Over the past few months I’ve had many conversations with friends about where we are in our careers and there seems to be a consistent theme for everyone: Uncertainty. Some are not sure they are doing what they really care or are interested about. Some are questioning the intensity of their work schedules. A few of my friends are completely re-envisioning what they want to be doing with their lives, including dramatically changing careers. I think partly this is due to age — we’re all in our mid 30s/40s and it’s the time to re-evaluate where we are in life and career. I also think the economic crisis of the last year is giving lots of people pause about what it means to have a job and what type of job they want to have.

As for me, it’s a little tough to describe where I am, career-wise, but for the sake of full disclosure, I will try. I’ve been working for almost 12 years now (wow, that seems kind of long) and have had tried three different — but very much related — career paths: Consulting, venture capital, and small tech start-ups. Each one taught me a ton and each one had things about it that I absolutely loved and absolutely hated. Overall, I do feel that I’ve discovered several things that I love to do, professionally, and that in itself I consider lucky since I know many older people who still say they are not sure what they’d like to do, job-wise.

There are a lot of things about my current job and career path that match up well with what I enjoy doing. I work with bright, energetic people in a fast-paced working environment (perfect for my type A personality). I get to think about new ideas and trends and how to turn them into software products. I work with teams that actually execute on these ideas vs sit around and talk about them all day long (which I am aware doesn’t happen everywhere).

But there also things I enjoy doing, job-wise, that I am not. I don’t get to do a lot of writing or speaking, both of which are big passions of mine. And while I believe that we do create value at work, I’d love to do something at a point in my career that has significant impact on making people’s lives better. Yes, I still have not given up on my idealism (was I supposed to do that as a college student?)

I am in my mid-thirties (that is SCARY to say!) and I know I have some time to try new and different things. But I am also aware that changing careers has a cost — seniority, pay, flexibility — and as a working mom, that is always a consideration. For now, I am focusing on the things at my job and in my field that I am excited about, but I am certain that there is still some career uncertainty for me.

What about you and your career? Are you happy with what you’re doing or are you thinking about a change? Do you find that many of your friends are settled in their career fields are are folks talking about career uncertainty?