Claim OwnershipJob Search, Promotion, and Career Clarity: The Mid-Career GPS Podcast
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© 2025 Job Search, Promotion, and Career Clarity: The Mid-Career GPS Podcast
Description
Get Clarity. Get Promoted. Get Hired.
Are you feeling stuck, undervalued, or underutilized in your current role?
Wondering how to position yourself for a promotion, raise, or leadership opportunity?
Are you trying to figure out what’s next for your career, but not sure where to start?
You're not alone, and you're in the right place.
Hosted by executive and career transition coach John Neral, The Mid-Career GPS Podcast is your go-to resource to help you confidently navigate your job search, career advancement, and workplace challenges. Whether you want to find a new job, get promoted, or simply feel more fulfilled at work, this show will help you build the clarity and strategy you need to take your next step.
Each episode features actionable advice, insightful interviews, and real-world strategies to help mid-career professionals, typically managers to senior directors, design a career they love or love the career they have.
You’ve built a solid career. Now it’s time to build Your Mid-Career GPS to figure out what's next and how to get there.
New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe today and let's start figuring out whatever is next for you and your career, together.
326 Episodes
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Send us a text Many mid-career professionals sense something is off but struggle to articulate it. Feeling “fine” at work can be one of the most misleading signals in your career, especially in a volatile job market. In this episode of The Mid-Career GPS Podcast, I name and unpack a growing mid-career pattern called job-hugging. It is the instinct to cling to comfort, stability, and familiarity during layoffs, hiring freezes, and economic uncertainty, even when your role no longer cha...
Send us a text In this episode, John is joined by industrial-organizational psychologist Kat Ortiz to break down how evidence-based practices can transform workplace culture, leadership effectiveness, and employee experience in ways that genuinely support performance and growth. Kat’s unconventional career journey sets the stage. From earning her GED and starting college in her thirties to choosing IO psychology over the therapy path, she shares how she learned to change systems at scale ra...
Send us a text If you are a mid-career professional feeling drained, discouraged, or stuck because of a difficult boss, this episode gives you a clear path forward. Many professionals stay silent or shut down when leadership becomes unpredictable, controlling, or inconsistent. In today’s job market, that silence can stall your visibility, performance, and promotion potential. This episode breaks down five difficult boss archetypes and gives you a practical strategy to stabilize your workwee...
Send us a text Workplace bullying is more common than many mid-career professionals realize, and its impact on confidence, performance, and career clarity can be long-lasting. In this episode, we unpack a high-profile moment that reopened old workplace wounds for many. When power is misused to silence or diminish someone, it is more than a headline. It is a reminder of what happens in meeting rooms, team conversations, and one-on-one interactions every day. If you have ever been interrupted...
Send us a text When you reach mid-career, feedback often fades or gets frustratingly vague. You may hear you’re “doing great” or that you should “be more strategic,” but those comments rarely help you grow or move forward. In this episode, John Neral breaks down how to restart your feedback loop so your work stands out, your reputation strengthens, and decision-makers see you as promotion ready. Drawing from real coaching experiences, John explores the two types of feedback that def...
Send us a text Are you doing great work but still waiting for recognition or a promotion that never seems to come? In this episode of The Mid-Career GPS Podcast, John Neral explores how to elevate your reputation, credibility, and leadership impact without waiting for a new title. This conversation focuses on leading through influence, not authority. You’ll learn how to stand out in today’s fast-moving workplace by earning trust, building psychological safety, and demonstrating anticipatory...
Send us a text Every mid-career professional has faced that gut-punch moment when a colleague shifts blame, steals credit, or takes a public swipe to protect their image. In this episode of The Mid-Career GPS Podcast, John Neral dives into why “bus-throwing” happens, how to stay composed when it does, and what to do next to protect your professional reputation without reacting emotionally. If you’ve ever felt the sting of embarrassment, anger, or self-doubt after someone undermined you, this ...
Send us a text Feeling stuck, tired, or unsure how long you can keep pushing through your role? In this episode of The Mid-Career GPS Podcast, John Neral shares one golden question that can help you rediscover purpose, evaluate fit, and make smarter decisions about your career: Why do you come back to work every day? This simple yet powerful question uncovers what really drives you and what’s holding you back. John walks you through how to use it to gain clarity in your current role, prepar...
Send us a text What does it take to walk away from a successful career to build one that aligns with your passion and future? In this episode, Emmy-winning journalist Lindsey Mastis shares her journey of leaving a 20-year career in tv news, to create an independent reporting career focused on AI and emerging technology. If you’ve ever wondered how to make a bold mid-career pivot, this conversation is packed with insights on courage, reinvention, and staying relevant in a rapidly changing wo...
Send us a text The ground keeps moving and for mid-career professionals, that shift feels sharper than ever. As we approach 2026, success will hinge on your ability to adapt, communicate strategically, and lead through change. In this episode, leadership and career transition coach John Neral breaks down six essential skills that will define your value and visibility in the year ahead. If you’ve been feeling stuck, undervalued, or uncertain about how to stay competitive in a fast-ch...
Send us a text Feeling stretched thin by nonstop news and workplace pressure. In this episode, executive and career coach John Neral helps mid-career professionals regain momentum with presence, pace, and practical wins. Learn how to prevent burnout, ask leadership for targeted support, and use small controllables to improve performance. We also cover a data-driven approach to job search and interviews, plus a simple Mid-Career GPS to turn chaos into clarity. Ideal for managers, team leads, a...
Send us a text Have you ever been told you “lack executive presence” but never received a clear explanation of what that means? You’re not alone. For many mid-career professionals, this overused buzzword becomes a frustrating barrier to promotions and leadership opportunities. In today’s episode of The Mid-Career GPS Podcast, John Neral challenges the outdated definition of executive presence and offers a fresh framework that makes leadership expectations more actionable and achievable. Inste...
Send us a text The line between personal expression and professional consequences has never been more blurred. With recent headlines putting workplace conduct and public statements in the spotlight, many mid-career professionals are asking a tough question: Could what I say cost me my job? In this episode of The Mid-Career GPS Podcast, we unpack what every professional in today’s job market needs to know about free speech, at-will employment, and safeguarding your career. You’ll learn why...
Send us a text At some point in your career, you will be asked how you’ve used AI. Most candidates will talk about optimizing resumes or practicing interview questions, but what if your answer could be more memorable? In this episode, I share a deeply personal story about saying goodbye to my beloved cat, Amy Farrah Meowler, and how I turned to ChatGPT for guidance during that difficult time. What I learned goes far beyond grief. It demonstrates how authentic personal experien...
Send us a text Why do some highly qualified candidates land the job while others get passed over? The answer often lies in how well they tell their career story. In this episode of The Mid-Career GPS Podcast, Career Transition Coach and Forbes Coaches Council member Gina Riley, joins me to share insider strategies from her experience at Intel and as an executive search consultant. She explains how mid-career professionals can stand out in today’s competitive job market by documenting ...
Send us a text If you’re in the middle of a job search and feeling frustrated by the lack of responses, this episode is a must-listen. Today, I’m joined by Chris Bond, who candidly shares the data from his six-month job search in 2025. His story sheds light on what’s working, and what’s not, in today’s competitive mid-career job market. Chris applied for 125 positions and achieved a 50% personalized response rate and a 10% interview rate. These are numbers that far exceed typical job search...
Send us a text Are you tired of sending out job applications and hearing nothing back? Wondering if you’re overqualified or not qualified enough? If you’re a mid-career professional struggling in today’s competitive and employer-driven job market, this episode is for you. In this episode of The Mid-Career GPS Podcast, I’m answering some of the most common and most frustrating questions I hear from clients in their 30s, 40s, and 50s navigating a job search or career transition. You’ll lear...
Send us a text In 2025’s rapidly shifting workplace, women leaders face a unique set of challenges: staff cutbacks, fewer advancement opportunities, and the persistent shadow of imposter syndrome. For mid-career professionals, the pressure to remain visible, relevant, and confident has never been higher. In this episode of The Mid-Career GPS Podcast, John Neral sits down with Michelle Myers, a veteran leader at Women’s Leadership Today with over 20 years of experience developing women leade...
Send us a text If you’re a mid-career professional feeling stuck in your job, the thought of “networking” might make you cringe. Maybe it feels transactional, forced, or just plain awkward. But when networking is done “right,” it doesn’t feel like networking at all. In fact, it can be fun and energizing. In this episode of The Mid-Career GPS Podcast, John Neral shows you how to transform networking from an uncomfortable chore into a natural, ongoing part of your career development. You’ll lea...
Send us a text Are you tempted by the bold career promises flooding your social media feed like “land your dream job in 30 days” or “double your income using AI”? For mid-career professionals navigating job dissatisfaction, these flashy shortcuts can feel like a lifeline. But the truth? Real career growth isn’t about gimmicks. It’s about strategy, self-awareness, and intentional planning. In this episode of The Mid-Career GPS Podcast, host John Neral breaks down the dangers of one-size-...
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