The Mid-Career Change

Turning What You Love into What You Do
By Patrick O’Connor

My previous blog segments have examined people who are in the initial phase of their career continuum: college graduates and students who attend college without graduating. This and the next segment examine people who are at the mid-career level: those who are making voluntary career changes and those who are forced into a change. 

Why do people make a voluntary mid-career change? Mid-career is usually a good place to be, as you are established, probably have a decent salary and benefits. You also have a good bit of experience under your belt. If things are going okay why mess with it? Perhaps though, there is something missing.

Most people at mid-career will probably still work another 20 years or longer. Will they remain happy and satisfied for the rest of their career in their current position?

This blog provides a behind-the-scenes look at why successful people are willing to risk the status quo in search of something better.

Two voluntary mid-career change examples are offered. First, the mid-career change of Debra Gould is described followed by the changes of Marty Mordarski.

Debra Gould
“I’ve loved decorating since I was a kid playing with dolls— making houses and furniture out of cardboard boxes, scraps of fabric and anything else I could find lying around the house,” comments Debra Gould, the Staging Diva, on her website. She was a successful business executive with degrees in marketing and business and a passion for interior decorating but still wanted to lead a more fulfilling lifestyle. 

Debra had done some home staging while buying and selling houses part-time. She realized she could teach other people to do the same and the Staging Diva was born. She comments on her website, “I no longer wanted to be buried in high-pressure work. I wanted to be there for my daughter before and after school.” Her goal became to create  “a community of successful home stagers and teaching them how to make money doing what they love.”

She combined her passion for decorating with her education/experience to turn what she loves into what she does. “It was an interesting journey, taking my gifts and passions and figuring out how to make a living from my creativity while raising a kid on my own. I was determined to show her that it IS possible to follow your creative dreams and still support yourself. It just took me several years to figure out how! My becoming a home stager changed everything for us.”

Marty Mordarski
Marty Mordarski made two voluntary mid-career moves. He is currently Senior Director of Campus Operations for the six physical campuses of the Tech Elevator coding bootcamp, Tech Elevator Coding Bootcamp I Code School. Prior to that, he was Cleveland Chapter Executive Director for the Positive Coaching Alliance and for most of the 17 years before that, he directed the NorthCoast 99 application process for the Employer’s Resource Council (ERC). What was he seeking in his mid-career moves?  

Like the Staging Diva, Marty’s mid-career moves were built on previous successful experiences. The mission statements of ERC, the Positive Coaching Alliance and Tech Elevator all align with Marty’s commitment to performance analysis and improvement. This commitment goes back to his middle school days when he kept statistics for his 8^th grade football team. 

Marty has been a part of the solution to the “brain drain” problem in Northeast Ohio. That is, a lot of the talented people in the region leave for better opportunities in other states. Some of these people would prefer to remain in Northeast Ohio if they had a career-sustaining opportunity. 

Marty has been deeply involved in solving this problem for years but still wanted to be more closely connected to it. He wanted a place where he could broker supply (employees) and demand (employers). Tech Elevator provided him the  opportunity to put people on a path for success and provide employers with quality, skilled workers.  Marty and Tech Elevator believe “we’re here to elevate people, companies and communities.”

He also knew that many workers usually zigzag around for awhile, trying different jobs/careers before they find their niche. He views this situation as untapped talent to fill the talent gap. Marty practices what he preaches, as the bulk of those attending Tech Elevator are making a voluntary career change. In seven years, Tech Elevator has 2,000 alums living and working in Northeast Ohio for some of the most successful organizations in the region. 

Marty and Debra were happy, successful, and satisfied in their careers, yet they pursued new opportunities via a voluntary mid-career change. They examined and explored their passion for stretching their experience, talent, skill and ability. They envisioned a future filled with additional options and opportunities. This is a great foundation for turning what you love into what you .

My March blog segment will examine people who are forced to make mid-career changes.