Older male seeking advice. Is it too late?
I've been thinking about becoming a paralegal as a male in their early 40s, but I'm worried that my circumstances in terms of age and gender might work against me. I've been reading around, and while I did come across anecdotes of older people successfully pivoting to become a paralegal, there seems to be very little out there in terms of men my age pursuing this as a career pivot at this stage in the game.
My biggest worry is how I'm going to be perceived by a prospective employer, like "why is this 40 year old dude with no legal experience trying to apply for this position?" Especially from male attorneys my age, who might potentially view me as some kind of weird, threatening competition (I have no desire to be come a lawyer), or even look down on me for even trying to apply as an older male (and then subsequently throwing my resume in the trash). Right now, I'm looking at paralegal certificate programs in my area, and I'm very much open to the idea of applying for entry level positions, like file clerk, legal assistant, etc. to get some experience under my belt, but if my gender+age is going to work as a deterrent, then I rather not waste my time and money on something that'll invariably end up fruitless.
Am I overthinking this, or do my fears and worries have merit? Are there any male paralegals here that started out later in life that can provide their perspective on this?