Is AI replacing jobs before young people even get started - and pushing experienced workers out before they’re ready to finish? And if the old advice to “work harder” no longer works, what does a secure career actually look like now?

In this episode, we’re joined by Maureen Wiley Clough, creator of the ‘It Gets Late Early’ podcast and newsletter, to unpack how artificial intelligence is reshaping careers at both ends of working life.

Together, we explore the uncomfortable truth that ageism affects every generation - from Gen Z struggling to access entry-level roles increasingly automated by AI, to Gen X professionals finding themselves displaced and unable to re-enter the workforce. Maureen reveals companies' real motives behind the ‘AI-washing’ we’re seeing, the myths that keep people feeling stuck, and what Gen X and Gen Z can do to keep their careers moving.

You’ll learn:

• Whether AI is really eliminating entry-level jobs - and what replaces them
• How ageism shows up in hiring (and how to respond to it)
• Why traditional career advice may no longer apply in the age of AI
• The skills and mindset becoming more valuable right now
• Whether everyone needs a side hustle - or a different way of thinking about work

We also explore how Gen X and Gen Z can support each other through uncertainty, what holds older workers back from career change, and one powerful piece of advice for those just starting out - and those worried they’re being pushed aside.

Listen in and you’ll discover how to navigate a working world where careers may last longer, change faster, and require reinvention more than ever before.

Hit play now and rethink what “job security” really means in the age of AI.

How to connect with Maureen:

https://www.itgetslateearly.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/maureenwclough/

https://www.instagram.com/itgetslateearly/

https://www.tiktok.com/@maureenwclough

https://www.youtube.com/@itgetslateearly

1.58 Intro to Maureen and her role in The Gen X/Z Exchange starting

3.10 How ageism affects every generation

8.28 Will AI replace entry-level jobs before Gen Z get started?

13.27 Why mentoring should work both ways

14.22 Why Gen X is being displaced and can’t get back into the workforce

19.08 Coded language concealing ageism and how to respond to it

23.04 Does conventional career advice to work harder to keep your job still hold true?

26.29 The side hustle - should we all have one?

31.10 Myths holding people back and thinking that it’s too late to change

33.18 What skills and mindset are becoming more valuable right now

36.56 Maureen’s one piece of advice for someone starting out and someone afraid of being pushed out

38.07 How to connect with Maureen

Send us a voice message on Speakpipe!

https://www.speakpipe.com/thegenxzexchange

Connect with us:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisperkins172/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-perkins-8446a82bb/

Should social media be banned for under-16s in the UK - and what can we learn from Australia? Do phone-free schools actually work, or do they just push problems underground?

In this episode, we’re joined by Amit Singh Kalley - leading commentator on this topic and the creator of the viral Periodic Table of Emojis. Amit helps us explore one of the most urgent debates facing parents, schools, and policymakers.

Amit shares how he keeps up with the fast-changing language of teens, and why adults still underestimate the pressure young people face online. Drawing on his experience as a Deputy Headteacher who banned phones at his school, he unpacks what actually works - and what doesn't.

You’ll learn:

• The four questions Amit believes parents should ask their children every day
• What phone-free schools can achieve
• How to rebuild trust when phones have created a wall between parents and children
  
  

We look at some of the research in Jonathan Haidt’s book ‘The Anxious Generation’ and look at the very real risks like grooming and sextortion. We discuss the peer pressure between parents as well as teens, whether gaming platforms should be included in a ban, and how Gen Z may one day look back on being handed smartphones so young.

Listen in and you’ll discover what good conversations about social media actually sound like - and how parents and teens can walk the digital path together, instead of pulling in opposite directions.

Hit play now and join the conversation we can’t afford to avoid.

How to contact Amit:

https://forworkingparents.com/

https://www.instagram.com/forworkingparents/

https://www.tiktok.com/@forworkingparents

https://www.facebook.com/forworkingparents

https://www.linkedin.com/in/amitsinghkalley

1.00 Intro to Amit

2.05 The idea for the Periodic Table of Emojis

3.40 Keeping up-to-date with how teens communicate

5.14 What are adults still not getting about social media?

7.35 The wall built between parents and children and how to break it down

8.48 The 4 questions to ask your children every day about their online experience

11.07 ‘The Anxious Generation’ and the accidental phone-based childhood

12.12 Amit’s experience of banning phones at school and the results

14.37 Lily’s experience of having phones in school

17.04 The language of the social media ban

18.20 How Gen Z will look back on being given phones & social media

19.35 The dangers of access for young people - grooming and sextortion

23.55 Can we hold the social media companies to account?

28.14 Would a ban work?

30.52 Reports on the changes in Australia so far

32.22 How it could be implemented in the UK and will we do it?

37.45 How to have a good conversation about social media between parents and teens

41.14 Should we ban gaming platforms too?

43.49 How teens might react to losing social media access, how to make them more aware and how to involve them in the discussion

46.50 How to connect with Amit

Send us a voice message on Speakpipe!

https://www.speakpipe.com/thegenxzexchange

Connect with us:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisperkins172/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-perkins-8446a82bb/

Ever wondered why your CV isn’t getting responses - or how you’re supposed to stand out when everyone’s following completely different advice? Should you write for AI screening, recruiters, or hiring managers… and can you do all three at once?

In this episode we're joined by Carl Scutt, the UK’s only certified Career Storyteller, to cut through the confusion and explain what actually works in today’s job market.

Carl shares how he got started, why so many CVs fail, and how to build a compelling CV whether you’re just starting out with limited experience or reshaping a long career to stay relevant. From accomplishment statements and keyword matching to career pivots, CV gaps, and whether gimmicks really help - this episode is about clarity, confidence, and telling the right story.

You’ll learn:

• How to write a strong CV when you’re early in your career (and what else counts)
• How to shape accomplishment statements - even if you haven’t done the job before
• How to tailor your CV for each role without rewriting it from scratch
• How to position a long career history, handle gaps, or pivot into something new
• How to write a CV for humans and AI - and the three audiences you must satisfy

Whether you’re applying for your first role, feeling stuck mid-career, or trying to future-proof your experience, listen in and you’ll discover how to stop guessing - and start telling a career story that gets noticed.

Hit play now and make your CV work harder for you.

Connect with Carl:

https://www.yourcareerstory.co.uk/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-scutt/

2.05 Intro to Carl

3.20How Carl got started

5.08 Challenges with CVs in the current market

6.20 How to build a strong CV when you're starting out

8.40 What else to include when you're starting out (hobbies, interests, etc)

10.27 How to form accomplishment statements if you've not done the job you're applying for before

11.08 How to think about accomplishment statements

12.04 How to tailor your CV for each job application

13.35 How to stand out from other applicants

16.07 How to take a long career history and shape it for a role today

17.20 How long should a CV be?

19.11 How to position yourself in a CV for a pivot or career change

20.30 How to handle gaps on your CV

23.47 How to get through AI screening with your CV - should you write for bots or humans, or both?

29.40 Do gimmicky things help you stand out?

31.34 How to tailor your CV when uploading to job boards

33.13 Cover letters - do recruiters still expect them and if so how to do them?

35.58 How to make sense of all the conflicting CV info and advice that's out there

38.08 What does it mean to be a career storyteller?

43.00 Carl's one guiding principle

Send us a voice message on Speakpipe!

https://www.speakpipe.com/thegenxzexchange

Connect with us:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisperkins172/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-perkins-8446a82bb/