Explore every episode of the podcast More Closely Aligned

Sometimes, when the job search feels particularly bleak, the universe sends you a message. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always arrive in the form you might expect.

In this very short bonus episode, Annabell shares a small but exquisitely timed moment that felt either like a sign, a cosmic joke, or both. Because when you’re looking for work, apparently even the universe has thoughts.

Have you ever received a “sign” at exactly the right (or wrong) moment? Tell us your story at morecloselyalignedpod.com.

Rejection is part of the job search. Feeling as though the message was written by a robot—or by someone pretending to be your best friend—doesn’t have to be.

In Episode 2, Annabell and Bri examine the strange, careless and occasionally surreal ways companies reject candidates: awkwardly familiar language, unfortunate timing, generic templates and messages that somehow manage to say both too much and nothing at all. They ask what candidates are actually owed after investing their time, energy and hope in a recruitment process—and why a little clarity, empathy and basic humanity can make such a difference.

Plus: an update from the job-search trenches, the week’s optimism levels and a few glimmers to keep things moving.

More Closely Aligned is a podcast made by unemployed people, for unemployed people—and anyone who has ever received that email.

What do you wear to an interview when getting there involves a 4 a.m. start, a long drive, a flight, an hour of public transport—and temperatures above 30°C?

In our first bonus episode, Annabell calls Bri for an emergency styling consultation ahead of a particularly demanding interview journey. Together, they devise a plan that balances polish, comfort and practicality, from travel-friendly tailoring and strategic airport outfit changes to wrinkle prevention and the transformative power of a good lip stain.

In this episode:

• How to look interview-ready after several hours of travel
• Why you shouldn’t necessarily wear your interview outfit on the plane
• Choosing breathable, crease-resistant pieces for hot weather
• Packing and changing strategically
• Small styling details that can help you feel more confident
• Why a reliable lip stain may be the hardest-working item in your bag

Because interviews are stressful enough without wondering whether your linen suit will survive the journey.

More Closely Aligned is a podcast made by unemployed people, for unemployed people—following the strange, frustrating and occasionally funny realities of looking for work in real time.

Follow us and share your own job-search story at morecloselyalignedpod.com.

Does the world really need another podcast? Annabell and Bri aren’t entirely sure—but they do know that looking for work can be lonely, disorienting and occasionally absurd.

In the first episode of More Closely Aligned, they introduce themselves and explain how two former colleagues became unemployed at the same time—and then became accidental podcasters. They compare notes on applications and interviews, reflect on what happens when work has been central to your identity, and share the unexpected discovery that their job searches had crossed paths more closely than either of them realised.

This isn’t a podcast from people who already know how the story ends. It’s an honest, funny and unfinished conversation from inside the job search—for anyone navigating redundancy, rejection, uncertainty or the exhausting instruction to remain relentlessly optimistic.

In this episode:

• Why Annabell and Bri decided to start the podcast
• The strangely intimate experience of comparing job-search notes
• How unemployment affects confidence and professional identity
• The absurdities that make a difficult period slightly easier to bear
• Why honest companionship can be more useful than another list of career tips

More Closely Aligned with Annabell & Bri is made by unemployed people, for unemployed people.

Follow the podcast and join us for the next episode.

Website: https://www.morecloselyalignedpod.com/
Instagram: @MoreCloselyAlignedPod

*For those interested in Bri's musical, "SOUNDTRACK - Finding Home", tickets are available here.