Reinventing Yourself Mid-Career: How to Make LinkedIn Work for You

What happens when the job you've relied on suddenly disappears – or simply no longer fits?

For many professionals in their 40s, 50s, or 60s, career change isn't just a choice. It's a necessity. Roles evolve, industries shrink, AI accelerates disruption – and traditional approaches to job hunting no longer work.

Recently, I sat down with Sydney-based career coach and LinkedIn Top Voice Jane Jackson to explore what it really takes to reinvent yourself mid-career – and how LinkedIn can help.

Below is a summary of our conversation and you can watch the full replay here:

Change is constant – and change does mean opportunity

Whether it’s redundancy, burnout, or the desire for something more meaningful, Jane is seeing a surge in clients seeking direction after decades in stable careers. Her first piece of advice?

“Before rushing to update your resumé or fire off applications, reassess. What have you loved in your career so far? What values matter to you now? What kind of legacy do you want to leave?”

She recommends a full life inventory, including health, finances, relationships, and career history – because successful reinvention starts with clarity, not panic.

“If you're not feeling well physically or emotionally, your job search will suffer. Confidence matters. So does energy.”

Why LinkedIn profiles fail mid-career professionals

From my side, I often meet people who want to improve their LinkedIn profile… but don’t yet know what they actually want to do next.

That leads to a bland, beige profile. The kind that says, “strategic leader” and “strong communication skills” without showing what that really means.

“Bland is the enemy,” Jane explained. “If you're applying for roles with generic resumes or copy-paste profiles, you'll disappear into a sea of sameness.”

Instead, we need to reverse engineer from real achievements. What problems did you solve? What actions did you take? What results did you create?

“Think back to what made a difference,” Jane urged. “Did you improve profits, streamline processes, reduce risk? Tell those stories. Don’t just list tasks.”

Don’t hide your stories – show them

This is where LinkedIn becomes a career storytelling platform – not just a CV with a photo. You can:

🔷 Use your About section to highlight what drives you, not just what you’ve done

🔷 Add rich media to your Experience section – native video, case studies, award images

🔷 Share specific projects in the Projects section, especially when making a pivot

🔷 Include a video in your Featured section to bring your energy and clarity to life

Here's my intro video:

Over 50 is not over 90. A short video showing your enthusiasm and clarity can go a long way toward combatting age bias.

And yes – your headline and banner matter too. These are prime real estate for positioning your value.

The resumé is scanned – but LinkedIn is explored

When Jane talked about bots screening resumes for keyword matches, there was an audible groan in the chat.

“Far too common,” she said. “And most job seekers don’t know how these Applicant Tracking Systems work.”

But LinkedIn is different. It’s searchable. Discoverable. And visual.

“On LinkedIn, you can show who you are, not just what you’ve done. It’s the perfect place to build a bridge between where you’ve been and where you want to go.”

Which is why, when we work on profile makeovers at Link∙Ability, we’re not just rewriting. We’re reframing.

Final thought: “You will be seen. You will be heard.”

Perhaps the most powerful moment in our conversation was when Jane was asked what her clients gain from working with her. Her answer says everything about what reinvention really requires:

“The biggest benefit? You’ll feel supported. You’ll be seen. You’ll be heard.”

That’s the heart of what both Jane and I aim to offer: not just tools, but championship. Not just content, but clarity. Not just visibility, but confidence.

If you’re in the middle of a career pivot – or quietly preparing for one – now is the time to start building a profile that reflects who you are becoming.

Because reinvention isn’t just possible. It’s powerful.