Career Change at 40: What I Would Do
Career change at 40, from someone who rebuilt from zero in Vienna: what I had, what I charged too little for, and what I would do differently today.
I was almost 40 when I moved from Dubai to Vienna. I had no language, no job and no friends there. So when I talk about a career change at 40, I am not giving you theory. Here is what I had, what I did not have, and what I would do differently today.
TL;DR
- I rebuilt from zero in Vienna at almost 40, with some savings and one skill: window cleaning.
- It took me six or seven years part-time before I had enough customers of my own to go full time.
- My biggest early mistake was charging too little. My minimum went from about $85 to about $350.
- If I were 40 again, I would invest more in myself and find mentors earlier.
What I had and what I did not have
What I did not have:
- The language. I had to learn it.
- A job, or a career to step into.
- Friends. I had basically started a new family with my fiancée, soon to be my wife.
What I did have:
- Savings. Enough to buy a house, but no work to pay for life after that.
- The skill of window cleaning. It served me then, and it is still serving me now.
I had worked in the automotive electronics industry, and there was no end to that work. With window cleaning there is a beginning and an end, within hours. So for me, that was the path forward.
What rebuilding really looked like
It was very hard. It was lonely, and I wanted to give up a lot of times. But step by step, the red tape became thinner. I made some progress, and the word of mouth got bigger.
I took on side projects along the way. I became an industrial climber and built my way up to different contracts. I went out to the North Sea, working on oil rigs and then wind turbines. Year after year, life kept moving. My first child came, then my twins, and we were a married couple with three kids.
It took about six or seven years of part-time window cleaning before I had enough customers of my own to go full time.
I did not give up. And my skill was the same one I started with in 1999. The same tools, the same techniques, the same steps through cleaning a house inside and out. Now I also have rope access, so I can abseil down the side of a building if the windows are hard to reach.
The first 90 days: my money mistake
I charged too little. That is the honest answer. I soon realized the money coming in was too little for what was going out.
So my minimum charge went up, in steps:
- About $85
- Then about $175
- Then about $300
- Now, 16 years later in Vienna, I do not do any job under about $350 before tax
I charge in euros in Vienna, so these are rounded to dollars.
You soon realize you need to charge accordingly. If you do not, you attract the wrong type of customer. If you want to see the numbers, I wrote down how much window cleaners really make and what it costs to start.
What I would do differently at 40 today
I would invest more in myself and my own education. I would work hard to find my tribe, and mentors who could get me to the next stage.
I spent too long working from the information I had picked up from social media, from my environment, from the culture and from other work experiences. A good mentor would have guided me in the right direction much sooner.
What someone at 40 has that a 20-year-old does not
Life experience. And an understanding that your body is changing, and that your health is very important.
You also have a choice about your thoughts. Work on your present and future thoughts, and do not hold your past emotions as gospel. What you had in your 20s is not who you are in your 40s. Self-development has been an amazing journey for me as a window cleaner.
At 40, you have the knowledge and the life experience, and you still have many years to go.
Where to start
You do not have to move country and start from nothing the way I did. See how I teach this trade, then start free with the Manifesto. You will understand why glass streaks, and which 5 tools you need, for $35 to $60. You can find out if you like the work while you still have your current job.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 40 too old for a career change?
Not in my experience. I was almost 40 when I rebuilt from zero in Vienna. At 40 you have knowledge and life experience, and you still have many years to go. You do need to look after your health, because your body is changing.
How long does it take to rebuild a career at 40?
For me, it took six or seven years part-time before I had enough customers of my own to go full time. I was also learning a new language and raising a young family in a new country.
What was the hardest part of starting over at 40?
It was very hard and lonely, and I wanted to give up a lot of times. I had no language, no job and no friends in Vienna. It got better step by step, as the red tape became thinner and the word of mouth got bigger.
What would you do differently if you changed careers at 40 today?
I would invest more in myself and my own education, and I would find my tribe and my mentors earlier. I would also charge properly sooner, because charging too little attracts the wrong type of customer.
Do you need new skills to change careers at 40?
You need one skill you can build on. Mine was window cleaning, and I still use the same tools and techniques I started with in 1999. It takes 3 to 4 days of practice before the basics are solid.
About the author
Justin Orloff is a professional window cleaner since 1999, based in Vienna, Austria. He created the world's first AR-powered window cleaning training program at orloffs.com.
Cleaning Since 1999, Digitally Made Accessible: My industry insights are 100% human-driven. Because I live with dyslexia, I use AI tools to ensure my master experience since 1999 is polished and readable. To my Editorial Policy
Was this article written by AI?
Yes. AI helps me polish and format my writing because I'm dyslexic. The experience, techniques, and opinions are entirely my own. Full details in my Editorial Policy.