Job searching in 2025 feels impossible — here’s what to do about it.

Recruiters are flooded with applications. Job postings get hundreds (sometimes thousands!) of applicants. So how do you make sure you don’t get lost in the shuffle?

You might think the key is the perfect resume or just getting in front of the right hiring manager. But what if all that effort is wasted if you skip one crucial step?

In this episode, we reveal the single biggest factor that determines whether you get interviews, callbacks, and offers (even in a hyper-competitive job market). If job searching in 2025 feels harder than ever, this is the episode you need to hear.

What you'll learn

• The one element that makes all the difference when it comes to job searching.
• Why traditional applications don’t work as well anymore and what to do instead.
• The importance of targeting companies, not just job postings, and how to approach them.

Resources mentioned

• The Seven Elements of Meaningful Work

Podcast Episodes about the Ideal Career Profile:

• Creating A Path To Your Ideal Career (And The Tool You Need To Make It Happen)
• How To Define Your Ideal Career When Making A Career Change

If you’re ready to begin taking steps toward more meaningful work, email scott@happentoyourcareer.com and put “Conversation” in the subject line.

Free Resources

What career fits you? Join our free 8 Day Mini Course to figure it out!

Career Change Guide - Learn how high-performers discover their ideal career and find meaningful, well-paid work without starting over.

Related Episodes

1. Executive Burnout: Making A Midlife Career Change (Spotify / Apple Podcasts)
2. Stuck in a Career You're Unhappy With? Fear Of Taking Risks Could Be Keeping You There (Spotify / Apple Podcasts)

What happens when the career you worked so hard to build no longer fits the life you want? When a family health crisis made Divya reevaluate her priorities, she realized her career no longer aligned with her values. In this episode, she shares the emotional journey of stepping away from a high-pressure role to prioritize family, well-being, and balance. Divya reveals how she untangled her career identity and found a new role that truly fits her life.

What you’ll learn

• How to untangle your career identity and prioritize what truly matters.
• How to shift your mindset from career success to life fulfillment.
• Why your career doesn’t have to define who you are or your happiness.

Our book, Happen To Your Career: An Unconventional Approach To Career Change and Meaningful Work, is now available on audiobook! Visit happentoyourcareer.com/audible to order it now! Visit happentoyourcareer.com/book for more information or buy the print or ebook here!

Want to chat with someone on the team about your situation? Schedule a conversation

Free Resources

What career fits you? Join our free 8 Day Mini Course to figure it out!

Career Change Guide - Learn how high-performers discover their ideal career and find meaningful, well-paid work without starting over.

Related Episodes

1. An Overthinker's Guide To Making Better Career Decisions (Spotify /Apple Podcasts)
2. Should I Quit My Job? How to Know It’s Time (Spotify / Apple Podcasts)

The key to your ideal career likely isn't more skills or experience; instead, it’s understanding yourself.

Career coach and Gallup-certified strengths coach Petchell Luepke reveals how identifying and leveraging your unique strengths can transform your career and life. From federal government executive management to entrepreneurship and coaching, Petchell’s journey showcases the power of self-awareness, adaptability, and bold career moves.

What you'll learn

• Learn how identifying and leveraging your unique strengths can transform your career and help you find work that truly fits you.
• Discover why having self awareness (like understanding your values, passions, and blind spots) is essential to making intentional career changes and thriving in any role.
• Gain insights on embracing change, taking calculated risks, and creating a career that aligns with your strengths and life goals.

Our book, Happen To Your Career: An Unconventional Approach To Career Change and Meaningful Work, is now available on audiobook! Visit happentoyourcareer.com/audible to order it now! Visit happentoyourcareer.com/book for more information or buy the print or ebook here!

Want to chat with someone on the team about your situation? Schedule a conversation

Free Resources

What career fits you? Join our free 8 Day Mini Course to figure it out!

Career Change Guide - Learn how high-performers discover their ideal career and find meaningful, well-paid work without starting over.

Related Episodes

1. Discover Your Strengths to Find Your Ideal Career (Spotify / Apple Podcasts)
2. Designing Career Experiments and Testing New Careers (Spotify / Apple Podcasts)

Negotiating severance in an industry that doesn’t offer it… sounds impossible, right?

But what if you could give yourself the time and space to make an intentional career change through a severance package? I know what you’re thinking... "That could never work in my situation."

Here’s the truth: when done thoughtfully, negotiating severance can create a win-win situation for both you and your organization (in any industry!)

That’s exactly what Sandra did. Leaving a career in education, a field where severance packages are almost nonexistent, she negotiated a severance that gave her the financial runway to plan her next steps on her terms. Tune in as we break down step-by-step how you can do the same!

Resources Mentioned

• Sandra's Full Story: Leaving Education and Burnout Behind for a Journey to Meaningful Work
• Should I Quit My Job Without Another Lined Up?
• Build Bridges, Don’t Burn Them: How To Leave A Job on Good Terms
  
  

What you’ll learn

• How to negotiate a severance package, even in industries that typically don’t offer them.
• How a severance package can turn into a win-win situation for both you and the organization — plus how to craft a plan that benefits everyone involved.
• The importance of having a financial runway and how an exit package can provide security during a career transition.

Our book, Happen To Your Career: An Unconventional Approach To Career Change and Meaningful Work, is now available on audiobook! Visit happentoyourcareer.com/audible to order it now! Visit happentoyourcareer.com/book for more information or buy the print or ebook here!

Want to chat with someone on the team about your situation? Schedule a conversation

Additional Free Resources

What career fits you? Join our free 8 Day Mini Course to figure it out!

Career Change Guide - Learn how high-performers discover their ideal career and find meaningful, well-paid work without starting over.

Related Episodes

1. An Overthinker's Guide To Making Better Career Decisions (Spotify /Apple Podcasts)
2. Executive Burnout: Making A Midlife Career Change (Spotify / Apple Podcasts)

What if you didn’t have to escape your job? What if the place you were your happiest and the place you found your solace was actually where you worked? Steph had known for almost 9 years that she felt the most alive, and the most like herself, in fitness studios, but she had never allowed herself to believe that she could actually build a career in fitness. Steph had a great career in the Marine Corps and then with Amazon, but she never felt like she was doing work that was true to her. In this episode, she articulates her realization that she could make a living doing what she loves, and her decision to pick up her life and go after it.

What you’ll learn

• The importance of building a career in alignment with your life

• How to use feedback from your support system to find a career that fits you

• How the process of finding your ideal role is ongoing

• The importance of defining success for yourself when pursuing work you love

Have career change questions or want to make an introduction? Email scott@happentoyourcareer.com

Want to chat with someone on the team about your situation? Schedule a conversation

Free Resources

What career fits you? Join our free 8 Day Mini Course to figure it out!

Career Change Guide - Learn how high-performers discover their ideal career and find meaningful, well-paid work without starting over.

Related Episodes

1. How to Figure Out What You Really Want (Spotify / Apple Podcasts)
2. Stuck in a Career You're Unhappy With? Fear Of Taking Risks Could Be Keeping You There (Spotify / Apple Podcasts)

Feeling stuck in a job that no longer brings you joy? The fear of the unknown can leave you paralyzed, unsure of how to take that first step toward something better. But when you define your ideal career and take proactive action, you’ll be ready for whatever comes your way. In this episode, learn how Kristen moved from burnout to building a career she loves after an unexpected layoff. You too can take bold steps and create a fulfilling career you love.

What you’ll learn

• How self-discovery helped reframe setbacks as opportunities (even a layoff!)
• Why taking action now can make all the difference, no matter where you are in your career
• The small steps Kristen took to prepare for a career change.

Our book, Happen To Your Career: An Unconventional Approach To Career Change and Meaningful Work, is now available on audiobook! Visit happentoyourcareer.com/audible to order it now! Visit happentoyourcareer.com/book for more information or buy the print or ebook here!

Want to chat with someone on the team about your situation? Schedule a conversation

Free Resources

What career fits you? Join our free 8 Day Mini Course to figure it out!

Career Change Guide - Learn how high-performers discover their ideal career and find meaningful, well-paid work without starting over.

Related Episodes

1. How to Figure Out What You Really Want (Spotify / Apple Podcasts)
2. Stuck in a Career You're Unhappy With? Fear Of Taking Risks Could Be Keeping You There (Spotify / Apple Podcasts)

Feeling trapped in a job that seems perfect, but leaves you feeling drained and unfulfilled? Morgan was there too. Discover how she gave herself permission to walk away, recovered from burnout, figured out what she wanted and found a career that truly fits her.

When you're in a job that's burning you out, quitting can feel like a huge weight has been lifted. But that relief doesn't last forever — going without a job for any amount of time can be stressful. So, what do you do when you need to leave a job that's burning you out, but aren’t sure what comes next?

That’s where a bridge role can make all the difference. A well-chosen bridge role can give you the time and space to figure out what you really want from your career transition. Tune in to hear Amanda shares how she used a bridge role to take the time she needed to recover from burnout and focus on making an intentional career change to work that fits her!