3 Top Ethical Jobs to Explore for a Career Change Later in Life

There are many ethical jobs out there for you to explore. Let’s face it, money is often not the main driving force behind career choices for a lot of people. Getting a higher wage is often not as important as doing something worthwhile. A generation ago, many people might have been content to spend their days doing work that they didn’t particularly enjoy, or wasn’t that important, as long as they were getting a good wage for it. But now times have changed and many of us want more.

Today, people report that they actually want to spend their time doing valuable work that helps others, particularly after changing careers or as a second or third job. A career change later in life can make us reevaluate things. According to research carried out by Global Tolerance, nearly half of working people (42%) now want to work for an organisation that has a positive impact on the world, and that is ethical. The study of more than 2000 people revealed that 44%, “thought meaningful work that helped others was more important than a high salary” and also that “36% would work harder if their company benefited society”.

Lots of people considering a career change later in life decide that they’ve made their money but they’re unfulfilled, and they want to do something more ethical, but they think it’s too late or they’re worried about age discrimination. Luckily for you, it isn’t too late; these are just some of the ethical jobs you could move into later in life, and take on as a second career.

#1: Become a life coach

Do you want to inspire others to help them be the best versions of themselves? Being a psychiatrist or a counsellor appeals to a lot of people because you spend your days helping some of the most vulnerable people in society and improving their lives. It’s an important and incredibly rewarding job, but these jobs have a significant barrier to entry as they take years of university and training before you’re qualified to practise.  This puts some people off. If you want a similar career, without having to do quite as much training, why not consider life coaching.

Begin your journey by researching your options. You can do large parts of the course online and then attend classes at the weekends so even if it’s a late career change you can still fit it around your existing job. All of the classes are accented by work with real life clients so you can get great practical experience along the way. Being a life coach is a great job that lets you spend your time helping others to achieve their goals and live a happier life.

#2: Try your hand at being a chef at a shelter or community organisation

Many of us volunteer at a point in our lives; but could this lead to a proper career? It’s true to say that a lot of chefs started their careers with a passion for cooking which is (unfortunately) lost over the years because of the high pressure environment. Cooking for a constant stream of customers doesn’t always bring the satisfaction that they thought it would. However, a more rewarding career could be gained as a second career if you explore your options.

If you’re in that position and you still want to carry on your culinary career but in a more rewarding capacity, consider volunteering as a chef at a shelter. You can turn your cooking skills toward helping people that need it which is far more meaningful than working in a normal restaurant. Most of those positions aren’t going to be highly paid, but there are options out there, so do your research. If you need to start from scratch, explore your options for cheffing, or volunteer at a local community organisation as a start.

#3: Give back with a nursing career

Nursing is one of the most obvious ethical jobs for people that want to give back, and it’s often more suited to people later in their career; in fact Job Outlook points out that the average age of a nurse (in Australia) is 43 years old and nearly 50% of nurses are aged over 45, at the last census.

It makes sense; having all of that life experience will better equip you for the tough situations that you have to deal with. If you’re planning on moving into nursing you’ll need qualifications; 55.1% of nurses hold a bachelor degree, while 18.5% of nurses have a post graduate or graduate diploma or certificate. 17.1% of nurses hold an advanced diploma or diploma and 7.3% hold a certificate III/IV as their highest qualification. Going back to study full time at this stage in your life is a big undertaking but there are online degrees available that you can fit around your current job.

There are a range of ethical jobs you can do – explore your options!

Don’t ever think that it’s too late for a more rewarding career, you can always move careers if you really want to. Explore your passions and speak to mentors in the fields you’re interested in to get more information. Researching ethical jobs is a great place to start.

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3 Top Ethical Jobs to Explore for a Career Change Later in Life

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Here are 3 examples of ethical jobs you can attain as a second (or third, or fourth!) career. They are all suited to people changing jobs later in life.

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Alex

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Alyce Vayle | Content Strategist

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