I have a colleague who is 40 years old and has been in business (restaurant) his entire life. Now, he's telling me he wants to quit that business and go back to school to become an architect. He has a B.S. in mathematics, but hasn't been to school in some decades (almost 2).

Is he having a mid-life crisis? I'm sure he's smart enough to achieve it if he has will, but at 40, isn't it a little late to start a new career, especially architecture? Isn't it hard to "jump-start" the brain again to study or work in a new career?

I keep telling him to "sleep on it" for at least half a year and see how he'll feel about it later. Financially, he's pretty viable, but he just wants a new, more meaningful career.

What are your thoughts?

 

i'm only 24, so my comments wont mean as much as someone whose already gone through it...but i say go for it. where there's a will, there's a way. also, as they say, "it's never too late!" regret is probably worse than failure, right?

i think if there's a chance he could be much happier doing that than what he's doing now, why not? you mentioned he's already financially stable, so it doesn't sound like there's too much of a risk for him.

 

I guess he wants to be "Art Vandalay".

How's the architecture field - demand-wise and work-wise? Ultimately, it's his decision.

 

I'd rather start something late than look back at the end of my life and regret not having explored something.

Besides, having done the same thing for your entire life probably gets boring for a lot of people. When you're young, you keep working hard because you think the next promotion, next job, next whatever will be more satisfying and give your life more meaning, but after a while of climbing up, you realize that it's all the same load of crap and doesn't really add any more meaning at all. That's when you have the mid-life crisis and go explore something else in the hope that there's more meaning to be found there. And by that time that pursuit reaches the same sad inevitable conclusion, something terrible happens to you and you perish.

 

I'm 24 and sick of IT and would love to go into architecture but not really sure if it's something I will be good at.

One thing I do know, he will have a hard time at any job making as much as he makes owning his own restaurant.
But if he wants to do it, he should take a few evening classes to get a feel for it instead of diving in.

 

Not too many people are going to hire a 45 year old for a entry level job in any field are they?

I know you aren't supposed to descriminate, but everyone does. I wouldn't hire a 45 year old "Jr. Accountant". Old poeple (45 isn't all that old, but old enough) are normally slower to catch on, etc.....

good luck to him. I am 37 and had thought about finding something I enjoy but at this point i just plan to retire early then do something I enjoy instead of trying to start over.

 

Arrogant pup.

That's the stupidest thing I've heard in a LONG time.

 

I don't practice age discrimination per se. Age is a number, what raises the "red flag" for me is if someone has been in one very set position (with no advancement or change) in a very long time.

I never worry about people (regardless of age) that have a track record of growth and adaptability.

That said, the OP's friend, at 40, has a lot more to probably consider (house, wife, kids, investments) vs. someone who's 19.

 

you think the average 45 year old will understand anything electronic nearly as quickly as an average 25 year old? I don't.

I am 37 and have no problem admitting that I don't even know how to upload music into my mp3 playing cellphone..... most 45 year olds that I know 'hunt and peck' when they type vs typing the right way, etc..... when you get old, you get slower...... that is life.

 

I couldn't afford to be an architect. What with all the tight fitting, solid colored clothes I'd have to buy. Not to mentioned the endless pairs of chic, unfunctional glasses...