Inside Job

You enter the workforce in a pandemic. You’re onboarded remotely. You’re mandated to RTO. And the whole time, it feels like you’re being sold to. That’s the Gen Z experience of the workplace so far, and they’re not loving it. On this episode, we’re joined by Gen Zer Zaid Safe to chat about what his generation wants from workplace culture—and the practices they’d leave behind.

ADHD prescriptions are on the rise, ADHD medication is selling out, and your algorithm thinks you have it, too. Are we finally getting proper diagnoses, or are we living in an age of self-medicating for productivity? This episode explores the real story of “Olivia” and the trend of “smart drugs”—whether it’s Adderall, mushrooms, or yes, even Brazil nuts—and whether any of it ACTUALLY makes us smarter and more productive.

As higher education becomes increasingly open source, it has us wondering: are degrees like MBAs still worth the hefty price tag, or is it all LinkedIn optics? On this episode, we discuss “Joey’s” anonymously shared Linkedin hacks, contrarian career paths that impress recruiters, the inherent value of an MBA, and alternative ways of investing in yourself (and your resume).

With more CEOs going on record about their return to office mandates, it has us wondering: was the golden promise of working from home too good to be true? On this episode, we discuss the hidden market players who want you back in office and how companies like JM Smuckers are rolling out their hybrid work policy.

Why do “normies” otherwise known as the silent middle engage so little on platforms like Twitter? Should platforms be responsible only for their business model, or should they aim to be a model business? On this episode, we dive into the ethics vs. economics of unregulated voices on social.

Based on the true story of “Bo”, on this episode we explore whether or not corporate nepo babies and college legacies the same. Since the recent Supreme Court ruling, legacy admissions are being re-examined as unfair and white-washed. On this episode, we dive into the privileges and perks of being a college legacy, as well as the harm it brings to higher education and society as a whole.

From the excesses of Wallstreet companies in the 90s to Tech companies pillaging our privacy for gold in the 2000s, how have workers’ considerations of evil companies evolved with the rise of frameworks like ESG? This, talk about digital gold miners in World of Warcraft, and more all on this episode of Lonely Office.

It’s happened. You’ve been laid off. What do you do next? Do you jump on LinkedIn with a heartfelt post? Do you go live on TikTok? Inspired by the true story of “Maggie” - we talk about how to set yourself up for success before and after a potential layoff—from warming your professional network to re-evaluating your options.

Whether you’re a frequent job hopper or company loyalist, you’ll likely be affected by layoffs at some point in your working life. “Dylan’s” IRL layoff story got us thinking: are you ready for what happens next? On this episode, joined by corporate content creator Leah Ova, we’re talking about how to prepare for layoffs—what you should keep in mind, what you should enquire about, and what data to have in hand.

There are an estimated 70,000 professional career coaches worldwide. But are they the answer that lost professionals are looking for? On this episode, we discuss the real story of “Jamie”, whose expensive career coach falls short of expectations. We’re joined by special guest Cindy Gallop (advertising consultant, founder of MakeLoveNotPorn, and yes, career coach) to debate the approaches career coaches take today—and whether the profession provides as much value as it touts.