but I think it's roadmap for when a person should feel 'together' in their career and life is more realistic than what we normally impose on young people.
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u/Heroin_Harold 5h ago
No I ended up homeless, best of luck though I believe in you.
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u/Cheche0000 4h ago
Same here. I'm currently in a shelter. I'm 29 yo. Finally got a job today working at a washateria. Grateful. I just hope I get into military so I can change my life
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u/mmmbopdooowop 5h ago
I fucked around for most of my 20s. Dropped out of college multiple times and never got a degree.
Got into tech sales at 28 and now (at 36) I make $300k selling cybersecurity software. I also used tuition reimbursement to finish my bachelors (not that it makes a huge difference at this point).
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u/ammaluttyee 3h ago
May I ask how you got into tech sales? Where did you start and how did you make switches?
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u/mmmbopdooowop 3h ago
I sold cars for a while before switching to tech so that experience helped. I did a ton of research about the entry level roles (Business/Sales Development Representative), built up my LinkedIn, practiced interviewing extensively, polished my resume, and started applying. Learning to sell yourself is a big part of it.
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u/cruisin_urchin87 4h ago
Ugh, tech sales.
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u/Desperate_Market8848 4h ago
Tech sales can definitely be a tough field to break into, but it's impressive when people make that shift and find success later on. It really shows that it’s never too late to pivot.
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u/Mathemathematic 4h ago
You'll have to forgive my rant here. I think our definition of success usually involves us imagining someone who has their s*** together and can pretend to be sane enough to pass our social tests, right? We definitely don't imagine the failures that successful person had to endure before they became successful because all we see is success. We probably can't remember the times that that person was in a situation where they made terrible choices and had to deal with the ramifications of their actions. We probably never got to see that person depressed, rejected, or so sorrowful that they might as well of been dead. And we definitely can't fathom the habits and choices that they have stuck to for long enough in order to see the positive effects. So in other words, you need to change your definition of success.
At some points in my life, success was being able to move my body out of the Sun so I don't die of heat exposure. Sometimes success was receiving a blessing from someone whether it was a cigarette or a bit of food or a drink. Sometimes success was spending an entire day without giving in to my cravings for something that was doing me no good and only served to strengthen my addiction. And now, success is knowing I gave my best effort to something, and I went above and beyond to make an impression to the world that people can choose to be good, consistently, and without expectation of reward.
You are the author of your own life and so how you write about yourself is how you think about yourself. You can take any situation and describe the negative pitiful shameful parts or highlight the curious miraculous or beneficial parts. The way that you become successful is by changing your writing style to reflect on your admirable qualities and your ability to serve other people or perform a task or accomplish a goal. It doesn't matter what the task goal or person receiving your gift is. How you do anything is how you do everything.
How can you know what success is when you see it in somebody else if you don't believe that you have it in yourself? Until you empathize with yourself to the point that you forgive yourself, you allow yourself to make errors, but you keep persevering anyway, no matter what happens, success is out of the picture. Please paint a new picture and put success and yourself right beside each other eating corn dogs on a ferris wheel while Mercury is in retrograde and Elton John is blasting off in a rocket.
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u/Hotmancoco420 5h ago
The Colonel from KFC failed in a ton of business until inventing KFC at 65+....
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u/JJCookieMonster 4h ago
I find careers involve highs and lows throughout. One moment you are making a lot and getting promoted, another moment you're laid off, fired, or have to quit a toxic job. So one has to identify what success means to them outside of work as well.
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u/Repulsive-Peanut- 4h ago
you're never too old I just finished my bachelors degree in my upper 40s. if you're a guy I would look into heavy equipment operator in four years you'll make about 120 K
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u/Unlucky_Stretch_5032 4h ago
I fucked up mine pretty badly watching peers surpass me. I am now 30. I haven’t found a better path yet. I am hoping to be able to still :(
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u/lalaluna05 4h ago
Yep I was 34 when I finally got my bachelors degree and started a whole new career.
I went through a shitty divorce, let my parents talk me into moving in with them so they could help with my son while I went back to school. Best thing I ever did. Moved out almost as soon as I got a job though lol
I love my mom but she drives me nuts.
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u/roo700 4h ago
23 and I feel like a fucking failure, idk man
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u/Flat_Cattle8744 3h ago
Nooo you’re not. You’re just beginning
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u/roo700 2h ago
Doesn’t feel like it, man. I feel stupid and slow and just…like a baby overall. Idfk. Most people I know are abroad and living it up, I’m stuck in a third world country, I feel stupid and gross. Idk
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u/Flat_Cattle8744 51m ago
Dont compare your self to your peers. My peers went uni and i couldnt. In the end I outperformed them and managed to fund my education myself. Where are you based?
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u/tionstempta 5h ago
It happens all the time that someone in the later life becomes better
I believe in large part that life is fair to everyone at the end of days. If unsuccessful in the early stage, it means their life will get better
Not necessarily financially maybe but in other meaningful ways. Not sure which sectors you are in but living without any major issue is already success
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u/Hardi-INLIBRIUM 4h ago
Real life starts in your 30s, or from the moment you are ready to grow up (sometimes in 50/60s, sometimes never)
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u/txwrestlebruh 4h ago
Just turned 34 and got denied my university financial aid for tuition. And Feeling trapped in my grocery retail job
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u/L_Squared12 4h ago
At 26 I failed the bar exam, was unemployed, and left a toxic work environment that did a number on me.
6 years later I passed, have the best job of my life, get paid really well, and am living comfortably.
Things can turn around, OP. It takes a lot of work, but it can turn around for the better.
I hope you find your path soon!
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u/timetrekker01 3h ago
What do you do now and how much do you make roughly? Congratulations on the turnaround!
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u/Old_Conclusion_4828 1h ago
26 with an unhappy career isn't late, it just feels that way because social media makes everyone else's timeline visible and yours invisible. What actually moved things for me wasn't one big leap, it was switching jobs specifically for skills instead of comfort or title for a couple years straight, that compounds way more than people expect.
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u/SpecialInteresting52 4h ago
Was in a dead end field-technician job through my 20’s making less than $22/hr. Took out student loans to the tune of 45k to get a degree in anthropology and have now been making over 100k/yr for the last 6 years.
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u/soloesto 4h ago
doing what? congrats btw
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u/SpecialInteresting52 3h ago
It’s a field called cultural resource management, or historic preservation. I just wanted to let you know that pivoting careers into your 30’s or even 40’s is doable and you can find success!
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u/former_chef_dude 4h ago
Haha yeah, I followed my 'dreams' as a kid, went to culinary school, paid my dues, worked hard for 10+ years backbreaking dangerous and underpaid labor., but it was my dream job.
Thousands of dollars in student loan and credit card debt, and no realistic way of changing that.
At 29, I got diagnosed w/ ADHD, and got medicated. I was then able to focus onso many things and eventually find what my long term goals were.
Took a few online courses , got out of the restaurants , started at a crappy little customer support job( that paid what i was making in restaurants).
Now, I am making double what I was making in 2019 , and only working 40-42hrs / week. I am in position to grow. I feel like if id had started any amount of years sooner , it would have been better, but thats ok. Im in a better trajectory.
I loved my kitchen days, and I have the memories and the friendships from then... but life moves forward whether youre ready or not for it.
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u/Kevin_gato 4h ago
I’m 26 years old as well. I’m a freelance video editor and colorist, but I don’t have a stable income, and I’m honestly worried about my future.
Still, I know I have to do something to build a better future and pay my bills, so I reach out to potential clients every day. So far, though, I haven’t been able to get any new clients.
But life is unpredictable. As long as we don’t give up and keep doing something every day, I believe our hard work will eventually pay off.
At the same time, I think it’s important to seize the day. We tend to worry so much about the future that we forget to live in the present. No one can guarantee that we’ll still be completely healthy next year. Even if you have a solid plan for the next five or ten years, you could get into an accident tomorrow, and your whole plan could change.
So let’s enjoy the moment we have now while continuing to do our best for the future. We can do it.
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u/Upstairs-Finding-122 4h ago
Finished grad school at 31 and now make 71k w no kids. I’m getting by just dandy. Decide what you want to do, make a plan, and kick life’s butt if you can. Its never too late.
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u/Previous_Bed_6586 4h ago
I moved from restaurant management to industrial maintenance when I was 29. I tried and failed to be a real estate agent in-between. I'm much happier in my new career and am making significantly more money. I don't plan turning wrenches forever, but I can move into management when I get sick of it.
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u/dwightsrus 4h ago
Success comes at different times for different people. I have been in situations where I thought I am at a dead end and then opportunities come out of nowhere and there you are set for the next 4-5 years. At times I thought everything was going great, and all of a sudden things would just go downhill. It’s just life. You just have to keep at it.
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u/Sword_N_Bored 3h ago
Brother, I'm back in school at 36, switching my career to healthcare. It take some sacrifices, it's not easy but the one thing you have to remember is to not give up. You got this! Reach out to me if you need to.
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u/YuuHikari 3h ago
No but I became slightly less miserable compared to my post college years. My first word was pretty toxic...as in I had to handle a lot of dangerous chemicals for an okay wage. Then covid happened and I had to leave that job. The next job I got was a local company that started out okay but eventually became the other kind of toxic. After 5 years I had enough and left. Now I work for tech support and even though the work is difficult for me who's not a very sociable person, at least the pay is a lot better than my previous two jobs
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u/cvalpryce 3h ago
I have and here is the advice I would give. You do not need to know the final destination.
You do need to become more observant about yourself. Notice which problems hold your attention, which abilities others repeatedly rely upon, what kind of environment helps you function well, what makes you feel useful and what kind of success would cost too much of you to maintain.
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u/Flat_Cattle8744 3h ago
I had ok entry jobs throughout my 20s. At 29 I joined a great company, worked my way up and invested in my education. You got to do what you got to do to survive whilst constantly exploring opportunities, make connections and focus on narrating a good cv. Some of my earlier jobs were good on my cv but paid less than being a barwoman in my country, but I focused on building a cv. I had no idea of what id eventually do, I just knew I wanted good companies on my CV. This was in the 2005-2015 period where there was less international talent competing for local good roles, and no Linkedin (thankfully). Maybe target a specific high growth industry and try getting an entry role a company in that industry. Just dont give up.
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u/real-donjon 2h ago
Walt Disney, JK Rowling, The KFC founder to name Few,... never compares someone chapter 40 with your chapter 12 of life
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u/No_Suspect_3462 2h ago
I got sober at 32, moved countries several times, completely changed my entire life, got promoted and hopped around jobs and now I earn over 6 figures. That was only 2 years ago. Everything is possible + you're 26, not 76 😅
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u/Low_Style5044 2h ago
Still working at it
Art school degree at 23
Learned welding at 31
2 years in able to find work
Turned 34 2 weeks ago
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u/Brilliant_Prompt5506 2h ago
I tried a bunch of stuff, failed a bunch, and learned what I didn’t want in my 20’s. Used that wisdom to interview well and find stability in my 30’s. Now trying not to make career the centerpoint of my life in my 40’s until my kids are old enough to not want to hang with me as much. Then I’ll start that chapter of my career and see what it brings.
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u/Kitchen_Economics182 2h ago
The honest truth is that the majority of people that are unsuccessful early on in life stay unsuccessful for their entire lives. It's just the way the world is, you rarely see any outliers because their are so few, and you really can't teach an old dog new tricks. Everyone wants to think they're special, but most of us will live mediocre lives and never do anything worth noting, you'll more likely to be another blip in your bloodline that didn't leave a mark. If you feel anything negative from hearing that, you're not mad me, you're mad at the truth of what I've said.
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u/FutureGrassToucher 4h ago
I just got a 6fig job at a tier 2 tech company at 28 after doing minimum wage construction at 25.
I got a bachelors in ECE out of hs and didnt do much with it, and was unemployed for 2 years then did construction for 3. Went back to school and got an interview and got an internship, killed the internship and got an offer.
Its really all about deciding one day to stop fucking around. Cut out all the distractions and dedicate like 12 hours a day into whatever it is you wanna do.
Also being in school opens doors, georgia tech online offers an 11k masters program its not bad at all
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u/amancalledfaz 4h ago
i had a terrible start to my career but in like a lowkey fucked up way, i started working as part of the grand opening team to a extremely big luxury hotel brand then i made a mistake that wasn't actually really huge and had a load of remedies, but i was working with people that snitched on others to seem better than others. so i left, but got a promotion luckliy in the same brand in Europe, when i started this job i lost a beloved family member that i considered as a mom, so i was doing stuff and alcohol and wasnt focusing much on my job then got into a bad knee injury and called off for quite some time then had to take more time off because i physically couldnt get to work, that pissed work off then they terminated my ahh. i was a young kid that doesnt know hot to get unemployment bs or anything so i started working in the club scene as a bartedner for a few months, saw many friends become addicts so i stepped down and became sober and went into a lil hole for a few months but i kept beleiving in myself that one day it will be better and that really i am the shit. I kept applying and working my unemployed ass off journaling working out and applying to jobs and taking care of this unemployed benefit that i eventually got to survive, i nailed another promotion at a different huge hotel luxury brand and i am now a cool ass boss (yes bitch i am) and my employees like me and i am very fair to them and very easy going and most important of all i am great at my job. sometimes it is the people that surround you man, really. you got this, believe in yourself and never give up on yourself, manifest your next step and just make some moves is what is really important, don't lament your situation, don't talk about your failures or what you don't have, talk about what you want and what you will achieve, because if you believe it then it will happen.
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u/Ok_Collar5937 2h ago
guidance time. I was there. I waited too long to say fuck it all and travel. Tree planting, working holidays, Teaching english over seas, PADI DM. Like....escape your life. Back packing was the godamn best thing i ever fucking did. And I just wish i did it in my 20s
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u/Ewoktoremember 4h ago
Later in life? Bro, you’re 26. I thought you were gonna be 57 😂