New Survey: Pre-retirees want to Switch to a job with Less Stress and More Time for Life Before Retiring

Many people who are approaching their last decade or two of work before retiring want to spend that time in a career with less pressure and more time to have a life.

Almost a third (29%) of pre-retirees plan to change careers in the next five years, a new survey reveals. Their top reasons for making a switch: less stress and more work-life balance, according to a survey of 1,006 people, ages 40-59, commissioned by Life Reimagined and USA TODAY.

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In fact, 32% of respondents who are employed or looking for work have gone through a major career shift. The most common reason given for the change: a desire to do something different.

These folks "want to make a change, and for the first time we are seeing it's not all about money," says Emilio Pardo, 50, president of Life Reimagined, an organization dedicated to helping people reimagine their lives. People are looking for work that gives them better balance in their life, more flexibility and the chance to learn, he says.

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It's about doing what they are good at with people they like at a place that they love — on purpose, he says.

Many 50-year-olds have 20 to 25 years of work ahead of them, and they want another experience, he says. "They want to do something more meaningful, but they want to apply the experience they have."

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For example, Pardo says some veteran executives who are good at motivating people are now applying that skill to teaching. One professional he knows retired from the corporate world at 65 to become an EMT, and "he feels like he's giving back and doing good."

From a practical point of view, midlife may be a good time for a career shift. If 40- and 50-year-olds want to change careers, they should do it now, says Cash Nickerson, author of BOOMERangs: Engaging the Aging Workforce in America.

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"The typical buzz is that it's hard to find a job after 55, so if you want to change, you need to shift before age 55," he says. "Many folks are looking to switch and settle in before they no longer feel welcome in the job market."

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