Career Buzz

Today’s show explores the gaps in educational outcomes with evolving industry needs through the life of emergent talent and student-led efforts to bring the two into closer alignment. There is a growing disconnect between the traditional, high financial cost of formal higher education and its actual, measurable return on investment (ROI). This is especially a growing gap in a rapidly shifting AI-driven job market, and general disconnect of ways of learning and career utility. This will be discussed through lived experience.
 
Artem Kushnirenko is a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto, conducting translational neuro-oncology research at SickKids in Toronto. Born and raised in war-torn Ukraine, he earned his first degree in biology and biotechnology in Kyiv, where he also began his journey in science. Having lived through turbulent times, he came to appreciate firsthand the true value of education and innovation, and the challenges of sustaining them. This shaped his commitment to advancing science for societal impact through entrepreneurship and venture capital, and to helping others move from education into innovation careers. Founded in 2017 Innovation OnBoard (IOB) is a student-led NGO and UofT-recognized student group on a mission to connect emerging talent with the people that help turn academic potential into new ideas, solutions, and ventures contributing directly to Canada's innovation economy. 
For career counselling for you or someone you care about, start with a free discovery call: careercycles.comFor gamified, story-based professional development, learn about and schedule a demo of Who You Are Matters!

Join Hoda and her guests as they bring Career Literacy to life. Reflect. Share. Start the conversation. Sean shares, "If you resign yourself to just the way things are going to be and you give up the agency to do something about it, then you’re really not in a position to have any control over anything that happens”. Think about that. When we stop trying to change our circumstances, we hand over the steering wheel of our own lives. So, I have to ask you: Where in your life right now have you accidentally quieted your own voice, and what is one small thing you can do today to take back your control? Reflect and share.
 
Guest Bio
Sean Grainger is an educator, writer, speaker, and founder of HOPE Alliance, whose work examines the conditions that shape human development, belonging, and flourishing. 
Across a 33-year career as a teacher, counsellor, school administrator, and mental health and wellness coordinator, Sean has worked with children, families, educators, and leaders from diverse communities, including six years working alongside First Nations peoples. These experiences have informed a lifelong inquiry into how relationships, systems, adversity, opportunity, and belonging influence the people we become. 
Sean’s work challenges deficit-based thinking and the tendency to locate problems solely within individuals. He invites people to look beyond visible behaviour, consider the story behind the story, and ask what experiences and conditions may be shaping a person’s response. His approach draws together phenomenology, systems thinking, design thinking, resilience, and an ethic of care. 
He is the creator of the HOPE Wayfinder, a framework that helps individuals and organizations orient themselves within complexity and move from understanding toward responsible action. Through HOPE Alliance, KARE Givers, writing, coaching, consultation, and speaking, Sean supports educators, caregivers, and leaders in creating more thoughtful, relational, and humane environments. 
Sean believes that hope is not simply an emotion or a personality trait—it is a condition we can intentionally create through the environments we design and the relationships we cultivate. 
At the heart of his work is a central question: What becomes possible when we stop asking what is wrong with people and begin asking what they have experienced, what surrounds them, and what responsibility belongs to us?
 
For career counselling for you or someone you care about, start with a free discovery call: careercycles.comFor gamified, story-based professional development, learn about and schedule a demo of Who You Are Matters!

Today on Career Buzz, co-host Hoda Kilani and I take you to the Arab Career Development Conference in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. There, at the conference venue in Al Kifah school, we sat in a meeting room overlooking a hot 40C day. Lined up through the window we saw a mosque’s minaret, a cell phone tower, and a construction crane, signaling the unique mix of old and new. That’s where we recorded conversations with three career development leaders from across the region. 
Foad Abdallah shares how he’s using creativity and technology to build career services in Beirut Lebanon, even amid extraordinarily difficult economic conditions. Iman Nahlawi brings an HR perspective from Tunisia, and Stella Da Silva shares her work helping people use LinkedIn more intentionally in Muscat, Oman. 
What struck me was the contrast between familiar and different. The attire, the language, oh and the 40C heat was different for me, coming from Canada. What was the same: the shared human questions: How do people find direction? How do they adapt when conditions change? And how can career development help people see possibilities they might otherwise miss? 
You’ll also hear some of the energy and connection of Arab Car Dev’t Conference itself, a gathering that reminded us just how global the career development conversation has become. 
 
For career counselling for you or someone you care about, start with a free discovery call: careercycles.comFor gamified, story-based professional development, learn about and schedule a demo of Who You Are Matters!

Today’s show is about a philosophy of living.  Can happiness, and meaning be found in nature?  Many of us have lost our connection to it. Stuck on a hamster wheel chasing an idea of success.  Our guest believes society runs on the currency of fear and doubt. He says “Life in Central Portugal have helped him to meet myself for the first time. To strip away some of the layers. Heal some of the wounds”.  He says “I feel that there is a big movement towards wellness. However, consumer wellness isn't the solution. People don't need a healer. They need to take personal responsibility for self-directed wellness”
 
Guest Bio: Fénix Rayne (Formally Adam Whyte). Born and raised in Toronto he now lives on a farm in the mountains of Portugal. He hosts visitors, grows food and creates improvised music in languages he doesn't speak. He started one of Portugal's largest Permaculture online communities. He is now building a Grow app (not op) to discover off-grid and natural living projects like his own. He is a law graduate at Trinity College, Dublin and holds a Masters degrees in International Sports Law and Business Administration.
 
For career counselling for you or someone you care about, start with a free discovery call: careercycles.comFor gamified, story-based professional development, learn about and schedule a demo of Who You Are Matters!

Join Hoda and her guests as they bring Career Literacy to life. Tricia Berry shared, “Change is good but change is hard… Even good change is still a challenge”. What are your thoughts on change? How have you handled the changes in your life? Peter Pitts said, “There is this unspoken magic that occurs. It all boils down to people. It’s just people meeting people meeting people”. If careers are shaped as much by relationships and conversations as by skills and credentials, how might career literacy help you recognize, navigate, and intentionally build human connections that influence your academic and career paths? Reflect. Share. Start the conversation.
 
Guest 1 Bio
Tricia Berry, a Learning Specialist for Career Education K-12 with the New Brunswick Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. She has been working on the advancement of career education K-12 and more specifically, focused on equitable access for each learner in New Brunswick. Tricia is a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) with extensive experience working in secondary education. Further, she has had the privilege of speaking at a variety of international conferences, collaborating and consulting with the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) on Career Readiness, and to network as a member of Team Canada attending the International Centre for Career Development and Public Policy (ICCDPP) symposia in Norway.
 
Guest 2 Bio 
Peter Pitts retired in 2019 after a 42-year career in college admissions. Over those years, Peter had the pleasure of working with more than 2,000 families as they navigated the admissions and financial aid processes. 
At various times during those 42 years, Peter held these titles: Admission Counselor, Assistant Director of Admission, Director of Admission, Assistant Vice President of Admission and Financial Aid, and (for the last 27 years of his career) Regional Director of Admission for Monmouth College of Illinois (Chicago territory). 
Upon his retirement, Peter published his first book, After Breakfast I Change Lives, which is a mix of heartwarming and humorous stories about the students he met throughout his career. His second book, Common Sense Guide to Choosing a College: Making a Case for Small Residential Colleges is a collection of essays that help guide students and their parents through the college admission process. His third book, 333 Awesome Small Colleges (that just might save you money!), is an annotated list of 333 colleges that highlights their unique/special programs and some of their available scholarships. His fourth book, Cool Stuff at Small Colleges, features 240 unique/awesome programs at 120 small colleges. His fifth book, Choosing Your College Major (the Ikigai Approach) gives practical advice on choosing a major. 
 
For career counselling for you or someone you care about, start with a free discovery call: careercycles.comFor gamified, story-based professional development, learn about and schedule a demo of Who You Are Matters!

What happens when a career path doesn’t unfold according to plan, but instead grows out of curiosity, place, partnership, and one unexpected problem that demands attention?
Courtney Howell, Co-Founder and CEO of 7 Fathoms Skin Care, a Newfoundland-based company creating seaweed-powered skincare. Her path has taken her from anthropology in New Orleans, to teaching in South Korea, to building a tourism and culinary business with her husband, Terrence, in rural - Grates Cove, Newfoundland.
Then a family health challenge changed everything. When Terrence developed severe skin problems related to a medical device, a piece of seaweed washed ashore near their home and sparked a question that eventually became years of research, product development, and a whole new business.
Today we’ll talk about Courtney’s unconventional career journey, rural entrepreneurship, blue economy innovation, and what can happen when you pay close attention to the clues that show up in your life.
 
For career counselling for you or someone you care about, start with a free discovery call: careercycles.comFor gamified, story-based professional development, learn about and schedule a demo of Who You Are Matters!

There is a claim AI is Destroying the University and Learning Itself. Students use AI to write papers, professors use AI to grade them, degrees become meaningless, and tech companies make fortunes. Welcome to the death of higher education. This has been covered in multiple sources since 2025.  But is it true?
 
5 key takeaways:
AI is forcing universities to rethink their role—from delivering degrees to creating meaningful learning experiences.
AI can become a personalized learning partner that challenges students with questions rather than simply providing answers.
Traditional lectures and assessments need to evolve toward experiential learning, reflection and demonstrated understanding.
Professors remain essential, but their role shifts toward mentoring, deeper discussion and designing better learning experiences.
The traditional four-year degree may give way to more flexible, interdisciplinary and lifelong models of education.
If AI can teach, assess, and personalize learning, what should the university of the future actually look like?
Andrew Maxwell is the Bergeron Chair in Technology Entrepreneurship and an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering.  He serves as the Director of the Bergeron Entrepreneurs in Science and Technology (BEST) initiative and is a leading expert in innovation management, technology commercialization, and entrepreneurship. Maxwell holds a Ph.D. from the University of Waterloo, where he won the Academy of Management’s Heizer Award for his dissertation.  His academic work focuses on AI-first strategies for higher education.  He is originally from the UK -  earned a BSc in Electrical Engineering from Imperial College, London and a MBA from the London Business School.   Andrew was the co-founder of the first UK University radio station at Imperial College.
 
For career counselling for you or someone you care about, start with a free discovery call: careercycles.comFor gamified, story-based professional development, learn about and schedule a demo of Who You Are Matters!

Join Hoda and her guests as they bring Career Literacy to life. Sonny reminded us: “Clients come in as humans, and as humans, they suffer from job loss.” So, what are we really navigating when a job is lost? Is it another job search, or a disruption to identity, security, confidence, and purpose? Klementina offered another powerful reminder. Before answering a question, she paused, closed her eyes, and reflected, thus modeling the importance of grounding ourselves amid uncertainty. When life feels overwhelming, do you give yourself space to pause, breathe, and reflect before responding? Reflect. Share. Start the conversation.
 
Guest 1 Bio
Sonny Wong is a Registered Psychotherapist with a concentration in Career-Focused Counselling. An international keynote presenter, he has received numerous awards for his contributions to the field. With extensive experience at the intersection of career well-being and vocational growth, his practice focuses on resolving complex career-life transitions and the emotional challenges tied to professional identity.
 
Guest 2 Bio
Klementina Karol is a Certified Embodiment Guide and Transformational Coach devoted to real, root-level transformation. Powerful, deeply sensitive, feminine, and unapologetically honest in her work, she guides high-achieving humans back into their body, their truth, and the deeper intelligence that lives within them. 
Her path began in the worlds of global leadership and sustainability, negotiating multimillion-dollar contracts and building UN-recognized partnerships, before life called her into the deeper work of emotional, somatic, and energetic alchemy. Today, she bridges both worlds, bringing precision, depth, and lived wisdom to every space she holds. 
Klementina currently leads work for high-achieving women who feel accomplished in life but quietly dread dating. She helps them stop over-performing in love, open their receptivity field, and become truly relationship-ready, so the kind of grounded, devoted man they desire can genuinely meet them. Her work is known for being both deeply nurturing and powerfully catalytic. 
Having lived in eight countries across three continents, Klementina carries a global and culturally sensitive perspective, while remaining a devoted student of life herself. She stands for a future where humans love consciously, relate harmoniously, and live in deeper respect with the Earth and each other. 
At her core, Klementina’s work is about one thing: creating transformation from the root, so the life, love, and leadership that emerge are not forced, but embodied. 
 
For career counselling for you or someone you care about, start with a free discovery call: careercycles.comFor gamified, story-based professional development, learn about and schedule a demo of Who You Are Matters!

Is work worth doing based on what we accomplish? What we earn? The people we help? The skills we master? The feeling that we belong to something larger than ourselves? And if our work doesn’t feel meaningful, does that mean we need to find different work, or might we need to look differently at the work we already do? 
 
My guest, Samuel Halpern, has dug into those questions. His new book, Wellsprings of Work: Surprising Sources of Meaning in Your Career and Retirement, explores the often hidden sources of meaning and motivation that can run through our working lives, -- and which continue long after the last paycheque. 
 
Sam comes to these questions through an unusual career of his own. His work took him from Wall Street to Warren Buffett to advising investment funds for Major League Baseball players, Broadway stagehands and governments from Beijing to Bangkok.  
 
Then retirement, and an unexpected triple-bypass surgery just weeks before it, prompted a different question: What had all that work amounted to, and what did he want to do next?  
 
On this episode of Career Buzz, we’ll hear some of Sam’s career story, but mostly we’ll explore the ideas it led him to: the role of values, craftsmanship, belonging, competition, mastery, legacy and contribution to future generations; the difference between earning a living and experiencing a life through our work; and whether the search for the perfectly meaningful job might itself send us down the wrong path. 
 
And we’ll ask what happen to all of this as AI changes not only the work humans do, but our relationship with work itself. Sam calls that challenge “protecting ‘I’ from AI.”  
 
For career counselling for you or someone you care about, start with a free discovery call: careercycles.comFor gamified, story-based professional development, learn about and schedule a demo of Who You Are Matters!
 

Katherine Rundell’s recent Guardian article raises an important warning: if students use AI to bypass reading, writing and intellectual struggle, they may produce better-looking work while learning less. Critical thinking, interpretation, communication and understanding of people developed through the humanities and social sciences will become more important in an AI-shaped society. However, framing the choice as AI or no AI misses the real educational challenge. AI is not a single intervention. Asking a generic chatbot to write an essay is fundamentally different from using a purpose-designed AI agent that refuses to provide the answer and instead questions assumptions, requests evidence, introduces alternative perspectives and stimulates active reflection.
Andrew Maxwell is the Bergeron Chair in Technology Entrepreneurship and an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering.  He serves as the Director of the Bergeron Entrepreneurs in Science and Technology (BEST) initiative and is a leading expert in innovation management, technology commercialization, and entrepreneurship. Maxwell holds a Ph.D. from the University of Waterloo, where he won the Academy of Management’s Heizer Award for his dissertation.  His academic work focuses on AI-first strategies for higher education.  He is originally from the UK -  earned a BSc in Electrical Engineering from Imperial College, London and a MBA from the London Business School.  Andrew was the co-founder of the first UK university radio station at Imperial College.    
 
For career counselling for you or someone you care about, start with a free discovery call: careercycles.comFor gamified, story-based professional development, learn about and schedule a demo of Who You Are Matters!