I Changed Careers at 40. Here's How It Actually Went.

Hey it's Buono. Today I wanna talk about something pretty personal — how I completely switched careers at 40 and ended up in IT.

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The Backstory

Right now I'm working as an IT systems engineer at an AI startup. But before this? I spent 15+ years as a hardware engineer in manufacturing.

First decade was at a precision equipment company doing circuit design and noise evaluation. Then I got caught up in the EV hype and jumped to an automaker. And now I'm in a completely different world — IT.

Wild pivot. But it made sense at the time and still does.

Why I Made the Switch

COVID Changed How I Saw My Job

Being a hardware engineer during COVID was rough. The job requires physical presence — you literally can't do circuit design from your couch. So while everyone else was going remote, I was still commuting to the office every day.

With a family at home and infection risks everywhere, that stress hit different.

A Year of Paternity Leave Changed My Brain

I took a full year off for parental leave. Had free time, had financial stability, had zero social connection. And honestly? I lost all motivation.

That experience taught me something important: I need to feel like I'm contributing to something. I need to be deep in a problem. Without that, I just drift.

So I started seriously thinking about what's next.

The 40-Year-Old Problem

Let's be real — IT is a young person's game. At least that's the perception. Walking into this industry at 40 with zero IT experience felt insane.

But the desire to do it was stronger than the fear. So I just started reaching out.

How It Actually Happened

I talked to a ton of companies, mostly startups and venture-stage businesses. Most conversations went nowhere. But one company saw something interesting in my background.

Their pitch was basically: "You've got deep hardware experience. Why not bring that perspective into IT?"

That reframe was everything. I wasn't starting from zero — I was bringing 15 years of engineering thinking into a new domain.

And that's how I got in.

What Made It Work

Just Start Moving

You don't need to have it all figured out. I definitely didn't. My IT skills were basically non-existent when I started. But I showed up, stayed curious, and kept learning.

Overthinking kills more career changes than lack of skill ever will.

Put Yourself Out There

This one's huge. I'd been sharing my projects and ideas on YouTube and social media for a while before the switch. Nothing crazy — just documenting what I was working on.

Turns out, companies noticed. In interviews, people would bring up my content. It built trust before I even walked in the room.

If you're thinking about a career change, start posting about what you're learning NOW. It compounds in ways you don't expect.

The Takeaway

Switching careers at 40 isn't easy. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it. But it's absolutely doable if you're willing to move first and figure it out along the way.

Stop waiting for the perfect moment. Start talking to people. Start sharing what you know. The opportunity will find you — but only if you're already in motion.

If you're going through something similar, I hope this helps even a little. We're all figuring it out together.

Catch you later ✌️