327: Not Unhappy to Quit, But Not Loving Your Job Either

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 challenges, stretches, or fulfills you. For many mid-career professionals, job-hugging feels practical.  Mortgages, caregiving responsibilities, financial commitments, and risk aversion all make staying put seem like the responsible choice.  But over time, that comfort can quietly erode confidence, stall growth, and reduce your long-term market value. This episode explores the real tradeoffs between security and stagnation, with honesty and empathy for the realities of mid-career life. One of the most important mindset shifts for mid-career professionals is learning to separate intrinsic worth from market value. Your worth as a person is infinite. Your market value, however, is shaped by your skills, level, results, visibility, and relevance in the current job market. In this conversation, you will learn how to:Advocate for compensation and opportunity without pricing yourself out of rolesClarify the impact you deliver, not just the responsibilities you holdReframe how you talk about your work so decision makers understand your value If this episode resonated, subscribe to The Mid-Career GPS Podcast, share it with a friend who is feeling “fine” but unfulfilled, and leave a review so more mid-career professionals can find the support they need. Support the show Ready to give your career the jumpstart it needs to whatever is next? Schedule a $197 Career/Leadership Strategy Session. Click here to learn more about how this transformative strategy session will help you. Visit https://johnneral.com/resources to: Subscribe to my free leadership and career newsletter Get The Mid-Career Promotion Blueprint to help you figure out whatever is next for you and your career Join The Mid-Career GPS Membership Community. Please leave a rating and review on Apple Podcasts here. Connect with John on LinkedIn here. Get John"s New Mid-Career Journal on Amazon here. Follow John on Instagram @johnneralcoaching. Subscribe to John"s YouTube Channel here.