Good morning. Are you currently daydreaming from your cubicle about quitting your corporate job to guide whale-watching boats in the Azores? Today’s newsletter is for you. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about changing careers, from who’s doing it (and why), to what pro athletes do for work when they hang up their cleats. We’ll also get into how AI is convincing many Americans to switch their collars from white to blue. Ross from Friends said it best: It’s time to pivot (careers). |
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If you’ve been spending company time browsing LinkedIn, you’re not alone—but you should probably consider getting a privacy screen. Nearly 80% of professionals in the US say they’re ready for a new job, and roughly half of that crowd is actively trying to switch fields this year, according to a recent survey by the job board site FlexJobs. Why? Remote options, higher salaries, and better work-life balance are the top reasons that workers want to change up their careers, per the survey. But recent layoffs in tech and media have also forced some people to find new pastures. Who’s switching up? Lots of millennials. The average age of a career pivot is ~39, but some Gen Xers also tend to hop around: Americans have held an average of 2.2 jobs between the ages of 45 and 54, according to government data. How an aging workforce plays into all this As life expectancy and the cost of living rise, more baby boomers are working longer to afford retirement, leaving fewer openings for young professionals. According to workforce data firm Revelio Labs: - This phenomenon helped push the average age of American workers from 40.5 in 2022 to over 42 in 2025.
- Fields that saw the biggest jump in average age over the past decade include insurance, sales, real estate, and the service industry.
Exceptions: Construction, plumbing, and other trade industries are facing an exodus of boomer retirees and a shortage of young, incoming workers. As data center build-outs boom, the recruiting firm Broadstaff has seen a spike in demand for electricians and technicians, providing a potential pivot for hundreds of thousands of tech workers who have been laid off since 2022.—ML | | |
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Most retired athletes do not become coaches or broadcasters. Many more trade in their uniforms for J. Crew button-downs and Patagonia sweater vests, so they can take the jobs that the rest of us would quit today if we could become professional athletes. The length of an average professional sports career in the MLB, NBA, NHL, and NFL is only five to seven years, with most calling it quits before age 30, according to a study by the RBC Sports Professionals group. That means linebackers, pitchers, and goalies are either scouring LinkedIn job listings or—if their careers were longer and more fruitful—launching their own businesses: - LinkedIn data from 2022 showed that more than a quarter of retired athletes pivoted to sales, where traits like competitiveness and self-drive tend to translate well.
- Finance is also a popular second act—Goldman Sachs has made recruiting athletes a priority. Former New York Giants player Justin Tuck has been with the company since 2018.
Others become the boss After years of taking orders from coaches, some ex-players decide it’s their turn to start bossing people around. Some of the notable success stories include: - George Foreman: Perhaps the most memorable of them all, there’s an entire generation that knows him more for his grills than his boxing accolades.
- Shaquille O’Neal: It seems like he’s in every third commercial that comes across your TV screen. After investing in Papa Johns and Five Guys, he started a fast-casual chain called Big Chicken, opened a slate of car washes, and more.
- Magic Johnson: The former basketball star and one-time talk show host built a multibillion-dollar investment firm and holds ownership stakes in multiple pro sports franchises.
- Michael Jordan: Among other notable high-value business ventures, he was the majority owner of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets before selling his stake in 2023 at a $3 billion valuation (he bought it for $275 million in 2010).
However…many other former athletes who start businesses struggle. MLB pitcher Curt Schilling’s video game company, outfielder Lenny Dykstra’s financial advice magazine, and quarterback Mark Brunell’s real estate business are among those that serve as cautionary tales.—DL | | |
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As Led Zeppelin once put it, “There are two paths you can go by, but in the long run, there’s still time to change the road you’re on.” Unfortunately, “Stairway to Heaven” doesn’t really elaborate on how that specifically applies to the different phases of a career. These resources do, though: Once you flawlessly pivot to a new career, make sure to pop some champagne the proper way.—BC |
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Sponsored By Capital One Business |
Big benefits for small businesses. Musely founder Jack Jia pivoted from a marketplace for skincare products to a full-on telehealth and telemedicine brand. Their Capital One Business card helped fuel their pivot and streamline day-to-day operations. Learn more here. |
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Economic downturns or uncertainty have historically pushed adults back to school to wait out the rocky hiring market and come out the other side with new, irresistible skills. But do you get a return on your investment? A study released last month by the Postsecondary Education & Economics Research Center at American University found that while some classic postsecondary degrees, like pharmacy, law, and medicine, offer high returns on investment, fields like psychology and social work often yield negative returns. Ballooning tuition costs and skyrocketing interest rates on loans—up to 9.08% for the 2024–2025 school year—have made grad school even more of a gamble. There are other reasons to go to grad school besides the potential for a higher salary, like networking, earning certifications, and getting another diploma to hang next to a Pulp Fiction poster. Plus, some MBA programs are offering steep discounts for prospective students. One career path that pays: Registered nurses are locking in an average salary of $93,600 a year, according to the Labor Department. The healthcare sector created the most jobs in the US last year, and employment of advanced-degree nurses is expected to jump 35% from 2024 to 2034.—MM |
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While a robot could never discreetly utilize the work printer for personal use, AI is threatening to automate other office tasks—and some are switching careers to get ahead of the threat. As tech companies blame recent layoffs on AI, and many economists say knowledge work will become increasingly automated, a growing number of college students and recent grads are seeking to AI-proof their futures by pivoting away from automation-prone fields, like computer science and data analysis, and into...literal fields to work with their hands, where the robots are less likely to get them. A recent Gallup survey found that 16% of college students have switched majors due to AI’s impact on the job market, while 47% have thought about doing so. Go blue Many workers and students are rolling up their sleeves to embrace the trades: - About 25% of Gen Z is considering or is already pursuing a career in the trades instead of a white-collar job, according to a survey by SupplyHouse.
- Many are leaving office employment to train as electricians or firefighters, in-demand careers that are unlikely to be replaced by AI.
Career experts say that skilled tradespeople are a hot commodity due to the data-center-building blitz, which is creating a shortage of highly specialized technicians. Companies like BlackRock and Meta recently announced that they’re pouring tens of millions into training and recruiting pros like electricians and fiber-optic-cable techs for their data center buildouts. But…overall blue-collar employment still shrank over the past year, and economists note that it pays less on average than jobs that require a college degree.—SK | | |
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Last week, we asked you to tell us about your career pivots. Here are some of our favorite responses: - “After five years working in consulting jobs with mediocre health benefits and 10 days of annual leave, I booked a one-way flight to Australia and became a stewardess working on a superyacht in the Sydney Harbour. I traded in the 9–5 Groundhog Day lifestyle for a life of adventure, where the only job requirement is don’t throw up on the deck.”—Jacque from Pennsylvania
- “Went from slinging football headsets (the kind you see coaches slamming on the ground after an interception) to quitting that, going to flight school, and becoming a bush pilot in Alaska. I now fly 300+ people internationally every week.”—Billy from Washington
- “I was a high school English teacher and served as the union president for a couple of years. I had a lot more fun negotiating contracts than I did grading papers. So after 10 years of teaching, I applied to law school at the age of 35, passed the bar at 38, and have practiced as an attorney ever since. I do miss having a summer break, but I don’t have people assuming they know how to do my job just because they’ve been to court before.”—Jodee from Iowa
- “My career pivot 10 years ago literally was a Hallmark Christmas movie! High-powered career woman living in a major metropolitan area (insurance exec in Phoenix) returns to her hometown at Christmastime (an island in Maine), participates in local and family holiday traditions (island tree lighting, annual Opera House gingerbread contest, Christmas Eve lobster dinner), and abandons the successful life she’s built for herself (quits 25-year career) to take care of her mother with Alzheimer’s and resurrect the family business (the cooking newsletter her mother wrote and produced for 30 years).”—Amie from Southport, ME
- “Not many people will say that jury duty changed the course of their life, but that is exactly what happened to me. I recently served and was fascinated by the whole process so much that I wanted to become a part of that world. I also have always wanted to use my bilingual skills in a professional setting. So, this year I am studying to become a California Certified Court Interpreter. I worked in the retail industry my entire career and loved it, but felt it was time for a big challenge.—Angelica from San Diego, CA
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Listen: Why it’s sometimes easier to succeed later in life. Learn: The right way to make a big career change. Peruse: The most successful celebrity career pivots. Relax: A five-minute meditation to help you deal with career-related stress. Devour: A list of culinary icons who used to make their living outside of the kitchen. Small but mighty: Small-business owners have a big friend in Capital One Business. Musely, for example, used their Capital One Business credit line to reinvent their model and support over 1 million users. Learn more.* *A message from our sponsor. **This is a product recommendation from our writers. When you buy through this link, Morning Brew may earn a commission. |
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