The Career Equation®: The Formula for Career Clarity

Erica Sosna & Zoë Schofield
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The world’s best organisations know how to attract and keep the world’s best employees.  However, even those firms struggle with employee retention. Why? Because their employees can’t see their future there.  The problem with careers in great firms is that employees know what they want but don’t who to talk about it, and their organisations don’t know what they want and so don’t help them get it ( even though they want to!) The result? Great employees leave all too soon, missing out on all the exciting opportunities in their existing firm.  The tragedy is, this brain drain could be arrested with a simple, powerful career conversation that anyone can master.  Welcome to The Career Equation®, a practical formula for career conversations that helps organisations engage, retain and grow their talent.  Hear how firms like Microsoft, Amazon, and Capital One make use of the formula to enhance career conversations, reduce attrition and unlock internal mobility.  With anonymous Q&A on the juicy career questions talent are afraid to ask, real world case studies from learning professionals, and expert advice from over 20 years of careers consulting, we bring the Equation and all its benefits live and direct to your workplace.  If keeping great people is your biggest challenge, this podcast shows you how The Career Equation® can be the solution. For more information, to book your career conversation assessment or download our free guides on all things career, www.thecareerequation.com/contact

  1. JAN 30

    The Career Equation Season 2: Career Conversations That Actually Work

    The Career Equation: Series Two Launch Erica Sosna and Zoë Schofield are back with something new, a series that goes right to the heart of career conversations that actually work. Let's be honest: most organisations say careers matter, but meaningful career conversations? Much rarer. Series two focuses on the conversation itself. How you move beyond vague chats and tick-box frameworks and use the Career Equation approach to uncover what truly matter: skills, motivations, impact, ideal environment. You'll hear real-world case studies from organisations that have embedded this work and what changed when they did. Plus there's a weekly Q&A tackling the real challenges you're dealing with right now. If you work in HR, coaching, or you're a business leader where careers matter, this series is for you. Follow or subscribe. First episode coming soon. Visit www.thecareerequation.com for more information. And send us your career conversation questions to pod@thecareerequation.com

    1 min

  2. 11/10/2025

    The Career Equation Next Steps: Season 1 Finale

    As Series 1 wraps up, Erica and Zoë reflect on the evolution of The Career Equation and how the idea of “fit squared” has become a defining theme. They explore how the right environment can multiply talent, motivation, and impact — and why so many organisations still overlook it.   They also share what’s next for The Career Equation in 2026, with new episode formats, short practical sessions for leaders and coaches, and a renewed focus on real stories from the workplace.   Listeners can share their thoughts or send career dilemmas to pod@thecareerequation.com   This episode closes the year with insight, clarity, and a challenge to think differently about what helps people truly thrive at work.   In this conversation:   • What “fit squared” means in practice • Why environment can make or break performance • How great career conversations actually start • What’s ahead for The Career Equation in 2026   Learn more: Erica Sosna on LinkedIn Zoë Schofield on LinkedIn Visit thecareerequation.com Subscribe to Erica’s Substack, Fireweed: ericasosna.substack.com

    21 min

  3. 10/27/2025

    Your Career is a Hero’s Journey, with Erica Sosna and Zoë Schofield

    Every great story follows a journey, and so does every fulfilling career.   In this episode, Erica and Zoë bring Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey framework into the world of work, showing how the same narrative pattern that drives epic adventures can also illuminate your own career path.   They trace each stage of the journey, from the initial call to change, through resistance, commitment, challenge, and return, revealing how it maps perfectly onto the twists and turns of modern working life. Along the way, they share examples from their coaching practice, including how leaders and returners alike can use this map to find direction, resilience, and meaning.   Erica reflects on her own experiences with recovery, reinvention, and redefining success after setback, while Zoë shares insights from navigating redundancy and creative renewal. Together they show that even when the road gets dark, you’re not lost, you’re simply in the middle of the story.   Whether you’re stepping into something new, facing uncertainty, or helping others through change, this episode is a reminder that your career isn’t just a sequence of jobs, it’s your own evolving adventure.   ⸻   In this conversation:   • Understanding the Hero’s Journey and how it applies to careers • Recognising where you are on your personal map of change • Moving from resistance to commitment when it’s time to grow • Building confidence through the challenges and “belly of the whale” moments • Using the Career Equation to guide your choices and next steps • What personal and organisational change look like through a story lens • Why reflection and celebration are essential parts of the return   Learn more:   Erica Sosna on LinkedIn Zoë Schofield on LinkedIn Visit thecareerequation.com

    52 min

  4. 10/13/2025

    Back to Work, but Not Back to You? Reclaiming Confidence After a Career Break so You Can Bounce Back Stronger — Part 2: How to Use the Career Equation to Facilitate a Good Return to Work Discussion

    Coming back to work after time away, whether for parenting, illness, or a life change, is a big transition. You’re not the same person you were before, and that’s the point. In this follow-up to Return & Thrive (Part One), Erica and Zoë move from mindset into action, exploring how to design your next chapter using the Career Equation framework.   They unpack the four elements: skills, passion, impact, and environment - and show how they can help you rebuild confidence, set new boundaries, and shape a working life that feels sustainable and energising. Erica shares her own story of returning too soon after a spinal injury, and the lessons it taught her about pacing, permission, and redefining success. Zoë reflects on her own pivot after maternity leave and the importance of using that pause to realign, not retreat.   You’ll hear practical, compassionate advice for anyone navigating a return, and insight for organisations on how to create supportive, flexible pathways for returners.   This is a conversation about change, courage, and coming back stronger, not by fitting into who you were, but by designing who you want to be next.   ⸻   In this conversation: • How to design your next career chapter with intention • Using the Career Equation to find clarity after time away • The power of pausing before rushing back to work • Erica’s personal story of returning too early after injury • How career breaks can sharpen values and reveal new strengths • Rebuilding confidence and self-belief after a break • Setting healthy boundaries and redefining what ‘success’ means now • How organisations can better support and retain returners   Learn more:   Erica Sosna on LinkedIn Zoë Schofield on LinkedIn Visit thecareerequation.com

    29 min

  5. 09/29/2025

    Back to Work, but Not Back to You? Reclaiming Confidence After Time Away or a Career Break so You Can Bounce Back Stronger — Part 1: Why Returning Can Be Daunting and What to Do About It

    Taking time away from work, whether for parenting, caring, redundancy, illness, or reflection, changes you. Coming back can stir up doubts: Am I still relevant? Will employers judge the gap? How do I explain it on my CV?   In this episode, Erica and Zoë reframe the experience of a career break. Rather than seeing it as a liability, they explore how it can sharpen your values, grow new skills, and even open the door to a midlife career restart. You’ll learn how to rebuild confidence after time off, recognise the fears that hold returners back, and discover strategies to make your comeback a chapter of growth.   With candid stories from clients and years of coaching insight, this conversation offers both reassurance and practical return to work support. Whether you’re restarting your career at 40 or 50, navigating imposter syndrome after a break, or simply wondering how to explain a career gap on your CV, you’ll come away with clarity and confidence.   For HR leaders and managers, this episode also highlights why supporting returnship programs and flexible careers after parenting isn’t just good practice — it’s a powerful way to unlock fresh talent and create inspiring role models.   ⸻   In this conversation:   • Why returning to work after a break can feel daunting • The hidden skills you gain during time away • How to reframe a career gap with pride and confidence • Common fears returners face, and how to challenge them • Career relaunch strategies to ease your transition • Practical career comeback tips and low-risk ways to restart • How to get back to work after a career gap without losing momentum • The role of HR support, returnship programs, and flexible career paths   Learn more:   Erica Sosna on LinkedIn Zoë Schofield on LinkedIn Visit thecareerequation.com

    24 min

  6. 09/15/2025

    Mentoring Over Managing: Designing Career Paths for Expert Contributors — with Ben Hart

    Sometimes the most profound career conversations happen with old colleagues. Today, Zoë welcomes Ben Hart, someone she worked with years ago in local government who's since become a healthcare transformation consultant working with NHS trusts and independent hospitals across the country. Ben's got an unusual background: he's led mountaineering expeditions in South America, guided groups canoeing down the Amazon, and somehow those experiences of moving people from where they are to where they want to be translated perfectly into healthcare transformation. His personal motto might sound a bit Disney, but it's surprisingly effective: "be nice, do good, and have fun." The conversation includes about a challenge many senior professionals face. Ben's moved away from people leadership into individual contributor work, and he's wondering whether it's time to go back. He's brilliant at what he does (his team completely overhauled patient pathways and now treat over 1,200 additional patients per year), but something's missing. It's that classic tension between expertise and leadership, and how to know when you're ready to take on people again without burning out. What makes this episode special is watching someone work through their Career Equation in real time, working out how to balance family life with the pull of meaningful work that genuinely saves lives. ⸻ In this conversation: Why moving from people leadership to individual contributor isn't always forward momentum How natural storytelling abilities become superpowers in healthcare transformation The reality of working in heavily regulated industries where change takes time Creating mentoring relationships without formal authority structures Why "leaving the shirt in a better place" drives everything Ben does How to protect yourself when working on issues you care deeply about The difference between analysing failure and celebrating success (and why we're rubbish at the latter) Practical strategies for scaling impact through collaborative partnerships When nostalgia for previous roles signals something important about your next move   Find out more: • Ben Hart on Linkedin • Zoë Schofield on LinkedIn  • More at thecareerequation.com ⸻ #IndividualContributorVsPeopleManager #HealthcareLeadershipDevelopment #NHSLeadershipDevelopment #TalentDevelopmentInPrivateHealthcare #MentoringInHealthcare #AlternativeLeadershipPaths #RetainingSeniorHealthcareTalent #CareerPathsForHealthcareProfessionals #HealthcareSuccessionPlanning #MentoringCultureInHealthcare #EngagingHighPerformersInHealthcare

    38 min
  7. Ep 6 – Struggling to Stay Motivated? This Is How You Keep Going

    09/08/2025

    Ep 6 – Struggling to Stay Motivated? This Is How You Keep Going

    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. If you’ve ever wondered how to get clear on my career, or how to figure out my next career step, this conversation gives you simple, practical tools to move forward.   You’ll learn why fear, everyday life, and working in isolation can drain your energy — and how to reframe them so they don’t hold you back. Erica and Zoë share fast career clarity tips, from scheduling a regular ‘career power hour,’ to using easy career coaching tools, to starting conversations that build accountability and momentum.   To access the workbook or book a 121 visit www.thecareerequation.com/clarity   This episode will help you:   Recognise fear and shrink it into manageable steps Protect space for your career by scheduling regular focus time Build momentum with short-term, achievable milestones Share your Career Design Statement with others to avoid isolation Use career coaching tools to set goals that are specific and trackable   By the end of the episode, you’ll know how to keep your clarity alive, set career goals that stick, and use the Career Equation® as a simple career formula to create lasting change.   Book your 1:1 Career Clarity Session here: thecareerequation.com/clarity   Try the free Career Equation® Builder: thecareerequation.com/tools-resources     Learn more:   Erica Sosna on LinkedIn Zoë Schofield on LinkedIn Visit thecareerequation.com

    19 min
  8. Ep 5 – Set a Career Goal You’ll Actually Stick To (Here’s How)

    09/01/2025

    Ep 5 – Set a Career Goal You’ll Actually Stick To (Here’s How)

    If you’re ready to move from career clarity into action, this episode is for you.   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.   You’ll discover three different types of career goals: progress, development, and learning, and how to choose the one that best supports your Career Design Statement. By the end of the episode, you’ll know how to set a goal that’s achievable, motivating, and aligned with where you want to grow next.   To access the workbook or book a 121 visit www.thecareerequation.com/clarity   This episode will help you: Understand the three kinds of career goals (progress, development, learning) Match your goal to your Career Design Statement Avoid overthinking and get into action quickly Use smart criteria to make your goals specific and trackable Build momentum with short-term, achievable milestones   By the end of the episode, you’ll have a clear, practical goal in place to move your career forward.   Book your 1:1 Career Clarity Session here: thecareerequation.com/clarity   Try the free Career Equation® Builder: thecareerequation.com/tools-resources   Learn more: Erica Sosna on LinkedIn Zoë Schofield on LinkedIn Visit thecareerequation.com

    21 min
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The world’s best organisations know how to attract and keep the world’s best employees.  However, even those firms struggle with employee retention. Why? Because their employees can’t see their future there.  The problem with careers in great firms is that employees know what they want but don’t who to talk about it, and their organisations don’t know what they want and so don’t help them get it ( even though they want to!) The result? Great employees leave all too soon, missing out on all the exciting opportunities in their existing firm.  The tragedy is, this brain drain could be arrested with a simple, powerful career conversation that anyone can master.  Welcome to The Career Equation®, a practical formula for career conversations that helps organisations engage, retain and grow their talent.  Hear how firms like Microsoft, Amazon, and Capital One make use of the formula to enhance career conversations, reduce attrition and unlock internal mobility.  With anonymous Q&A on the juicy career questions talent are afraid to ask, real world case studies from learning professionals, and expert advice from over 20 years of careers consulting, we bring the Equation and all its benefits live and direct to your workplace.  If keeping great people is your biggest challenge, this podcast shows you how The Career Equation® can be the solution. For more information, to book your career conversation assessment or download our free guides on all things career, www.thecareerequation.com/contact

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