Happen To Your Career - Meaningful Work, Career Change, Career Design, & Job Search

Happen To Your Career - Meaningful Work, Career Change, Career Design, & Job Search

How do you find meaningful work that pays really well? How do high performers find purpose and happiness in their career? The hope that there is more out there than feeling anxious, burned out, unfulfilled and stuck in your career has led you here! If you’re ready to find work you love that allows you the flexibility and autonomy to prioritize the things most important to you, then you’re in the right place! This kind of work not only exists, but there’s a better way to get there (and it’s not scrolling through job boards). This podcast will challenge you to reconsider what meaningful work looks like and expand your beliefs on what is truly possible for your career & life (and even your job search). Join Scott Anthony Barlow, CEO of Happen To Your Career (HTYC), as he brings you weekly learnings through conversations with successful career changers and experts in psychology, negotiation, signature strengths, happiness, work culture, and unconventional career change. Past guests include Daniel Pink, Gretchen Rubin, Marshall Goldsmith, Jen Sincero, Jenny Blake, Nir Eyal, Vanessa Van Edwards, J.J. Sutherland, Mac Pritchard, Lauren McGoodwin ( Career Contessa ), Dave Stachowiak ( Coaching For Leaders ) Work doesn’t have to suck. You truly can find work you freaking love! Let us show you how you can “happen to your career.”

Episodes

June 30, 2025 10 mins

Tired of sending dozens of applications into the void with no response? The real problem isn't your resume or the job market, it's that most people use job boards like slot machines, hoping to get lucky. Discover how one person went from months of rejected applications to landing their dream job in just one week by changing their entire approach to job searching (and how you can too!)

Don’t forget to check out our previous episode ...

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Thinking about returning to work after a career break, but feeling paralyzed by the gap on your resume? After years in a demanding executive role, Caroline found herself burned out, unfulfilled, and wondering if this was really “success.” Find out how she gave herself permission to walk away, take a two-year career break, and rebuild a work life that finally fits her life and her values.

 

...

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Maybe you have a “great job” where you’ve been extremely successful. But does any of that matter if you dread going to work? Nope, you’re not ungrateful if you feel this way. When your career no longer aligns with your life, it's often because your identity has become too tightly wound around your job title, creating what feels like an inescapable trap. Learn how Karen stepped away from her all-encompassing job as a Dean and redesi...

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As human beings, when we get stuck, we tend to focus on one thing that we latch onto as the “reason” why. Or one thing that if we could only do, it would solve all of our problems. 

It’s never just one thing. It’s always more nuanced than that. 

There is one thing that is very clear though. The reasons why you think you’re ...

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Have you ever heard of career coaches use a ranking system for career change difficulty?

As the difficulty goes up, these career coaches would have you believe it’s impossible… except it’s not. I’ve talked to career experts and career coaches that will try to talk you out of it. 

It’s difficult to imagine how career changes actually work without starting over if you’ve never done it yourself. 

So, in today’s episode, we’re revealin...

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Are your skills transferable to your dream career?

Many people don’t believe that their skills can apply to the career they are desiring to move into. People tend to put their skills and experience into boxes and can’t see how the skills of one box can apply to another box.

The truth, though, is that most of your skills and experience CAN transfer, even if you don’t yet know what your dream career is. 

We’ve developed an entire pro...

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Wondering if you have to choose between another degree and staying in the comfortably-miserable job you’re in right now?

There’s a third option: A more unconventional way to get unstuck without starting over from the bottom.

It uses the experience you have in your career while allowing you to find a role that you love. What...

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Feel trapped by decades of success in a career that no longer fulfills you? This episode challenges everything you think you know about career change at 50, featuring three professionals who found fulfillment without throwing away decades of expertise. You'll discover whether you need a complete pivot or strategic shift, and how to make the transition while managing real-life responsibilities.

 

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Society calls a career change during your 40s a midlife crisis, but society is often wrong :) In this episode, you'll hear from five professionals who made successful career transitions in their 40s, proving that this decade offers unique advantages for creating work that truly fits who you've become. Discover why exhaustion and family responsibilities don't have to stop you, and learn the specific strategies that turned their "mid...

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Ever felt like your specialized career has become a prison - that you're "too far in" to do anything else? Criminal prosecutor Jenna felt exactly the same way, convinced her legal background would only lead to more litigation roles that no longer fit her life as a new mother. But what happened next challenges everything we believe about specialized careers and transferable skills - within six weeks of her career transition, she was...

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The biggest career networking myth says to "tell everyone you're looking" - but that rarely works unless you do this one crucial thing. Travis discovered this game-changing approach and transformed his career by focusing on strategic conversations instead of collecting random connections. In this episode, he shares how embracing "awkward connections" helped him transition from cabinet making to his dream job in playground design - ...

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Feeling stuck in career transition uncertainty? When scientist Edna quit her unfulfilling job without another lined up, she used her analytical skills to collect strengths feedback from 25 colleagues worldwide. This episode reveals how understanding her core strengths helped her navigate uncertainty to find the perfect innovation leadership role.

What you’ll learn

  • How to use a s...
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Turn your unexpected layoff into the career transformation you've been waiting for. In this episode, discover how Kristen's layoff became the catalyst that propelled her toward work that truly fulfills her (and how you can too!) especially when you've already laid the groundwork for what you really want.

What you’ll learn

  • How to recognize when you're truly stuck and need a caree...
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The guilt of wanting more from a "good job" weighs heavier than the job itself. "Who am I to complain?" you wonder, as your creativity withers and Sunday nights fill with dread. What if your dissatisfaction isn't a character flaw but your internal compass screaming that you've wandered off course?

Vivi spent 12 years at a financial services company with great benefits and flexibility, but ultimately discovered that her need for cre...

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The regret hits you like a wave: "I've made a terrible mistake." Years of education, identity, and effort seemingly wasted on the wrong career choice. But what if that mistake isn't the end of your story? What if it's actually the beginning of something better?

Kate Gleason Bachman felt this crushing weight after realizing her nursing career wasn't what she had imagined. Despite following her passion for social justice into healthc...

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Forget everything you've been told about work-life balance, it's actually an illusion. After talking to over 2,000 professionals, we discovered what people truly want isn't balance at all, but three specific elements that transform how work fits into your life. Learn the surprising truth about what you're really searching for and how to create the intentional career you deserve.

Episode Mentioned 🎧 Jay Papasan (The One Thing)

 

O...

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Forget sending 200 applications into the void. The most successful job seekers identify a handful of dream companies and go all-in on building relationships there. When Jenna applied this targeted approach, she transitioned from burned-out nurse to thriving in her perfect-fit company. Learn how to stop being just another resume in the stack and start being the candidate they already know and want to hire.

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The first thing most people do after being laid off is dive into job boards and start applying everywhere. It feels productive, even logical – it's a numbers game, right? Yet the people who get re-employed fastest aren't playing that game at all. They're using an entirely different playbook that turns a layoff into a career upgrade. In this episode, Scott reveals the counterintuitive strategies that create multiple jo...

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Do you feel like work stress is stealing your best self from your family? Cheri's story reveals how career change freed her from morning dread and gave her mental space for what truly matters. Learn the surprising ripple effects of intentional career change and why finding work that fits will improve every aspect of your life – not just your 9-to-5.

What you’ll learn

  • Why finding...
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The panic of job searching often drives us to apply everywhere, hoping something sticks. Yet after helping thousands find meaningful work, we've discovered the counterintuitive truth: fewer, more targeted applications almost always lead to better results. Quality beats quantity, especially when your career is on the line.

Stephanie found herself in a terrifying situation: laid off and facing visa expiratio...

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