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Sunday, September 28, 2025 | Special Advertising Section 22%u201cWe do encourage some intentional self-reflection,%u201d she says. Take time to examine your thoughts, she says %u2014 not just on personal interests and workplace preferences, but also what types of problems you want to solve in the world. Think about what kinds of classes or hobbies have really energized you in the past to get a sense of what might excite you in the future.Randall also suggests considering your situation from a practical and logistical standpoint %u2014 especially because careerchangers often have more responsibilities than college-age students, such as mortgages or children.%u201cConsider the realities,%u201d Randall says. %u201cDo they have geographic restrictions because they own a house or have a certain budget level that they need to meet? So, a lot of reflection on who they are, but also what parameters they need to work in to find something that could be a good fit all the way around for them.%u201dWhen charting a new course, you don%u2019t necessarily need to think big with the education you pursue toward that goal, Lwali says. %u201cSkills don%u2019t always mean going out and earning an entirely new degree,%u201d she emphasizes.Internships, short courses, microcredentials and online classes can all help you move forward. They can also introduce you to a prospective field before you invest time and money toward it, she says, helping you ask yourself, %u201cIs this really the type of work that I thought it was going to be?%u201dFinding the fresh career start that%u2019s right for you can be life-changing, as Wyeth Johnston of Greenwood can attest.Johnston, 55, worked in the tech industry and then at a boatyard before beginning a nursing program at Seattle Central College in 2013. At the time, his wife, Mary Rourke, was working at a tech company, which enabled him to go to school full-time while she was the sole breadwinner. (Mary later had her own %u201cmidlife reinvention,%u201d as she calls it, and now owns the Acorn Street yarn shop in the Ravenna neighborhood with her friend Janet Charbonnier.)%u201cSkills don%u2019t always mean going out and earning an entirely new degree.%u201dCarol LwaliDirector of Career Engagement at Seattle UniversityContinued from previous page Make AI Your Advantage in LeadershipRanked #4 nationally by U.S. News & World Report, VT%u2019s Master of Information Technology equips working professionals to lead in a digital-first world.Career-flexible. Always relevant. 100% online. Powered by Virginia Tech, where tech and business meet.Learn more at vtmit.vt.edu