Stuck in a mid-career slump? Try a new path

Layoffs and Al are pushing white-collar professionals towards blue-collar roles, where the pay might be better and jobs more stable

- Callum Borchers

Could your pride handle working in construction, security or at an auto-body shop? The best way to get over your midcareer slump might be to get over yourself first.

Layoffs and stagnant wages have a lot of white-collar workers feeling stuck. I hear constantly from people who have applied to a hundred or more desk jobs without luck. Meanwhile, blue-collar industries face a labor shortage.

Pivoting to something more hands-on, or to an industry outside traditional white-collar havens such as tech/finance/media/marketing, is an option many professionals don’t consider. That is even though the jobs and industries are generally less vulnerable to artificial intelligence, the earning potential is often comparable, and the work-life balance is frequently better.

I know, I know. It takes years to master a trade and make good money at it. Starting in your 30s or 40s leaves a short window before your back and knees give out. A bruised ego isn’t the only obstacle to a career change.

"To get paid at the level I need, I think I would have to get certified as a journeyman electrician or something," says Justin Johnson, 47, who lost his $130,000 job as a software project manager when a government contract ended last year.

"That would be very difficult to do because I'm the breadwinner in the household, and you get accustomed to a certain lifestyle."

For someone like Johnson, switching industries would likely require an initial step back, moneywise. But in a blue-collar job market being reshaped by technology and private equity, there are faster routes to six-figure paychecks than learning a skilled trade—ones that are easier on the joints, too.