Abstract
Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is reshaping work faster than many organisations can redesign roles and support people through the transition. This study explores how mid-career professionals in Australia experience GenAI-driven change and what this means for career adaptability and wellbeing. Using the Kübler-Ross Change Curve, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 17 mid-career professionals across sectors and analysed the transcripts thematically. Participants described GenAI as an unfolding change process rather than a single event. Early reactions ranged from excitement and curiosity to fear and cautious uncertainty, and then to frustration when rollout was slow, governance was unclear, or expectations were inflated. Over time, experimentation became the dominant adaptation behaviour, with participants redesigning workflows, testing the limits of tools, and investing in new skills. Professional identity and perceived value were recalibrated, creating both opportunities and threats. Wellbeing effects were mixed, with some gaining time relief while others experienced overload. Career adaptability resources, supported by organisational practices that provide time, guidance, and psychological safety, appeared central to the movement toward integration.