Mid-Career Change

Hosted by Mark Crossfield

Business Education

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Episodes

151

Latest episode

Jul 2026

Language

EN-GB

About the show

At some point in mid-career, the path that once made sense can start to feel less clear. Mid-Career Change is a podcast for that moment. Hosted by career coach Mark Crossfield , it helps you think more honestly about your career and what comes next. Each episode offers a different way into that thinking. Sometimes through a simple question or writing exercise. Sometimes through a framework you can apply, or a conversation with someone who has made a change of their own. Writing runs through much of the show as a practical way to slow things down, make sense of your situation, and see more clearly what matters. Mark brings his own experience to the conversation, having spent 28 years in civil engineering before making the shift into coaching. This is not a podcast about quick fixes. It’s about giving yourself the space to think properly , so you can move forward in a way that feels right for you.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

July 15, 2026Episode 15010 min

150. Necessary Endings: Knowing When Something Has Run Its Course

At mid-career, not all endings come from things going wrong. Sometimes, on the surface, everything still looks fine. The role is stable. The work is good. You’ve built experience, reputation, and a sense of identity around what you do. And yet, underneath that, something begins to feel different. Less energising. Less meaningful. Less alive. In this episode, I explore the idea of necessary endings. The kind of endings that don’t come from failure or crisis, but from growth. Because one of the most difficult realisations at mid-career is that you can outgrow something that has served you well. Drawing on ideas from Necessary Endings, I talk about why endings can feel so difficult, particularly when we’ve invested years, or even decades, into a role, identity, or way of working. We explore the emotional and psychological side of endings, including the role of identity, expectation, and the pressure to continue with something simply because it’s working. I also share a simple but powerful question to help you reflect on your current situation: “If I weren’t already doing this… would I start it today?” Alongside this, we look at how to distinguish between a temporary dip and something that has genuinely run its course, and why creating space can be an important part of what comes next. This episode is also a more personal one. After 150 episodes, I share my decision to pause the podcast for a while, and reflect on what a more sustainable, human-scale way of working might look like at this stage of life. If you’ve been sensing that something in your career or life may be coming to an end, this episode offers a thoughtful way to reflect on that, without pressure to act immediately. Sometimes the most important step is simply acknowledging the truth of where you are. Thanks for listening! If you need support with your career: call me on 07833 593875 email mark@bravocoaching.co.uk visit www. bravocoaching.co.uk

July 1, 2026Episode 14912 min

149. The Inner Critic Running Your Career

If you’ve ever found yourself thinking: “You’ve left it too late.” “You should probably stay where you are.” “What if this goes badly?” then you’ve already met your inner critic. In this episode, I explore the role that voice plays in your career, especially at mid-career when the stakes can feel higher and the decisions more significant. The inner critic often sounds reasonable. Sensible, even. It focuses on risk, uncertainty, and what might go wrong. And because of that, many people mistake it for truth. But in reality, it’s usually a protective voice. One that developed earlier in life to help you avoid failure, rejection, or embarrassment. The problem is, it hasn’t kept up with who you’ve become. In this episode, I break down some of the most common forms the inner critic takes at mid-career, including the age voice, the comparison voice, the imposter voice, and the loss-aversion voice. More importantly, I share a simple and practical writing exercise you can use to create distance from that voice and see your thinking more clearly. Because when you get those thoughts out of your head and onto paper, something shifts. What felt convincing internally often looks very different when you can actually see it. You begin to separate yourself from the voice, and that creates space for a more grounded, evidence-based perspective. This is where writing becomes a powerful thinking tool. Not about positive thinking, but about building a more accurate picture of who you are and what you’re capable of. If you’re feeling stuck, uncertain, or held back in your career, this episode will help you understand why that voice is there, and how to respond to it in a more useful way. Thanks for listening! If you need support with your career: call me on 07833 593875 email mark@bravocoaching.co.uk visit www. bravocoaching.co.uk

June 17, 2026Episode 14811 min

148. The Comparison Trap: Why Other People’s Careers Knock Your Confidence

Have you ever opened LinkedIn, scrolled for a few minutes, and closed it again feeling worse about your career? In this episode, I explore what I call the comparison trap, that quiet but persistent habit of measuring your progress against other people, and the impact it can have in mid-career. When we are earlier in our careers, comparison can feel useful. There are clear markers, and it helps us gauge where we are. But over time, paths diverge. Careers become less linear, more personal, and far harder to compare in any meaningful way. And yet, many of us keep doing it. We compare our full experience, including the doubts, the setbacks, and the slow periods, to the curated highlights we see from others. In this episode, I unpack why comparison feels so natural, why it becomes unhelpful, and how it quietly drains your confidence, clarity, and focus. More importantly, I offer a practical way forward. You will learn how to shift from comparison to curiosity, and I will introduce a simple but powerful tool from my book Write Your Career , the Highlight Reel. A way to reconnect with your own experience, your strengths, and your direction. If you have been feeling behind, stuck, or unsure of your next step, this episode will help you come back to your own path. You can find Write Your Career on Amazon here: https://amzn.eu/d/08avXPS0 Thanks for listening! If you need support with your career: call me on 07833 593875 email mark@bravocoaching.co.uk visit www. bravocoaching.co.uk

June 3, 2026Episode 14712 min

147. Is Your Job Draining You – Or Is It Just Three Meetings?

In this episode, I explore a simple but powerful idea: when we feel drained at work, it’s often not the whole job that’s the problem. It’s specific parts of it. Drawing from Chapter 13 of Write Your Career , I introduce the four dimensions of balance: Time, Energy, Attention, and Purpose. While most conversations focus on time, it’s often energy that tells the real story. You can work fewer hours and still feel exhausted, or work longer hours and feel energised, depending on how your time is spent. To help you make sense of this, I share a practical energy tracking exercise. Over a few days, you log your activities and note whether they lift your energy, drain it, or have no impact. What emerges is a clearer, more actionable picture of your working week. Instead of vague frustration, you begin to see patterns. Certain meetings, tasks, or ways of working may consistently drain you, while others give you energy. From there, the focus is on small, realistic changes. Not a complete overhaul, but a couple of thoughtful adjustments that improve how your week feels. I also touch on protecting your best thinking time, and why the activities outside work are not luxuries, but essential fuel. If something feels off in your work right now, this episode offers a grounded place to start. You can find the exercise and further book details on my website . Thanks for listening! If you need support with your career: call me on 07833 593875 email mark@bravocoaching.co.uk visit www. bravocoaching.co.uk

May 20, 2026Episode 14613 min

146. Who Are You Without Your Job Title?

What happens to your sense of identity when your job title no longer fits? In this episode, I explore a question that sits quietly underneath many mid-career decisions: If I changed careers… who would I be? For many of us, our work becomes a shorthand for who we are. Over time, our job title can start to carry more weight than it should, shaping how we see ourselves and how we introduce ourselves to others. But what happens when that identity starts to feel too small, or no longer quite right? I share some of my own experience of feeling “competent but not content,” and how the idea of stepping away from a long-established career brought up deeper questions about identity, not just direction. Drawing on ideas from Working Identity, I explore why this tension is so common in mid-career, and why the discomfort you might feel is not something to ignore, but something to listen to. I also walk you through a simple but powerful writing exercise, the Two Columns exercise, to help you separate what you do from who you are, and start to see more clearly what really defines you. If this resonates, my new book Write Your Career explores these ideas in more depth, using writing as a practical tool to help you think clearly about your next steps. https://amzn.eu/d/023bR9Op If you’re at a crossroads, or simply reflecting on what comes next, this episode will help you think about your career in a deeper, more personal way. Thanks for listening! If you need support with your career: call me on 07833 593875 email mark@bravocoaching.co.uk visit www. bravocoaching.co.uk

May 6, 2026Episode 14528 min

145. Can You Afford a Career Change?

Money is one of the biggest concerns in career change, but it’s often the least clearly understood. In this conversation with Michael Georgiou, a chartered accountant, we explore the financial fear that sits behind so many career decisions. Not just the numbers, but the uncertainty around them, and how that uncertainty can quietly hold you in place. We look at the difference between financial fear and financial reality, and the hidden cost of staying where you are when your work no longer fits. You’ll come away with a more grounded way to think about your finances, including how to understand your cashflow, what a financial buffer really means, and how to create space to explore change without taking unnecessary risk. You can connect with Michael on LinkedIn to learn more or start a conversation. https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-georgiou/ Thanks for listening! If you need support with your career: call me on 07833 593875 email mark@bravocoaching.co.uk visit www. bravocoaching.co.uk

April 22, 2026Episode 14412 min

144. How to Make a Great Start in a New Mid-Career Role

Starting a new role mid-career can be exciting, but it can also bring new expectations and pressures. In this episode, I share some practical ideas that can help you make a strong start when you step into a new job. In this episode, I explore: • Why the first few months in a new role matter more than many people realise • How to clarify what success really looks like with your manager • Why spending time in listening mode is often more powerful than rushing to prove yourself • How building relationships with key stakeholders helps you succeed • Why small early contributions build credibility and trust • A simple writing practice to help you build confidence and momentum during your first 90 days If you’re starting a new role or planning a move, these ideas will help you settle in and build momentum. Thanks for listening! If you need support with your career: call me on 07833 593875 email mark@bravocoaching.co.uk visit www. bravocoaching.co.uk

April 8, 2026Episode 1437 min

143. What’s Missing From Your Work? (And Why It Matters)

This week’s episode is a little bit different, because my new book Write Your Career is now out. Rather than just talking about the book, I wanted to give you something practical you can try straight away. In this short episode, I share one simple but powerful question: What’s missing from your work right now that would make it feel better? It’s easy to get stuck in big, overwhelming career questions like “What should I do next?” or “Am I in the right role?”. But often, clarity starts somewhere much smaller. By writing your response to this question, you can begin to spot what’s not quite there in your current role. Whether that’s challenge, variety, recognition, connection, or a sense of progress. And once you can name what’s missing, you can start to do something about it. This is exactly what Write Your Career is all about. Using simple writing prompts and exercises to help you think more clearly, build confidence, and take meaningful steps forward. So if you’ve been feeling stuck, or just want a fresh way to reflect on your career, this is a great place to start. Take a few minutes, try the prompt, and see what comes up. Thanks for listening! If you need support with your career: call me on 07833 593875 email mark@bravocoaching.co.uk visit www. bravocoaching.co.uk

March 25, 2026Episode 14212 min

142. Stuck in Your Career? Try This 6-Minute Exercise

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to give advice about other people’s careers… and how much harder it can be to figure out your own? Many mid-career professionals reach a point where their thinking becomes crowded with competing voices. Should I change direction? Aim for promotion? Start something new? Or simply stay where I am? In this episode, I introduce a simple technique that can help cut through that noise: timed writing . By setting a timer and responding to a powerful prompt, you can bypass overthinking and allow deeper insights to surface. You’ll also hear the story of Sarah, a project manager who had spent more than a decade in the same organisation. A six-minute writing exercise helped her uncover a direction she had quietly dismissed for years. If you’re feeling stuck or uncertain about your next step, this episode offers a simple exercise you can try today to bring greater clarity to your career thinking. Thanks for listening! If you need support with your career: call me on 07833 593875 email mark@bravocoaching.co.uk visit www. bravocoaching.co.uk

March 11, 202611 min

141. How to Think About Your Career When You Don’t Have a Plan

In this episode, I explore a different way of thinking about the future of your career, especially when the path ahead feels open or uncertain. Many mid-career professionals feel pressure to have a clear long-term plan. To know exactly what they are aiming for and where they are headed. When that clarity is missing, it can feel uncomfortable or unsettling. In this episode, I introduce a framework I use regularly in my coaching work called the Three Horizons. It offers a way to think about career direction without needing everything figured out in advance. We look at three distinct time horizons. The near future, where practical progress and momentum matter most. The medium term, where multiple possibilities can be explored without rushing decisions. And the long view, which connects to identity, values, and the contribution you want your work to make over time. Rather than asking you to predict the future, this approach helps you orient yourself. It allows you to hold direction lightly while still taking meaningful action in the present. If you are questioning what comes next, feeling unsure how to plan, or wanting a calmer and more realistic way to think about your career future, this episode will give you a useful framework to work with. You can explore these ideas further in my book Write Your Career , which brings together practical writing tools to support reflection, clarity, and next steps. You can find it here: https://www.bravocoaching.co.uk/books Thanks for listening! If you need support with your career: call me on 07833 593875 email mark@bravocoaching.co.uk visit www. bravocoaching.co.uk