The Job Hunting Podcast

Episode 324 - If you've ever felt frustrated by job search advice that doesn’t seem to work for you, this episode will help you understand why, and what to do instead. This episode is being rebroadcast as Episode 324 during our holiday break. It originally aired as Episode 277, and it remains one of the most useful episodes I’ve recorded for professionals who feel stuck in their job search.If you spend any time on LinkedIn these days, you’ll find no shortage of job search success stories. Posts from professionals who landed a new role in record time are often presented as if they hold the ultimate secret formula. The implication? If you’re still struggling to land your next opportunity, you must be doing something wrong.But the reality of job searching, especially for experienced corporate professionals, is far more complex than these polished narratives suggest. As a career strategist and coach, I work with professionals every day who are trying to navigate a labor market that has changed drastically. Their frustrations, struggles, and triumphs reveal an inconvenient truth: job search success is rarely as simple as social media makes it seem.Read the full Blog on the Website31 Days of Action for Job SeekersFind Your Talents: Learn About Your Strengths, and Watch Your Career GrowJoin 5,000+ Readers of The Job Hunting Newsletter: Subscribe NowLear More About Renata's career coaching and courses Timestamps to guide your listening:00:00 Debunking Job Search Myths06:08 Understanding the Real Cost of Job Search Advice15:10 Identifying Your Unique Job Search Strategy21:36 Creating Your Own Success StoryLinks mentioned in this episode:Learn more about working with meBook a consultation with RenataThe Job Hunting Made SimpleEpisode 117 - The Job Hunting Experience, with Amber KnightEpisode 55 - From City Life to Tropical Paradise: A Positive Redundancy Story Update, with Alistair FreemanAbout the host, Renata BernardeHello, I'm Renata Bernarde, the Host of The Job Hunting Podcast. I'm also an executive coach, job-hunting expert, and career strategist. I teach corporate, non-profit, and public professionals the steps and frameworks to help them find great jobs, change, and advance their careers with confidence and less stress. Watch the Episodes on YouTubeFollow Renata on Social Media:LinkedInInstagramFacebookX / Twitter

Holiday Replay Episode 322 - Are your job search efforts failing short? Discover the 5 critical mistakes that could be stopping you from landing your next role, and how to correct them.This episode is being rebroadcast as Episode 323 during our holiday break. It originally aired as Episode 275 and it remains one of the most useful reset episodes I’ve recorded for experienced professionals who feel stuck in their job search.This is the kind of episode that lands differently when you’re tired, discouraged, or overthinking your next move. If this year didn’t go to plan, use this as a practical reset: mindset, interview presence, upskilling signals, and the small etiquette details that quietly cost offers.When job seeking, while external factors played a role, it’s crucial to focus on the aspects within your control. In this podcast episode, I explore the five main reasons why you may not have secured a job and, more importantly, what you can do differently.Drawing insights from renowned experts, as well as my own experience as a career coach, I will guide you through key mindset shifts, practical job search strategies, and essential interview techniques that can transform your career prospects. In this blog I will summarize the key points from this episode.Read the full Blog on the Website31 Days of Action for Job SeekersFind Your Talents: Learn About Your Strengths, and Watch Your Career GrowJoin 5,000+ Readers of The Job Hunting Newsletter: Subscribe NowLear More About Renata's career coaching and courses Timestamps to guide your listening:00:00 Welcome and Introduction to 2025 Job Market02:09 Reflecting on Job Search Challenges04:36 Mindset: The Invisible Force in Job Success20:54 Common Mistakes in Job Applications31:02 Actionable Steps for Job Seekers in 2025Links mentioned in this episode:Job Hunting Made Simple ProgramBook a consultation with RenataEpisode 321 - The job market in 2025 has been flat, competitive, and emotionally draining for many professionals. In this episode, recruiter Geoff Slade and I unpack what’s really happening behind the scenes and what job seekers can do to stand out, especially when everyone’s application starts to look the same.Episode 273 - Insights from a Top Recruiter: How to Advance Your Career as an Internal CandidateMarisa Peer Ted TalkArticle mentionedAbout the host, Renata BernardeHello, I'm Renata Bernarde, the Host of The Job Hunting Podcast. I'm also an executive coach, job-hunting expert, and career strategist. I teach corporate, non-profit, and public professionals the steps and frameworks to help them find great jobs, change, and advance their careers with confidence and less stress. Watch the Episodes on YouTubeFollow Renata on Social Media:LinkedInInstagramFacebookX / Twitter

Episode 320 - Discover the idea of “productive cringe” and how the slightly embarrassing moves you avoid are often the exact moves that unlock new roles, better opportunities, and a more sustainable career. Over the past few months, a phrase has appeared again and again in my coaching sessions with senior professionals. “I know I should post on LinkedIn, but that feels cringe.” “I know I should reach out to that person at my dream company, but that feels cringe.” “I know I should negotiate, but I do not want to be that person.” At first glance, these might sound like small worries. In reality, they tell us a great deal about how mid-career professionals are relating to their work in 2025. Cringe has become a powerful, if unspoken, organising force in many corporate careers. Not the justified embarrassment that comes from genuinely unprofessional behaviour, but the anticipatory discomfort we feel when we imagine colleagues rolling their eyes at our ambition. Read the full Blog on the Website31 Days of Action for Job SeekersFind Your Talents: Learn About Your Strengths, and Watch Your Career GrowJoin 5,000+ Readers of The Job Hunting Newsletter: Subscribe NowLear More About Renata's career coaching and courses Timestamps to guide your listening:00:00 The Cringe Factor in Career Advancement00:53 Understanding Cringe and Its Impact07:21 Overcoming Cringe in Job Search12:06 Networking and Cold Outreach Cringe19:29 Negotiating Salary and Ambitions24:38 Reinventing Yourself and Embracing Change26:09 Learning from Leaders: Embracing CringeLinks mentioned in this episode:Subscribe to My NewsletterJoin my RB Lnkdn ClubThe LinkedIn post about being unemployed during the holiday seasonWork with me to have a clear narrativeArticle about cringe and Gen ZArticle about LinkedIn and cringeAbout the host, Renata BernardeHello, I'm Renata Bernarde, the Host of The Job Hunting Podcast. I'm also an executive coach, job-hunting expert, and career strategist. I teach corporate, non-profit, and public professionals the steps and frameworks to help them find great jobs, change, and advance their careers with confidence and less stress. Watch the Episodes on YouTubeFollow Renata on Social Media:LinkedInInstagramFacebookX / Twitter

Episode 318 - I answer real questions from professionals who are worried about a prolonged job search. We talk about whether to use the LinkedIn Open To Work banner, how to cope when your job search has stretched past a year, and what to do when employers say you are “too senior”. In my inbox and on my Zoom screen, the same faces keep appearing. They are senior managers, directors, heads of function, sometimes C suite executives. They are in their forties, fifties, and sixties. They have built careers inside large companies, delivered turnarounds, navigated crises, and led hundreds of people. Now they are sitting at home with a LinkedIn tab open, hovering over a tiny feature that has come to carry enormous emotional weight: the “Open to Work” banner. Read the full Blog on the Website31 Days of Action for Job SeekersFind Your Talents: Learn About Your Strengths, and Watch Your Career GrowJoin 5,000+ Readers of The Job Hunting Newsletter: Subscribe NowLear More About Renata's career coaching and courses Timestamps to guide your listening:03:49 Introduction to Job Search Questions12:46 Social Network and Job Advice18:01 Dealing with Seniority and Ageism27:05 Presenting Employment Gaps29:08 Unique Job Roles and Search Strategies32:12 International Coaching and Support35:24 Concluding Thoughts and Final QuestionLinks mentioned in this episode:Holiday Job Search SprintRB Lnkdn ClubEpisode 72 - Systemic Gender Biases, Double Standards, Mental and Physical Dangers Affecting Women in the Workplace - with Hannah Piterman Ph.D.Episode 162 - What Happens After We Quit Our Jobs: An Interview with Sara McElroy, Wall-Street Journal’s Poster Girl for the Great ResignationCallings.aiAbout the host, Renata BernardeHello, I'm Renata Bernarde, the Host of The Job Hunting Podcast. I'm also an executive coach, job-hunting expert, and career strategist. I teach corporate, non-profit, and public professionals the steps and frameworks to help them find great jobs, change, and advance their careers with confidence and less stress. Watch the Episodes on YouTubeFollow Renata on Social Media:LinkedInInstagramFacebookX / Twitter

Episode 316 - Dr. Sheila Gujrathi discusses how to build real influence, find sponsors, and move into executive roles without losing yourself. We unpack how fear shows up and what to do when you aren’t the “obvious” candidate. I recorded this episode to answer a question many experienced professionals wrestle with: How do you keep advancing when you do not fit the traditional mold for senior leadership? My guest is Dr. Sheila Gujrathi, a biotech executive, physician, and scientist who has led programs from idea to approval, served as a CEO and board director, and built platforms to support leaders across the health and life sciences sector. She is known for a high-impact TEDx talk on brave, inclusive leadership with more than a million views, and she co-founded a peer community that connects and develops biotech CEOs. Our conversation is a practical discussion about sponsorship, fear, authentic influence, and the specific moves that help underrepresented leaders rise without losing themselves.  Read the full Blog on the Website31 Days of Action for Job SeekersFind Your Talents: Learn About Your Strengths, and Watch Your Career GrowJoin 5,000+ Readers of The Job Hunting Newsletter: Subscribe NowLear More About Renata's career coaching and courses Timestamps to guide your listening:00:00 Introduction to Sheila Gujrathi04:58 The Journey of Leadership and Advocacy08:13 The Importance of Role Models and Mirrors10:57 Preparing for Success: Mindset and Routine14:16 Grounding Techniques for High-Stress Situations17:11 Building Trust and Authenticity in Leadership20:11 Navigating Executive Presence23:19 Engaging in Conversations and Resetting Dynamics26:19 Trust and Relationship Building29:07 The Future of Leadership and AdvocacyLinks mentioned in this episode:TEDx talk “Shattering the Glass Ceiling by Finding the Right Mirrors.”Sheila's LinkedInThe Mirror Effect (book + workbook)About the host, Renata BernardeHello, I'm Renata Bernarde, the Host of The Job Hunting Podcast. I'm also an executive coach, job-hunting expert, and career strategist. I teach corporate, non-profit, and public professionals the steps and frameworks to help them find great jobs, change, and advance their careers with confidence and less stress. Watch the Episodes on YouTubeFollow Renata on Social Media:LinkedInInstagramFacebookX / Twitter

Episode 314 - Recruiter-turned-Founder Georgie Hubbard unpacks how to pivot with confidence, optimize your resume and LinkedIn, and ditch “spray & pray” for targeted strategies that actually get results.After dozens of conversations with senior professionals over the past few months and the discussions in my latest podcast episode, I keep coming back to the same conclusion. The people who are progressing in this year’s job market are not the ones applying faster or to more roles. They are the ones who have adapted to a hiring system that is more algorithmic and more cautious than it was a year ago. The question is whether your job search strategy reflects this as well. Read the full Blog on the Website31 Days of Action for Job SeekersFind Your Talents: Learn About Your Strengths, and Watch Your Career GrowJoin 5,000+ Readers of The Job Hunting Newsletter: Subscribe NowLear More About Renata's career coaching and courses Timestamps to guide your listening:00:00 Career Boldness and Reinvention03:48 Overcoming Fear and Paralysis by Analysis08:20 Cultural Shocks and Resilience in New Environments11:28 Navigating Career Pivots and Transferable Skills16:01 Adapting to Modern Recruitment Challenges22:43 Visibility and Networking in a Competitive Market25:03 Overcoming Precision and Embracing Boldness29:39 The Fear of Regret and Career Transitions33:51 Monetizing Skills and Building a Business39:49 Navigating the Early Stages of Entrepreneurship42:30 Empowering Women in the Age of AILinks mentioned in this episode:Georgie's LinkedinGeorgie's websiteAbout the host, Renata BernardeHello, I'm Renata Bernarde, the Host of The Job Hunting Podcast. I'm also an executive coach, job-hunting expert, and career strategist. I teach corporate, non-profit, and public professionals the steps and frameworks to help them find great jobs, change, and advance their careers with confidence and less stress. Watch the Episodes on YouTubeFollow Renata on Social Media:LinkedInInstagramFacebookX / Twitter

Episode 312 - If you second-guess your success, Alison Shamir shares the mindset shifts and tools that help professionals recognise and overcome imposter thoughts. For years, clients have reached out to me with this dilemma: They are capable, experienced professionals who are unsuccessful in their job search. Usually, this is my diagnosis: They are not short of qualifications; they are short of traction.  Listening back to my conversation with imposter syndrome expert Alison Shamir, I was struck by how precisely her framework matches what my clients have faced in their careers. That is, a human tendency to discount our own track record, especially when they're unemployed and looking for work. It is a cycle in which the external system is harder to read and the internal narrator becomes louder, precisely when professionals need to demonstrate clear business value. Read the full Blog on the Website31 Days of Action for Job SeekersFind Your Talents: Learn About Your Strengths, and Watch Your Career GrowJoin 5,000+ Readers of The Job Hunting Newsletter: Subscribe NowLear More About Renata's career coaching and courses Timestamps to guide your listening:00:00 Understanding Imposter Syndrome: A Personal Journey13:18 The Role of Managers in Identifying Imposter Syndrome25:44 Recognizing Imposter Syndrome in Job Candidates26:36 Understanding Imposter Syndrome and Its Signs27:40 Conquering Imposter Syndrome: Control vs. Elimination29:03 The Three Pillar Framework for Overcoming Imposter Syndrome31:50 Real-Life Examples of Overcoming Imposter Syndrome35:03 Triggers of Imposter Syndrome and Their Impact38:23 Personal Experiences and Relatable Stories44:38 External Factors and Confidence in Job Searching48:20 Controlling the Controllables: A Key TakeawayLinks mentioned in this episode:Alison's LinkedInAlison's bookAlison's websiteLearn more about Renata's courses and servicesAbout the host, Renata BernardeHello, I'm Renata Bernarde, the Host of The Job Hunting Podcast. I'm also an executive coach, job-hunting expert, and career strategist. I teach corporate, non-profit, and public professionals the steps and frameworks to help them find great jobs, change, and advance their careers with confidence and less stress. Watch the Episodes on YouTubeFollow Renata on Social Media:LinkedInInstagramFacebookX / Twitter

Episode 310 - Most job seekers focus on what they should do. In today’s episode, we dig into what they aren’t doing and why that’s costing them jobs. At a time when headlines are dominated by artificial intelligence, layoffs, and economic uncertainty, the themes from my discussion with Nick Waterworth, CEO of Ambition, on The Job Hunting Podcast (ep 309) deserve a closer look. His insights align with what I hear daily from my clients, and he offers explanations and advice that will benefit many job seekers on their path to career advancement and success in the hiring process. As a career strategist working with experienced professionals, many of whom are navigating the turbulence of mid-to-late career transitions, I found the conversation with Nick enlightening.Read the full Blog on the Website31 Days of Action for Job SeekersFind Your Talents: Learn About Your Strengths, and Watch Your Career GrowJoin 5,000+ Readers of The Job Hunting Newsletter: Subscribe NowLear More About Renata's career coaching and courses Timestamps to guide your listening:00:00 Introduction and Setup01:58 The Journey into Recruitment04:53 The Evolution of Recruitment07:54 Adapting to Technology and AI11:09 Navigating Hybrid Work Environments14:01 Current Job Market Dynamics16:58 The Over 50s in the Workforce28:21 The Dual Faces of Interim Assignments31:11 Hiring Trends and the Need for Adaptability35:18 The Challenges of Job Ads38:25 Navigating the Recruitment Process41:19 Concerns in Recruitment for 202545:25 Common Misconceptions Among Job Seekers52:23 Understanding Niche Markets in RecruitmentLinks mentioned in this episode:Ambition Group WebsiteNick's LinkedIn ProfileAbout the host, Renata BernardeHello, I'm Renata Bernarde, the Host of The Job Hunting Podcast. I'm also an executive coach, job-hunting expert, and career strategist. I teach corporate, non-profit, and public professionals the steps and frameworks to help them find great jobs, change, and advance their careers with confidence and less stress. Watch the Episodes on YouTubeFollow Renata on Social Media:LinkedInInstagramFacebookX / Twitter