Career Transitions
We are HR leaders who are passionate about helping others achieve their full potential. Over the years, we have coached many people through life and career transitions, which has ignited our interest in the topic. We are fascinated with the science behind change, and curious to understand the trends and patterns of successful transitions.
We will bring together guests from all walks of life who have been through crucial career stages. We hope that you will be inspired by learning from the experiences of others- business leaders, executive coaches, and experts.
Career Transitions
Identify, Meaning, and the Social Side of Success S6 I Ep 6
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What if the feeling that your job isn't fulfilling enough isn't a sign you're in the wrong place — but an invitation to build meaning where you are?
In this Season 6 episode of the Career Transitions Podcast, we sit down with Winnie Jiang, Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior at INSEAD Singapore, whose research sits at the heart of what this podcast is all about: how people make sense of their careers, find meaning, and navigate change.
We explore why the "perfect job" myth can do more harm than good, and why meaning isn't something a job gives you — it's something you actively construct. Winnie introduces us to the concept of job crafting: the everyday, practical choices we make about tasks, relationships, and mindset that can transform how we experience our work right now, without changing roles.
We also dig into the difference between meaning and purpose (and why it's okay not to have a grand "why"), the deeply social nature of career transitions — including what it really takes to claim a new professional identity — and how AI is reshaping meaning at work in ways that are more nuanced than the headlines suggest.
Winnie's research on dancers navigating AI disruption offers a striking window into what meta agency looks like in practice: the shift from reactive adaptation to actively choosing how and where you grow.
When was the last time you actively crafted your job — rather than waiting for it to feel more meaningful on its own?
Connect with us on LinkedIn and let us know.
Read more of Winnie's work:
- A Search for Daily Meaning: Building a Purpose-Driven Career
- Three Lessons From Tech Layoffs on Building Career Agility
- Is Working Yourself "To The Bone" Ever Worth It?
- Perceiving Fixed or Flexible Meaning: Navigating Occupational Destabilization (Administrative Science Quarterly, 2023)
- From Boundaryless to Boundary-Crossing: A Friction-Based Model of Career Transitions (Research in Organizational Behavior, 2024)
Connect with us on LinkedIn:
· Vanessa Iloste (Host)
· Vanessa Teo (Host)
· Aaron Wu (Producer)
