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Mid-Career Change

Mid-Career Change

Mark Crossfield 149 Episodes Jun 17, 2026

Mid-Career Change is a podcast for professionals feeling uncertain about their career path. Hosted by career coach Mark Crossfield, it offers practical exercises, frameworks, and conversations to help listeners think more honestly about their work and future. The show emphasizes writing as a tool for clarity and reflection. Mark draws on his own experience of shifting from a 28-year career in civil engineering to coaching.

Episodes

148. The Comparison Trap: Why Other People’s Careers Knock Your Confidence Jun 17, 2026 686 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 ga
147. Is Your Job Draining You – Or Is It Just Three Meetings? Jun 3, 2026 753 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
146. Who Are You Without Your Job Title? May 20, 2026 802 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
145. Can You Afford a Career Change? May 6, 2026 1683 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 a
144. How to Make a Great Start in a New Mid-Career Role Apr 22, 2026 744 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 t
143. What’s Missing From Your Work? (And Why It Matters) Apr 8, 2026 448 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
142. Stuck in Your Career? Try This 6-Minute Exercise Mar 25, 2026 773 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 th
141. How to Think About Your Career When You Don’t Have a Plan Mar 11, 2026 678 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
140. Rebuilding Confidence in Mid-Career: The Evidence You Already Have Feb 25, 2026 465 In this episode, I turn to confidence, particularly the kind of confidence that often wobbles in mid-career.When roles change, expectations shift, or you begin to question your direction, confidence can take a knock. Not because you’ve lost your ability, but because many of the external markers we rely on, such as job titles, seniority, or organisational status, start to feel less secure.In this e
139. The Invisible Career Scripts Shaping Your Choices Feb 11, 2026 467 In this episode, I explore a quiet but powerful idea: the invisible career scripts many of us follow without realising.These scripts are the stories we inherit from family, education, workplaces, and professional cultures. Ideas about what success should look like, what feels sensible, and what feels risky. They often sound like good advice: work hard, don’t rock the boat, be grateful for what you
138: Exploring Independent Work in Mid-Career Jan 28, 2026 2149 In this episode of Mid Career Change, I’m joined by Michael Tabirade for a thoughtful conversation about what happens when a familiar career path no longer fits in the same way. Michael spent many years in senior public sector leadership roles, working on large-scale transformation programmes across health and government, before moving towards more independent, portfolio-style work. We talk about
137. Three Questions to Help You Rethink Your Career Jan 14, 2026 438 In this episode of the Mid-Career Change podcast, I explore three gentle signs that something in your working life might be asking for attention — and what those signs are really telling you.January is often a moment of clarity. With a bit more distance from your usual routines, you start to notice things you might have brushed aside during a busy year. But recognising these signs doesn’t mean you

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