Episode Details
Back to EpisodesCareer Burnout? How to Make a Midlife Career Change Without Starting Over | #271
Description
Do you need to completely change careers to create a second act? Not necessarily.
In this episode of the Second Act Success Podcast, Shannon Russell talks with Marianne DeMello-Smith, creator and host of the Message in the Middle podcast, about career burnout, midlife career change, setting boundaries at work, and finding a career that fits the life you want now.
Marianne spent 26 years with the same financial services organization, working her way from client service representative to director and vice president. But after multiple acquisitions changed the company culture and direction, Marianne realized she was burned out, unhappy, and no longer aligned with the work environment she had once loved.
After leaving, Marianne gave herself six months to pause instead of immediately jumping into another job. She used that time to reconnect with herself, reevaluate her priorities, and decide what she wanted the next chapter of her career and life to look like.
Ultimately, Marianne discovered that her second act didn't require leaving corporate America. She found a new position as a chief of staff, but this time she entered the role with clear boundaries and honest conversations about what she was and wasn't willing to sacrifice for her career.
Shannon and Marianne discuss how to recognize career burnout, identify your transferable skills, use your professional network during a career transition, establish workplace boundaries, and stop believing that every career decision has to be forever.
They also talk about Marianne's decision to reconnect with her creative side by launching the Message in the Middle podcast and why sometimes the best way to begin something new is simply to "do it messy."
If you're experiencing career burnout, considering a midlife career change, or wondering whether you can create a more fulfilling second act without becoming an entrepreneur, this episode will help you think differently about what's possible.
Your second act doesn't have to mean starting over. Sometimes it means taking everything you've learned and using it to create a career that works better for who you are today.
🔗 Get the full show notes here!
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