There are so many professionals heading into the holidays in between roles. After last week’s webinar I delivered on this topic, I received a wave of emails and messages from attendees sharing their experience job searching in 2025. The webinar has now been watched by over 400 professionals, and I received many smart, candid questions about job search, confidence, and how to keep going through December. I then decided to change my plans and record this week's episode unpacking the most interesting ones.
I’m also opening spots in my Holiday Job Search Sprint for those who want weekly structure and coaching with me for the next 6 weeks.
Join the Holiday Job Search Sprint
If you want time with me each week and a plan you can stick to, the Sprint is designed for you. We work together for six weeks, so you enter January with real conversations booked.
What you get
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Weekly group session with coaching and clear next steps (75 minutes)
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Weekly office hours for implementation and accountability (45 minutes)
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Scripts, templates, and a simple tracker
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Replays and a resource hub are available through 31 January
Outcomes by January
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Sharper pitch and refreshed resume/LinkedIn for two role types
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A live pipeline with scheduled follow-ups and warm introductions
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Interview stories are ready, and meetings are on the calendar
Investment: US$397
Start: 1 December
There is a simple safety net. If it isn’t a fit, email within 48 hours after the week 1 Office Hour for a full refund.
If you have a question about fit, timing, or workload, reply to this email, and I’ll help you decide.
Job search in December and January is not a character test. It is a strategy test.
You cannot control when the market will need you. You can control how clearly you are positioned, how visible you are in the right circles, and how well you understand the game you are playing.
My aim is to help you treat your career with the same rigour you once applied to your P&L, your board papers, and your strategy decks.
A 20-minute exercise to regain control of your search
If your job search feels vague right now, try this simple exercise.
Step 1: Set a timer for 10 minutes. Write down every company that genuinely interests you. Do not edit. Aim for 30 to 50 names. Include organisations you admire in your city, country, and, if relevant, globally.
Step 2: Circle your top 15. This becomes your first “market map”.
Step 3: For each of these 15, ask yourself three questions:
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Who do I know there, or who is connected there?
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What problems are they likely trying to solve in the next 12 to 24 months?
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Where could my experience make a visible difference?
Step 4: Choose three companies and commit to one specific action for each in the next week. Examples: commenting intelligently on a leader’s post, sending a reconnect message, requesting a short call with an old colleague who moved there.
In 20 minutes, you shift from vague hope (“I need a job”) to a concrete direction (“I am getting closer to these 15 organisations, starting with these 3 actions”). That mental shift matters more than you think.
This week on The Job Hunting Podcast:
I answer the most asked questions from the webinar, including:
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“Should I use the Open to Work banner, or does it carry stigma?”
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“What if my network can’t help with advice or introductions?”
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“I’ve been job hunting for a year. What now?”
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“How do I handle ‘you’re too senior’ and age bias?”
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“How do I explain a year-long gap so the focus stays on strengths?”
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“I left a toxic workplace by choice. How do I say that?”
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“I’m in a niche role where there’s only one of me in each org. Does proactive search still work?”
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“I’m in Canada. Will your coaching apply to me?” and other questions.
The blog is also particularly strong this week, so please have a read and let me know what you think!
- Listen to the full episode on the podcast website and read the blog
- Listen on Apple Podcasts
- Listen on Spotify
- Watch on YouTube
Time out
- What I'm listening to: I'm into listening to entire albums. Here are some I love: Trouble, by Ray Lamontagne, Come Away with Me, Norah Jones, 1976, Marku Ribas
- What I'm watching: I watched the Eddie Murphy documentary, Being Eddie, on Netflix. Not as riveting as some other similar docos, but I've always loved his movies, and he's a very private person, so it was a good way to learn more about him.
- Current Instagram obsession: I love an Instagram bird, and this one is an up-and-coming star.
- What I'm reading: Warren Buffett's Thanksgiving letter is absolutely worth a read.
If you found this issue helpful, you can share it with a colleague who is quietly in the same position. Please spread the word and let your friends know they can subscribe as well.
Here's to your career success
RBX
Renata Bernarde | Career Coach | Host, The Job Hunting Podcast
