Episode 313 - Employment attorney Jessica Childress is back, unpacking what “toxic” really means at work, and how to decide if it’s time to stay or go.

I'm sure you're well aware that experienced professionals have had to cope with hostile cultures, micromanagement, and difficult leaders in their careers. Some issues are illegal. Many are not. Either way, the impact on your confidence and career can be profound. In this episode, employment attorney Jessica Childress helps us separate what is unlawful from what is simply unhealthy, and to outline a practical approach for documenting issues, engaging HR strategically, and, when needed, negotiating a clean exit.

Start with definitions. Many environments feel corrosive yet are not unlawful. Civility is not a legal requirement. As Jessica put it: “It’s not a workplace civility code. So the law does not require civility.” However, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation tied to a protected class or protected activity are unlawful. Knowing the line matters because your strategy depends on it. If conduct is unlawful, escalate precisely and protect the record. If it is unhealthy but legal, your leverage comes from establishing boundaries, framing your business, and exploring options outside the building.

Read the full Blog on the Website

Job Hunting Made Simple

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31 Days of Action for Job Seekers

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

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Lear More About Renata's career coaching and courses

Timestamps to guide your listening:

• 00:00 Advocacy and Employee Rights
• 05:35 Experiencing Toxic Workplaces
• 12:08 Leaving on Your Own Terms
• 17:10 Identifying Toxic Workplaces
• 24:10 Strategies for Surviving Toxic Workplaces
• 32:53 Navigating the Exit Process
• 43:45 Finding Peace After Leaving

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Episode 213 - Navigating Workplace Rights, a Conversation with Employment Law Expert Jessica Childress
• The Childress firm
• Jessica's book, Peace: Leaving A Toxic Workplace on Your Own Terms (E-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...

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 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 Imposter Syndrome: A Personal Journey
• 13:18 The Role of Managers in Identifying Imposter Syndrome
• 25:44 Recognizing Imposter Syndrome in Job Candidates
• 26:36 Understanding Imposter Syndrome and Its Signs
• 27:40 Conquering Imposter Syndrome: Control vs. Elimination
• 29:03 The Three Pillar Framework for Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
• 31:50 Real-Life Examples of Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
• 35:03 Triggers of Imposter Syndrome and Their Impact
• 38:23 Personal Experiences and Relatable Stories
• 44:38 External Factors and Confidence in Job Searching
• 48:20 Controlling the Controllables: A Key Takeaway

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Alison's LinkedIn
• Alison's book
• Alison's website
• Learn more about Renata's courses and services

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,...

Episode 311 - Leanne Brannigan spent years hiring. Then she was laid off, and used social media to document her experience job searching while unemployed. Her story exposes how the system treats candidates and what we can do better.

I spend my weeks advising professionals who assumed that their extensive work experience and a tidy LinkedIn profile would carry them through a choppy market. Then they collide with reality: Long hiring cycles, few roles at their level, automated screens that reward keywords over judgment, and interview panels that want evidence, not eloquence. The latest episode of my podcast features internal recruiter turned job seeker, Leanne Brannigan, who walked through that reality from both sides of the table. Her story crystallizes the themes I see daily and points to a more disciplined way forward for corporate professionals who want to compete at the top end of the labor market.

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 the Journey
• 03:25 Navigating Redundancy and Job Search
• 06:24 Building a Supportive Community
• 10:10 Emotional Impact of Job Loss
• 13:03 Strategies for Job Searching
• 16:05 The Role of Networking
• 19:17 Sharing Experiences Publicly
• 22:20 Candidate Experience and Feedback
• 24:55 Reflections on the Job Market
• 29:54 The Impact of Redundancy on Job Seekers
• 31:57 Encouraging Transparency in Candidate Experiences
• 34:50 Navigating Vulnerability on Professional Platforms
• 40:50 Developing an Application Strategy
• 46:59 Positive Experiences in Recruitment Processes
• 52:26 Making Decisions Between Job Offers
• 59:26 Embracing a New Role in Talent Acquisition

Links mentioned in this episode:

• 31 Days of Action
• Reset Your Career
• RB Lnkdn Club

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...

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 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 and Setup
• 01:58 The Journey into Recruitment
• 04:53 The Evolution of Recruitment
• 07:54 Adapting to Technology and AI
• 11:09 Navigating Hybrid Work Environments
• 14:01 Current Job Market Dynamics
• 16:58 The Over 50s in the Workforce
• 28:21 The Dual Faces of Interim Assignments
• 31:11 Hiring Trends and the Need for Adaptability
• 35:18 The Challenges of Job Ads
• 38:25 Navigating the Recruitment Process
• 41:19 Concerns in Recruitment for 2025
• 45:25 Common Misconceptions Among Job Seekers
• 52:23 Understanding Niche Markets in Recruitment

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Ambition Group Website
• Nick's LinkedIn Profile

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:

Episode 309 - Beyond the headlines, workplace scandals reveal deeper lessons about governance, disclosure, and accountability. In this episode, I share strategies for overcoming missteps and rebuilding your professional brand.

Every so often, a string of corporate headlines forces us to confront the evolving nature of leadership. In recent months, the departures of high-profile CEOs from Astronomer, Nestlé, and Super Retail have done exactly that. Each case was triggered not by financial mismanagement or strategic failure of disclosure. More specifically, in relation to personal relationships that crossed professional boundaries. These stories are not about romance or morality. They are about power, trust, and the unforgiving spotlight under which modern leaders operate.

For my clients and listeners, experienced corporate professionals navigating career transitions, these scandals are not distant boardroom dramas. They are cautionary tales that shape hiring practices, redefine professional expectations, and serve as stark reminders that reputation can shift overnight.

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 Crisis Management in Corporate Relationships
• 02:38 Lessons from Recent Corporate Scandals
• 05:03 Understanding Power Dynamics and Policies
• 10:12 Coaching Through Crisis
• 16:06 Accountability and Communication Strategies
• 20:46 Crisis Response Protocols
• 25:59 Rebuilding Reputation After a Crisis
• 32:24 Long-term Strategies for Personal Brand Recovery

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Work with me
• Episode 307 - From the rise of portfolio careers to the growing importance of digital transformation, the 2025 Interim Executive Survey highlights how executives are choosing new ways of working.
• Link to my TV interview about Astronomer
• Book mentioned: Firing Back
• Nestle press release
• Rich roll podcast

Episode 308 - Rejections are part of the job search and they can also guide your next steps. In this episode, Renata answers questions about resumes, layoffs, LinkedIn gaps, and how to pivot into new opportunities.

In recent months, the messages I receive from clients and podcast listeners have become increasingly urgent. Experienced professionals, many in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, are being forced to navigate layoffs, endless rejections, and the unsettling prospect of having to pivot careers in an economy that feels unstable at best.

The questions raised by hundreds of participants in a recent webinar I joined, organized by the job seeker’s platform Callings.ai, painted a vivid picture of where corporate professionals stand today.

This moment is not unique. Labor markets cycle, as history shows us. Yet 2025 has brought together a particular mix of challenges: post-pandemic restructuring, political shifts that have left government professionals in limbo, funding cuts, and AI-driven restructures. For executives and experienced professionals, these shifts create both barriers and opportunities.

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 the Webinar and Podcast Episode
• 04:36 Handling Rejection and Staying Motivated
• 12:53 Applications, Resumes, and LinkedIn Strategies
• 26:32 Career Pivots and Returning to Old Employers
• 36:05 Interviewing and Closing the Deal
• 42:48 Application Strategies and Timing

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Join the RB Lnkdn Club to improve your presence on LinkedIn
• Watch the Layoff webinar
• Follow the other panellists: Albert Qian
• Follow the other panellists: Matthew Sorensen
• Follow the other panellists: Garrett Rice
• The Job Hunting Podcast interview with Garrett Rice, CEO of Callings.ai (282)

Episode 307 - From the rise of portfolio careers to the growing importance of digital transformation, the 2025 Interim Executive Survey highlights how executives are choosing new ways of working.

JOIN THE RB LNKDN CLUB NOW

In this week’s episode of The Job Hunting Podcast, I spoke with Donna Burr, Partner in Interim Executive Management at Watermark Search International, about the findings of their 15th Annual Interim Executive Survey. With 15 years of data and nearly 900 survey respondents in 2025, this report offers invaluable insight into how executives are choosing to work flexibly in interim roles, what organizations want from interim executives, and how career models are evolving. Our discussion revealed trends that are essential for anyone navigating today's and future job markets.

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 Interim Executive Management
• 04:40 Understanding Portfolio Careers
• 07:42 Insights from the 15th Annual Survey
• 10:39 Adapting to Client Needs
• 13:37 Business Transformation Roles
• 16:39 Challenges in Interim Executive Roles
• 19:40 Self-Agency in Career Management
• 22:34 Networking and Building a Portfolio Career
• 25:39 Discipline and Consistency in Interim Work
• 27:32 Navigating the Executive Landscape
• 28:58 Gender Balance in Executive Roles
• 32:09 The Age Factor in Leadership
• 37:00 Global Perspectives on Interim Executives
• 41:07 Career Pathways Beyond C-Suite
• 43:57 AI as a Leadership Amplifier
• 51:11 Final Thoughts on Executive Transition

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Join the RB Lnkdn Club
• Link to the Report
• Episode 78 - Portfolio Career: What Is It, and Is It for You? - with Jacinta Whelan
• Episode 31 - Me Inc: Opting for short term contract work
• Episode 103 - How to make successful...

Episode 306 - This episode explores how LinkedIn activity can protect you from layoffs, attract opportunities, and build long-term credibility.

I believe that LinkedIn activity is the new career currency. In fact, I am certain of that, and I have clients’ results to prove it. To determine if professionals were already aware of this fact, I ran a poll on LinkedIn a few weeks ago, asking where people felt most stuck in building their presence on the platform. The answers surprised me, though perhaps they shouldn’t have. It wasn’t the profile. It wasn’t resume-style updates. The real struggle was posting and activity. Knowing what to say, how to say it, and how to balance the risk of being visible with the fear of misstepping in front of employers and peers seems to be the biggest barrier for professionals when it comes to fully embracing LinkedIn.

This result mirrors what I hear daily from clients and listeners of my podcast. Corporate professionals, including senior executives with decades of experience, remain uneasy about engaging on LinkedIn. And yet, engagement, rather than a polished profile, is increasingly what recruiters, boards, and decision-makers evaluate when considering candidates.

And it makes sense. In today’s hybrid world of work and a job market filled with AI-generated content, the difference between those who can express themselves and communicate their expertise with confidence, knowledge, and empathy gives them an incredible advantage. They stand out in a sea of sameness.

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 LinkedIn Challenges
• 01:19 The Importance of LinkedIn Activity
• 12:29 Navigating Employer Approval and Restrictions
• 19:31 Building a Professional Brand on LinkedIn
• 27:37 Leveraging LinkedIn Algorithms for Success
• 35:55 Introducing a New LinkedIn Support Group

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Join the RB Lnkdn Group

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