How to Pivot Mid-Career by Tapping Into Your Strengths

Making a career pivot in your 30s, 40s, 50s, or even 60s isn’t crazy; it’s smart. By this stage, you’ve built skills, experience, and resilience. But what if you feel stuck, bored, or burned out? The answer isn’t always to start over. It’s to realign with what you’re naturally good at, and use that as your guide forward.

Here’s how to approach a mid-career pivot that plays to your strengths, not against them.

1. Take Inventory: What Comes Naturally to You?

Start by identifying your talents, gifts, and strengths, the things you do well without even trying. Ask yourself:

• What do people consistently come to me for?

• When do I feel the most energized at work?

• What tasks make time fly (vs. drain me)?
  

Not sure? That’s where tools like a DISC assessment come in. At Strategy, we can help you pinpoint your natural communication style, decision-making tendencies, and work preferences. It’s not just about personality, it’s about how you show up in real situations, and how to use that to your advantage.

2. Match Your Strengths to Career Possibilities

Once you know your strengths, ask: where else can these be useful?

For example:

• Are you a strong communicator? Maybe consulting, training, or business development makes sense.

• Analytical and process-driven? Operations, data, or systems work could be your lane.

• Creative problem-solver with leadership experience? You might thrive in innovation, strategy, or entrepreneurship.

The key is to think beyond job titles. Focus on functions and impact. How do you want to spend your days? Who do you want to serve? What kind of problems do you want to solve?

3. Test the Waters Before You Leap

You don’t have to quit your job tomorrow. Start small:

• Volunteer for projects inside your current company that use your target strengths.

• Freelance or consult part-time.

• Take a class or certification.

• Interview people in roles you’re curious about.

This de-risks your pivot. You’ll learn what fits, and what doesn’t, before making a full transition.

4. Own Your Experience

You’re not starting from zero. You’ve got decades of problem-solving, people skills, and business knowledge. Frame your pivot not as a departure, but as an evolution. Use language that highlights how your experience translates into new value.

A mid-career pivot isn’t about chasing trends or copying someone else’s path. It’s about aligning your work with who you really are, and who you’re becoming. When you lead with your strengths, the next step isn’t a gamble. It’s a strategy.

And if you’re not sure where to start? Let Strategy guide you with a DISC assessment and coaching that gets you clear, and moving forward.

🔍 Self-Assessment Tools

1. DISC Assessment (via Strategy) If you're not sure about your core strengths or how you work best, DISC is a powerful starting point. Ask your coach or reach out to Strategy to get started with a guided version.

2. CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) Discover your top talents and how to leverage them in your work life. Very useful when trying to realign with your natural abilities.

3. My Next Move – O*NET Interest Profiler A free tool from the U.S. Department of Labor that links your interests and skills to real job paths.
   

📘 Books Worth Reading

4. Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans Uses design thinking to help you reimagine and prototype new career paths. Great for practical exercises and reframing.

5. Pivot: The Only Move That Matters Is Your Next One by Jenny Blake Step-by-step system to map out your next move without starting from scratch.

6. The Squiggly Career by Helen Tupper & Sarah Ellis Ditch the linear career model and learn how to build flexibility, resilience, and fulfillment into your work life.
   

🎧 Podcasts & Video Content

7. Second Act Stories Podcast Real stories of professionals who reinvented their careers after 40.

8. WorkLife with Adam Grant Insights on job fit, purpose, and making bold changes, all from an organizational psychologist.

9. TED Talk: "Why some of us don’t have one true calling" by Emilie Wapnick A must-watch if you’ve struggled with feeling like you “should” have one career path.
   

💬 Communities & Coaching

10. Coaching with Strategy One-on-one support to help you identify your next move, evaluate your options, and create a real plan. The DISC assessment and personalized guidance are ideal for this stage.

11. Career Pivot Community Focused on professionals in their 40s, 50s, and beyond. Includes online courses and peer networking.

12. LinkedIn Groups Search for groups like “Career Changers Over 40” or “Midlife Career Reinvention.” Great for connection and inspiration.
    

Stratengy’s primary goal is to develop leaders people want to follow.  Stratengy is a talent optimization organization focusing on culture, alignment, and engagement. We specialize in employee engagement, leadership development, team development, and executive coaching. All our programs are customized and can be delivered in person or virtually.  Reach out today to see how we can help you with your strategy. Contact us at info@stratengy.com or (970) 377-9665.