Bridging the Gap Podcast

PolariStory

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Bridging the Gap is the podcast dedicated to helping you navigate unemployment and move to your next opportunity. We bring expert interviews, practical strategies, and real job seeker journeys to help you master your mindset and take control. Join us as we bridge the gap between where you are today and where you want to be."

2 days ago

Emotional Intelligence at Work: How to Build Confidence, Trust, and Career Resilience | Lisa Dy

⚡ TL;DR Lisa Dy explains why emotional intelligence has become a career survival skill in an AI-driven workplace. Drawing on more than 25 years as a CPA and her experience as a coach, she shares how job seekers and leaders can recover from toxic workplaces, rebuild confidence, communicate their value, develop healthier relationships, and focus on the actions they can control. 📄 Show Notes Career growth in a changing workplace starts with understanding how you show up, communicate, and build trust with others. Lisa Dy shares why emotional intelligence is one of the most important career advantages professionals can develop. As a career CPA turned coach, Lisa works with analytical professionals who may be highly capable but struggle with self-promotion, overthinking, emotional expression, or navigating difficult workplace dynamics. If you’re navigating a career transition, recovering from a difficult work environment, or looking to become a more effective leader, this episode offers practical perspective on emotional intelligence, resilience, and communicating the value of your uniquely human experience. ✅ Key Takeaways • Emotional intelligence is a career survival skill, not merely a soft skill. • Toxic leadership can affect how employees see themselves long after they leave. • Presenteeism occurs when people show up physically but are emotionally disconnected. • Self-awareness includes noticing emotions, posture, facial expressions, and communication patterns. • Self-regulation means responding thoughtfully rather than suppressing emotions or reacting impulsively. • Job seekers can stand out by communicating their humanity, influence, relationships, and lessons learned. • Keeping a written accomplishment list can rebuild confidence and quiet overthinking. • Mentors and trusted colleagues can help people see changes and blind spots they cannot see alone. • Leaders build trust by actively listening and asking difficult questions. • Employees want to feel heard, valued, and that they matter. • Job seekers should focus on controllable actions rather than uncontrollable hiring decisions. • Every career setback can become either a win or a lesson. 👤 Guest Bio Lisa Dy is a career CPA with more than 25 years of experience in accounting and finance. After becoming restless in her career and wanting to create a more personal impact, she transitioned into coaching. Lisa works primarily with analytical professionals in accounting, finance, and engineering. She helps clients identify limiting patterns, strengthen emotional intelligence, build confidence, communicate their value, and move forward consistently over the long term. Her work is shaped by firsthand experience in a toxic workplace and by her passion for helping leaders create healthier professional environments. 👑 Host Info Rick Meekins is a serial entrepreneur, strategic business disruption advisor, podcast guest, and co-host of Bridging the Gap, a podcast focused on helping job seekers, leaders, and professionals navigate career transitions and the changing workplace. Rick also hosts The Relentless Pursuit of Winning Podcast, where he explores what it takes to build, lead, and sustain meaningful businesses. Calley McGehee Herth is a co-host of Bridging the Gap, contributing perspective on job searches, workplace culture, career transitions, communication, and the human experience of work. 🧭 Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:14 Navigating the New Job Market 02:20 Introducing Lisa Dy 03:00 The Importance of Emotional Intelligence 07:44 Understanding Presenteeism and Its Impact 10:28 Healing from Toxic Work Environments 12:45 Evolving Through Career Challenges 14:41 Building Confidence in Job Seekers 17:21 The Human Element in Hiring 20:10 Overcoming Rejection in Job Searches 24:42 Active Listening in Leadership 27:17 Bridging the Gap in Job Seeking 29:23 Navigating Your Career Journey 29:41 Bridging the Gap in Job Search
3 Sept

The Quiet Job Market Shift: Finding Opportunity in Change | Lia Taniguchi

⚡ TL;DR The job market has not simply slowed down. It has changed. In this episode, Lia Taniguchi examines where opportunities are emerging, why employers are prioritizing adaptable human skills alongside AI literacy, and how contract, fractional, and portfolio careers are becoming meaningful career paths rather than temporary alternatives. 📄 Show Notes What if the job market is not disappearing, but changing in ways we are still learning to understand? In this episode, Lia Taniguchi offers a reflective look at job market trends, drawing from labor market research and millions of job postings. Instead of focusing only on fewer openings, she explores where demand is growing, how employer expectations are evolving, and why adaptability matters more than ever. We talk about the growing value of analytical thinking, leadership, judgment, collaboration, and AI literacy as routine work becomes more automated. The conversation also touches on the quiet concern many professionals feel about fewer entry level roles and internships, and what that may mean for future career paths. Lia also shares why contract work and fractional roles can be meaningful ways to build experience and stay relevant. If you are thinking about work, hiring, or career growth, this conversation offers a grounded and thoughtful view of where the job market is headed. ✅ Key Takeaways • The labor market is shifting across industries, locations, and skill requirements rather than simply declining. • Human centered skills including leadership, judgment, adaptability, and critical thinking continue to grow in value. • AI literacy is becoming an expected competency for many management and professional roles. • Contract and fractional positions increasingly provide meaningful career development. • Transferable skills often create more career options than professionals initially recognize. • Organizations must continue developing future leaders even as automation expands. 👤 Bio Lia Taniguchi is the Research and Insights Director at Bullhorn, where she leads market research initiatives that provide actionable insights for the staffing and recruitment industry. Drawing on both quantitative and qualitative research, she helps organizations understand workforce trends and make informed business decisions. Lia holds an MBA from Simmons College and is completing a Master of Public Health at Boston University. 🧭 Chapters 01:16 Introduction 05:19 Shifts in Job Market Dynamics 08:05 Essential Skills for Today's Job Seekers 10:39 The Rise of Generalists in the Workforce 13:40 Entrepreneurship and Personal Branding 16:32 Concerns About the Disappearing Middle Management 21:17 AI Skills for Middle Managers 24:03 Contract and Fractional Careers 27:43 Building a Future-Proof Career 32:38 Finding Opportunities in a Disrupted Job Market 37:02 Bridging the Gap for Job Seekers
23 Jul

Courageous Career Reinvention Through Storytelling | Cathy Derksen

🔥 Excerpt “Think what is that job, what is that environment that’s gonna make me come alive.” ⚡ TL;DR Cathy Derksen brings a grounded perspective on career change, identity, collaboration, and the role of story in helping people make clearer decisions about work and purpose. 📄 Show Notes Career reinvention through storytelling begins with a harder question than finding the next job. It asks whether the work ahead can hold a fuller version of a person’s skill, history, values, and contribution. Cathy Derksen’s path from medical genetics to financial planning to publishing reflects the reality many professionals now face. A stable career can still become misaligned. A good role can still leave important gifts unused. The issue is rarely ambition alone. It is often clarity. For job seekers, founders, and leaders, career reinvention through storytelling creates a practical discipline. The story must identify transferable skill, honest experience, meaningful distinction, and the kind of environment where contribution becomes sustainable. Without that clarity, people pursue roles that solve an income problem while creating a longer term identity problem. Cathy also points to a leadership shift with operational consequences. Competition can exhaust people. Collaboration can build capacity. When teams are treated as rivals, trust erodes. When individual strengths are named and used well, performance has a healthier foundation. Career reinvention through storytelling is also a leadership issue. People are reconsidering what they tolerate, what they value, and where they are willing to invest their energy. Work has changed because workers have changed. The leaders who understand that shift will build organizations where people can contribute without disappearing inside the job. ✅ Key Takeaways Clarity about your story helps clarify the work that fits.Transferable skills matter more when the old career box no longer applies.A job interview should reveal the company as much as the candidate.Collaboration strengthens morale, trust, and usable team capacity.Career reinvention through storytelling helps people connect purpose with practical next steps. 👤 Bio Cathy Derksen is a Canadian publisher, author, and creator of multi author books that help contributors build visibility, leave a legacy, and clarify the stories that shaped their work and leadership. 🎁 Giveaway Free PDF downloads of several books and an opportunity to connect with Cathy are available here: https://inspiredtenacitygifts.now.site/home 🧭 Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Cathy Derksen 03:33 Career Transitions and Finding Purpose 06:23 Storytelling in the Job Search 08:47 Collaboration and Leadership Culture 11:37 Work After COVID 14:24 Building a Longer Life Story 16:57 The Multi Author Book Model 19:47 Women, Leadership, and Contribution 22:21 Advice for Job Seekers 24:12 Closing
25 Jun

Career Strategy: Navigating the Employment Landscape in Today's Jobscape | Shruti Rustagi

⚡ TL;DR Career strategy becomes more valuable when the job market feels uncertain. This episode explores how job seekers can define success on their own terms, identify meaningful career alignment, build adaptable skills, and approach career decisions with greater clarity rather than fear. 📄 Show Notes Career strategy is no longer about following a predictable ladder or waiting for opportunities to appear. This conversation examines how today's employment landscape rewards adaptability, self awareness, and intentional decision making. Rather than viewing careers as a straight path, the discussion presents a broader perspective where growth can happen across industries, functions, and experiences. The episode explores three forms of alignment that strengthen long term career strategy: personal values, skill development, and well being expectations. It also highlights the importance of understanding true non negotiables before evaluating opportunities, allowing job seekers to make more informed decisions during a challenging market. The conversation also addresses how rapidly changing technology, shifting workplace expectations, and evolving career paths require continuous learning without losing sight of individual priorities. Career strategy becomes less about predicting the future and more about building flexibility that creates future opportunities. Practical insights focus on maintaining agency during uncertainty, investing in transferable skills, and recognizing that meaningful career growth is not always vertical. Throughout the discussion, career strategy is presented as an ongoing process of aligning opportunities with personal goals while remaining open to unexpected directions. ✅ Key Takeaways • Career decisions become stronger when guided by personal values. • Skill development creates opportunities beyond a single role or industry. • Well being expectations deserve consideration alongside compensation. • Adaptability supports long term career resilience. • Career growth is not limited to upward movement. • Greater clarity around non negotiables leads to better employment decisions. 👤 Bio Shruti Rustagi is a global leadership executive and leadership coach with more than two decades of experience across Fortune 100 organizations in North America, Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. Her work focuses on helping leaders develop greater impact through intentional growth, adaptability, and practical leadership strategies. 🎁 Giveaway Join my VIP circle to get the digital copy of the first 5 chapters of my book - Fearless Productivity along with the pdf cheat sheet on Supercharging Productivity at workplace - absolutely free. https://fearless-productivity.kit.com/playbook_starterkit 🧭 Chapters 00:00 Rethinking Career Growth 02:40 The Challenges Facing Today's Job Seekers 08:20 Values, Skills, and Well Being Alignment 14:30 Defining Non Negotiables During a Job Search 18:20 Building Resilience Through Career Agency 21:05 A New Way to Think About Career Strategy 24:40 Closing Thoughts #careeradvice #employment #jobmarket #leadership #careerdevelopment #professionalgrowth #resilience #futureofwork
4 Jun

Work Is Broken: Critical Skills for the Modern Job Seeker

Work is broken. Layoffs, burnout, AI disruption, and workplace instability have changed how professionals navigate their careers. In this episode of Bridging the Gap, Mary Baird explains why modern work environments feel increasingly transactional and what job seekers can do to compete more effectively in today’s hiring market. The conversation explores workplace culture, employee experience, networking, interview preparation, recruiter relationships, and how AI tools like ChatGPT and Copilot can help candidates research companies, prepare for interviews, and communicate more strategically during the job search process. If unemployment, career transition, or workplace burnout feels exhausting right now, this episode offers practical perspective on what has changed and the critical skills that matter most moving forward. Topics discussed: Workplace cultureEmployee experienceLayoffs and burnoutAI for job seekersInterview preparationNetworking strategiesLeadership challengesFuture of work About Mary Baird Mary Baird is a keynote speaker, employee experience strategist, and host of "The Simplifiers" Podcast. She is also the author of "Squash the Sunday Scaries." Chapters 00:00 Introduction 02:42 Why work feels broken 10:58 Workplace culture and leadership 16:08 Squash the Sunday Scaries 22:10 AI and the future of work 28:39 Advice for job seekers #jobsearch #futureofwork #workplaceculture #careeradvice #employeeexperience
26 Feb

Clarity, Uncertainty, and Momentum Navigating the AI Job Search | CJ Jones

⚡ TL;DR This episode examines the AI job search through the lens of lived experience, focusing on resumes, automation, and why human connection still shapes outcomes. It offers clarity for job seekers navigating systems that feel crowded, impersonal, and opaque. 📄 Show Notes AI job search realities frame this conversation as CJ Jones shares perspective shaped by long career tenure and active time back in the market. The episode centers on how automation has changed resumes, applicant tracking systems, and recruiter behavior, often creating sameness rather than clarity. The discussion highlights how the AI job search rewards structure and keywords while quietly diminishing differentiation. Over reliance on AI generated resumes is shown to weaken storytelling and blur individual value. Resumes are positioned as entry points rather than decision makers. Alongside technology, the episode emphasizes visibility and conversation. The AI job search is described as increasingly human beneath the surface, where networking, recognition, and context drive momentum. Everyday interactions and shared support become stabilizing forces in an otherwise isolating process. Throughout the episode, the AI job search is treated with realism and discernment. The focus remains on where effort still produces movement and how job seekers can remain grounded while navigating systems designed for volume rather than nuance. ✅ Key Takeaways • The AI job search prioritizes structure over individuality • AI generated resumes often reduce differentiation • Applicant tracking systems filter rather than select • Networking remains central in an automated process • Visibility and conversation reduce job search isolation 👤 Bio CJ Jones is a marketing and branding professional with extensive experience in career strategy, networking, and professional positioning. Her work focuses on helping individuals navigate the AI job search with clarity and connection. 🧭 Chapters 00:00 Introduction and context 01:51 Career background and transition experience 02:40 Job market realities 04:20 AI resumes and automation 05:41 Networking beyond applications 07:59 Being memorable without over polishing 10:18 Practical AI job search strategies 11:50 Resume and cover letter discernment 15:36 Application fatigue and rejection cycles 18:44 Closing reflections #aijobsearch #airesumes #careertransition #jobsearchsupport #networkingmatters #unemploymentjourney
19 Feb

Where Strategy, Design, and AI Shape People-First Brands | CJ Jones

⚡ TL;DR This episode follows CJ Jones as she reflects on a career transition shaped by job elimination, long-term marketing leadership, and adapting to rapid change. The conversation centers on professional relevance, practical experience, and staying grounded while navigating uncertainty. 📄 Show Notes Career transition sits at the center of CJ Jones’s story. As a senior marketing and brand leader recently navigating job elimination, CJ speaks with clarity about what it means to reassess direction without discarding decades of experience. Her background spans more than thirty years in healthcare marketing, with leadership across creative services, internal communications, and executive-level messaging. Career transition, in this context, is not framed as reinvention for its own sake. Instead, CJ describes steady adaptation. She shares how embracing AI tools became part of her leadership role rather than a threat to it. By serving as an internal AI champion, she helped ensure consistency, brand integrity, and efficiency while maintaining human judgment and accountability. Throughout the conversation, career transition is discussed as a professional reality rather than a personal failure. CJ explains how organizations differentiate themselves through clarity, collaboration, and service, drawing on experience from highly regulated environments where messaging precision matters. She emphasizes cross-functional teamwork and the importance of being visible, dependable, and communicative inside an organization. Career transition also surfaces in CJ’s reflections on generational shifts in the workplace. She highlights the ongoing need for foundational skills, professional presence, and the ability to engage with leadership. Her perspective reinforces that experience, when paired with learning, remains relevant even as technology accelerates change. Ultimately, career transition is portrayed as a period of recalibration. CJ presents herself as a steady problem solver who values curiosity, collaboration, and practical impact, offering job seekers a grounded example of how long careers continue to evolve. ✅ Key Takeaways • Career transition can involve recalibration rather than reinvention • Long-term experience remains relevant when paired with ongoing learning • AI tools support work best when guided by human judgment • Visibility and collaboration influence professional stability • Foundational communication skills continue to matter across generations 👤 Bio CJ Jones is a senior marketing and brand leader with over thirty years of experience, primarily in healthcare. Her work spans creative services leadership, internal and external communications, and executive-level support, with a recent focus on responsible AI adoption. 🧭 Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:19 Career background and aspirations 02:38 Using AI in marketing leadership 03:57 Differentiation in competitive industries 06:01 Collaboration and cross-functional work 07:48 Keeping pace with technology change 09:45 Foundational skills and professional readiness 11:27 Generational observations in the workplace 13:26 Passion for problem-solving and next steps 15:02 Closing #careertransition #jobsearchreality #professionalexperience #marketingcareers #unemploymentjourney #careergrowth
15 Jan

Steady Purpose and Relational Leadership in Mission Driven Work | Calley McGehee Herth

⚡ TL;DR This episode centers on mission driven work through the perspective of a job seeker navigating uncertainty while staying grounded in purpose. Calley McGehee Herth reflects on storytelling, relational leadership, and building trust inside organizations during times of change. 📄 Show Notes Mission driven work sits at the center of this conversation, explored through lived experience rather than theory. Calley McGehee Herth speaks as a seasoned marketing communications professional who is also navigating a job search shaped by disruption, reflection, and persistence. Mission driven work, as described here, is not positioned as branding language or surface level values. It is treated as a practical anchor that shapes how communication is built, how trust is earned, and how people inside an organization understand why their work matters. Her experience across healthcare, nonprofit, and public sector roles shows how storytelling becomes a stabilizing force when environments feel complex or uncertain. The discussion moves through real examples of how mission driven work shows up internally and externally. Internally, it creates shared clarity and employee engagement by making impact visible. Externally, it helps organizations communicate purpose with consistency and humanity rather than noise. These reflections are grounded in specific projects, including long form storytelling and internal communication systems designed to address confusion rather than avoid it. As a job seeker, Calley frames mission driven work as a filter rather than a pitch. The focus remains on alignment, relational leadership, and determination without framing outcomes or promises. Her perspective reflects how experienced professionals reassess fit and contribution during transition, especially when the market feels unstable. The episode closes with a realistic view of modern communication tools, including AI. Technology is acknowledged as useful but incomplete without human judgment, context, and empathy. Throughout the conversation, mission driven work remains the through line, offering clarity without oversimplifying the challenges of career transition. ✅ Key Takeaways Mission driven work functions as a stabilizer during career uncertaintyStorytelling builds trust internally before it influences external audiencesRelational leadership supports clarity and engagement without transactional framingCommunication solutions are most effective when they address real organizational tensionTools like AI require human discernment to remain credible and useful👤 Bio Calley McGehee Herth is a marketing communications and public relations leader with experience across healthcare, nonprofit, and public sector organizations. Her work centers on storytelling, trust building, and mission aligned communication. 🧭 Chapters 00:00 Introduction and career context 03:13 Storytelling as the foundation of mission driven work 05:40 Meaningful projects and organizational impact 08:18 AI, humanity, and communication judgment 10:57 Relational leadership in practice 13:06 Solving communication challenges creatively 15:32 Closing reflections #missiondrivenwork #jobseekerstory #careeruncertainty #relationalleadership #professionaltransition #storytellingcareers
15 Jan

Unemployment, Uncertainty, and Resolve with Rachel Petzold

⚡ TL;DR This premiere episode examines unemployment as a prolonged disruption rather than a brief transition. Rachel Petzold shares lived insight into how extended job loss affects identity, stability, and decision making, and how job seekers navigate forward without false certainty. 📄 Show Notes Unemployment anchors this opening episode as a lived condition rather than a statistic. The conversation reflects how extended job loss reshapes identity, financial stability, and emotional endurance, particularly for professionals who remain active in their search without resolution. From a third person reviewer perspective, unemployment is presented as a systemic reality affecting large segments of the workforce at once. Rachel Petzold brings clarity to how repeated layoffs, hidden hiring practices, and market contraction leave capable candidates stalled despite sustained effort. The episode surfaces how unemployment quietly reaches into family life, healthcare access, and long term planning. These impacts are described plainly, allowing the weight of prolonged instability to stand without dramatization. Community emerges as essential. Unemployment often dissolves professional networks when support is most needed. Rachel Petzold describes the importance of spaces where honesty replaces performance and job seekers can process rejection without self blame. Unemployment is reframed as a condition requiring adaptation rather than endurance alone. Interim paths such as contract work, portfolio based narratives, and skill reframing are explored as ways to maintain continuity while full time roles remain constrained. ✅ Key Takeaways Unemployment disrupts identity and stabilityProlonged searches reflect market structure, not effortRejection compounds emotional strainCommunity reduces isolation and distortionInterim work supports continuity and purpose👤 Bio Rachel Petzold is a product leader, consultant, and founder focused on supporting individuals navigating job loss and extended unemployment through community and practical support. 🧭 Chapters 00:00 Introduction 03:06 The Reality of Unemployment 05:21 Mental Health Impact 07:47 Networking and Support 10:57 Rachel Petzold’s Perspective 16:28 Structural Market Barriers 22:06 Community as Stability 27:21 Practical Interim Paths 31:42 Closing #unemployment #jobsearch #jobseeker #careertransition #careeruncertainty #hiddenjobmarket #careernavigation #bridgingthegappodcast

9 Episodes

Bridging the Gap is the podcast dedicated to helping you navigate unemployment and move to your next opportunity. We bring expert interviews, practical strategies, and real job seeker journeys to help you master your mindset and take control. Join us as we bridge the gap between where you are today and where you want to be."

Creator

PolariStory
Years Active

2026
Episodes

9
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© PolariStory
Show Website

Bridging the Gap Podcast