Redefined by Cynthia

Artificial intelligence is reshaping the job market, and its effects are being felt most acutely at the entry level. A recent analysis from labor research firm Revelio Labs found that overall job postings have declined roughly 35% since January 2023. Entry-level roles, often the first rung on the career ladder for recent graduates, appear to be among the hardest hit. “The entry-level careers of recent graduates are most affected, which could have lasting effects as they continue to grow their careers with less experience while finding fewer job opportunities,” said Karoline Humlum, a researcher at Revelio Labs. For early-career workers, fewer openings today can translate into slower skill development and fewer opportunities to build the experience that fuels long-term growth. Some industry leaders believe this trend could intensify. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has suggested that as AI becomes more capable, as many as half of today’s entry-level jobs could eventually be automated. These ...

A recent interactive analysis by The New York Times details the scale of recent federal workforce cuts, showing that approximately 220,000 federal jobs have disappeared in a single year. On paper, it reads like a statistic. It represents 220,000 people, households recalibrating overnight, families navigating uncertainty, mortgages and rents that still come due, children whose lives are quietly disrupted, and identities shaped by public service suddenly put into question. Why the Numbers Matter “220,000” is a large number. Most of us have learned, through years of scrolling newsfeeds, that figures of this scale are often abstracted away, flattened into charts, bullet points, and headlines. But when you break the number down, the abstraction dissolves. Each job lost represents: A person with expertise and commitment A family budget suddenly upended A professional identity tied to public mission A microeconomic ripple through local communities When we talk about federal employees, we’re...

I’m very excited to share that Redefined: Finding Purpose and Power After Job Loss Amid AI Disruption and Market Uncertainty has been named a winner in the "Inspirational" category by  International Impact Book Award . As a new author, recognition like this is meaningful. It reflects the countless hours, vulnerability, and intention that went into writing a book about job loss, career resilience, and reinvention during a time when so many professionals are navigating layoffs, identity shifts, and uncertainty in a rapidly changing job market shaped by artificial intelligence. I’m proud of that. But if I’m being honest, the award itself doesn’t compare to something else. What matters most are the emails, texts, and calls from readers who’ve shared how Redefined helped them through a difficult moment. From professionals facing unexpected layoffs, to those questioning who they are after losing a role they thought defined them, to readers who passed the book along to a friend, s...

For decades, federal work represented stability. Predictable career paths. Long tenures. A sense that if you did good work, you would be protected from the volatility seen elsewhere. That assumption is quietly changing. A recent New York Times article detailing upcoming workforce reductions at FEMA, nearly 1,000 disaster response roles, has understandably unsettled many federal employees. While agency leaders describe the moves as planning exercises, the message landing with workers is more personal and more urgent: things we once considered stable are no longer guaranteed. For mid-career professionals in government and adjacent sectors, this moment is not about panic. It is about preparation. The Bigger Signal Beneath the Headline What’s happening at FEMA reflects broader shifts across the labor market. Public sector roles are being reshaped by budget pressure, modernization efforts, automation, and evolving policy priorities. Tenure alone is no longer the primary safeguard it once w...

Every January in Las Vegas, Nevada, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) offers a glimpse into the future of technology. Some years, that future feels distant. Other years, it feels impractical. But, like everything else lately, CES 2026 feels different. My husband, Jeff, has attended CES for years. It’s a tradition for him, and he usually comes home energized, excited about the future, and just as excited about what’s happening right now. This year, he couldn’t go (he's bummed), so we are following CES coverage together. And this was the year artificial intelligence stopped talking and started doing. AI at CES 2026: Beyond Chatbots and Screens For the past few years, most public conversations about artificial intelligence have focused on generative AI, such as writing, summarization, prompting, and assistance. At CES 2026, the focus shifted decisively to physical AI and real-world applications. Robots folded laundry. Smart homes responded to behavior, not commands. Machines naviga...