Today's question comes from Natalie, who works in talent development at a mid-size professional services firm: "What do you think makes a great careers week, and what can we skip?"

Manager confidence around career conversations is lower than most organisations realise. Not because managers lack care for their people, but because career conversations have quietly become some of the most emotionally loaded, poorly defined, and high-risk conversations in organisational life. In this episode, we name the real reasons managers keep dodging them, bust the myths that make people management harder than it needs to be, and share the reframes and tools that build genuine leadership capability in this area.

Today’s question comes from Hannah, an HR leader in real estate investment: “I would love our managers to take ownership of career conversations, but they are definitely running scared. How can I get them to be up for talking to their people about their next steps?”

Most organisations know that career conversations matter, but few have built a real system around them. In this episode, Zoë sits down with Catherine, a talent development professional at Flutter International, to explore what it actually looks like to make career clarity and career pathways a strategic priority inside a global company.

Today's question comes from a listener with a lot going on: "How do I figure out the right career for me? I know I've got loads of interests and could go in many different directions, but how do I know that I'm making the right choice?"

Most organisations investing in people strategy are spending heavily on learning cultures, leadership capability programmes, and performance systems and missing the most powerful lever of all. In this episode, we make the full business case for embedding career conversations as a strategic tool that drives employee engagement, talent retention, and real, measurable business outcomes.

It's careers Q&A day where we give you some personal attention by answering your questions.

Today's question comes from a listener in the media world: "I've climbed the ladder and I'm doing pretty well, but I feel really burned out. When is it time to jump and leave? And how do I make a plan to do that in a thoughtful and stable way?"

Most managers think a career conversation is about rebuffing awkward questions and requests for more money. It's so much more than that, and in this episode, we share the exact agenda our clients like Microsoft use to run conversations that grow performance, mobility, and retention.

It's careers Q&A day where we give you some personal attention by answering your questions.

Today's question comes from Nina: "How can you use the Career Equation for roles in the future that are not yet set in stone, they're still evolving?”

Your best people don't usually leave loudly. They leave quietly, gradually, and long before that resignation hits your inbox.

In this first episode of our new series, we're getting back to basics: why organisations lose talent, what's really happening beneath those 'surprise' resignations, and why the solutions most companies are trying might not be working.

What if your career wasn’t a ladder, but an adventure? In this episode, Erica and Zoë explore the timeless storytelling model of the Hero’s Journey and show how it can help you navigate career change, challenge, and growth with courage and creativity.

They unpack what it means to be the central character in your own working life, how to recognise where you are on your journey, and how to turn uncertainty into forward motion.

Returning to work after time away isn’t just about getting back into a job — it’s about rediscovering who you are now. Erica and Zoë share how to design your next chapter with clarity and confidence, using the Career Equation to align your skills, passions, and purpose for a return that truly fits.

How does your work environment impact your success? Erica and Zoë dive into why where you work matters as much as what you do. Discover how the right setting can unlock your potential and why a poor fit might be holding you back.

What happens when you miss the people leadership side of your career? Zoë speaks to Ben Hart, a healthcare transformation consultant who's helped NHS trusts treat over 1,000 additional patients annually. From leading expeditions down the Amazon to revolutionising stroke services, discover how his motto "be nice, do good, and have fun" shapes everything he does.

If you’re ready to keep the momentum going after finding career clarity, this episode is for you.

In episode six of the Career Clarity Mini Series, career coaches Erica Sosna and Zoë Schofield explore how to stay motivated and keep taking action once you’ve defined your Career Design Statement.

In episode five of the Career Clarity Mini Series, career experts Erica Sosna and Zoë Schofield guide you through how to set the right kind of career goal, one that actually matches your context, energy, and values right now.

In episode four of the Career Clarity Mini Series, career experts Erica Sosna and Zoë Schofield guide you through creating your Career Design Statement — a personal compass that gives you confidence and direction in your career decision making.

If you’re feeling stuck in your career or wondering what’s next, this episode will help you get career clarity and build a plan you can trust.

Struggling to figure out your next career move? In this episode of the Career Clarity Mini Series, Erica and Zoë share a simple, powerful approach: using your own story. Learn how to uncover the defining moments from your work life and personal journey, and use them to make confident decisions about what’s next. Whether you’re feeling stuck, restless, or ready to pivot, this episode offers a fresh way to reconnect with your strengths, values, and purpose.

A wake-up call for your working life. You’ll spend around 80,000 hours at work — this episode helps you start making them count. We explore why most people fall into their careers, how to define success on your own terms, and why it’s never too late to take ownership. Part 1 of the Career Clarity mini-series.