Career Envy on Channel Nine Weekend Today with Alison Piotrowski and Michael Atkinson

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Sue Ellson in Toss Box at Channel Nine Melbourne

Career Envy on Channel Nine Weekend Today with Alison Piotrowski and Michael Atkinson

By Sue Ellson

Topic: Career Envy
Presenters and Hosts: Alison Piotrowski and Michael Atkinson
Career Expert and Author in Melbourne: Sue Ellson
Date: Sunday 18 October 2026 at 8:45am
Show: Weekend Today
Television Station: Channel 9’s Weekend Today Show, National Australian Television
Request from: Brayden Dykes Chief of Staff, Weekend Today
Producer: Maddison Tutt Senior Producer, Today Show
Hair and Makeup: Rikki Norman
Toss Box Setup: Alexandra Woodall
Appearance Number: 22
Video Link: To come
Time: To come

On Sunday 18 October 2026, I appeared on Channel 9’s Weekend Today show to talk about career envy.

Transcript

To come

Graphics

1. Sue, why does career envy happen? Is there something deeper going on here?

Career envy happens when you compare what is happening in your career with someone else’s.

It could be triggered when you see or hear about something a friend, colleague or family member is doing that you are not doing.

It can make you feel insecure about where you are at in your life and you can even feel guilty for making that comparison or start judging yourself for what you have already achieved.

If we go deeper, we usually find our own unmet expectations and even if we know what we are competing against, we have to decide what is aligned with our own values and goals and what we believe about ourselves and decide what to do next.

CAREER ENVY

  • compare your career to someone else’s
  • feel insecure in your role
  • have unmet expectations
  • aware of competition

2. What role does social media play in accelerating these feelings?

We all know that social media is just the highlights reel of life and that each platform is also a megalomaniac – it wants more people on the platform more often and for longer.

The algorithms carefully assess what we stop scrolling on and what sparks our interest and it tries to confirm our beliefs by sharing more of the same type of content, particularly if the platform thinks we might click on a paid advertisement that appears close by.

When we notice ourselves going down the rabbit hole, I usually suggest that we put our phones down and get back to doing something that is truly aligned with our own personal values rather than the values we see on social media.

SOCIAL MEDIA

  • highlights of life
  • megalomaniac
  • confirms beliefs
  • sales teaser

3. So how can we reframe this comparison to make it feel a little less heavy?

Most of us have heard the quote that ‘comparison is the thief of joy,’ so we really need to reframe any comparison from self-criticism to self-compassion for what we have achieved as that is a much better motivator for taking positive steps forward.

It is also okay to feel uncomfortable and be willing to take action at the same time.

Some simple things you can do include reconnecting with people in your network, keep circulating in your workplace, profession or industry and consider developing your career skills not just your work skills.

REFRAME

  • comparison is the thief of joy
  • reconnect network
  • keep circulating
  • develop career skills

4. Should we talk to our friends about how we’re feeling?

That’s a tricky one. It is very tempting to say how you feel to a friend you might be comparing yourself with, but they may then start feeling uncomfortable about sharing any news with you.

Personally, I would suggest that you organise a confidential chat with a trusted advisor, therapist or a career specialist who can guide you on your next best steps that are in alignment with your values.

I definitely would not recommend talking to a work colleague as they could use anything you share against you in the future.

WHO TO TALK TO

  • trusted advisors
  • counsellor or therapist
  • career specialists
  • not work colleagues

5. We can’t control how we feel, but we can take action to improve our situation. What steps can people focus on to grow their own careers?

Yes, those feelings can be tough.

To grow your career, I truly believe that our network equals our net-worth and my three favourite words are ‘from now on.’

So I would recommend that from now on, you connect on the professional network of LinkedIn with everyone you meet online or in person, that you regularly engage with the online content of the very important people related to your career and that you stay curious and keep learning.

I would also suggest that you keep asking for opportunities as we all know that if you don’t ask, you may not get!

GROW CAREER

  • from now on connect online
  • engage online and offline
  • keep learning
  • keep asking

References

I’m so jealous of my friend’s career, it’s making me miserable. Am I a bad person? By Kirstin Ferguson in the Sydney Morning Herald
https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/i-m-so-jealous-of-my-friend-s-career-it-s-making-me-miserable-am-i-a-bad-person-20261007-p60uef.html

Career Envy: How to Keep Work Ambition in Perspective
https://gassho.info/blog-page/career-envy-how-to-keep-work-ambition-in-perspective

Office gossip is now against the law. (But you didn’t hear that from me)
https://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace/office-gossip-is-now-against-the-law-but-you-didn-t-hear-that-from-me-20251109-p5n8ww.html

‘Don’t share information with a friend as they may start to feel uncomfortable sharing their successes with you as the social contract can be damaged.’ Celeste Tramonte

‘As part of the Reframe and Social Media aspects envy could be seen as a great opportunity to reflect on personal values as distinct from society’s values and ideas of success, to be clear about what exactly is being envied, and to have self-compassion for what has not been achieved, as self-criticism is a less effective motivator than self-compassion for then doing what’s needed – as per Kristin Neff’s research.’ Amanda Simmonds.

‘With self-compassion, we give ourselves the same kindness and support we’d give to a good friend.’ Dr Kristin Neff

What’s retaining and attracting talent in Q4?
https://www.ahri.com.au/articles/whats-retaining-and-attracting-talent-in-q4

Gartner HR Survey Reveals Australian Employees Are Slowly Regaining Confidence in the Job Market
https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2026-09-07-gartner-hr-survey-reveals-australian-employees-are-slowly-regaining-confidence-in-the-job-market – which also says that Gartner’s latest Global Talent Monitor survey recorded 26.5 per cent of Australian employees actively seeking a new role in Q2 2026, up from 19.4 per cent at the end of 2025.

Career Fog report (MyPerfectResume, March 2026) – 70% of workers have questioned or reconsidered their entire career path in the past year. 66% describe their careers in terms of stagnation or drift, such as feeling stuck, behind or on autopilot. Only 27% say they feel clarity and direction in their career. https://www.tradeandindustrydev.com/industry/all-industries/career-fog-more-half-workers-say-their-career-35604

The Evolving Working Life – 52% of Australian workers wish they had chosen a different career
https://au.seek.com/about/news/article/the-evolving-working-life

Feedback

Hi Sue, Congratulations on your segment on Channel 9 this morning. This was a very polished presentation…even though you had a little microphone issue. You kept your cool! KC

Shared Online

CAREER ENVY // Have you ever felt envious about what someone else has achieved in their career? 🤔Did you know that according to The Evolving Work Life Survey from SEEK that 52% of Australian workers wish they had chosen a different career? On Sunday, I was interviewed on Channel Nine’s Weekend Today program with Alison Piotrowski and Michael Atkinson by request from Brayden Dykes and produced by Maddison Tutt.

The main suggestions include:

✅ look at your achievements with self-compassion rather than self-criticism – it is a better motivator for your next steps

✅ organise a confidential discussion with a trusted advisor, therapist or career specialist – not a work colleague if you are feeling envious

✅ remember that social media can influence you – but doing what is right for your values is more important

✅ it is never too late to take your next steps

More information, research, quotes and resources online at https://sueellson.com/blog/career-envy-on-channel-nine-weekend-today-with-alison-piotrowski-and-michael-atkinson

#CareerEnvy #ChannelNine #WeekendToday #SueEllson

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