DEAR AMY: I need some direction. I am 47, about to turn 48. I have been a Realtor for the last nine years and I'm in search of something more stable. I have been contemplating going back to college to get my degree. How can I look as favorable as possible to major employers? Am I doomed because of my age? — Atlanta Realtor

AMY LINDGREN

WORKING STRATEGIES

DEAR ATLANTA REALTOR: It won't surprise you that I've gotten quite a few letters from Realtors this year. It's a tough way to make a living right now. And not everyone went into the field with a passion for the work. Rather, many of them needed the flexibility or some other feature of the job to make their lives balance. Now that the market is rocky, this is a good time to reassess.

If you still love the field, you might consider keeping the license but working at something else for a while. That would make this an excellent time to get a degree. When you finish, the market is likely to have improved, and some competing Realtors will have changed fields.

On the other hand, if you're ready to move on, one idea would be to assess your skills and get a job with a company that will help pay your tuition. Bear in mind that the best job might be something different from your long-term career goal. For example, you might find that working for a company like UPS, which has earned a reputation for assisting part-time workers with tuition, fits well with your school plans.

As for your age: It does not doom you in the least. The real question is how you plan to present your earlier work, combined with your future potential, as a complete and useful package to employers. You need to work out the question of how your experience will benefit them, rather than make them guess at an answer.

This is a good time to meet with a career counselor — or perhaps an academic adviser — to help you organize your thinking. It's usually best to decide as early as possible whether to return to school, so you get the most opportunity to benefit from the degree (and the most time to finish paying for it). Likewise, if you decide not to earn a degree, you'll be glad to have resolved that issue so that you can focus on your next career move.

DEAR AMY: I'm thinking of switching careers after a very successful four-plus years in real estate. I'm 50 years old and change careers often, because I need new challenges. I'm thinking about going to law school to become a lawyer. Am I crazy to take on a huge school loan and make this type of career change at my age? I'm more concerned about the loan than the age part. I see myself working forever. — Midwest Realtor

DEAR MIDWEST REALTOR: There's nothing wrong with changing careers often. If you have a grasp on the big details, such as paying your mortgage and saving for retirement, there's no argument left for sticking with a career you've outgrown.

I wouldn't want to guess whether law school is the right choice, but that would become clearer through a career decision-making process.

I'm struck by the number of people who switch from fields like teaching, research and, yes, sales to make new lives as lawyers. I'm also impressed by those who earn law degrees but maintain careers in other fields. Depending on the market and your interests, using a law degree to supplement other work may be a good alternative.

The loan presents a different question. Because you see yourself "working forever," remember that you could live to be 90 or 100. That could mean 50 more years of work. With that in mind, you might as well do something you want.

Just remember: With so much invested in tuition, you probably should use the law degree at least long enough to pay off the loan.

- Amy Lindgren owns Prototype Career Service, a career consulting firm in St. Paul, Minn. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecareerservice.com or at 1071 W. Seventh St., St. Paul, MN 55102.