What’s preventing women from taking a new direction in their careers? And what can we do to encourage more mid-career women to feel like a pivot to something new is an option?
Those are the questions at the heart of a new piece of research commissioned by Jenn Barnett, head of equity, inclusion and diversity at Grant Thornton UK.
After surveying 600 women who’d been in professional roles for between 10 and 25 years, the report found that 62% of mid-career women have considered a new career path, and just over a quarter plan to take that leap in the next five years.
Yet despite this appetite for change, there are a number of barriers keeping women from moving their careers forward, barriers that are likely to have you nodding along thinking, ‘That’s me!’
You might even be one of the 56% of women who know you want to do something different, you just don’t know what that is yet (we see you!).
Why you should tune in
There’s so much to unpack in this episode, and it’s a great conversation starter for anyone in an organisation that could be doing more to help women change direction and progress.
But it’ll also get you thinking about your own transferable skills and about how you could be futureproofing your career by doubling down on the skills needed in the workplaces of tomorrow,
Best of all, you’ll learn about Jenn’s inspiring story of resilience amidst an extraordinary diagnosis – a reminder that career interruptions can come out of the blue, but there’s always a way through.
Here’s what to listen out for:
[00:48] Dealing with the impact of illness.
[06:51] Realising you’re completely different once you’ve got through trauma.
[09:28] The mid-career crunch point for women.
[11:09] The top 3 barriers women face in pivoting their careers.
[12:26] 90% of respondents said this one thing helped reassess their skills.
[14:16] The in-demand skills that’ll futureproof your career.
[16:10] What can organisations do to close the gender gap?
Want to know more?
✅ Listen to the full episode
✅ Join the conversation in the comments on our socials and tell us what’s holding you back in your career journey.
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Useful links and resources mentioned in this episode:
Grant Thornton Report – EmpowHer: Career pivots and future skills for professional women
World Economic Forum – The Future of Jobs Report 2025
Connect with Grant Thornton
Website ｜ LinkedIn ｜ Instagram ｜ YouTube
Connect with Jenn
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