This week's episode is with Lauren Gerard, a client I worked with in 2018. Hear what motivated her to look for a new job, what her job search looked like before and after reaching out to me, what she found most helpful about working with a professional job search coach, how she found her new job, and how she's enjoying her new position. To visit my website: www.exclusivecareercoaching.com Follow My YouTube channel (Lesa Edwards); it’s chocked full of valuable career management content in easily ...
Jul 31, 2019•Ep. 90
I’ve gotten questions lately about what I do as career coach…and they ask if I am a life coach. It occurred to me that there are some similarities and distinct differences between career coaching and life coaching, and I thought I would educate you, dear listeners. If you want help with your career, it’s very important you know what kind of help you actually need…and who can best support you. In either instance, understand that coaching is an unregulated industry, meaning that you can call yours...
Jul 24, 2019•Ep. 89
There are three basic needs that every person has in order for their job to be fulfilling. Of course, you probably have additional ones, but I want to focus on these three basics in today’s episode. A job MUST provide you with an outlet for your passion, require sufficient proficiency to perform the job well, and compensate you sufficiently to be profitable. Let’s break these down. Passion You MUST be engaged with the work you do for it to be fulfilling. You have motivated skills – those tasks y...
Jul 17, 2019•Ep. 88
First of all, I want to point out that everything I’ve taught you in previous podcast episodes holds true for foreign nationals. In other words, there’s nothing US citizens should do in their job search that foreign nationals shouldn’t do. There is, however, another layer (or perhaps a few additional layers) for foreign nationals. The order of this process MUST be: 1. Secure a job in the US, then obtain the appropriate visa You are going to be looking for companies that are willing to sponsor a ...
Jul 10, 2019•Ep. 87
11 Success Strategies for Starting Your New Job in the First 90 Days (by Robert Moment) Starting any new job can be an exciting, yet stressful experience. You are entering an unfamiliar environment with certain procedures or behaviors that may be drastically different than your first job. You certainly want to make a good impression, as your first impression in any job can be difficult to reverse. Ultimately, the stakes are high. But that doesn’t mean that you have an impossible task in front of...
Jul 03, 2019•Ep. 86
All this month, we’ve been diving into the job interview including how to answer difficult questions and how to prepare for a behavioral interview. Today we’re talking about the questions you can ask the interviewer. 1. Make it organic. I’m not a fan of having generic questions to ask every employer, because they tend to sound…generic. Rather, do your homework in preparing for the interview. As you prep, your questions will come organically. 2. Show your existing knowledge. When asking your ques...
Jun 26, 2019•Ep. 85
All this month, we’re covering the job interview. So far, we’ve talked about how to answer the “tell me about yourself,” “what are your greatest strengths,” and “what is your greatest weakness” questions. Today, let’s dive into the behavioral interview. Behavioral interviews are incredibly common today, and they are based on the philosophy that past performance is the best indicator of future performance. In other words, how you handled a situation or responded to a challenge tells the interview...
Jun 19, 2019•Ep. 84
This month we’re covering some of the most difficult aspects of the job interview. Last week we covered the “tell me about yourself” question, and today we’re diving into the “strengths” and “weaknesses” questions. When developing your answer to the “tell me about your greatest strengths,” it is important to keep two things in mind: Your personal brand. If you haven’t done personal branding work yet, get to it! It is so important at the interview that you can clearly articulate what you bring to...
Jun 12, 2019•Ep. 83
This quarter is dedicated to college graduation 2019. In April, I covered all aspects of the resume, LinkedIn, and the cover letter. In May, we talked about networking. This month will all be about the job interview – how to answer the most difficult questions, how to prepare for a behavioral interview, and what questions to ask the interviewer. Today, let’s dive into the “tell me about yourself” question. This one is super important, because if it is asked it is the first question. There’s a ph...
Jun 05, 2019•Ep. 82
This month, I’m taking a week for each of the components of the thought model as developed by my coach, Brooke Castillo. She created the thought model as a combination of various thought leaders and teachers she studied early in her career as a life coach. I’ve talked about the model before, but if you haven’t heard those conversations, let me give you the big picture. Circumstance With any situation in your life, you have a neutral circumstance. This is the fact of the situation, devoid of any ...
Jun 03, 2019•Ep. 41
All this month, we’re talking about networking. So far, we’ve covered why networking is so important, talked about a better, more strategic way to network, and covered a variety of places to network and how to make the most of those networking opportunities. Today, let’s talk about quid pro quo. How to give as much value as you get when you’re networking. Most of us aren’t comfortable with just taking and not giving back, whether it is in networking or anything else. I call this being a networki...
Jun 01, 2019•Ep. 81
All this month, I’m doing a deep dive into networking. So far I’ve talked about why networking is important and how most people go about networking. I’ve also told you about my Bow and Arrow Approach to networking. Today, let’s talk about where you can network. The events or organizations that can provide significant potential benefit to networking for a new job. 1. Chamber of Commerce networking events. 2. Civic club meetings. 3. SHRM (Society of Human Resource Management). 4. Non-profit fundra...
May 22, 2019•Ep. 80
This month, I’ve done episodes covering your Motivated Skills, your personality preferences using the framework of the MBTI, your Core Values, and your Areas of Expertise in making career decisions. Remember, I’ve talked about the macro- and micro-level of career decisions. On the macro level, you are making a decision about the career path you will follow. On a micro-level, you are using this information to make decisions about which jobs to take. On an even more micro-level, you are using the ...
May 21, 2019•Ep. 55
This month we’re going deep on the topic of networking. If you haven’t listened to last week’s podcast on Why Networking is So Stinkin’ Important, I highly encourage you to do so. Today we’re going to talk about the way most people approach networking, and how my approach is different. The Tommy Gun Approach If you’ve listened to my podcast much, you’ve heard me use the expression “Tommy Gun Approach” to networking. This is the way most people do networking. Shoot everyone they can find with inf...
May 15, 2019•Ep. 79
This month is all about networking. Episode titles include “How Most People Network…and My Approach,” “Places to Network and How to Maximize Them,” and “How Not to Be a Networking Barnacle.” Today I want to address the WHY of networking…why is networking so very important? Here are my top five reasons why networking is so stinkin’ important: 1. 75% of the jobs are in the hidden job market, meaning they are not advertised. If you aren’t networking, you have zero chance of accessing the largest po...
May 08, 2019•Ep. 78
This month, we’re covering the marketing documents you need for your job search – your resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile. Today, let’s talk about the cover letter. I get a lot of questions about whether a cover letter is necessary…relevant…in today’s job market. I’m borrowing heavily from the website makeit.com and author Debbie Carreau for this episode. Here are three reasons not to submit a cover letter: 1. You have no interest in customizing a cover letter for that position. If you a...
May 01, 2019•Ep. 77
The theme for this quarter (April, May, and June) is College Graduation, 2019 Edition. I’m talking about your marketing documents in April; in May we’ll be covering the job search, and in June we’ll do a deep dive into the job interview. If you’re not a recent college graduate, don’t worry – everything I tell the new kids will apply to you as well. Last week, I gave you my top eight tips for improving your LinkedIn profile. If you haven’t listened to that episode, I strongly encourage you to do ...
Apr 17, 2019•Ep. 76
Today I’m going to talk about what I like to call “curb appeal,” how to improve the appearance of your home on LinkedIn, which is your LI profile. Next week, I’m going to talk about strategies for making the most of LI. In other words, once you have an attractive home on LI, how you can invite people into your home and how you can go visit other people’s homes. Here are my top eight improvements for your LinkedIn profile: 1. Your Photo. This should be a professional headshot of you. There should...
Apr 10, 2019•Ep. 75
All podcasts in April, May, and June will be focused around the theme “College Graduation, 2019 Edition.” At this time each year, I concentrate on topics to help that year’s crop of graduating college seniors. Of course, everything I talk about will apply to those of you who have been out in the workforce for a few years, as well. In April, I will be covering resumes, cover letters, and LinkedIn profiles. These are your primary marketing documents in a job search. Point #1 – Your Resume is a Mar...
Apr 03, 2019•Ep. 74
This quarter, we’ve talked about leadership from several different perspectives. My guest today is Peter Berry, whose leadership experience is varied and fascinating; particularly interesting in light of his undergraduate degree in Fine Arts. Peter is a perfect example of how a liberal arts degree can be a great springboard for moving into leadership roles. Peter talks about what employers are looking for in today’s workforce, both for entry-level positions and as Millennials step into leadershi...
Mar 27, 2019•Ep. 73
Throughout this quarter, the episodes have been centered on leadership. In many cases, the focus has been on the “doing” aspects of leadership. Today, we’re talking about the “being” aspects of leadership. Today’s guest is Licia Berry of Daughters of Earth. Her signature talk, “Leading By Being,” discusses the inward aspects of leadership and purpose. When you don’t listen to your inner voice, the consequences can be painful. Dreading going to work every day, a malaise, a sense of being on a tre...
Mar 20, 2019•Ep. 72
Let’s assume you aspire to a leadership role, either with your current employer or a new employer. Many people mistakenly believe that to ACT like a leader, you must be IN a leadership position. Quite the opposite is true: To GET a leadership position, you must ACT like a leader. Right now. Today. Wherever you are, and in whatever position you are in. You’ve heard me say this before: Leadership is attitudinal, not positional. Today, I want to touch on the Top 10 Leadership De-Railers. Those subt...
Mar 13, 2019•Ep. 71
Today, my guest, Jane Springer, and I talk about dressing for leadership roles for both men and women. Hear her insights for the dressiest work environments down to casual Friday faux pas. You can find Jane at http://www.janespringer.com or email her at jane@janespringer.com To visit my website: www.exclusivecareercoaching.com Follow My YouTube channel (Lesa Edwards); it’s chocked full of value career management content is easily digestible bites. Want to speak with an expert about your career/j...
Mar 06, 2019•Ep. 70
For the first quarter of 2019, I’m covering several aspects of leadership. For some of you, you are already holding a leadership position, so these strategies will be immediately useful for you. Others of you aspire to leadership roles, and today’s topic of Taking on Stretch Assignments to Boost Your Leadership Creds will be particularly useful for you. Whether you are currently in a leadership role or aspire to be, keep in mind that true leadership is not positional, but attitudinal. That is to...
Feb 20, 2019•Ep. 69
All this quarter, I’m talking about various aspects of leadership. Today, I want to talk about Speaking with Leadership Authority. An important piece of your leadership strength is in the presence you have when communicating, either one-on-one or to a group. Here are five top tips according to Inc.com: 1. Replace "Um" With Stronger Filler Words In the moment, it's hard not to say "uh, um," while you try to gather your thoughts. Great speakers rarely use the distracting sound. But if you listen c...
Feb 13, 2019•Ep. 68
I want to come at this from a few different angles today. First of all, let’s define “leadership style.” Leadership is a noun, defined as follows: the position or function of a leader , a person who guides or directs a group: He managed to maintain his leadership of the party despite heavy opposition. ability to lead: As early as sixth grade she displayed remarkable leadership potential. an act or instance of leading; guidance; direction: They prospered under his strong leadership. the leaders o...
Feb 11, 2019•Ep. 67
This week's guest is college senior, Melizza Black. As the editor in chief of hercampus, Melizza has great advice for college students wanting to develop their leadership abilities while in school. Her advice is also applicable to recent graduates who may be new to an area and wanting to get involved in the community. To visit my website: www.exclusivecareercoaching.com Follow My YouTube channel (Lesa Edwards); it’s chocked full of value career management content is easily digestible bites. Want...
Feb 11, 2019•Ep. 66
This week's guest is Denise Wilson, Vice President of Capital City Bank in Tallahassee, Florida. Capital City Bank has a formal program to identify and train high-potential employees. In my interview with Denise, I asked her to define a high-potential employee, talk about Capital City's high-potential program, and provide advice for anyone seeking to be identified as a high-potential employee within their organization. Whether or not your company has a formal program like Capital City's or not, ...
Feb 11, 2019•Ep. 65
This week's guest is employee benefits specialist Michelle Snow. She walks us through a primer on employee benefits so you can understand what your various options may be, how to decide what's most important for you, and what questions to ask the employer. To visit my website: www.exclusivecareercoaching.com Follow My YouTube channel (Lesa Edwards); it’s chocked full of value career management content is easily digestible bites. Want to speak with an expert about your career/job search goals? Ne...
Feb 11, 2019•Ep. 64
This month’s theme is starting, restarting, and continuing your career. So far, we’ve talked about perspectives when starting your career, how to figure out what’s not working in your current job and how to fix it, and case studies of people who have made significant career shifts. Today I want to talk about alternative work arrangements including self-employment, contract work, and side hustles. Let’s define these terms. If you are self-employed, you are hanging out a shingle to provide whateve...
Feb 11, 2019•Ep. 63
