Andrea Clarke has previously worked in Washington D.C as a news correspondent in war torn Middle East, acting as a humanitarian aid worker. She is recently the author of 'Future Fit: How to stay relevant and competitive in the future of work.' Andrea currently spends her time empowering individuals through CareerCEO and is an ambassador for Future Women.
Andrea's book:
Future Fit
Andrea on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrealouiseclarke/
Andrea's Website, CareerCEO:
www.careerceo.com.au
Verbatim from the transcripts — each quote links to the moment.
“I've had absolutely no fucking idea, like what I've been doing most of the time, to be honest with you.”
“The standard you walk past really is a standard that you accept in your life, regardless of what part of your life that is.”
“We have a narrative that sits in the back of our mind and drives behavior.”
“I think the most important thing to know about advice is that it's autobiographical.”
“Be bold enough to be who you are without apology. It's that simple.”
How do you build a support network / 'board of directors' for your career?
Build relationships with sponsors, mentors, and advisors before you need them, since responsibility for securing work is shifting to individuals; when things go wrong, a deep network of people who trust you will want to help.
How do I handle feeling isolated after a big career change or move?
Accept there's no shortcut to contentment — go through the process of finding your own tribe, make a conscious choice to pursue meaningful work even if painful, and stay connected to international networks through regular travel.
How should I approach networking in 2019 and beyond?
Map your existing network from school and university, reconnect with old contacts ('dormant ties') via LinkedIn or alumni events with a meaningful reason to talk, rather than relying on transactional cold networking.
How do you decide when to leave a job or role gracefully?
Stay self-aware, recognise discomfort is temporary, and if you do leave, be gracious and respectful since business is a long game built on relationships — don't 'spit the dummy.'
Should I follow generic career advice like 'don't apologise' or 'don't work for free'?
Treat advice as autobiographical — it reflects the advice-giver's own experience and may not suit your context; assess situations case-by-case, trust your gut, and look for non-financial value exchanges when negotiating.
Andrea describes the night before and morning of flying solo into Baghdad as a UN aid worker, including preparing a headshot in case she became a news headline and realizing she was the only passenger on the charter flight.
Andrea recounts seeing piles of cash in Iraq, then sending an email questioning lavish staff retreat spending funded by US taxpayer money, which led to her being sacked and losing her visa-tied job in Washington DC.
Andrea describes reporting live from the Virginia Tech shooting in chaotic conditions, interviewing people in medical shock, and realizing the job was clashing with her personal values, which eventually pushed her out of pure reporting.
After an emotionally devastating visit to a disabled children's orphanage in Georgia during the Russian invasion, Andrea's boss asked her to immediately deploy to Afghanistan; she instead insisted on time off to process.
Andrea describes running into a childhood acquaintance, Candy Stralor, years later, who trusted her enough to bring her in to run her program at Telstra without the usual lengthy vetting process, illustrating the power of 'dormant ties.'
Drawn from the episode transcripts.
She sent an email to her boss flagging what she felt was reckless and excessive spending (a $300-400/night staff retreat for 300 staff funded by US taxpayer money) while working as an aid worker in Baghdad; she was walked from the job and later wrote about it publicly, including in the Washington Post.
From episode 348→It's her term for continually realigning your career and personal brand with what gives you genuine meaning, treating yourself as a constant work in progress rather than making a single fixed career change.
From episode 348→She says old-school networking (walking into a room exchanging business cards) is dying; instead she recommends reactivating 'dormant ties' — reconnecting with people from school or university who already trust you, which she calls a far more effective, qualified lead than cold networking.
From episode 348→Mentioned on 5 episodes Andreawasn’t on.
Tommy references a previous guest, author of 'Future Fit,' and her advice about explaining yourself based on who you're talking to.
Mentioned as a guest (Keri CEO) who asked about Mr. 97's love life on a previous episode.
Every episode featuring Andrea Clarke on The Daily Talk Show.
