Introduction
Career change after 50 according to Forbes community guidelines
The Forbes community, which analyzes the labor market, suggests that career changes at age 50 can be bold and transformative and that for many, it’s a time to reflect on retirement income. For me, however, ageism was not only a challenge but a catalyst to change both my job and career path. At age 56, after 33 years in education, I left my position as a teacher to become an HR Manager, trading expertise in the education sector for little experience in IT. Transitioning from a public sector job to a career in business might seem unrealistic, and you may wonder what led me to this career choice.
Nearly retired as a teacher and school principal, I embarked on an internship at a software company, exchanging my director role for an HR Manager position—a drastic career change. Burnout, lack of satisfaction, and low motivation in my previous role drove me to seek something new. I felt powerless, overwhelmed by the workload, and stuck in place as if everything depended on others with little under my control. Administrative tasks overshadowed educational ones, and school started to overwhelm me. This, along with the advice from my sons, made me realize it was time to seek a career that aligned better with my values and goals.
New experiences, new skills. A new life in IT
This year marks my third anniversary in the IT industry. Choosing a career in IT as an HR professional has been a drastic change, offering new personal and professional experiences. It hasn’t been easy, but it’s been rewarding. This transition has broadened my perspective, introducing me to Agile work practices, greater control over my schedule, and the freedom of remote work from the comfort of home. Working with younger colleagues keeps me intellectually active, inspiring interests in literature, film, and music. My mind feels sharper, and I’ve learned to better utilize IT and AI, making knowledge access a simple “click” away.
This career change has also enriched my personal life. With no commute, I now have more time for gardening and cooking. And it’s not only about ideals—there are real financial benefits. My income now far exceeds public sector wages, putting my finances in a much healthier state.
The IT industry is a world of new opportunities
I believe that the IT sector offers not only new career opportunities but also vast possibilities for self-education and skill development, whether technical, communication-related, or otherwise. In shaping one’s professional career and choosing a new profession, I believe that a career in IT can provide a sense of satisfaction and work-life balance, making it an excellent career option even for those over 50.
Employment data shows that many people are considering a career in IT. Analyzing the results of reports and research, we can identify several key factors contributing to the industry's attractiveness:
Salaries that allow for savings
In a Grafton Recruitment survey, 90% of respondents indicated that securing satisfying and stable finances is the decisive factor in choosing an employer. The IT sector meets this criterion. Salaries in IT are higher than in many other sectors. The average salary of an IT specialist in Poland is around 8,000–9,000 PLN gross, though for more experienced specialists, it can reach as high as 16,000 PLN gross per month. The IT industry is also highly transparent in presenting salaries. According to those considering a job change, clearly stating salary ranges remains the most important aspect of a job offer, which boosts the employment rate.
Demand for IT jobs
According to a report by the Polish Economic Institute, Poland still lacks 147,000 IT specialists to reach the EU average (4.5%) in terms of the share of IT workers in the total workforce. Current shortages are estimated at 25,000 positions. IT jobs are also becoming increasingly popular among candidates whose original field of study was not IT. Although they make up just 15%, this figure shows that the industry is becoming a "holy grail" for many. Its attractiveness rose further after weathering the economic turmoil of the pandemic with ease. Graduates of law, geography, or foreign languages are now enrolling in programming courses to apply for IT roles.
Seventy-one percent of job seekers consider the flexibility of work formats (remote, on-site, or hybrid) when evaluating job offers. One of the IT sector’s strengths is its flexibility in employment forms. The opportunity to work under B2B contracts offers greater freedom, such as choosing where to work and determining taxation methods. The IT sector's work system is very flexible, offering several alternative employment models, which makes it attractive to employees with various preferences and adaptable to future changes in those preferences. The industry provides options for remote work, hybrid work, and even fully in-office roles.
Organizational culture in IT and its impact on life
In the IT sector, great emphasis is placed on building a positive organizational culture, often characterized by openness and a friendly attitude towards everyone in the company. Interpersonal processes are free of prejudice. In many cases, companies ensure regular training, conduct open discussions and workshops, and monitor and resolve potential issues by identifying their root causes. Anonymous employee satisfaction surveys are commonly used to diagnose the workplace environment. IT companies foster an open atmosphere that facilitates integration and allows employees to build close relationships with most of their colleagues. Combined with stable financial support, opportunities to collaborate on international projects, access to global clients, and good salaries with benefits, IT companies are attractive places to work.
Work and benefits
The financial stability of the IT sector allows it to offer a wide range of benefits that improve employees' work-life balance. These benefits include:
Financial benefits, such as various types of bonuses, well-paid overtime, and occasional gifts.
Educational benefits include funding for various courses, training, and development programs that help employees enhance their skills and deepen their knowledge.
Social benefits, encompass conveniences like private healthcare, insurance, trips, and conferences designed to support employees in their daily lives. These may also include gym or cinema memberships, or points to spend on platforms like MyBenefit.
Opportunities for learning and acquiring new skills
The IT sector actively supports career development, providing access to modern technologies and innovative projects. It helps employees upskill through training opportunities and personal growth. This industry is not just for ICT tech-savvy professionals or those with a degree in computer science.
IT employees often have access to training platforms and the opportunity to earn certifications in foreign languages. The industry invests in courses and internship programs designed to develop talent and create diverse teams that bring together people with different experiences. This enables full utilization of the team’s potential, providing ample room for growth—for juniors by learning from seniors, and for seniors by sharing their knowledge and enhancing their mentoring skills.
The IT industry follows the principle that "Employee development is an integral part of the organization's growth—only through continuously expanding knowledge and the opportunity to acquire new skills can an organization actively and meaningfully participate in technological progress."
Diversity of tasks
There are, and will be, numerous job options, job offers, and solutions proposed by employers. Flexible job roles are created depending on the company's specific needs. Besides specializations like:
Programmer,
Tester,
Data Processing Specialist,
UX/UI Designer, there are also roles for:
Manager,
Scrum Master,
Product Owner,
Data Scientist,
Business Intelligence Specialist,
Virtual Project Manager,
HR Professionals like myself,
Data Analyst, and many more.
Some of these roles straddle the boundaries of different industries, requiring a mix of technical skills and soft competencies. Some demand logical thinking, while others require creativity and problem-solving abilities. Increasingly popular fields include Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain, Big Data, and Cybersecurity.
The transition embarking on a career path in the IT industry
There is a wealth of information and articles dedicated to the topic of how to start a new career, almost like career changers themselves. Many tests assess our core skills, technical competencies, and communication abilities. These tests verify our suitability for a chosen career path and even offer recommendations on which courses and certifications to pursue to improve not only our technical skills but also to begin a successful career in IT. It's clear that the IT job market is dynamic and diverse, and offers numerous growth opportunities.
Individuals aged 25-30 remain the largest age group in IT, accounting for about 34% of the workforce. Although Forbes suggests that the "fat years" of IT may be behind us, the industry remains highly popular, especially among women. This is likely due to the flexibility of remote work, which is particularly convenient for women who are raising children, managing households, or valuing a flexible lifestyle. If you're considering a career in IT, it’s worth paying attention to the challenges you’ll need to prepare for.
The IT reality requires new technical and other skills continuously. Starting a career in IT means being open to change and prepared for an ongoing learning process. In the IT world, we're constantly required to stimulate creativity and adopt an Agile mindset. At the beginning of your journey into IT, you should ask yourself: What do I already know? What technical and other skills can I apply in my new job? What will changing careers demand of me?
Changing careers at 50, I can point out, much like a career coach, several "steps" of skills you'll need to climb while pursuing new work ideas:
Step one - learning the specific language of the industry
The sooner you grasp the language of IT, the faster this world will become understandable to you. Keep in mind that it's not just about knowing English; it’s also about understanding concepts related to Agile team project execution. I once read that there’s even a game, created for the "Data Inspiration Through Innovation" conference held in Wrocław in September 2021, presented as part of the "How to Build an Agile Organization" workshop. This card game describes the IT process, teaching the language of IT, the process flow, and the roles of various team members. While I haven’t played this game myself and can't speak to its usefulness, I can say that after three years of working in IT and refreshing my English skills through an online course, I increasingly understand my colleagues, even though they still surprise me with new terms or developer jargon.
Step two - Always ask. Overcome the difficulty of saying "I don’t understand" or "I need help"
In a world that prizes perfection, admitting your shortcomings might seem counterintuitive, but I think it's a good approach. You might not always encounter such understanding and supportive managers as I have in IT after 50, who are willing to listen, dispel your doubts, suggest useful courses or workshops, and even offer financial support to complete them. They help you understand the organizational structure and the use of unfamiliar applications, much like a good Forbes advisor would clear your uncertainties. Always ask questions and engage in discussions as you embark on a new career path. Conversations with colleagues are the best way to fill in knowledge gaps and learn new skills.
Step three - Perfect the skill of online research
Researching information is a skill we now teach in elementary school, yet we often forget how essential and useful it is for professional development. From my own experience, I’ve found much of the information I needed—especially for IT—through Google. However, technology has advanced even further, and the new challenge is integrating artificial intelligence into the search process. Familiarity with tools like ChatGPT is essential in this regard.
Step four - The desire to obtain certifications and improve digital competencies focuses on continuous education and teaching
If you think that working in IT will simply involve doing your daily tasks well, you may encounter a problem in a few years. You need to constantly seek out training and learning opportunities to keep pace with your colleagues. Without sufficient technical and digital skills, you can't effectively collaborate in the IT world. That's why it's important to know your current level of technical and digital proficiency. What applications do you know and can use effectively? Are you familiar with cloud-based tools like Google Workspace, MS 365, Atlassian’s suite of applications, or ChatGPT? Social media goes beyond Facebook and Instagram; LinkedIn has significantly grown in importance in recent years.
When choosing this career path, it’s crucial to take advantage of educational opportunities like free webinars, online courses, and foreign language learning platforms (primarily for English). This learning process will ease the transition to a new career. It’s also important to network with people of similar specializations and interests to share experiences and access valuable e-books and podcasts. Joining topic-specific groups on Facebook is also a good idea. In my current role, I frequently use HR portals, e-books, and blogs. After three years as an HR Manager, I’ve gained essential skills in navigating HR applications, learning to combine various features to streamline work processes related to documentation, employee communication, and liaising with partner companies.
Step five - The ability to collaborate in a team
Individualism is valuable when it contributes to teamwork and enhances the overall team effort. The key word here is “collaboration,” where you, as an individual, can use your knowledge and skills in a team effort, trusting those you work with and aligning your goals with the team’s. By doing so, you motivate not only yourself but also the team. Your actions impact the team you work with, and your absence or unavailability can affect the team’s performance. In this industry, the team—not the individual—shares the responsibility for a project's success or failure. Mutual support and accountability are crucial. However, teamwork does not absolve you of the need for independent, analytical thinking, which helps solve shared problems. Collaboration is enhanced by your unique contributions, which ultimately lead to the team’s success.
Step six - Self-discipline
Remote work offers comfort but also requires a great deal of self-discipline. Remote or hybrid work is the most common form in this sector, and it’s important to realize that while appealing, this work style demands significant self-management. Transitioning into IT means becoming your boss to some extent—you manage your work schedule. It’s important to evaluate your ability to self-motivate. Can you organize your day so that, while working from home, you don’t neglect professional tasks, or conversely, become so consumed by work that it takes over your entire day?
Step seven - The ability to identify with company values
When applying to the IT sector, you must be aware that aligning with the company’s values and goals is increasingly important. Employers are looking for individuals who can identify with the company, as this contributes to job satisfaction and a positive work environment. Employees who pursue company goals and personal objectives and believe in the organization's decisions are highly engaged and often seen as potential leaders.
Conclusion
Many employers still see the skills, predispositions, and character traits I’ve mentioned as a nice addition to a rich professional background and technical abilities. However, these qualities are increasingly being transferred to other industries, where they will hold equal importance. As Forbes notes, IT technologies have never developed at such a rapid pace as they are now. Every year, we encounter innovations that revolutionize not only the IT industry itself but also the daily lives of nearly everyone around the world. The multifaceted growth of this sector is evident in the development trends of modern technologies, such as no-code and low-code, cybersecurity, cloud development, data analytics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. Today, we are focusing on producing more efficient hardware and software and finding ways to integrate IT advances into other areas of life. If you're looking for a career change or seeking a job that provides satisfaction because your current career does not, or if the way work is organized feels overwhelming, give it a try. It's important to carefully analyze your needs, goals, and values to make a well-considered decision about changing careers. It doesn’t necessarily have to be in the IT sector. New career ideas and professional goals are always a better solution than just retirement. Speaking with family and professionals, such as a career counselor or career expert can also be helpful in this kind of decision-making process. Retirement is not just a time for rest for me. I continue to set new career goals for myself and plan my next career move. I believe that the career change myths changes don’t always hold. In this new and hopefully long-lasting career, the support of loved ones—like the support I receive every day from my sons—remains crucial for me.
Insights from HR and EB in the IT industry
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