career development Archives - Don't Stop Us Now

Demystifying Hiring in the Age of AI – Magdalena…

June 11, 2025June 11, 2025
by Claire

Ever wondered what really happens after you hit ‘apply’ on that dream job? We’re pulling back the curtain on modern recruitment with Magdalena Orascanin, an international HR consultant and speaker who advises and trains HR teams globally on strategic AI implementation.

Based in Switzerland and founder of Magnate HR, Magdalena has a wealth of HR experience, and a refreshingly honest perspective on how AI is actually being used in hiring and in HR today – spoiler alert: it’s not what most people think.

Magdalena speaks regularly about AI and HR including at the AI Summit London where we can also be found this week. 🙂

In this episode we explore:

The ATS Mythology Magdalena reveals the biggest myth about Applicant Tracking Systems and shares what’s really screening your CV
The Application Avalanche Why recruiters are drowning in applications like never before and what this means for your job search strategy
How to successfully apply for roles
Using AI as Your Career Coach How to flip the script and use AI tools to your advantage, and . . .
Future-Proofing Your Career Essential skills for staying relevant as AI reshapes the workplace.

Magdalena shares fantastic insider knowledge and tips in our conversation. She also reveals her favourite AI tools for automation and content creation, plus why she believes we’re still at the “dial-up internet” stage of AI development.

Whether you’re actively job hunting, or just want to understand how the hiring landscape is shifting, or how roles will change as AI is deployed, this conversation offers priceless insider insights.

Enjoy this episode with the dynamic and optimistic Magdalena Orascanin.

Useful Links:

Magdalena on LinkedIn

Magdalena’s business Magnate

The AI Summit London

Top Tips

Wondering What Next? Greta’s Unique Listening Tour

May 22, 2024May 22, 2024
by Claire

Our episode this week looks at an under-appreciated concept for reflecting on, and gaining new insights for your next career step or business idea.

We go on a journey with Claire to learn about a ‘World Listening Tour’ that Greta did some years back. She had decided to leave her intense role at (RED) and wasn’t sure what she wanted to do next, nor even which country she should live in!

This dilemma about what next prompted Greta to put together her very own listening tour to learn what had been happening in the world outside the bubble of her all-absorbing (RED) role, as well as discover what other interesting things were happening in the space she was interested in. At the same time, she figured, she’d also get a ‘feel’ for whether she’d want to live in particular cities or not.

In this unique episode we share:

What a Listening Tour is
What Greta wanted from her ‘World Listening Tour’
How she secured her meetings, sometimes with amazing people
What you need to consider to have your own successful listening tour, and
How you can have one these days without leaving home.

What we love about the concept of a Listening Tour is that there’s no limit to the kind of topics or themes you might want to explore. And, as you’ll discover, through curious and well prepared conversations with contacts and strangers, a lot of insight can come.

Perhaps a Listening Tour is exactly what you need now?

Enjoy this episode!

How To Episode

How to Ace the Interview

March 1, 2023March 1, 2023
by Claire

Job interviews can certainly be intimidating and nerve-wracking, yet how we use that finite window of time that can really make a huge difference to our careers and sometimes even our lives.

Whether it’s your dream job at stake or one you’re not so sure about, make no mistake, you owe it to yourself to perform to the best of your ability. And this week’s ‘How To’ episode explains why.

The people we work with around the world regularly ask us for advice and support going through their interview process. So we decided it’s time to share some of our tried and tested tips and frameworks, as well as share special ‘insider’ contacts and content, with you now as well in this episode.

Not only will we walk through our key interview tips, you’ll also hear invaluable insider advice from leading Russell Reynolds executive search consultant and Managing Director in Australia, Nick Fletcher.

Plus we also bring you Caitriona Staunton who’s Improbable’s Director for People Ops, responsible for recruiting hundreds of people a year in the UK. She’s previously headed up recruitment in Asia Pacific at tech unicorn, Atlassian, as well as worked at Google internationally so really knows her stuff.

You may be surprised by what they both share.

In this episode you’ll learn:

The key pre-work we recommend you do before your interview
What the experts say on how to give yourself an amazing advantage before the interview even starts
What internal hiring managers look for during the interview; and
How to manage your nerves and perform at your best once the interview begins.

We all have to do interviews at some point and who knows, something you hear today could make all the difference for your next one!

If you’d like to hear more from our ‘vault’ on this topic then please let us know on LinkedIn (Claire or Greta) and we’ll think about how to share more content with you.

Enjoy this ‘How To’ episode.

Useful Link

Amy Cuddy’s TED Talk

Interview

A Rare CFO – Madeline Ling

November 8, 2022November 8, 2022
by Claire

Our episode this week features the first Chief Financial Officer we’ve had on the show, however Madeline Ling is not your ‘ordinary’ CFO.

We don’t think we’ve met a CFO who values diversity and building relationships the way Madeline does, not to mention the articulate and creative way she speaks about the stories the numbers can tell her.

Madeline has held multiple CFO roles throughout her 20-plus year career to date which has seen her work far and wide, including in the U.S., China, Mexico, Europe, and Thailand. A tech-company veteran, these days she is CFO of US-based Boomi, a fast-growing global SaaS company, focussed on easy software integration, now owned by two blue chip private equity firms.

Before taking on CFO roles, Madeline spent twelve years consulting including the Boston Consulting Group where she was a Principal. She also has an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.

In this episode you’ll hear:

What Madeline learnt as an impressionable teenager when she moved to the US not speaking a word of English
How she thinks about leveraging her differences to add value
Madeline’s recipe for building awesome working relationships; and
The two questions she asks herself before changing roles or company.

In short, this was a fabulous conversation and you’ll really be inspired by the thoughtful and articulate Madeline Ling.

Useful Link

Boomi website

Below you can see how the cake turned out that Madeline talked about in the interview (top right) – looks delicious!

Bonus Episode

What Surfing Taught Us About Learning

August 24, 2022August 31, 2022
by Claire

It all began with a provocative question from Claire and it ended with Greta spending last week learning to surf in Bali!

Now if you know anything about surfing then you’ll be laughing right now because you’ll know there’s only so much you can learn in a week!

Back in podcast HQ, complete with a few bruises and very sore arms (paddling and pop ups are hard people!!), it got us thinking about the lessons and crazy wipeouts that so many new learning experiences can entail.

We also asked ourselves, “what is the best way to learn a new work or hobby-related skill?” Thanks to Greta’s thrills and spills on the water, a very patient instructor, and some research we have some answers.

So in this episode come to Bali with us and hear what surfing taught us about learning, including:
Why knowing how you want to learn something can make all the difference
How homework can be both helpful and sometimes very unhelpful
The genius tactic Greta’s surfing instructor used, and
What she did to transform her experience out on the water from one day to the next.

Grab your swimmers, pull up a sun lounge and enjoy this episode. Who knows what you might learn next!

P.S. Greta is ready for surfing sponsorships and endorsements any time!! 😂

How To Episode

How to Discover Your Strengths and Thrive

August 9, 2022August 9, 2022
by Claire

Leaning into your strengths is perhaps the most powerful thing you can do as an individual to progress your career AND enjoy it more.

And if it’s that important we figured we should have a conversation about this! So we did! 🙂

In this week’s episode, Claire and Greta have a lot of fun talking about everything you need to know to own your strengths, thrive and feel more fulfilled.

We cover:

Why leaning into your strengths has so many payoffs
How you discover what your key strengths really are
How to think about applying them in to your day to day work and life, and
Hear real life stories of people who’ve made changes and are now thriving all due to insights about their strengths.

Wherever you’re at in your career, we can all benefit from pausing and asking ourselves “how much am I using my strengths this week?”

Join us now 🙂

Interview

It’s Not About Me – Joanna Flint

March 30, 2022March 30, 2022
by Claire

We’re back from Covid (hooray!) and so even more excited about this week’s inspiring guest!

Joanna Flint is Chief Commercial Officer for the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group where she’s responsible for its global marketing, sales, revenue management, brand and distribution functions. She is also a member of the company’s Board.

Joanna joined the luxury brand last year after more than twelve years with Google in Asia where, amongst other roles, she was Managing Director of Google Singapore. Based in Singapore with her family, after 20 years living in Asia, Joanna is also a member of YPO and a mentor to early stage start-ups.

If you’re contemplating your career or thinking about changing roles then you have come to the right place because Joanna has some of the most thoughtful musings on this topic we’ve heard.

In this episode you’ll learn:

The incredible story of why Joanna nearly didn’t apply for the top job at Google in Singapore and what happened to make her change her mind
The opportunities she feels she wasted because she wasn’t super clear about what she wanted next in her career
Exactly how Joanna got that clarity on what her next role needed to look like
And how she manages the challenges of leading a truly global team without working 24/7.

We know you’ll love the amazing insights and advice shared in this conversation, so enjoy this episode with the insightful and passionate Joanna Flint.

A quick P.S. from us that we are giving our mini episodes a little break for a while, so we’ll be back in two weeks time with our next conversation with an amazing, pioneering female leader. Hint – she’s ‘uber’ cool.

Links

Joanna on LinkedIn

Mandarinoriental.com

Future Proof Me Mini Episode

Positivity Hacks – Future Proof Me

February 1, 2022February 1, 2022
by Claire

What better way to start a new Lunar Year than by dusting off any Omicron blues and ensuring you have the right mindset for the day and week ahead?

Our first mini episode for the year brings you self-confessed ‘rabid optimist’ and former Australian of the Year, Dr Fiona Wood. This inspiring powerhouse manages to stay incredibly positive despite her very confronting and life-saving work as a world-leading burns surgeon. Learn some tactics that she uses to bring back happy memories and change her own mood.

In this short but sweet episode you can also contemplate whether or not you agree with Voltaire on what our most important decision of all is.

Enjoy! And if you haven’t already, why not connect with us on LinkedIn… just mention “Don’t Stop Us Now! podcast” and we’ll be right there.

Links of interest

Fiona’s full interview with us

If you enjoy this episode, an interview you might like too; Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas – Humour as a Super Power

How To Episode

How to Shine on LinkedIn

November 16, 2021
by Claire

With so much talk about the ‘Great Resignation’ and all the job changes that are occurring as a result, what better time to make sure your LinkedIn profile is working for you?

In this episode we share some valuable ‘insider’ tips and gain an insight into how recruiters use LinkedIn to find the right people. We’ll also hear from US based Executive Resume writer and expert Donna Svei who will share insights you may be surprised to learn.

And you’ll glean some valuable tips to ensure that you are doing yourself justice on this all important platform.

You’ll learn:

How you can optimise your LinkedIn profile
What parts of your profile get shared by recruiters with their clients, the hiring managers
And, a simple step you can take that could make a surprising difference.

Here’s to you having an ‘All Star’ profile and shining bright! Enjoy.

Useful Links

Executive Resume Writer, Donna Svei’s website

Future Proof Me Mini Episode

Future Proof Me – Just Ask!

August 10, 2021August 10, 2021
by Claire

Greetings everyone!

This week’s mini episode is all about challenging our beliefs about who we can and can’t ask for help.

A couple of years ago we spoke with serial entrepreneur, and now author, Rebekah Campbell about her career journey and her childhood growing up in New Zealand.

Rebekah happened to mention that she met with the Prime Minister of New Zealand when she was just 12 years of age as part of a school project she was doing. She went on to explain how this seminal meeting, that she had arranged herself, became an incredibly valuable lesson for her as she started her entrepreneurial career.

We love this story and its lesson that reminds us all to get better at asking people (when we have a good question for them) even if they seem way more senior or more powerful than us.

Enjoy this entertaining and valuable story from Rebekah.

Useful Links

Rebekah’s website

Rebekah’s new book 138 Dates

Rebekah on LinkedIn