Can You Do A Career Change In Your 30s? Here’s My Experience

For the past 10 years, I’ve been working with this one freelance client who’s been giving me the opportunity to earn a steady income every month.

It was a great gig. I got to do work that I enjoy doing and in the comfort of my home.

I was earning a solid paycheck every month, and I didn’t even have to worry about looking for the next client or bidding on projects on freelance platforms.

Things were great. That is, until ChatGPT arrived.

This client quickly found a way to automate most of the work I’ve been doing using an AI tool. My paycheck took a big cut. I was slowly being replaced.

But the income was still better, so I stuck with it.

Filling the client’s website with AI content took a toll on both quality and traffic. He lost rankings on Google, and website revenue took a big hit as well.

So, this client decided to sell his website. A new client took over the site but asked me to continue working on the site’s content, for an even lower paycheck, of course.

Work was just as usual for several months until suddenly I was let go. The website is not doing so great, and the new client had to cut costs.

Apparently, people don’t like reading AI-generated articles with robotic tones. Who would’ve guessed it?

Right now, I’m in my late 30s. In a couple of years, I’m turning 40. And I suddenly found myself in the middle of a career change. And I’m terrified of it.

Career Change In Late 30s

I tried contacting my previous clients, reaching out to other websites, and even went searching for freelance gigs on job boards. No luck.

It seems as though freelance writing jobs are slowly disappearing and being replaced by other, more multi-role jobs, like content writing and content strategist.

Even though I have some experience in those roles, I realized that I have no proof of work to show as examples.

I realized I’ve made a huge mistake by working for the same client for the past 10 years. Now, I only have a portfolio full of examples in one niche, which also happens to be a dying niche.

The only option left for me is to change careers. But which path do I take?

With AI replacing roles and positions in many industries, it’s getting increasingly difficult to find a career that would last the next five to ten years.

After spending more than a decade practicing and perfecting my craft as a writer, having to start over from scratch is not only terrifying but exhausting.

Freelancing Vs Traditional Jobs

I spend several weeks searching and applying to freelance gigs. But the competition is tough. With so many people out of work, they are all applying to the same gigs these days.

This made me stop and think for a second. Should I even continue freelancing? Or should I start looking for a traditional, 9-to-5 job?

So, I went on LinkedIn and started looking for jobs that are suitable for my skills. There are plenty, but so are the applications for them.

Then I started thinking: Do I really have to trade my freedom for a paycheck?

The main reason I started freelancing is to escape the rat race. And there’s no way I’m going back in that cage unless I really have to.

Small Business Opportunities

This is something I truly want to pursue. Even while doing freelance work, I kept thinking about starting my own business.

Right now I’m brainstorming several business ideas, including a few related to farming.

As I get older, I see the true value of doing hands-on work, like farming and woodworking, and how that type of work helps with our mental health as well as earning an income.

I guess I’m at that age where I want to feel the work I’m doing and get immersed in it, rather than chasing meaningless goals in a virtual world.

This includes doing old-school business work like cold calling as well. Even that part of the business feels close and personal.

A Glimmer Of Hope

I’m still exploring ideas and choices but haven’t made a decision yet. I’m hoping to document my journey here on this website.

Thankfully, I’m also starting to see more content writing jobs on platforms like LinkedIn.

Many businesses have lost so much traffic after switching to AI-generated content and they are finally realizing the value of content created by humans.

So I might even have a chance to get a content writing gig once again.

Whatever happens, I’m not going to lower my standards or prices. I must stay true to all the knowledge, skill, and experience I’ve gathered over the years.

The future is uncertain, but I’m hopeful.