Hi, I’m Allison Venditti, and this is the Moms at Work podcast. I’ve been an HR professional and a career coach for over a decade, and our team has helped thousands of women grow their careers. So whether you’re burnt out, underpaid, or just plain fed up, this podcast is here to fuel your fire, connect you to our movement, and help you take your career to the next level.

On today’s episode, we are going to be talking about midlife career change. So whether you’re changing because you’ve just had a kid and work’s not working for you anymore, or your kids are getting older and you’ve got more time — and because you’re a different person — all sorts of reasons are valid reasons. Nothing about you has changed, but everything has also changed.

So today we’re going to get into it and talk about midlife career change. Before you roll your eyes and think, I’m too old for this, or I’ve got a mortgage and a kid who won’t sleep and the idea of redoing my resume is just awful, I want you to take a hot second and take a breath — because you’re not alone.

So whether you’re burnt out, bored, or you’re just finally admitting that you hate your job, this episode is for you.

I’m going to start by saying that I have changed jobs a lot. And you’re not crazy — you’re growing. Think about all the things you wanted when you were in your 20s. I can guarantee you that when I was in my 20s, I did not have a piece of paper that said, One day I want to start an organization called Moms at Work, because that just wasn’t a reality.

When I was 23, I wanted to travel the world. I wanted to do cool things. But when you asked me what I wanted to do with my life, I had no idea. And I really thought that by my 40s, I’d have it figured out.

I’m going to tell you a secret: even though I run Moms at Work, and even though I like what I do, I’m not sure that this is it — because career change is always changing.

So today we’re going to talk about things that you can do and things that might be helpful while you consider a career change.

To start, I want to talk about something that nobody wants to talk about when we talk about career change. And that thing is this little voice in your head that says, I was supposed to have this figured out by now.

Whether that’s your parents, your grandparents, or your father who just wants you to have a good job with a pension, or they think you’re losing your mind because you say you want to start your own business — no one prepped you for career change.

When we talk about careers, it went like this: you go to school, you do well, you go to university, you do well, then you go out into the job market and that’s sort of it. You just go until you get a mid- or senior-level management job and you do that for the rest of your life.

That may have worked in the 50s and 60s, but today I can’t think of one person I know who has done the same job for their entire career.

So let’s get this straight. Wanting to change careers doesn’t make you flaky. It doesn’t make you ungrateful for having a safe, secure job. And it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re having a midlife crisis. All it means is that you’re paying attention to yourself and tuning into your needs for the first time.

One of the biggest parts of our lives is our career. So why wouldn’t we want to change it?

We outgrow relationships. We outgrow jobs. We outgrow people. We outgrow places. We outgrow that weird haircut you tried in 2005 — that was me. Life isn’t meant to be static, and neither is your career.

Here’s the truth: the average person will change careers five to seven times in their life. So if you’re thinking, It’s too late for me, I’m going to counter that with no — it’s not too late. In fact, I think you’re right on schedule.

I want to ask a really important question — and it’s something people don’t usually ask themselves, and something I didn’t even ask myself.

Why do you want to change careers?

Before you look at your resume, go on LinkedIn, sign up for another program, or jump down the rabbit hole of what all your friends are doing, I want you to stop and ask why. Not why am I failing or why do I suck — but why, for you.

Is it because you want to spend more time with your kids? Make more money? Make an impact? Have more freedom or flexibility? Do you hate your boss?

Why matters, because you need to figure out whether it’s the job, the stage of life, or your career. Sometimes it’s all three.

Career change isn’t always about running toward something new and shiny. Sometimes it’s about running away from burnout, finding a better fit, or working for someone who’s not a jackass.

Often, when people come to me wanting to change careers, about 25% of them actually like what they do — they just can’t do it this way anymore. That’s a much easier problem to solve.

Before you sign up for a brand-new university program, you need to figure out your why.

I want to give a huge thank-you to David Spinks, who outlined four career change options. People feel overwhelmed because they think there are a million options. So we’re going to simplify this.

There are four ways to approach career change.

Option one: the big leap. You quit your job, leave your industry, and do a full reset. This is not for the faint of heart and not for people who need a regular paycheck.

Option two: micro shifts. You stay in your job but carve out small intentional spaces — a course, a freelance project, experimenting. This takes longer, but that’s okay.

Option three: the middle way. You go part-time, consult, or take a fractional role. You sacrifice some income and safety, but you gain time and breathing room.

Option four — and this is a very valid option — do nothing. Sometimes doing nothing is the move. If you’re maxed out, exhausted, caring for kids or parents, not changing careers right now is still a decision.

It’s not forever. It’s just for now.

There are only four options — and you just need to figure out which one works for you right now.

Next, we need to talk about the passion narrative and why passion is not a career plan.

Passion is cute. It’s catchy. And I completely blame Steve Jobs. But passion doesn’t guarantee better work. We see this in non-profits all the time — less pay, more burnout.

Passion often comes after you build skills, confidence, and see impact. You don’t find it by waiting — you find it by trying.

Now we hit what I call the Barrier Olympics, also known as Why I Haven’t Done It Yet:
I can’t afford it.
It’s too late.
I don’t want to start over.
What if no one hires me?

Here’s my favorite: I want to change careers but I don’t want to make less money.
Then don’t choose a career that makes less money.

There aren’t a million jobs. And that’s a good thing. Close doors. Decide what you won’t do. That clarity reduces overwhelm.

Women also forget their career capital — leadership, crisis management, complex planning, staying calm in chaos. That matters.

Please stop trying to jam yourself into LinkedIn job descriptions. They’re our best guess, not gospel. And while you’re at it, turn LinkedIn off for a bit. Comparing yourself to others while figuring out your next step is deeply unhelpful.

You don’t need another degree. You need to network.

Most senior jobs are never posted. They’re filled through referrals and conversations. Networking bridges the gap when you’re changing careers far better than a resume ever will.

If women put the same energy into networking as they do into upgrading credentials, the workforce would look very different.

So decide how you want to pivot. Recognize that now might not be the right time — and that’s okay. And if you need help, I invite you to look at the Moms at Work Collective. I built it so women could support each other through these transitions.

We’ve got steps. We’ve got a plan. We’ve got resources.

Let’s get started.

I’m Allison Venditti, reminding you that you’re doing a good job.