The Next Rung: Navigating the Messy Middle of Career Growth

DJ Jaeger
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The corporate ladder doesn’t come with instructions. The Next Rung shares honest stories and practical career advice on career growth, career development, and leadership. From layoffs and pivots to managing up, building influence, and finding purpose, host DJ Jaeger explores the messy middle of career growth with insights for future leaders, technical experts, and high performers navigating their own path.

Episodes

  1. 10/01/2025

    When a Layoff Becomes a Turning Point

    A layoff can feel like the end of the road. In this episode, DJ shares how losing her job (on the same day as her wedding) led to a major career reset. From starting over as a mid-career intern to going back to school and building a portfolio, DJ explores what it means to rebuild after a setback. Packed with lessons on resilience, preparation, and purpose, this story proves that starting over doesn’t mean starting from scratch.

    8 min

  2. 10/01/2025

    Introducing The Next Rung: Navigating the Messy Middle of Career Growth

    In this first episode of The Next Rung, host DJ Jaeger shares why she created the podcast and how her own layoff, pivots, and promotions shaped her career journey. She introduces the “messy middle” of career growth and previews the stories, strategies, and insights to come; for future leaders, technical experts, and anyone climbing their own ladder.

    4 min
  • 2 Episodes

About

The corporate ladder doesn’t come with instructions. The Next Rung shares honest stories and practical career advice on career growth, career development, and leadership. From layoffs and pivots to managing up, building influence, and finding purpose, host DJ Jaeger explores the messy middle of career growth with insights for future leaders, technical experts, and high performers navigating their own path.

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