Mid-Career Change

Mark Crossfield
  • 5.0 (13)
  • CAREERS
  • MONTHLY

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.

  1. 22 APR

    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

    12 min

  2. 8 APR

    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

    7 min

  3. 25 MAR

    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

    13 min

  4. 11 MAR

    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

    11 min

  5. 25 FEB

    140. Rebuilding Confidence in Mid-Career: The Evidence You Already Have

    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 episode, I explore why confidence can feel fragile at this stage of a career, and why reassurance or positive thinking alone rarely helps. Instead, I introduce a more grounded approach to confidence, one built from evidence. I share a simple but powerful writing exercise called the Highlight Reel. It helps you notice moments where you were effective, energised, or at your best, and turn those experiences into clear evidence of what you bring. Not for performance reviews or interviews, but for yourself. This kind of confidence grows quietly. It comes from seeing your own strengths clearly, naming them, and trusting what you already know about how you work best. If you’re navigating change, considering your next move, or finding that your confidence hasn’t quite caught up with your thinking, this episode offers a practical way to steady yourself and move forward. You can explore these ideas further in my book Write Your Career, which brings together reflective tools and practical exercises to support mid-career growth. 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

    8 min

  6. 11 FEB

    139. The Invisible Career Scripts Shaping Your Choices

    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 have. And for a long time, they usually work. But at some point in mid-career, those same scripts can start to feel restrictive. You may find yourself feeling restless, disconnected, or quietly questioning whether the path you’re on still fits. In this episode, I talk about how to recognise when you’re living inside one of these inherited stories, and why simply noticing them can create space for change. I also share how writing can help you step outside the inner editor and hear what you actually think, rather than what you feel you should think. If your career looks fine on paper but feels slightly out of step, this episode will help you understand why that might be happening, and how to begin thinking differently about what’s next. This episode is the first in a short series, and it lays the foundation for rebuilding confidence and exploring future direction in the episodes that follow. If you’d like to explore these ideas further, you can find my book Write Your Career 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

    8 min

  7. 28 JAN

    138: Exploring Independent Work in Mid-Career

    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 the identity shift that often comes with leaving big roles, the mindset changes involved in stepping away from employment, and how to begin exploring independent ways of working without rushing or burning out. This episode is for anyone in mid-career who’s quietly questioning whether there might be a different way to work – one that offers more autonomy, balance, and alignment with what matters now. We explore: ·     The emotional reality of stepping away from established roles ·     Letting go of titles and rebuilding professional identity ·     Designing a portfolio-style working life that supports wellbeing ·     Common blind spots when moving towards independent work ·     Simple, practical first steps you can take while things are still unclear If you’re feeling curious rather than certain, and drawn to change without wanting to make a dramatic leap, this conversation will give you space to think – and permission to start gently. Michael's YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/@michaeltabirade?si=8umywRtGuktLp4Sl Connect with Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeltabirade/ 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

    36 min

  8. 14 JAN

    137. Three Questions to Help You Rethink Your Career

    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 need to make a big career change. More often, they’re early signals worth listening to — hints that something wants to grow, shift, or come into focus. In this short, reflective episode, I share three of the most common signs I see in my coaching work: • Something feels “off” — a sense that a task, expectation, or part of your role is no longer in step with who you are. • You’re craving more energy or meaning — noticing where you feel most alive in your work, and where you don’t. • You’re imagining other futures — those small, curious “what if?” questions that surface when your identity is starting to stretch. For each sign, I offer a simple writing prompt from my new 30-day course, Write Your Career, to help you interpret what the sign is pointing toward. These questions aren’t about pressure or dramatic decisions. They’re about clarity — about hearing yourself more clearly and reconnecting with what matters. Whether you’re feeling stuck, quietly restless, or simply sensing that something in your working life might need attention, this episode gives you a gentle, practical way to explore what’s going on beneath the surface. And if you’d like to work through these prompts more deeply, the Write Your Career course is available now at the January launch price of £49, with or without one-to-one coaching. 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

    7 min
See All (145)

Trailer

5
out of 5
13 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Mark Crossfield
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    145
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Mid-Career Change
  • Show Website
    Mid-Career Change

You Might Also Like