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What do traffic jams, poker strategy, and applicant tracking systems have in common? More than you’d think.

In this episode, Vanessa unpacks decision-making under uncertainty—why the “fastest” route isn’t always the best one, and how both life and job searches can punish us for not being able to predict the future. We talk GPS stress, Annie Duke’s poker-based decision framework, nervous system regulation (Maslow before Bloom, always), and a real-world job search story that proves something important:

Humans still hire humans—even when algorithms try to pretend otherwise.

In This Episode, We Cover

• Why GPS (and life) makes “best guesses,” not promises 
• How teachers get stuck outcome-shaming themselves (“If it went badly, I must be wrong…”) 
• What poker psychology teaches us about uncertainty and decision quality 
• A Teacher Hack for protecting your nervous system: take the scenic route 
• The truth about Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) and why resumes vanish 
• A behind-the-scenes story of navigating hiring systems by reintroducing human connection 
• How to spot culture red flags before you accept the job 
• Why “optimized” doesn’t always mean “healthy” 
   
   

Links Mentioned

• Jack Palance “one-armed push-ups” clip (referenced in episode): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGxL5AFzzMY 
• Teachers in Transition podcast homepage: https://teachersintransition.buzzsprout.com 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565671792885 
• Website: https://TeachersinTransition.com
   

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Keywords 

teacher burnout, leaving teaching, career transition, teacher skills, decision making, nervous system regulation, stress management, applicant tracking system, ATS, job search strategy, networking for introverts, teacher identity, life after teaching, educator mental health, transferable skills

Connect with Vanessa Jackson

• 💌 Email: Vanessa@teachersintransition.com
• 📱 Call or Text: 512-640-9099
• 📅 Book a Free Discovery Call: teachersintransition.com/calendar
• 🧭 LinkedIn: 
• 🔗 Bluesky: @beyondteaching.bsky.social
• 📸 Instagram & Threads: @teachers.in.transition
• 👍 Facebook: Teachers in Transition
• 🐦 X (Twitter): @EduExitStrategy

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The transcript to this podcast is found on the episode’s homepage at Buzzsprout

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