This week’s episode of The Job Hunting Podcast is a rebroadcast I chose very intentionally. It first aired earlier in the year, but as Christmas approaches and many of you are tired, reflective, and quietly worried about what comes next, it feels more relevant than ever. The episode looks at the five reasons experienced, capable professionals don’t land a job, even when they “do everything right.” Not from a place of blame, but from a place of clarity and agency. It’s about the things that are within your control when the market feels anything but.

If 2025 didn’t unfold the way you hoped (or even if it did), I encourage you to listen to this episode slowly. Not while multitasking. Not while scrolling. It’s a reset.

We talk about mindset, interview presence, enthusiasm, upskilling signals, how you talk about your experience, and the small pre- and post-interview behaviours that quietly influence hiring decisions. If you’re planning to job search in the new year, this episode will help you recalibrate before January momentum kicks in. You can listen to the rebroadcast here. Or find episode 322 on your favorite podcast app.

Actionable Tips For Job Seekers

Because this is Christmas week, I want to keep things gentle and practical. If you are job searching, here are a few things you can do right now without turning the holidays into a productivity sprint:

1. Take stock without judgment: Write down what worked and what didn’t this year. Not what you “should” have done, but what actually happened. Patterns matter more than isolated outcomes.
2. Choose one thing to improve in January: Only one. It might be interview confidence, LinkedIn positioning, networking consistency, or upskilling. Don’t overwhelm yourself.
3. Stay lightly visible: A thoughtful comment, a kind message, a genuine congratulations on someone else’s post. This season is about generosity, and generosity builds professional goodwill, too.
4. Protect your energy: Exhaustion clouds confidence, and confidence is central to everything we talk about in this episode.

If this year brought redundancy, rejection, uncertainty, or a loss of professional identity, I want you to know this: nothing about your worth is defined by how this year went. Careers are long. Markets are cyclical. And setbacks often make sense only in hindsight. I see incredibly capable people every week who are temporarily stuck, not permanently sidelined.

Why You Didn't Get The Job: 5 Mistakes To Avoid 

Holiday Replay Episode 322 - Are your job search efforts failing short? Discover the 5 critical mistakes that could be stopping you from landing your next role, and how to correct them

• Listen to the full episode on the podcast website
• Listen on Apple Podcasts
• Listen on Spotify
• Watch on YouTube

How to work with me

If you’re an experienced professional navigating redundancy, considering a role change, or quietly planning your next move, you don’t have to do this on your own.

If your role was made redundant, it’s worth knowing that many employers include coaching or outplacement support as part of a redundancy package. In many cases, you can request to work with your preferred coach. If you’d like that to be me, I’m happy to liaise directly with your employer or HR team so my work is covered as part of your benefits.

If you’re self-funding, you can also choose to invest in 1:1 coaching privately. For many professionals, this is a conscious decision to invest in themselves at a transition point in their career. Some treat this as a work-related expense, but you should always confirm what applies to your situation with your accountant or financial adviser. I also offer courses, one-off consultations, and LinkedIn audits for those who want support in a more focused or flexible way.

Working with a coach, whether 1:1 or through a structured program, helps bring order to what can otherwise feel like a very noisy process. We work on clarity, positioning, applications, interview preparation, and negotiation, so you’re not just “looking for something,” but moving towards a role that fits your skills, seniority, and financial expectations.

The end of the year often creates a natural pause. Many people use it to reflect, reset, and decide how they want the next chapter of their career to unfold. If you feel ready to explore what working together could look like, you can review my services on my website. And if you have any questions, reply to this email, and I will get back to you.

Learn More About My Services Here 

Time Out

A few weeks ago, I shared what I thought were the top 25 songs of the past 25 years. Andre was not very convinced they were MY top 25 songs. My taste is less popular, more indie. So I created a new list. These are my very favorite top 25 albums of the past 25 years. I love to listen to entire albums, and I have these on repeat, often:

1. Veckamtimest, Grizzly Bear
2. To Myself, Baby Rose
3. The Bird and The Bee, The Bird and the Bee
4. Empathogen, Willow Smith
5. Top of the World Tour Live, Dixie Chicks
6. Time (The Revelator), Gillian Welch
7. Dirty Computer, Janelle Monae
8. Come away with me, Norah Jones
9. Hortela, MARO
10. folklore, Taylor Swift
11. Fine Line, Harry Styles
12. And the Darkness, Hearts Aglow, Weys Blood
13. Tribalistas, Tribalistas
14. In Your Honour, Foo Fighters
15. Swag, Justin Bieber
16. Chemtrails over the Country Club, Lana Del Rey
17. Frank, Amy Winehouse
18. Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, OutKast
19. Waiting for the Sirens' Call, New Order
20. Demon Days, Gorillaz
21. Tea & Sympathy, Bernard Fanning
22. Gurrumul, Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu
23. Primal Heart, Kimbra
24. Mid Spiral, BADBADNOTGOOD
25. Messy, Olivia Dean

I wish you a peaceful Christmas and a restorative festive season, whatever that looks like for you. Whether you’re surrounded by family or spending time quietly, I’m thinking of you.

Thank you for being here, for reading, for listening, and for trusting me with this part of your career journey.

RBX

Renata Bernarde | Career Coach | Host, The Job Hunting Podcast