What if the biggest career decision you ever make isn't choosing your next job, but understanding yourself first?

In this episode of Just Beyond the CV, Rich Howell is joined by TEDx speaker, best-selling author and career strategist Erica Sosna to explore why so many people feel stuck, unfulfilled or uncertain in their careers.

Erica shares her own unconventional journey, from the Civil Service and consultancy to becoming one of the UK's leading career experts, before introducing her Career Equation - a simple but powerful framework that helps people discover work that genuinely fits who they are.

Together they discuss why traditional career advice often falls short, how businesses can better retain great people, and why purpose, strengths and environment matter far more than chasing job titles or bigger salaries.

Whether you're considering a career change, feeling trapped in your current role, navigating redundancy, or simply questioning what's next, this conversation offers practical advice and a fresh perspective on building a career that works for you.

In this episode of Just Beyond the CV, Rich Howell speaks with Camilla and Rachel, founders of The Women’s Work Lab, about the human stories, barriers and potential often hidden behind a career gap.

Together, they explore why so many women want to work but are held back by confidence, childcare, housing, mental health, domestic abuse, single parenting and systems that often demand quick results from complex lives.

Camilla and Rachel share how The Women’s Work Lab was built by, with and for mums, supporting unemployed mothers through confidence-building, community, work experience and long-term support. They discuss the importance of transferable skills, why motherhood develops essential workplace strengths, and how businesses can recruit more inclusively.

This is a powerful conversation about identity, confidence, purpose, resilience, and why helping one mum back into work can change the future of an entire family.

In this episode of Just Beyond the CV, Rich Howell sits down with Joe Ryle, Campaign Director of the 4 Day Week Campaign, to explore one of the most debated topics in modern work culture - should we be working less?

Joe shares his unconventional career journey, from environmental activism and political campaigning to becoming one of the UK's leading voices advocating for a shorter working week. Together, Rich and Joe unpack the history of the five-day working week, the rise of the four-day movement, and the surprising results from some of the UK's largest workplace trials.

The conversation goes far beyond productivity statistics. They discuss burnout, ambition, work-life balance, flexible working, employee wellbeing, and whether success should be measured by hours worked or outcomes achieved. Rich also shares his own experience of implementing a four-day week in his business following a period of severe burnout and reflects on the impact it has had on both his team and his family life.

Whether you're a business owner considering a four-day week, an employee questioning traditional working patterns, or simply curious about the future of work, this episode offers a balanced and thought-provoking discussion that challenges conventional thinking and explores what a healthier relationship with work could look like.

Just Beyond the CV is the podcast that uncovers the human stories, career pivots, failures, challenges and defining moments that never appear on a CV but shape who we become.