What does it really mean to future-proof your career — and is AI really coming for your job?

In this episode of the Career Transitions Podcast, we sit down with Sankar Venkatraman, Global Evangelist for Talent Solutions at LinkedIn, to explore what the data actually tells us about how work, the workforce, and the workplace are being reshaped by AI.

With nearly 14 years at LinkedIn and a front-row seat to global talent trends, Sankar brings both the numbers and the nuance. We dig into why organisations are hiring for potential over pedigree, what skills will truly matter in an AI-enabled world (hint: it's mostly human ones), and why the fear of AI displacing jobs is more headlines than reality.

Sankar also shares his own career journey — from Silicon Valley startups to Cisco to LinkedIn — and the three pieces of advice he'd give anyone navigating a major career shift. Plus, his concept of ikigai and why finding that intersection of passion, mission, vocation and profession is the only real path to long-term fulfilment.

Whether you're leading a team, reskilling yourself, or just trying to make sense of the moment we're all in — this conversation will leave you feeling more curious than afraid.

Connect with Sankar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sankarvenkatraman/

LinkedIn Talent Blog: https://www.linkedin.com/business/talent/blog

WEF Future of Jobs Report 2023: https://www.weforum.org/publications/the-future-of-jobs-report-2023/

Connect with us on LinkedIn:

· Vanessa Iloste (Host)

· Vanessa Teo (Host)

· Aaron Wu (Producer)

In this episode of the Career Transitions Podcast, we’re joined by Navid Nazemian, a globally recognised executive coach and trusted advisor to more than 250 C‑suite leaders across multiple industries and countries. With over two decades of senior HR leadership experience at organisations such as Vodafone, Roche and BAT, Navid brings a rare 360‑degree perspective on what it really takes to succeed at the highest levels of leadership.

Together, we explore why today’s executives are facing unprecedented pressure — from shorter CEO tenures and rising board expectations to increasing organisational complexity and constant external disruption. Navid shares why many leaders now find themselves in a “polycrisis” state, and what this means for performance, resilience, and decision‑making in the modern enterprise.

We also dive into what differentiates leaders who thrive from those who struggle. From earning the right to drive cultural change, to adapting leadership style to context, Navid offers practical insights drawn from both research and real‑world coaching experience. He outlines the six essential qualities of extraordinary leaders and explains why executive transitions so often fail — not because of strategy, but because of people, culture and timing.

Whether you’re stepping into a senior role, working closely with the C‑suite, or designing executive onboarding for the future of work, this conversation is packed with thoughtful guidance, clear examples, and powerful lessons on how to go slow in order to go fast. A must‑listen for anyone navigating — or supporting — leadership transitions at the top.

Connect with us on LinkedIn:

· Vanessa Iloste (Host)

· Vanessa Teo (Host)

· Aaron Wu (Producer)

What does it mean for HR to go on the offense — and what happens if it doesn't?

In this episode of the Career Transitions Podcast, Vanessa Teo and Vanessa Iloste sit down with Kyle Forest, US Future of HR Leader at Deloitte Consulting, to explore one of the most consequential questions facing people professionals right now: not whether AI will reshape work, but whether HR will lead that reshaping or be swept along by it.

AI is accelerating task displacement. Demographics are squeezing talent supply. Volatility is rewriting strategy in real time. Kyle's argument: HR sits at the intersection of internal capability and external labour markets, uniquely positioned to lead — if it chooses to.

The conversation covers why AI pilots stall when people aren't brought along, a practical framework for mapping how roles will shift, and why this moment calls for behaviour readiness rather than change management.

Optimism with evidence behind it. That's the throughline.

What is the next step you are willing to take — and what would it take to take it today?

Connect with us on LinkedIn:

· Vanessa Iloste (Host)

· Vanessa Teo (Host)

· Aaron Wu (Producer)

What happens to careers when the rules that built them no longer apply?

Season 6 of Career Transitions opens not with a guest, but with a conversation between your two hosts, Vanessa Teo and Vanessa Iloste. Two HR leaders, decades of experience between them, sitting with the questions they believe every professional needs to be asking right now.

The framing is deliberate. Before the guest conversations begin, they want to name what is actually happening: not a single disruption, but a polycrisis. AI touching cognitive work for the first time. Demographic plateaus reshaping talent supply. Geopolitical volatility rewriting supply chains and strategy in real time. Leaders are being asked to navigate all of it simultaneously, and the divide between those who are moving and those who are waiting for the dust to settle is widening.

On AI, the hosts resist the binary. Job displacement is smaller than headlines suggest; task displacement within jobs is already here. What gets left behind when the transactional is automated turns out to be deeply human: judgement, empathy, creativity, the ability to build trust across uncertainty. The more uncomfortable question is whether organisations, and HR functions in particular, are willing to claim the strategic ground this moment makes available, or whether they will automate the administrative and stop there.

The episode also examines the shift from role-based to skills-based careers, the shortening shelf life of qualifications, and what it actually means to take ownership of your own development in a landscape that is updating faster than any training programme can keep pace with.

At its core, this is an episode about the architecture of a working life: non-linear, context-dependent, and increasingly self-directed.

Given everything you know today, how will you shape your career differently

Connect with us on LinkedIn:

· Vanessa Iloste (Host)

· Vanessa Teo (Host)

· Aaron Wu (Producer)

This week on the Career Transitions Podcast, we’re joined by Associate Professor Jimmy Wong from the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS). Jimmy heads the Master of Management programme and teaches the popular course “The Future of Work.”

In this lively and candid conversation, Jimmy shares:

• Why being a polymath — someone who learns widely and curiously — is the edge you need for the future
• How to build healthy human-machine relationships and avoid becoming obsolete
• The mindset shifts necessary to navigate rapid change and automation
• His personal journey from pharmaceutical rep to academic, and how burnout sparked a career transformation
• Tips for HR and business leaders to redesign work and foster career agility
• His call to action: stop chasing money, embrace learning, and design the career you want

Whether you’re a leader, a learner, or someone feeling a little stuck — this episode is packed with practical insights, laughter, and some serious food for thought.

🔗 Referenced in this episode:

• Book: The Polymath by Waqas Ahmed
• Jimmy’s course at SUSS: “The Future of Work”

🎧 Tune in to hear why Jimmy says, “When there’s a willing student, there’s always a willing teacher — and that teacher is you.”

Connect with us on LinkedIn:

· Vanessa Iloste (Host)

· Vanessa Teo (Host)

· Aaron Wu (Producer)

Join us as Julian Devaureix, founder of the Sismique Podcast, explores the evolving world of work and offers insights for navigating a rapidly changing career landscape. With a background in digital marketing and transformation, Julian shares his personal journey and discusses the critical shifts shaping the future, from environmental concerns to technological advancements and the search for purpose. Discover actionable strategies for staying curious, embracing ambiguity, and building a resilient, meaningful career in today's complex world.

Connect with us on LinkedIn:

· Vanessa Iloste (Host)

· Vanessa Teo (Host)

· Aaron Wu (Producer)

In this episode, we unpack one of the most talked-about topics in career transitions: networking—and how to do it authentically.

Whether you're a seasoned executive or exploring a new path, building meaningful connections can be a game-changer. But how do we move beyond transactional handshakes and LinkedIn connections to relationships that truly support and shape our careers?

Vanessa T and Vanessa I share personal stories, practical tips, and candid reflections on:

• Why networking is more than just a numbers game
• How to reach out in small but meaningful ways
• What a strong, diverse network looks and feels like
• Common pitfalls to avoid (hint: don't wait till you need something!)
• Why introverts often make the best networkers

💡 One of our favourite takeaways? Networking is about being intentional and valuing diversity—in backgrounds, viewpoints, and experiences.

Whether you're rekindling old connections or starting new ones, this episode will leave you inspired to build your network with purpose and heart.

Connect with us on LinkedIn:

· Vanessa Iloste (Host)

· Vanessa Teo (Host)

· Aaron Wu (Producer)

In this heartfelt episode of the Career Transitions Podcast, we reconnect with our very first guest and longtime mentor, Jean Balfour—Master Certified Coach and founder of Bailey Balfour. Jean joins us to reflect on her own remarkable career journey, from her early days in education, to corporate leadership, to founding a global coach training organization.

We have a great conversation about:

• Jean’s evolution from teacher to entrepreneur, and what led her to start her own coaching academy
• The emotional highs and lows of building a business—and the power of staying grounded through transitions
• How coaching unlocks emotional resilience at work and beyond
• Why shared humanity and empathy are essential leadership traits in the future of work
• Jean’s upcoming third act—including the tough decision to transition her coach training program and her exciting new book on emotional agility at work

Jean’s wisdom and warmth are as inspiring as ever. Whether you're navigating a career pivot, growing your leadership practice, or just need a reminder that you’re not alone in change—this one’s for you.

🎧 Listen in as Jean reveals what’s next and shares her biggest lessons from a lifetime of learning, leading, and coaching.

Connect with us on LinkedIn:

· Vanessa Iloste (Host)

· Vanessa Teo (Host)

· Aaron Wu (Producer)