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EDITOR’S NOTE

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).

THE SECOND-ACT ECONOMY

The people are pivoting

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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

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

NEWS YOU CAN USE

A handy guide for changing careers

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:

Is it time to find a new job? Look for the signs.
Here’s what to do if you get laid off.
Plot your future path with the help of these tips from a Harvard career advisor.
Make sure your résumé is up to snuff for the AI age, and start looking for new jobs.
Keep in mind this best-selling author’s advice on how she was able to start over professionally.

Once you flawlessly pivot to a new career, make sure to pop some champagne the proper way.—BC

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

MAILBAG

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

BREW'S BEST

Chat: An affordable webcam for meetings and job interviews.**

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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