Episode 303 - Kyle Samuels returns to share his personal health journey, the lessons it taught him about leadership, and the hiring trends shaping today’s job market. We explore recruitment trends, networking strategies, and how to handle career gaps with confidence.

The last time I spoke with executive recruiter Kyle Samuels, we were deep in conversation about executive compensation. This year, the conversation was very different. Kyle returned to my podcast with not only market insights but a deeply personal story. He had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, undergone major surgery, and endured six months of chemotherapy. On top of that, he continued to lead his firm, Creative Talent Endeavors, during one of the toughest job markets in recent memory. His experience illuminates three critical themes for corporate professionals today: resilience in the face of disruption, the centrality of relationships, and the rapid changes occurring in recruitment and hiring.

Read the full Blog on the Website

Job Hunting Made Simple

Reset Your Career - Fast-Track Your Job Search in One Weekend

31 Days of Action for Job Seekers

Find Your Talents: Learn About Your Strengths, and Watch Your Career Grow

Join 5,000+ Readers of The Job Hunting Newsletter: Subscribe Now

Lear More About Renata's career coaching and courses

Timestamps to guide your listening:

• 00:00 Weathering the Storms: A Personal Journey
• 03:48 Facing Cancer: A Life-Altering Diagnosis
• 09:16 Navigating Business During Health Challenges
• 12:57 The Importance of Health Over Work
• 16:47 Raising Awareness: The Fight Against Pancreatic Cancer
• 22:06 Returning to Work: Balancing Health and Career
• 24:25 Navigating Personal Challenges and Resilience
• 26:11 Diversity and Inclusion: Progress and Challenges
• 29:00 The Job Market Landscape: Candidate Experiences
• 33:27 Networking and Relationship Building in Job Searches
• 41:51 Emerging Job Trends and the Role of AI
• 52:46 Conclusion: Embracing Change and Future Opportunities

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Episode 226 - This Recruiter Wants You to Rethink Your Salary Expectation, with Kyle Samuels
• Episode 279 - What Job Seekers Can Learn from Sales Professionals

About the host, Renata Bernarde

Hello, 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...

Hardly a week goes by without news of another high-profile layoff. From tech giants like Meta and Tesla to government agencies and financial institutions, corporate professionals at every level find themselves confronting an unsettling new normal. As a career coach, outplacement provider, and host of The Job Hunting Podcast, I've observed firsthand the toll layoffs are taking both financially and emotionally. In this episode’s conversation with Steve Jaffe, author of "The Layoff Journey: From Dismissal to Discovery," we unpacked the psychological impacts of job loss and how professionals can emerge stronger.

Read the full Blog on the Website

Job Hunting Made Simple

Reset Your Career - Fast-Track Your Job Search in One Weekend

31 Days of Action for Job Seekers

Find Your Talents: Learn About Your Strengths, and Watch Your Career Grow

Join 5,000+ Readers of The Job Hunting Newsletter: Subscribe Now

Lear More About Renata's career coaching and courses

Timestamps to guide your listening:

• 00:00 Navigating Layoffs: A Personal Journey
• 02:07 Understanding the Stages of Grief in Layoffs
• 04:52 Coping Mechanisms and Emotional Resilience
• 07:57 The Impact of Identity Loss
• 11:02 Managing Anger and Bargaining
• 13:42 The Importance of Rest and Recovery
• 16:49 Finding Meaning and Moving Forward
• 25:25 The Importance of a Well-Rounded Life
• 27:24 Shame and Identity in Unemployment
• 29:07 Owning Your Professional Identity
• 30:58 The Job Search as Full-Time Work
• 33:59 Building and Utilizing Your Network
• 37:14 Resilience in Job Searching
• 39:04 The Role of Career Coaching
• 40:55 The Value of a Strong Network
• 46:05 Living with Intentionality
• 51:38 New Chapter

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Link to Purchase Steve's book

About the host, Renata Bernarde

Hello, 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 YouTube

Follow Renata on Social Media:

• LinkedIn

If there’s one lesson from the corporate world that deserves a headline, it’s this: the workplace is not a meritocracy. Or at least, not in the way most professionals imagine. Hard work is necessary, but it’s not the defining factor in who gets promoted, who receives stretch opportunities, or who survives the next round of cost-cutting.

In this episode, I spoke with Kendall Berg, former senior executive turned career coach and author of Secrets of the Career Game. We explored how professionals, especially those at mid to senior levels, are stalling not because of performance but because of invisibility. They’re delivering outcomes, checking boxes, staying loyal, but failing to cultivate the relationships and influence that truly drive advancement. Berg’s following on social media channels amounts to over 500,000, indicating that her message about what actually gets you promoted resonates with many people.

Berg’s career turning point came when a senior leader told her: “Everyone wants you on their team because you're so efficient, and nobody likes working with you.” That moment, which she recounts without bitterness, shattered the myth that excellent work alone was enough to earn the next title. It was, as she puts it, the moment she realized she’d been playing a game she didn’t know existed.

Read the full Blog on the Website

Job Hunting Made Simple

Reset Your Career - Fast-Track Your Job Search in One Weekend

31 Days of Action for Job Seekers

Find Your Talents: Learn About Your Strengths, and Watch Your Career Grow

Join 5,000+ Readers of The Job Hunting Newsletter: Subscribe Now

Lear More About Renata's career coaching and courses

Timestamps to guide your listening:

• 00:00 The Game of Career Advancement
• 05:27 Navigating Feedback and Growth
• 08:37 The Importance of Relationships in Career
• 11:36 Learning from Mentorship and Coaching
• 14:31 Building a Growth Mindset
• 17:32 The Role of Emotional Intelligence in Leadership
• 20:34 Career Choices and Personal Values
• 23:23 Empowerment and Control in Your Career
• 32:44 Empowerment Through Career Choices
• 35:02 Taking Control of Your Career
• 41:00 Building Authentic Connections
• 46:35 The Balance of Likeability and Trust
• 53:45 Actionable Steps for Career Advancement

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Purchase Kendall's book

About the host, Renata Bernarde

Hello, 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

The labor market feels eerily calm on the surface. Unemployment still hovers near 4 percent in both the US and Australia, and it has not yet reached 5% in the UK. Yet, experienced professionals looking for work in corporate, startups, government and nonprofits tell a very different story. Over the past quarter my coaching inbox has filled with job seekers, from vice presidents to team managers forced to write résumés for the first time in over a decade, and directors competing with their former interns for hybrid roles that pay 20 percent less.

After interviewing Priya Bhola Rathod, Indeed’s career-trends expert, for my podcast last week, I’m convinced the squeeze is structural, not cyclical. Below are the three forces reshaping white-collar work, and the countermeasures every corporate professional should deploy now.

Read the full Blog on the Website

Job Hunting Made Simple

Reset Your Career - Fast-Track Your Job Search in One Weekend

31 Days of Action for Job Seekers

Find Your Talents: Learn About Your Strengths, and Watch Your Career Grow

Join 5,000+ Readers of The Job Hunting Newsletter: Subscribe Now

Lear More About Renata's career coaching and courses

Timestamps to guide your listening:

• 00:00 Introduction to Career Conversations
• 06:38 Navigating Industry Changes
• 09:41 The Importance of Networking
• 12:43 Understanding Age and Experience in Job Markets
• 15:35 Overcoming Overqualification Concerns
• 18:21 Re-entering the Workforce After a Break
• 30:44 Tailoring Resumes for Success
• 31:34 The Impact of AI on Job Applications
• 33:35 Understanding AI's Role in Job Markets
• 35:35 Navigating Job Descriptions and LinkedIn Profiles
• 37:40 Cultural Differences in Job Narratives
• 40:36 Evaluating Company Culture During Job Applications
• 42:33 Leveraging AI Tools for Job Seekers
• 45:36 Final Thoughts on Job Searching and Resources

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Episode 299 - First 90-Day Leadership Moves Matter: Proven Strategies to Listen, Act Symbolically, and Avoid Hasty Personnel Decisions in New Roles
• Indeed
• Glassdoor

About the host, Renata Bernarde

Hello, 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.

I sat down with Neill Marshall and Kurt Mosley of HealthSearch Partners to talk about the first 90 days of an executive appointment. While their expertise is focused on senior roles in healthcare, the lessons are universal: in 2025, how a leader shows up on day one can either extend a career or stall it.

What struck me is how much has changed in the hiring market and how much has stayed the same. For experienced professionals navigating career transitions, the insights from this conversation should serve as both a warning and an inspiration. They confirmed what many of my clients are feeling: that the margin for error is thin, expectations are high, and hiring trends are evolving fast. Job seekers need to keep up.

Read the full Blog on the Website

Job Hunting Made Simple

Reset Your Career - Fast-Track Your Job Search in One Weekend

31 Days of Action for Job Seekers

Find Your Talents: Learn About Your Strengths, and Watch Your Career Grow

Join 5,000+ Readers of The Job Hunting Newsletter: Subscribe Now

Lear More About Renata's career coaching and courses

Timestamps to guide your listening:

• 00:00 Introduction
• 05:54 The Importance of the First 90 Days
• 10:00 Leadership in Healthcare: Navigating Change
• 16:10 The Evolving Role of CEOs Post-Pandemic
• 19:59 Navigating Career Transitions and Tenure
• 23:55 The Impact of Age on Leadership Roles
• 30:04 Preparing for Leadership Interviews
• 33:58 Leveraging LinkedIn for Career Opportunities
• 39:49 Effective Communication in Job Searches

Links mentioned in this episode:

• How Great Leaders Win Teams Over In Their First 90 Days – Forbes (June 2025)
• What Effective CEOs Do After Their First 90 Days – Harvard Business Review (January 2025)
• It Really Isn’t About 100 Days – McKinsey & Company
• The First 90 Days, Updated and Expanded – Harvard Business Revie
• How To Make Your First 90 Days Count As A Leader – Forbes (May 2024)

About the host, Renata Bernarde

Hello, I'm Renata Bernarde, the Host...

Episode 298 - Burnout May Be Blocking Your Career Growth

If you’ve spent the last few months feeling more exhausted than usual, struggling to focus, or wondering why your motivation has gone missing despite a looming job application or promotion deadline, you’re not alone. In my coaching work with experienced professionals, these themes are everywhere. And they’re not the result of laziness, lack of ambition, or poor time management. They are the hallmarks of burnout, which is now a routine part of corporate life.

Burnout isn’t new. But its spread among high-performing professionals is growing quieter, deeper, and more normalized than ever. The World Health Organization gave it official status as an “occupational phenomenon” in 2019, describing it as the result of chronic workplace stress left unmanaged. Yet the language around burnout still lags behind the reality: many professionals don’t realise they’re burning out until their relationships suffer, their health declines, or their job search stalls despite their best efforts.

Read the full Blog on the Website

Job Hunting Made Simple

Reset Your Career - Fast-Track Your Job Search in One Weekend

31 Days of Action for Job Seekers

Find Your Talents: Learn About Your Strengths, and Watch Your Career Grow

Join 5,000+ Readers of The Job Hunting Newsletter: Subscribe Now

Lear More About Renata's career coaching and courses

Timestamps to guide your listening:

• 00:00 Understanding Burnout
• 03:06 Defining Burnout and Its Impact
• 08:48 Strategies to Combat Burnout
• 17:19 The Role of Rest in Career Success

Links mentioned in this episode:

• The Times article
• The Guardian article
• Wintering, by Katherine May
• Work with me
• Write us a review on Apple Podcasts

About the host, Renata Bernarde

Hello, 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.

Episode 297 - When Interviews Go Bad: How to Bounce Back Stronger

When Interviews Go Bad: How to Bounce Back Stronger

It’s a truth most career professionals don’t like to admit: we’ve all had a bad interview. Not just “I didn’t get the job” bad, but “something went wrong and I’m not even sure why” bad. As a career strategist and coach to senior corporate professionals, I often see this scenario unfolding more frequently than you might expect, even among high performers with stellar resumes and extensive experience.

Why? Because the modern job interview has become a flawed litmus test. It’s over-indexed on performance under pressure, vulnerable to unconscious bias, often led by untrained interviewers, and increasingly divorced from a candidate’s real potential. In today’s job market, still uncertain, hyper-competitive, and fatigued by hiring delays, poor interviews don’t always reflect poor candidates. Instead, they reflect structural issues in how we hire.

Let’s unpack the patterns I see every week from clients across industries, and what they reveal about the current professional climate.

Read the full Blog on the Website

Job Hunting Made Simple

Reset Your Career - Fast-Track Your Job Search in One Weekend

31 Days of Action for Job Seekers

Find Your Talents: Learn About Your Strengths, and Watch Your Career Grow

Join 5,000+ Readers of The Job Hunting Newsletter: Subscribe Now

Lear More About Renata's career coaching and courses

Timestamps to guide your listening:

• 00:00 Introduction to Interview Challenges
• 12:07 Understanding Interview Dynamics
• 23:47 Learning from Interview Failures
• 33:15 Moving Forward After a Bad Interview

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Episode 273 - Insights from a Top Recruiter: How to Advance Your Career as an Internal Candidate

About the host, Renata Bernarde

Hello, 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 YouTube

Follow Renata on Social Media:

• LinkedIn

Episode 296 - No One Understands Me: What to Do When You're the Only Person You Know Who's Unemployed

It’s an increasingly familiar story: a highly skilled professional finds themselves unemployed, not for lack of talent or dedication, but because of market forces, corporate restructuring, or a volatile economy. What surprises them most is not the absence of work, but the sudden absence of understanding from their network. I´ve been there. Have you?

As a career strategist working closely with corporate professionals, many in mid to late stages of their careers, I see this pattern every day. Talented executives come to me not just with resumes and job applications, but with a quieter crisis: the emotional toll of feeling forgotten or judged during what can be a profoundly disorienting life transition.

These are not entry-level candidates or those just learning to navigate the workforce. They are former department heads, regional leaders, VPs, senior managers, and trusted experts in their field. Yet the moment they exit a company, many find their identity questioned, even by themselves.

Read the full Blog on the Website

Job Hunting Made Simple

Reset Your Career - Fast-Track Your Job Search in One Weekend

31 Days of Action for Job Seekers

Find Your Talents: Learn About Your Strengths, and Watch Your Career Grow

Join 5,000+ Readers of The Job Hunting Newsletter: Subscribe Now

Lear More About Renata's career coaching and courses

Timestamps to guide your listening:

• 00:00 Understanding the Emotional Reality of Unemployment
• 10:42 Rebuilding Your Support System
• 23:56 Creating a Community of Support

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Reset Your Career
• The Job Hunting Podcast
• Subscribe to the Newsletter

About the host, Renata Bernarde

Hello, 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 YouTube

Follow Renata on Social Media:

• LinkedIn