While everyone selecting a career should do thorough research, at midlife it is even more important. At midlife, it is likely that you have more responsibilities and obligations than most traditional-aged college students. New careers often have difficulties and costs associated with them. In many cases, changing careers will require additional training, possibly even a new degree.

Below is a list of methods you can find information out about the new career field you would like to enter:

Internet Research – Information can be found on the Internet about almost every potential career field. Therefore, the Internet can be a great place to begin when you are researching a new career. However, never stop your research there. There is a lot of misinformation on the Web. It is also difficult to really know what a career is like only by reading about it.

Library Research – Public and school libraries have books about a lot of careers. Be sure to see when the books were written. Some information about careers goes out of date fairly quickly.

Bookstore Research – Bookstores also carry books about most career fields. Books found at bookstores tend to be more current than the ones found at libraries. However, before spending money, be careful to ensure you select a book that provides accurate information and is in a format that you will enjoy reading.

Job Fair Research – Even if you are not ready to make a change, job fairs can be a wealth of information for potential career changers. At a job fair you can meet recruiters for the career field you want to enter. Through the recruiters, you can learn about companies, positions and what employers are looking for in that field.

Occupational Information Interviews (also referred to as information interview or informational interview) – An occupational information interview is a meeting that you initiate with a professional in the career field your interested in. The purpose of this type of interview is to learn more about a career field that interests you, what employers are looking for in prospective employees and what a typical day is really like on the job.

Job Shadowing – Spend a day following a professional in the field you would like to enter. This will help you to see what they actually do at their job.

Volunteering – Volunteer some of your free time to work with professionals in the career field you are interested in. This will give you more information about what it is like in the field, an opportunity to network with professionals in the field and something related to what you want to do to include on a resume.