Mid-life and mid-career support for people navigating work that no longer fits
Professional career development support for women in mid-life, veterans transitioning from the ADF, and organisations seeking ethical outplacement and Career EAP services across Australia.
Not all superheroes wear capes.
Many are people who have carried responsibility for a long time - in careers, in service, in families, and in systems that rarely pause to ask what the cost has been.
In my work, I meet women and veterans who have not failed, lost motivation, or become ‘less capable’.
What has shifted is capacity.
At mid-life or mid-career, energy, health, priorities, and tolerance change. The strategies that once worked begin to extract more than they give. What once felt manageable can quietly become unsustainable.
This work exists for that moment - not to push harder or move faster, but to help people understand what is changing, what still matters, and how to move forward in ways that are realistic, dignified, and in honour of their capacity right now and into the future.
It’s time to change the narrative on careers…
And that’s why at Soul Compass we do things a little differently.
What I actually do
I am a professionally trained career development practitioner. My work sits within the field of career development and career counselling, informed by evidence-based theory, labour market insight, and extensive practice.
Alongside this, my approach is shaped by long-standing study in mind–body therapies and Ayurveda, as well as lived experience of career change, capacity limits, and complexity.
These lenses do not replace professional career practice. They deepen it. They inform how I understand:
Energy, capacity, and burnout
The relationship between work, health, and identity
Why some career strategies stop working over time
What sustainable work actually requires at different life stages
In practical terms, I support people to:
Make sense of where they are and how they got here
Understand capacity, burnout, and sustainability
Clarify direction without forcing premature decisions
Translate experience, skills, and identity into meaningful options
Develop practical career tools - including résumés - as part of the process, not the whole solution
This is not motivational coaching.
It is not therapy.
And it is not a transactional résumé-writing service.
It is career development, done properly - with the whole person in view.
When career counselling is most helpful
People often come to this work when:
They feel stuck, restless, or quietly disengaged at work
Burnout keeps recurring despite time off or reduced hours
Their capacity has shifted and old strategies no longer work
Work is impacting health, energy, or relationships
They are questioning whether to stay, change roles, or step away
Their experience feels underused or misaligned
They are navigating transition, redundancy, or uncertainty
They want to make thoughtful decisions without rushing into the wrong next step
This work is not about finding the ‘perfect’ job.
It’s about understanding what is no longer sustainable - and what might be.
You don’t need to be in crisis for this work to be appropriate.
Many people begin simply because something no longer feels right.
You’re in the right place if…
You may not be looking for a promotion or a dramatic reinvention.
You might simply know that the way you are working now no longer fits your life, your health, or your values.
Many people come here feeling:
Stuck, restless, or quietly disengaged
Burnt out or operating beyond their true capacity
Uncertain about what they want next, but clear it can’t be ‘more of the same’
Tired of being told to be more resilient, confident, or strategic
This work is for people who want clarity, not pressure - and careers that reflect who they are now, not who they were earlier in life or service.
How can we help…
Working with women in mid-life
Most of my work is with women over 35 who are questioning how their career fits with their life, health, and responsibilities.
Some women want to change roles or industries.
Some want to redesign how they work.
Some want to stay exactly where they are, but with clearer boundaries, confidence, and sustainability.
Often, the real work is not about finding something new, but about responding wisely to capacity shifts that have been ignored or overridden for years.
There is no assumed outcome here.
Only thoughtful, supported decision-making that respects the complexity of women’s lives.
Supporting veterans transitioning from the ADF
Leaving Defence is rarely just a job change.
For many veterans, transition involves shifts in identity, structure, health, and certainty, often alongside complex administrative and systemic processes. Capacity is frequently shaped by service, injury, and prolonged uncertainty.
Career decisions are often made in imperfect conditions, not ideal ones.
I support veterans to navigate defence-to-civilian transition with clarity, respect, and realistic career development support that accounts for capacity, context, and lived experience.
Working with organisations: Career EAP and outplacement
I also work with organisations seeking ethical, evidence-based career support for their people.
This includes Career EAP and outplacement services that support:
Employee engagement and retention
Sustainable career decision-making
Ethical and dignified workforce transitions
This work is particularly valuable for experienced employees, complex transitions, and organisations that understand that wellbeing is not only psychological - it is structural, relational, and career-based.
A deeper look at this work
I have written a white paper specifically for women in mid-life who are navigating burnout, capacity shifts, and questions about their work.
It explores the relationship between career, health, identity, and life stage, and offers language and frameworks for understanding why work that once fit can begin to feel unsustainable. It puts data to the stories I have heard from women in practice.
While the white paper is written for women, many organisations have also found it useful in understanding the broader context experienced by their female employees in mid-life, particularly in relation to engagement, retention, and capacity.
Hi there, I’m Narelle Vigor, here is a little about me…
My work is informed by a diverse professional background across corporate environments, education, small business, and self-employment, as well as experience working with people across metropolitan, regional, and remote Australia.
I bring professional training at postgraduate level, alongside thousands of hours supporting women in mid-life, veterans transitioning from Defence, and employees navigating complex career change.
I am also shaped by lived experience and long-term study of how work, health, and identity interact over time.
What matters most to me is that this work is:
Ethical
Grounded
Evidence-informed
Respectful of real-life constraints
I don’t offer quick fixes or forced optimism.
I offer clarity, capability, and support that lasts beyond a single decision.