Per My Last Email

They unpack the awkward emotions of surviving a layoff, from guilt to relief. They explain how day-to-day work and responsibilities often shift after cuts. They cover deciding whether to stay or leave, clarifying new roles and compensation, and rebuilding your professional identity with early wins.

Sam DeMase, author and career expert who taught recruiting for over a decade, breaks down hiring in the age of AI. She discusses how recruiters work, why the resume upper third matters, and the shift to skills-based resumes. Learn how to get noticed on LinkedIn, when cold-applying still helps, and where AI fits into the process.

They unpack how drinking culture shapes workplace dynamics and offer simple tactics for happy hours. They trace shifting norms around marijuana and when talking about use can backfire. They explain Zyn and nicotine pouches, and how visible habits can affect professional impressions. The throughline is protecting your reputation while navigating normalized substance use at work.

Meg and Annie, Morning Brew social creators and Gen Z correspondents, bring fresh younger-worker perspective on workplace trends. They discuss screen time and creator balance. They weigh in on office behaviors like meetings and Slack tone. They also check in on career goals and anxieties such as housing and debt.

In this episode, Kyle sits down with venture capitalist and author Bill Gurley to talk about how to figure out your passion, what people get wrong about networking, and why pursuing your dream career isn’t such an idealistic idea.  00:00 Intro 01:23 How do we recognize if we have a “passion”? 04:40 Do we spend enough time in a sampling period? 08:48 Something Bill advises young people to ask of older adults 09:14 How Bill responds to the pushback that people should aim for a stable, money-making career instead of their dream jobs 11:21 On mentorship and networking 17:09 Bill’s “Go where the action is” principle  21:54 Advice to people early in their career with regards to emerging technologies Be sure to check out Bill’s new book, Runnin’ Down a Dream: How to Thrive in a Career You Actually Love. Want to get all of Kaila & Kyle’s career resources? Subscribe to Per My Last Email: https://www.permylastemailshow.com/  Watch Per My Last Email on YouTube:   @PerMYLastEmailShow Follow Per My Last Email Instagram: @permylastemailshow TikTok: @permylastemailshow Twitter: @permylast_email Have a question for us? Send us an email or voice note to permylastemail@morningbrew.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Each week on Per My Last Email, Morning Brew’s resident career experts Kaila and Kyle – whose careers have collectively spanned the corporate, government, nonprofit and startup sectors – debate the trickiest challenges in work life, and share tactics on how to overcome them. Share the show with a friend, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast app! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They debate whether emotions belong at work, sharing stories about crying with colleagues and the fallout of showing feeling. They explore emotional contagion, primal leadership, and how gut instincts and storytelling move teams. They unpack surface acting versus deep acting and the gender gap in how emotions are judged. Practical tactics focus on self-knowledge and widening your emotional range.

They revisit how views of AI have shifted over two years and what that means for work. They debate environmental and ethical objections to AI and whether it dulls human thinking. They walk through practical, problem-first use cases like AI as a thought partner, subject-line optimization, and handling rote tasks with guardrails to keep humans in control.

They predict how slight imperfections will become a signal of human effort in an AI-saturated workplace. They discuss a premium on explaining business impact and new hiring signals like trial contracts. A coined term, “job kissing,” describes renewed performative loyalty. They also debate which careers may morph or vanish by 2026 and how career growth could slow.

They break down uncertainty at individual, company, and societal levels and offer practical ways to cope. A simple bucket method helps separate what you control, can influence, or must accept. Tips on spotting real job risk and turning company turmoil into career opportunities. Advice on protecting focus from news and channeling anxiety into constructive action.

Anna Squires Levine, president of Industrious and former public-health and nonprofit leader, talks workplace connection and design. She discusses why casual collisions matter, how to design offices that spark joy, balancing hybrid and remote work, leading without burning out, and practical tips for career pivots.