Spending decades in one career doesn’t mean it’s impossible to make a transition. In fact, as the unemployment rate continues to stay above 9 percent, more baby boomers are now opting to take on second careers than ever before. Many second careers have an entrepreneurial angle and require tremendous self-discipline for those making the change in midlife. While plenty of sacrifices are required to build a second career, most career changers agree that it’s always worth it to do something you love.

Need some inspiration to make the switch? Here, over-50 career changers reflect on how they made their transition and lessons learned along the way:

Ann Ihms, 50

Before

“I [was] an adjunct professor at Indiana Wesleyan University for six years. Before that I home schooled our three kids all the way through college.”

After

“As of May 2010, [my husband and I were] certified by the Indiana State Department of Health as a drinking water lab. We are a microbiology lab currently testing for total coli forms and specifically E. coli in well waters and swimming pool waters.”

Transferable skills

“My engineering degrees gave me a lot of technical understanding and equipment skills. The home school teaching I have done for my children and science classes for others strengthened my communication skills. I have been able to teach at a college level on a wide variety of subjects. Establishing this water-testing lab is basically an extension of being able to education consumers about basic scientific principles of measurement and data interpretation.”

The “aha!” moment

“My husband’s job was not a sure thing anymore. When we heard about the Kauffman Foundation Tech Venture business classes it seemed like a godsend to learn what we could and plunge forward into owning our own business and becoming more responsible directly for our livelihood. My adjunct teaching job was not profitable anymore because of the price of gasoline during the summer of 2008. Being off a year gave me a good time to prepare for launching this lab.”

Gail Dosik, 56

Before

“I was in designer fashion sales in New York City’s garment district. In my former life I gave sales presentations to small boutiques as well as top the top brass of stores like Neiman Marcus.”

After

“I am the founder of One Tough Cookie Inc., which offers cookie decorating lessons and sells baked goods. I design and create all the cookies and decorate my cakes and cupcakes and handle all the sales.”

Making the switch

“To start my cookie decorating business, the first thing I did was go to culinary school and get proper training. I knew how to bake but culinary school was an important part of re-training myself to think like a professional, instead of a home cook. And having completed the program with flying colors added to my ‘street cred’. Then I went to work in a few bakeries, to learn how to really streamline my movements in the kitchen and get my speed up so I could really crank out the product. Along the way, I learned what not to do, as well as what to do in a business.”

Transferable skills

“Since I came from an industry where aesthetics were key, I felt I had great color and pattern sense, which could easily be translated into creating baked goods that knock your socks off before they hit the taste buds and score a home run.”

Lessons learned

“In the beginning, I used to practically sell my products for less than they were worth because I was scared no one would buy them otherwise. I would lose money because I’d put in so much work only to cover my ingredients, not my labor. With all the experience I’ve gained, I’ve gained ever more in the confidence department. And clients appreciate that I create edible art.”

Alina Dizik