The Career Diet podcast is for ambitious professionals looking to create a career that supports your personal goals, growth and lifestyle – not one that requires you to sacrifice them!
I'm your host, Anna Belyaeva, a LinkedIn Learning instructor and a world-recognized career coach, who has helped thousands of professionals discover and land their dream career. My mission is to help you see the power you hold in your career and help you become The Star Candidate every employer is searching for.
Think of this podcast as a personal career strategist in your pocket and leave it to me to provide you with the tools, tips and resources you need to make job search fun and turn your dream career into your reality.
Follow Anna for daily career tips on Instagram @thecareerdiet:
https://www.instagram.com/thecareerdiet/
Or LinkedIn @annabelyaeva:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelyaeva/
All free resources:
https://thecareerdiet.com/resource-library/
67: Successful but unfulfilled? How to build a career you actually love with Irina Posan
Summary
Welcome back to The Career Diet Podcast!
What happens when you finally get the career you worked so hard for... and one day realize you don’t want it anymore?
That’s where career coach and Career Cravings founder Irina Posan found herself—sitting in the parking lot of her dream job, trying to convince herself to walk inside. She had the Director title, a great boss, and was being groomed for the next big promotion. Everything was going exactly to plan. But something had changed.
In this episode, Irina and I talk about “identity lag”—> what happens when you’ve changed, but your career hasn’t caught up. We share the signs we both experienced when careers we once loved stopped feeling right, and how to start exploring what’s next without throwing away everything you’ve built.
If you’ve ever thought, “this is exactly what I wanted... so why doesn’t it feel right anymore?” this conversation will help you look at that feeling differently.
What You’ll Learn in this Episode:
Why a career you once loved can suddenly stop feeling right
What “identity lag” is and how to recognize when it might be happening to you
The subtle signs that you may have outgrown your old definition of success
Why the obvious answer to “what’s next?” might not actually be what you want
How to explore a completely different career direction without blowing up your life
Why conversations can help you test your next move before making a big decision
About Our Guest
Irina Posan is a career coach and founder of Career Cravings. After 15 years in HR, she now helps professionals build careers that feel meaningful and connected to the lives they actually want to live. She is also the author of The Career You Crave and host of The Career Cravings Podcast.
Ready to Rethink Your Career?
If you’re an experienced professional who has achieved success but no longer feels fulfilled by the path you’re on, it may be time to look beyond the next promotion and get clearer on what you actually want.
Book a free strategy call with my team to identify what may be holding your career back and explore how the Star Candidate Program can help you build a stronger path toward your next $150K+ offer: https://thecareerdiet.com/podcast-call (https://thecareerdiet.com/podcast-call)
Connect With Me
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/thecareerdiet/ (https://www.instagram.com/thecareerdiet/)
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelyaeva/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelyaeva/)
Connect With Irina
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/careercoachirina/ (https://www.instagram.com/careercoachirina/)
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/irinaposan/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/irinaposan/)
Irina Posan Website:
www.irinaposan.com (http://www.irinaposan.com)
The Career Cravings Podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/show/7vj83mBzyS6eFUKr9tS2aA (https://open.spotify.com/show/7vj83mBzyS6eFUKr9tS2aA)
21 Aug 2026
66: Why job search basics still matter in the era of AI with Mac Prichard
Welcome back to The Career Diet Podcast!
AI has made it easier than ever to apply for jobs. So why does getting noticed by the right employer seem harder than ever?
In this episode, I sit down with Mac Prichard, a recruitment and career expert with more than 25 years of experience, to talk about what’s actually happening on both sides of the hiring process and why the fundamentals of a strong job search matter even more in the era of AI.
We dig into the employer perspective: what happens when technology makes it possible for candidates to apply at scale, how that changes the hiring process for the employer and why sending more applications isn’t giving you an advantage.
Mac shares what he sees successful job seekers doing differently and we also talk about where AI can make your search better, without letting it replace the human connection that ultimately helps you stand out.
If you’ve been wondering whether the old rules of job searching still apply in an AI-driven market, this conversation offers a refreshingly practical perspective.
What You’ll Learn in this Episode
What AI has changed for job seekers and employers
Why applying to hundreds of jobs may not be the advantage you think it is
The job search fundamentals Mac still sees working after 25+ years in recruitment
Why clarity about what you want can make your search more effective
How relationships and referrals help you stand out when employers are overwhelmed with applications
Where AI can genuinely help your search and where the human element still matters
About Our Guest
Mac Prichard is a recruitment and career expert, founder of Mac’s List, and host of the Find Your Dream Job podcast. He has more than 25 years of experience in recruitment and brings a unique perspective from working with both employers and job seekers.
Ready to take a more strategic approach to your job search?
If you’re an experienced professional struggling to cut through the noise of today’s competitive, AI-driven job market, we can help you build a clearer strategy for finding and landing the right senior-level opportunity.
Book a free strategy call with my team to identify where your search may be getting stuck and learn how the Star Candidate Program can help you move beyond applications and build a more effective path to your next $150K+ offer: https://thecareerdiet.com/podcast-call (https://thecareerdiet.com/podcast-call)
Connect With Me
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/thecareerdiet/ (https://www.instagram.com/thecareerdiet/)
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelyaeva/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelyaeva/)
Connect With Mac
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/macprichard/
Mac’s List
https://www.macslist.org/ (https://www.macslist.org/)
Find Your Dream Job Podcast:
https://www.macslist.org/podcasts (https://www.macslist.org/podcasts)
14 Aug 2026
65: How focused should you be in your job search: 3 target companies or 100s of applications?
If you’ve applied to 30, 60, or even 100+ roles, I understand why. Going wider feels safer. More applications should mean more chances to land an interview… right?
But what if a bigger job search is actually making you a weaker candidate?
In this episode, we’re talking about focus and what it really means when you’re searching for a senior-level role. Because focus does not mean choosing three companies and hoping for the best. And it also doesn’t mean applying to everything that “might be a fit”.
So what does a focused search actually look like? I’ll break it down and share how one of our clients changed her approach after a rejection—and went on to land a nearly $200K offer at the same company.
If your job search keeps getting wider but your results are not improving, this episode will help you rethink where your time and energy should actually go.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
Why applying to more roles can create a false sense of safety
How a broad search quietly weakens your positioning
What being focused actually means at the senior level
How to balance target companies with great opportunities already on the market
Why going deeper on fewer opportunities can make you a much stronger candidate
Ready to build a more focused strategy for your next senior role?
If you're applying consistently but your search still feels scattered or is not producing the results you want, we can help.
Schedule a free strategy call with my team (https://thecareerdiet.co/db?utm_source=Podcast&utm_medium=Organic&utm_campaign=directbooking&utm_content=podcast) to identify where your search is losing focus and see how the Star Candidate System can help you build a clearer target, stronger positioning, and a more intentional path toward your next $150K+ offer.
Connect With Me
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/thecareerdiet/ (https://www.instagram.com/thecareerdiet/)
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelyaeva/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/annabelyaeva/)
Who has been a guest on The Career Diet Podcast
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Daniel
Swathi
Alina Rivilis
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
10 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
22 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 39 / 100
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