The Hard Skills Career Storytelling: 20 Years in the Talent Trenches, with Matt Paddock
Most of us spend 70% of our lives working, yet struggle to articulate what we actually do. Matt Paddock, Director of Recruiting at AKQA, reveals how the stories we tell about our careers unlock hidden strengths, clarify values, and shape our professional futures—especially when navigating layoffs, AI disruption, and career pivots. From jazz musician to talent strategist, he shares why career storytelling isn't soft—it's survival.
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:
Can you clearly articulate what you spend most of your waking hours doing? Most leaders can't. And when disruption hits, that gap between the work we do and the stories we tell costs us clarity, advancement, and resilience. From 20+ years leading talent strategy working with global brands and conducting thousands of successful hires, our guest, Matt Paddock, discovered that career storytelling is a core leadership and career competency. Whether you're navigating layoffs, succession planning, mass organizational transitions, or wondering where AI fits into your professional value proposition, your ability to craft and articulate your career narrative determines your trajectory. In this episode, you will learn lessons from Matt's unconventional path from jazz musician at Oberlin Conservatory to recruiting leader and from high-stakes moments like managing mass layoffs, leading succession planning, and rebuilding after his own layoff. We'll explore how storytelling functions like journaling: helping us reflect, learn, and map out better futures in an uncertain world.
This episode is essential listening for leaders rethinking their professional identity, managing career transitions, or supporting others through change.
***
ABOUT OUR GUEST:
Matt Paddock is Director of Recruiting at AKQA where he leads talent attraction for an award-winning, multidisciplinary team delivering creative innovation to global brands. He has over 20 years of experience in hands-on recruiting, managing talent teams, and working closely with business stakeholders to align talent with organizational vision and mission. Matt is a career-switcher from the arts who holds a degree in Jazz Studies from Oberlin Conservatory and a graduate degree in music composition from Virginia Commonwealth. After work hours Matt can commonly be found playing music with friends.
***
FIND OUR GUEST HERE:
www.linkedin.com/in/mattpaddock/
***
IF YOU ENJOYED THIS EPISODE, CAN I ASK A FAVOR?
We do not receive any funding or sponsorship for this podcast. If you learned something and feel others could also benefit, please leave a positive review. Every review helps amplify our work and visibility. This is especially helpful for small women-owned boot-strapped businesses. Simply go to the bottom of the Apple Podcast page to enter a review. Thank you!
Subscribe to my free newsletter at: mailchi.mp/2079c04f4d44/subscribe
Work with me one-on-one: calendly.com/mira-brancu/30-minute-initial-consultation
Connect with me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/MiraBrancu
Learn more about my services: www.gotowerscope.com
Get practical workplace politics tips from my books: gotowerscope.com/books
Add this podcast to your feed: www.listennotes.com/podcasts/the-hard-skills-dr-mira-brancu-m0QzwsFiBGE/