The job market is changing quickly. A new podcast from the University of Washington Foster School of Business and GeekWire Studios brings Foster’s most experienced career professionals together to help people make sense of it.
The Great Careers Playbook is a seven-episode series offering practical, candid advice for navigating today’s world of work. Hosted by Kay P. Dawson, assistant dean of MBA Career Management at the Foster School, the series draws on the expertise of Foster career management leaders who work closely with students, employers, and recruiters every day.
Their perspective offers an unusually broad view of the job market. The team draws on what they are seeing now, combining employer data and recruiter insights with years of experience helping people make consequential career decisions.
Joining Dawson throughout the series are Elaine Newtson, senior associate director of MBA Career Management; Bronica Sam, senior associate director for Recruiting and Talent Acquisition; and Jack Chung, associate director of Career Services.
Together, they tackle questions that are especially pressing in a challenging but still opportunity-filled market: How can you build a career that withstands disruption? What should you do before a layoff? How do you negotiate without damaging a relationship? And how do you keep going when the job search starts taking a toll?
It’s advice designed to be used, whether that means changing how you approach an application, negotiating an offer, strengthening the professional skills employers notice, or finding a way forward after a setback.
Produced in partnership with GeekWire Studios, the series is available as a video podcast on YouTube and in audio on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, and other major podcast platforms.
The seven-episode careers playbook
Episode 1: The New Rules of the Job Market
The job market hasn’t just gotten harder; it has changed shape. The team unpacks structured interviews, AI-driven resume screening, what employers are evaluating and why silence from an employer may not mean what candidates assume.
Episode 2: Designing a Career Strategy That Withstands Change
What does it mean to manage a career rather than simply react to the next opportunity? The team explores over-specialization, how employers interpret your range and how to build more flexibility into a career.
Episode 3: Navigating Layoffs
Layoffs can be unpredictable, but preparation matters. The team shares the small, consistent actions that can leave professionals better positioned if a layoff comes — and what people often wish they had done sooner.
Episode 4: How People Get Hired
There can be a sizable gap between how hiring appears to work and how it works in practice. The team discusses referrals, internal advocates, networking and what hiring managers are trying to understand before extending an offer.
Episode 5: The Signals That Accelerate Career Growth
Experience is only part of what employers evaluate. Judgment, initiative and communication can be equally important. The team breaks down the professional signals that help people stand out and grow.
Episode 6: Negotiation as a Career Multiplier
Negotiation can shape a career well beyond a single salary conversation. The team discusses what may be negotiable, common mistakes and what confident, collaborative negotiation can sound like.
Episode 7: The Emotional Reality of Job Searching
The series closes with a candid conversation about a part of job searching that receives far less attention: its emotional toll. The team discusses rejection, self-doubt, repeated setbacks and how to rebuild momentum.
Watch or listen to The Great Careers Playbook.