Middle aged women who have previously been occupied with family and community activities often experience increased role stress when they begin to invest more time and energy in their work roles. To compare coping styles women use to adjust to job changes, 71 women, aged 30-62, who had changed jobs within a 3-year interval were classified into four groups and labeled with a coping style: Wanters-Planners (Creators, N=12); Wanters-Nonplanners (Maintainers, N=28); Nonwanters-Planners (Conventionalists, N=15); and Nonwanters-Nonplanners (Reactors, N=16). Stress levels for life events, demographic characteristics, attitudes, personality factors, job-changing strategies, and perceived job and life outcomes of the women were analyzed. The groups were matched for age, education, number of children, family roles, and level of job satisfaction. Data analysis indicated the groups experienced elevated and significantly different levels of nonnormative stress and utilized statistically different coping styles. Creators were efficacious problem-solvers; Conventionalists were rigid problem-solvers who followed leaders; Maintainers used homeostatic styles; and Reactors were reactionary and repercussive in situations concomittant with highest levels of stress in the job change transition. (Author/JAC)