Explore every episode of the podcast CareerZ Cast
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Is it time to quit my job? | 26 Nov 2024 | 00:14:42 | |
The thought and decision to quit a job should not be something we do only when we are unhappy and frustrated, but the result of a continuous evaluation of the balance between challenge and comfort. We should quit toxic environments, but that is an easy decision. Quitting a job that is not challenging enough is more difficult to do and, over the long term, defines who reach their potential and who stagnates below it. See text article. | |||
| Using Informational Interviews to advance your career | 13 Nov 2024 | 00:19:11 | |
A informational interview is an one-on-one conversation with a professional in a field you are interested in with the main purpose of obtaining first-hand insights and information. We sometimes refer to them as "career chat". They are an effective and easy-to-implement strategy to gain insight, learn about career paths available to you, make informed decisions, build relationships that will result on a more successful career. See text article. | |||
| Leadership - What it is and how to develop it early | 08 Nov 2024 | 00:14:47 | |
Leadership is the ability to help groups of people to achieve common goals, turning vision into reality. While some organizational roles require leadership, those skill are important to anyone, regardless of title. In this opinionated discussion, Marcio argues that leadership must be developed earlier and it starts with self-leadership. Apply leadership principles to self-inspire, motivate, manage, support. "Before leading others, one must learn how to lead oneself." See text article. | |||
| Guide to successful job interviewing | 30 Oct 2024 | 00:19:32 | |
One should not try to wing it. Job interviewing is a performance with a high impact on your career. There is no single best investment of time than preparing for a job interview like you prepare for any other important event in your life. This discussion will provide you with practical advice you need, as well as the insight to learn and grow in the job search process and set the right frame of mind to present yourself in the best possible light, keep your authenticity, and let your personality shine through the process. Get the job and get the job done. See text article. | |||
| Career building advice for college students | 18 Oct 2024 | 00:14:08 | |
College years are not a stand-alone part of life, as it is meant to help us transition to adulthood and becoming a thinking part of the workforce and society. This episode is about how to set the foundations of a career journey while still in college, smoothing out that challenging transition to work life. Hear suggestions and recommendations to do the groundwork to make starting your career after graduation easier and increase your success opportunities. See text article. | |||
| Career in Product Development and the impact of AI | 10 Oct 2024 | 00:16:37 | |
There is a strong correlation between Computer Science and related courses and careers in Tech Companies doing product development. This episode ties together that correlation so that (a) people planning to go into it understand the relevant functions, roles and skills and (b) people studying engineering or computer science understand how that can set them up for a successful career in product development. As a bonus, we also address the question on the impact of LLMs and Artificial Intelligence in software development. Is AI eliminating the need for software engineers? Listen, subscribe, share. See text article. | |||
| Should I Choose to Work for a Large Company or a Startup? | 09 Oct 2024 | 00:12:42 | |
College graduates weighing job offers from a startup versus a large tech corporation often ask me which one is better. People feeling stuck in large corporations are thinking whether or not they would do better in a startup. Essentially, large companies offer a structured environment with clear roles and responsibilities, a steadier compensation package, and the opportunity to learn from seasoned professionals. A startup, on the other hand, can offer more excitement with opportunity to contribute more to the company success and a possible financial upside if the startup is successful. Other factors (company culture, success, products, etc.) might have larger impact on your experience, compensation, and learnings, so my advice is not to get caught up on the small vs. large company debate. See text article. | |||
| Professional Networking and LinkedIn for Early-Career Professionals | 07 Oct 2024 | 00:16:56 | |
Most career growth opportunities later in life come from reputation and connections in the industry, not from responding to job postings. So, it is important to start building and nurturing a professional network early, even when its benefits are not so clear. In this episode we discuss professional networking and quickly narrow down to advice on how to get started using tools like LinkedIn. | |||
| Career in Data Science and the impact of AI | 02 Oct 2024 | 00:14:26 | |
Data Science is a very popular career prospect among students and early-career professionals in technology. It is both intimately connected to the data models that drive Artificial Intelligence, and will be affected by the adoption of AI. This episode explains what being a data scientist looks and feels like, what impact a professional in this area can deliver and the skills and knowledge necessary to build a career. | |||
| Navigating Early Career Choices (reboot) | 17 Sep 2024 | 00:15:02 | |
Students and early-career professionals have a hard time selecting college majors and deciding on career choice in a world of fast-changing technology. In this episode, Marcio shares some general ideas on how to navigate early career choices. | |||
| Is a College Degree worth it? Cost and ROI, Student Loans, post-grad salaries (2025-2026) | 14 Aug 2025 | 00:05:11 | |
Free College Finance Calculator: https://243278033.hs-sites-na2.com/ Other useful videos: | |||
| Older People Provide Terrible Career Advice - or do they? | 11 Aug 2025 | 00:08:20 | |
The Power of Mentorship: https://youtu.be/VH1klsp9IXw Find Purpose through work with Ikigai: https://youtu.be/mAZQN724q_U One of the challenges of mentorship and career advice is that the world is changing. Demographics. Technology. What works for one generation doesn't necessarily do for the next. The successful people of the past cannot see that their ways are obsolete. Early Career Professionals often feel that what Alpha-males, Gen-Xers, Parents, Rich people and other experts say no longer makes sense because you don't want the world they created for themselves. In this episode, I want to enable you, the audience of CareerZ Cast, to distill the principles in well-intentioned advice so you can use career wisdom to create a better world and a more fulfilling and less anxious future for yourself. | |||
| Branding and Reputation: What people say about you when you are not there. | 16 Jun 2025 | 00:12:57 | |
This episode of CareerZ Cast shares a model and techniques for the setting and management of a personal brand. It includes four pillars: Who you are, Who you want to be, How people perceive you, What people say about you when you are not present. The main argument is that you brand is most powerful when those four components are aligned. We also tell you how to propagate your brand to form a positive reputation that enables you to be a better leader, influencer, decision maker, and a good participant of a community. #PersonalBranding #CareerAdvice #ProfessionalDevelopment #EarlyCareer #CareerTips #JobSearch #Leadership #Influence #CommunicationSkills #ReputationManagement #ProfessionalGrowth #CareerZCast #TechnicalMentorship #Networking #BrandManagement #WorkplaceSkills #CareerStrategy #BusinessCommunication #ProfessionalImage #SelfBranding #CareerSuccess #InterviewTips | |||
| Get the Job: Success Guide for Job Interviews Based on 30 years of interview experience | 12 Jun 2025 | 00:23:19 | |
Job Interviews are an imperfect test of the match between candidate and job role. Questions are formulaic and predictable. Hiring Managers need to use their intuition. If people interviewed more often, they would know how to handle the questions. This is why this is the "Amazing Interview Success Guide", it gives you all you need to prepare for the job interview that could change your career. It is based on 30+ years of experience interviewing more than 1000 candidates and being interviewed for roles that included Level 9 Director at Google. This episode covers the Psychology of Job Interviews, Job Interview Preparation, Candidate Positioning for the Job, Handling of Interview Questions, Behavioral Questions, Closing. Share this with anyone going through a job interview in the near future. #careerzcast #JobInterview #InterviewTips #JobSearch #CareerAdvice #JobInterviewTips #InterviewQuestions #InterviewPreparation #JobHunting #GetHired #JobInterviewSuccess #InterviewGuide #CareerDevelopment #InterviewHacks #JobInterviewHelp #BehavioralInterview #STARMethod #JobInterviewQuestionsAndAnswers #Career #ProfessionalDevelopment #InterviewTraining | |||
| College Grads: Getting Your First Job in the Era of AI | 09 Jun 2025 | 00:12:19 | |
It is a tough job market for the 2025 Class of College Graduates. With macro-economic uncertainty and the adoption of AI technology, predictions are that the number of entry-level jobs in all areas normally taken by college grads will decrease. But it is not all bad news. In this episode, we debunk some some the predictions by people who are hyping up AI and provide clarity and actionable advice on how to navigate the technology disruption to come up on top after the shuffle we will experience in the next decade. #CareerZCast #JobInterview #InterviewTips #JobSearch #CareerAdvice #Career #ProfessionalDevelopment #ArtifficialIntelligence #AI #Jobs #College #CollegeGrads #Classof2025 | |||
| Crush Procrastination: 7 Ancient Japanese Secrets for Students & Professionals | 05 Jun 2025 | 00:10:04 | |
Japanese culture values discipline, respect and the collective. Because of that, several Japanese concepts are used today in the West for inspiration in business and life. Ikigai (purpose in life) is the search for the sweet spot where we do what we love and do well, is useful to the world and provides a living. Kaizen (continuous improvement) expresses the power of small consistent actions over time. The Pomodoro technique provides structure for disciplined time management. Hara Hachi Bu teaches us restraint (in food, budget, energy). Soshin tells us to approach tasks with a beginner's mindset, with an open mind. Wabi Sabi is about embracing and finding beauty on imperfection and spare us from perfectionism. Gambaru keeps us focused so we don't give up facing challenges and obstacles. Applying these techniques in our life lead to a more inspired, focused, efficient, rewarding and productive life. #Ikigai #Kaizen #Pomodoro #HaraBachiBu #Soshin #WabiSabi #Gambaru #CareerZCast #Career | |||
| Framework Thinking: Unlock your brain to think faster and talk smarter. | 02 Jun 2025 | 00:13:48 | |
Framework thinking is one of the most powerful tools for effective communication, problem solving, decision making and delegation in business environment. It consists in sharing a common "thinking protocol" and developing a common language in advance of sharing information content. In addition to communication, thinking in frameworks can help you to be accumulate more knowledge that you would be able to do just by studying a topic without structure. #CareerZCast #communication #leadership #frameworkthinking #mentalmodels | |||
| What is wrong with F.I.R.E. and what to do instead : Seek Purposeful Independence. | 29 May 2025 | 00:06:38 | |
The FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement is a lifestyle/investment plan with the goal of gaining financial independence and retiring early through savings. The model became particularly popular among millennials in the 2010s, gaining traction through online communities via information shared in blogs, podcasts, and online discussion forums. I argue in this episode that the goal of "Retiring Early" is misguided and incompatible with building a successful and meaning career that would achieve financial independence early. Instead, I recommend focus on finding your "Ikigai" (combination of doing what you love, what you do well, what is useful to others, and financially rewarding) and success and financial independence comes as a consequence. One can then consider retiring early, but I suggest finding purpose through work is a more fulfilling path. #CareerZCast #fire #career #careeradvice | |||
| Think You Want To Be a Tech Leader? Watch This First. | 26 May 2025 | 00:09:05 | |
Google and similar large tech companies in Silicon Valley have a bottom-up culture that require specific skills (leadership, collaboration, etc.). Google Directors are considered part of company leadership and usually lead organizations of hundreds of people. They are expected not only to be good leaders and communicators, but also to have unquestionable expertise in the area of responsibility. Anyone leading a team of hundreds is likely to spend most of the time and effort in meetings and that is not different at Google. #google #largetech #leadership #career | |||
| Why You're Feeling Stuck in Your Career? | 19 May 2025 | 00:03:51 | |
The feeling of "being stuck" can negatively affect our motivation and sense of purpose, but it is an essential first step in moving into a new phase of exploration and growth. This episode of CareerZ Cast, the source for killer career advice for GenZ students and early-career professionals, provides a 1-2-3 plan for you to find your direction, set goals and milestones, and commit to make a move. After seeing this video, we recommend you watch the CarrerZ Cast episode about "The Power of Mentorship". | |||
| Career Success: Be Curious, Pay Attention, Maximize Opportunity | 12 May 2025 | 00:05:01 | |
In this episode of CareerZ Cast, we argue that success is not a destination, but a daily experience of growth and progression across the dimensions of passion, excellence, impact, financial reward. Success results from the dynamic interactions of preparation and opportunities that come our way. We suggest three steps you can take to "create luck" and experience a career that is pleasurable, impactful and rewarding. | |||
| Tech Work Visas to the US | 08 May 2025 | 00:10:17 | |
A significant portion of the tech workers in Silicon Valley and in the US are from other parts of the world. To work in the US, foreign workers need to get a work visa that gives them legal status to seek employment. The visa system is complicated and often misused. This episode reviews the most common visas used by tech workers. | |||
| Evidence-based list of Jobs most likely to be replaced by AI. | 07 Aug 2025 | 00:05:22 | |
This was originally recorded as a video, so there are references to a table displayed on screen. For the video version, click here: https://www.youtube.com/@CareerZCast/videos The original paper by Microsoft Research can be found here: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2507.07935 We have all seen people share their guesses about the effects of Artificial Intelligence adoption in the job market. Because you cannot bet your future on those opinions, the predictions generate anxiety rather than serving as a guide for decisions. What I had not seen until now was a methodical and evidence-based study on that subject. A couple of weeks ago Microsoft researchers published this paper titled “Measuring the Occupational Implications of Generative AI”. Join me in exploring the most interesting bits of the paper, including the lists of jobs on both the surviving and replaced lists. I will also share the link to the original paper so you can read it on your own if you wish. | |||
| The best piece of career advice I got 26 years ago | 05 May 2025 | 00:09:07 | |
I am sharing what I consider the best piece of career advice I ever received. It was offered to me byAvie Tevanian (then, the CTO of Apple). The advice inspired me to study, learn and practice leadership skills which were critical for me to be able to take the opportunities I would otherwise not been prepared for later in my career. | |||
| Avoid Worthless College Degrees with this Success Roadmap. | 30 Apr 2025 | 00:14:34 | |
In the US, 3M people get a college degree every year and 52% of them get a worthless degree and go under-employed (work a job that does not require higher education). In this episode we give you a roadmap on how you can manage the transition between being a student to being a professional and land one of the best jobs available in your specialty and geography. Do not expect school to provide what you need to be successful. The most important step is to think and act as a professional starting at day one in college. #CareerZCast #career #jobs #success | |||
| 35 Years of SW Engineering Advice in 10 Minutes | 28 Apr 2025 | 00:09:44 | |
Computer Science and Engineering are going through major technology disruption in the next years because of the adoption of Large Language Models and Artificial Intelligence. It is time to stop developing artisanal software programming skills and go up in the software development value stack. This episode synthesizes the perspective acquired in a 35-year career in systems development into a 10 minute discussion on the skills to focus on for the future. This advice will help you to position well for growth and continue to build impact and wealth through your career. | |||
| Engineering Salaries and Cost of Living in Silicon Valley | 23 Apr 2025 | 00:06:34 | |
Silicon Valley is still the largest global center of startup investment and technology innovation and is the dream place to work and live for many technology professionals around the world. In this episode, we break from CareerZCast career-building advice and give examples of real numbers for salaries at Large Tech (Google, Meta, Netflix, etc.), smaller Tech companies, and the costs of living (housing, car, Food & entertainment, etc.) in this interesting place. | |||
| The Power of Mentorship | 21 Apr 2025 | 00:15:53 | |
In this video, we explore the incredible power of mentorship. Learn how finding the right mentor can help you navigate your career, gain valuable insights, and unlock your full potential. We’ll discuss the benefits of having a mentor, how to find one, and how to build a successful mentorship relationship. Whether you're a student, recent graduate, or early in your career, this video is for you! | |||
| Career Choices: Dynamic Ikigai | 17 Apr 2025 | 00:10:36 | |
The popular model is based on the Japanese concept of Ikigai, or something that brings joy and value to your life. In this episode we look at the Ikigai framework and argue that is inspiring and intuitive, but alone is not very helpful to assist with early-career decisions. We suggest that in order to find Ikigai, one needs to dance around the Venn diagram and experiment fearlessly before finding passion. We also offer that disconnecting identity from job title is also important. Find joy and purpose with "dynamic" Ikigai. | |||
| College Decision Time! (US Students) | 14 Apr 2025 | 00:07:44 | |
Late April is when most graduating high-school students planning to go to university have to decide which school to go to. It is a stressful moment because students don't have the perspective and objective information to make an informed decision. | |||
| Knowing when to consider switching jobs | 09 Apr 2025 | 00:07:08 | |
Besides being a way of making a living, our work contributes to our sense of purpose and identity and most people only consider moving jobs when things are really bad. This episode argues that everyone should be continuously monitoring their balance of challenge and comfort and proactively seek to disrupt their own career trajectory. | |||
| Are we getting worthless college degrees? Adapting to the era of AI. | 07 Apr 2025 | 00:13:54 | |
Artificial Intelligence technology will have a profound impact in society. Most university students are focusing too much time on operational skills for jobs in the past (e.g. coding in computer science, media management in marketing) and not getting enough knowledge one is supposed to acquire in college. Without core knowledge, one cannot adapt to the jobs of the future and the degrees they get could indeed be worthless. | |||
| Transition to management as a career inflection point | 02 Apr 2025 | 00:08:02 | |
We spent most of the time in college acquiring the technical skills that will be the core of our work for a few years. After that, it is common that career growth involves transition to management, with a complete set of required skills most are not prepared for. Professionals developing project management and leadership skills will do much better and experience a positive inflection point in their career trajectory. | |||
| Performative Work: Everyone Acts in This Office Theater - Why we pretend to be busy | 31 Jul 2025 | 00:06:34 | |
Quick question: Have you ever found yourself staring at a spreadsheet you're not actually doing anything with? Maybe you're just... pretending to be busy? | |||
| Career Choices: Should I Follow my Dream? | 31 Mar 2025 | 00:15:15 | |
This question comes up more often than expected. I am interested in History and people around me tell me there are no jobs, it will be difficult to make money. I want to be a professional basketball player and people tell me that I have no chance hitting the professional league. This episode examines that question "Should I follow my Dream" when it comes to career choices? | |||
| Workplace: Remote or In-Office? The end game. | 26 Mar 2025 | 00:09:50 | |
We have seen and will continue seeing the tug-of-war between advocates of in-office and remote work. This episode debunks arguments on both sides (innovation and culture, effective flexibility) and give you, the early-career professional, the clarity to consider this factor in your future choices, as well as providing a vision on what is the end game in that debate. | |||
| Building Successful Products - Entrepreneurs and PMs | 24 Mar 2025 | 00:11:26 | |
There are at least two ways of thinking of product development. You can do it "top-down" by developing the knowledge and confidence to come to a product concept through synthesis of experience, knowledge and observation or you can do it "bottoms-up" by iterating and asking customers what they want. This video introduces the simple concept of switching between that polarity for successful and efficient product development. Without holding that polarity, implementations of Lean (in the startup concept) and Agile (in product development) will end up in the bad middle and fail. | |||
| Hype Cycle for Entrepreneurs and Product Managers | 20 Mar 2025 | 00:18:49 | |
Technology adoption is never gradual, quick, or linear. It usually follows a hype cycle pattern which generates unrealistic expectations and misallocation of resources. This episode discusses the caused of that and how entrepreneurs and product managers need to be aware of the cycle, consider the timing of initiatives, and be prepared to generate their own hype cycles to be successful introducing new products and technologies. | |||
| Should Techies Attend an MBA Program? | 17 Mar 2025 | 00:20:00 | |
Professionals in technology in an ascending career trajectory are often confronted with an important questions as they evolve into their mid-career: should I learn business administration skills by attending a top MBA program? This episode explains what you should learn in an MBA program, discusses the trade-offs of learning with cost/time investments, and provides practical advice on how to reflect and gather information to make that decision. | |||
| Entrepreneurship: Starting a Technology Company | 12 Mar 2025 | 00:14:13 | |
Startups and Entrepreneurship do not require previous success or experience. Successful entrepreneurs have a good idea, persistence and tenacity, and a good dose of luck. They are willing to take unreasonable amount of risk to turn good ideas into a profitable enterprise. This episode define entrepreneurship, explains why we need entrepreneurs, discusses the process of starting a technology startup, and provide advice on how to get started. | |||
| Are Robots and AI destroying our jobs? | 10 Mar 2025 | 00:13:04 | |
Technology adoption follows a known pattern. Earlier in the hype cycle, people will say "everything will be different in three years". Then a couple of years later, people will say "that was a fad, nothing is going to change". In this episode we will discuss the fact that AI and robotics are likely to change our lives and disrupt the job market and help you to make good career decisions. | |||
| Personal Branding Fundamentals for Everyone | 06 Mar 2025 | 00:18:59 | |
Before we go into tactics, understand the foundations of Personal Branding. It is about aligning your self-image with how people perceive and describe you. This video provides the concepts and examples to implementing it in real-life (not only in social media). | |||
| Understanding Compensation Packages in Job Offers | 05 Mar 2025 | 00:12:45 | |
Job offers might include definition of compensation packages (salary, benefits, bonus, stock compensation) that are difficult to understand. In this episode, we discuss the different components and explain how they work, so you can analyze, evaluate and compare job offers you receive. | |||
| Do I Really Need a LinkedIn Profile? | 02 Mar 2025 | 00:07:40 | |
Most career growth opportunities later in life come from reputation and connections in the industry, not from responding to job postings. So, it is important to start building and nurturing a professional network early, even when its benefits are not so clear. In this episode we discuss professional networking and quickly narrow down to advice on how to get started using tools like LinkedIn. | |||
| Navigating the 2025 Job Market and Finding the Dream Job (GenZ Edition) | 24 Jul 2025 | 00:08:45 | |
The Amazing Job Interview Success Guide: https://youtu.be/cMxOT4a4lD0 AI and Entry Level Jobs: https://youtu.be/q4iLujNM4C8 It is 2025, and it is a difficult job market out there. Getting your foot in the door feels harder than ever, even if you have the right qualifications and experience. I have been talking to a lot of people who are feeling frustrated, burnt out, or just plain lost in this job market, so if that is your case, you are NOT alone. In this video, we're cutting through the noise and offering a practical guide to understanding why we have the challenging market and most importantly – what YOU can do right now to not just survive, but to get HIRED. | |||
| Working for Small vs. Large Companies | 02 Mar 2025 | 00:10:30 | |
Essentially, large companies offer a structured environment with clear roles and responsibilities, a steadier compensation package, and the opportunity to learn from seasoned professionals. A startup, on the other hand, can offer more excitement with opportunity to contribute more to the company success and a possible financial upside if the startup is successful. | |||
| Job Interviews - Behavioral Questions | 25 Feb 2025 | 00:16:53 | |
If you are interviewing for a job at a medium or large company, you will most likely be asked a "Behavioral Question". Those questions are designed to evaluate the cultural fit of the candidate. This video explains how to recognize those questions, describe their structure and help you to deliver the best possible answer confidently. | |||
| Personal Branding - First Day in New Job | 11 Feb 2025 | 00:18:18 | |
Personal Branding is usually a study topic for senior leaders. In this episode we explain the concept, provide practical examples and advocate that anyone at any level can benefit from developing self-awareness and intentionally managing how people perceive us professionally. Branding is not only a career development tool but can also help us to become the best version of ourselves. Show up for your first class or first day in the job with intention and a clear vision of how you want to introduce yourself in the new environment. | |||
| Startups and Entrepreneurship | 30 Jan 2025 | 00:13:55 | |
Entrepreneurship is about challenging the status quo. One can practice it working in a large company or in a startup and understanding the process of innovation is important whether you intend to start, join or stay away from technology startups. In this episode we explore the entrepreneurial path: how can an early-career professional start a company? How to get funding? What are the skills and attitude to be successful? This episode is based on the following CareerZ Cast Guide article. | |||
| The Impact of AI in Your Career | 07 Jan 2025 | 00:16:32 | |
Let's discuss how early-career professionals can prepare for the future of work. It is possible that one day robots will replace most of us and humans no longer need to work. That is a vision that has existed for a long time, and that would trigger changes in society, upending purpose of human work and, for example, creating new challenges in how to distribute income and wealth. This has been discussed for at least 40 years and has not happened yet. While that might not last forever, worrying about it is not exactly the best way to prepare for it. Blog Article this episode is based on. | |||