How do you build a meaningful career when AI is rewriting the future of work? In this episode, I sit down with New York Times investigative reporter Jodi Kantor to talk about why so many young professionals feel discouraged about the future, and how digital shifts are reshaping our modern workplaces. Jodi shares how she survived getting fired from her college paper and dropping out of law school, and how those setbacks paved her way back to journalism. We also dive deep into the realities of AI-driven hiring, the loss of workplace autonomy, and the formula for reclaiming your agency. Get ready to rethink what it truly takes to protect your career in a rapidly changing world.

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In this Episode, You Will Learn

00:00 What Jodi Kantor believes is one of the most important ingredients for a meaningful career.

04:15 How do you think about hope?

05:45 The question that Columbia students wanted answered during a year of campus turmoil.

09:45 How technology has reduced worker autonomy over the last decade.

14:45 Why AI is making the hiring process feel increasingly impersonal.

17:00 How do you define craft?

19:45 What's the relationship between strengths, interests, and building expertise over time?

24:00 Why career setbacks are often essential parts of growth.

27:00 How to stay focused on the work instead of public praise or criticism.

30:00 How to identify the problems, opportunities, or needs you want your work to serve.

31:45 Why AI won't eliminate the need for fresh talent and new ideas.

33:00 What colleges can do to better prepare students for today's workforce.

35:15 How universities can better help students find their life's work.

38:00 Jodi's advice for anyone starting their career today.

Resources + Links

Get a copy of Jodi’s book, How to Start: Discovering Your Life’s Work HERE

Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever

Watch the podcast on YouTube

Find more resources on our website morraam.com

Follow

Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele + Instagram @morraam

Follow Jodi: on LinkedIn @jodikantor + Instagram @jodikantor