Your Future Career Remuneration

Look at the bottom end of the average salaries of the career you are interested in and ask yourself whether you'd be able to survive on that if you got one of those jobs.

Similarly, look around other, similar jobs, and make sure you're not looking at a job title that's middle-career when you should be looking at something more entry level.

• Research What's In Demand. Your first stop should be the boards and company websites that post the jobs you're interested in.
• Beef Up Your Resume. Don't neglect the experience you already bring to the table. Soft skills you may have learned (management skills, organizational skills, etc) may be a huge benefit, so don't write them off completely. 
• Go Back to School to pick up those new languages, skills, and techniques required to be competitive in your chosen field. 
• Build Your Network. Get acquainted not just with the people you want to emulate, but other people who are doing what you do now.

• Use Your Skills for Personal or Pet Projects.
• Intern or Volunteer.
• Freelance or Start a Side Gig.

If you're aiming at the same job as someone with years of experience in the field and more developed skills, you probably won't beat them out for the same gig. Aim strategically and choose opportunities that you know you can excel in.