How realistic is a career change at 40+?

Realistic — if the labour market supports it. BA skills shortage analysis 2024 and EURES 2024 show: Germany is short of hundreds of thousands of skilled workers in IT, nursing, trades and engineering — experienced professionals are in demand. OECD AI Principles and ILO emphasise: Lifelong learning is the structural response to technological change — employers are adapting. Realistic expectations: A search duration of 6-12 months is normal, a possible salary reduction of 10-20% in the first transitional step, building a network takes time. Caveat: Age discrimination exists despite AGG §1 — anonymised applications can help here. Cedefop: Older career changers have a higher success rate when they position their senior expertise as an advantage rather than a disadvantage.