Am I too old to change careers? (36M)

Hello all,

I am in need of some advice / guidance. I am 36, married and have 2 kids 7&9, I have a BS in Industrial Design and I’ve been an engineer with my current company for 10 years now. My commute is about 80 miles per day, I used to not mind the travel but last few years it’s wearing me down and its soul crushing. I basically get up at 430am and get home at 6pm every day and I don’t have time to really do much with my family. At this point I am just exhausted mentally and physically as they refused to let employees WFH (they did at one point during covid).

I graduated college during the recession so I had jobs not related to my major at all. I was in Medical Provider enrollment for a few years, then graphic design and eventually engineering (learning as I go). I went on linkedin to do some job searches closer to my residence and had NO IDEA what I am looking for. I am not qualified or have the experience for anything I am remotely interested in. I’m confident I can get the “certifications” needed but there are so many out there A+, Net+, SEC+, etc. I don’t have the time or $ to do them all.

I feel stuck and not sure what to do. Ultimately I just want to be closer to home and still be able to support my family while having time to spend with them. But am I too old to do all this? I don’t have any experience or qualifications. My mind is all over the place right now and just need someone to point me in the right direction.

Thank you for reading,



View Reddit by itschickenwingView Source