Navigating a career in a volatile business taught me resilience and resourcefulness. In my TEDx talk, I joked that I had been fired 39% of the time in my entertainment industry career. That got a laugh—a nervous laugh—because who turns something like getting fired into a statistic? Losing a job is a traumatic experience, but I wanted to make the point that career transitions are the norm in today’s disrupted economy, and we all must be prepared and skilled in handling them.Landing and sustaining a job is especially challenging in mid-career. I learned that first-hand after my startup went bust at the end of the Dotcom era and I struggled to find my footing. I was 50 years old and decided to go back to school to earn a master’s degree in psychology - not because I wanted to be a psychologist, but because I wanted to learn to think differently about who I was and what I could do.It took me about a year to make the pivot, but I discovered a new calling and a new direction. This led to my role at DreamWorks Animation and the foundation of my career coaching practice, which I’ve developed over the past 12 years.Here are two key paradigm shifts that mid-career professionals can use to turn the tables on the broken hiring system:- Your resume won’t get you hired. Instead, focus on your network, build relationships, and engage with colleagues who understand your value.- Stop thinking like a generalist. Instead, create a niche value proposition (your “superpower”) that describes what you do best and delivers the solution to specific problems in your field.When I became a coach, I made a tough choice: Employers no longer have your back, so I didn’t want to work for companies. I wanted to work for people. As an advocate for my clients’ talents, vision, and goals, I love helping them rediscover their motivation, reaffirm their purpose, and reignite their confidence.Mid-career professionals face significant headwinds in the career marketplace: ageism, insensitivity, and outdated HR and recruiting mindsets.But I believe that things are changing. The workforce is getting proportionally older, forcing employers to reconsider their ageist assumptions. Greater longevity means we can continue to find meaning and purpose through our work and leave a legacy by mentoring others and fostering innovation.Building a sustainable career starts now, at this important juncture. Your future is about providing your best value and working the way you want to work for as long as you want.Let's create your game plan!https://johntarnoff.com/strategy