Mike Jeffrey on changing careers while keeping your values intact

The majority of people who work for not-for-profit organisations are driven by a fundamental desire to help others. As a result they tend to remain in the sector, and in many cases, within the same organisation, for the majority of their careers. 

The work can be difficult, under-resourced and emotionally draining - but at the same time immensely fulfilling. Having a clear purpose in your day to day job is an incredibly powerful motivator.

But what do you do if 20 years into your career you feel that you need to make a major change to your status quo, but don’t want to compromise your core values?

Most of us fantasise about radical, mid-life career changes from time to time, but not many of us actually go through with it.

Mike Jeffrey did just that, taking a major leap of faith by leaving a stable 20 year career in a church-based aged care organisation, for the uncertainty of a tech startup.

In this episode of “The Business of Ageing” Mike talks us through his experience and how his early days as a youth worker showed him the importance of “community” in developing and maintaining people’s sense of purpose. 

This has been a theme that has stayed with Mike throughout his career within the aged care sector, leading Marketing for Wesley Mission Queensland before jumping across to tech start up “Pluss Communities”.

We have all heard about “transferrable skills” but Mike Jeffrey’s experience is a story about “transferable values.”

The Business of Ageing podcast has been produced by Shaun Alexander at Pluss Communities

To learn more about Pluss Communities click here

Is there someone that you'd like featured on The Business of Ageing? Send Shaun your guest ideas here

Click here to learn more about Mike Jeffrey