As a reminder, I will be holding another round of Land Your Dream Job Accelerator in January. If you’re interested or would like to know more, email me at lesa@exclusivecareercoaching.com Body language, or nonverbal communication, can make or break your interview. No matter what is coming out of your mouth, a trained interviewer will pay attention to what you are saying with your facial expressions, arms, posture, and general demeanor. If what you are saying is at odds with your body language, a...
Nov 08, 2023•20 min•Ep. 296
I wanted to let you know that I’ll be starting another 4-week Land Your Dream Job Accelerator in January, starting the week of January 4th. If you’re interested in knowing more about LYDJA, email me at lesa@exclusivecareercoaching.com . As a master practitioner of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), I know well the difference between introverts and extraverts. In MBTI language, introversion vs. extraversion has to do with where you get your energy. Here’s what extraversion and introversion A...
Nov 01, 2023•26 min•Ep. 295
Today, I’m diving into 14 reasons why people fail to prepare themselves for a successful attempt at a promotion. For the purposes of this episode, I’m talking specifically about internal promotions – although many, if not all, of these strategies will apply if you are seeking a higher position with a new company. 1. Signing on with a company that can’t offer you a promotion. This is an upfront mistake I saw frequently during my time in higher education – people would ask in the interview about t...
Oct 25, 2023•27 min•Ep. 294
Today, I want to talk about how to improve your time management and productivity as a key way to increase your chances for promotion. If you’re like many people, you may role your eyes at the term “time management.” If you’re structured and organized, you may think you’ve already mastered time management. If you are unstructured and disorganized, you may think it’s hopeless…a skill beyond your ability to master. Here’s a definition of time management I really like: “Time management means organiz...
Oct 18, 2023•27 min•Ep. 293
I get a lot of questions about using recruiters in my clients’ job search, so I wanted to dive into this topic and my perspective on the role of recruiters in your job search. First, some definitions are in order. I am talking about a third-party recruiter rather than a person who works in the company you want to work for as a recruiter. Third-party recruiters work for a recruiting firm and find candidates for a large number of employers. In its most simple form, there are two types of third-par...
Oct 11, 2023•22 min•Ep. 292
Land Your Dream Job Accelerator (LYDJA) starts Thursday, October 6th. To learn more about and to register: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14Dy066dj7gm5chND-FfIcd-vZNeS0y4Tdbbf6Jr_oP8/edit#heading=h.9en890oi4qsu We’ve gotten very relaxed in our dress since Covid, especially those of us who have worked from home. Even many companies have relaxed their dress standards – so what does this mean for how to dress for a job interview? Many screening interviews and even subsequent interviews are stil...
Oct 04, 2023•26 min•Ep. 291
Here’s the link to learn more about Land Your Dream Job Accelerator, and to register: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14Dy066dj7gm5chND-FfIcd-vZNeS0y4Tdbbf6Jr_oP8/edit#heading=h.9en890oi4qsu We will be tackling this issue on two fronts: how to take care of yourself during a job search if you have a chronic physical or mental health condition, and when/if to divulge this information to the prospective employer. My guest for this episode is Jane Springer, who’s been on the podcast several times...
Sep 27, 2023•47 min•Ep. 290
Land Your Dream Job Accelerator starts on October 5th. To learn more and register: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14Dy066dj7gm5chND-FfIcd-vZNeS0y4Tdbbf6Jr_oP8/edit#heading=h.9en890oi4qsu Oftentimes, people who schedule a consult with me are doing so because they have been job searching with little to no success. On the scheduling form, they indicate that they need a resume re-write. One of the questions on the scheduling form has to do with the number of applications they have completed, the...
Sep 20, 2023•16 min•Ep. 289
Here’s the link for the October Land Your Dream Job Accelerator: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14Dy066dj7gm5chND-FfIcd-vZNeS0y4Tdbbf6Jr_oP8/edit#heading=h.9en890oi4qsu I want to start by talking about an internal “red flag” – this has nothing to do with the company you are applying to and everything to do with YOU. Each time you make a job move, it is so important to evaluate your current job. Think of this as a trip you are taking: What do you want to put in your suitcase and bring with yo...
Sep 13, 2023•23 min•Ep. 288
Link to learn more about, and register for: Land Your Dream Job Accelerator: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14Dy066dj7gm5chND-FfIcd-vZNeS0y4Tdbbf6Jr_oP8/edit#heading=h.9en890oi4qsu I think most people have gotten the memo that you are supposed to tailor your resume, cover letter, and any other materials to the position you are applying for. This tailoring, if done correctly, will greatly increase your chances of making it through the ATS – and compelling the human on the other end to want to...
Sep 06, 2023•17 min•Ep. 287
There’s so much in the news about Artificial Intelligence (AI) replacing jobs. In the resume writing world, there is a widespread belief that is, unfortunately, being spread by some people who have created AI-based resume writing platforms they want you to purchase. I first want to start with how I have incorporated AI into my resume writing practice. Here are a few of the ways: Job Description I am currently working with a client who has a background as a dental assistant. I used ChatGPT to com...
Aug 30, 2023•11 min•Ep. 286
Since Covid, the number of people working from home – or wanting to work from home – has multiplied exponentially. Today, I want to offer resources and strategies to help you land a WFH job. I’m not going to go into how to determine which types of WFH jobs you should apply for – I’ve covered that in other episodes. For today’s episode, I’m going to assume you know your Motivated Skills and how you want to apply those skills in a WFH job. A note here: your desire to WFH shouldn’t be the primary c...
Aug 24, 2023•24 min•Ep. 285
From time to time on this podcast, I will mention a free resource available to you via my website. Today, I thought I would go over all those resources for you. As a reminder, the URL is exclusivecareercoaching.com. To be clear: The primary free resource I offer is this podcast, with nearly 300 episodes covering the job search, interviewing, career decisions, salary negotiations, LinkedIn, career management, life coaching, career transitions, leadership, and more. If you are ever looking for a s...
Aug 16, 2023•13 min•Ep. 284
According to an article from the Wall Street Journal, nearly four million workers left the labor market in the first months of the pandemic – the lowest level of employment since 1983. Some of these workers left because their employers could not operate as they had pre-pandemic – or could not operate at all. Others left to care for children or other family members affected by Covid. Still others took advantage of attractive state and federal programs during the pandemic to walk away from work th...
Aug 09, 2023•24 min•Ep. 283
Today, I am speaking with Ahmed Wasfy, an engineering manager with such giants as Microsoft, Google, and Amazon. In addition to his day job, he provides coaching services to help managers become effective leaders through his company, the Thriving EM. Ahmed explains the purpose of a project manager, the skills and qualities needed to be an effective project manager, and how to break into the field. We also discuss the PMP – Project Management Professional – designation, and whether that credentia...
Aug 02, 2023•30 min•Ep. 282
As a reminder, if you are a mid-career high-achiever with the goal of entering the C-suite, let’s talk about my new coaching program, Highly Promotable. Here’s the link to learn more: https://exclusivecareercoaching.com/highly-promotable Today, we’re talking about how employers are using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in job interviews – and what that means for you as a job seeker. AI is being used in the interview process via Natural Language Processing (NLP), chatbots, sentiment analysis, facial...
Jul 26, 2023•14 min•Ep. 281
As a reminder, if you are a mid-career high-achiever with the goal of entering the C-suite, let’s talk about my new coaching program, Highly Promotable. Here’s the link to learn more: https://exclusivecareercoaching.com/highly-promotable Let’s start today’s topic with my definition of a career pivot: Think basketball. If you aren’t dribbling the ball, you have to keep one foot on the floor at all times. So then, a career pivot is keeping one foot in either your current industry or job function, ...
Jul 19, 2023•21 min•Ep. 280
As a reminder, if you are a mid-career high-achiever with the goal of entering the C-suite, let’s talk about my new coaching program, Highly Promotable. Here’s the link to learn more: https://exclusivecareercoaching.com/highly-promotable Today, I want to share some tools on LinkedIn that many people I speak with aren’t aware of. The Advanced Search Function If you are looking for a specific person, preferably someone with a unique name, you can probably use the search bar to find him or her. How...
Jul 12, 2023•22 min•Ep. 279
Today, we’re talking about the role that job boards should play in your job search, as well as the most used/best job sites. As I have said repeatedly on this podcast, 1) job boards should NEVER be the only strategy you are using in your job search, and 2) the amount of time you should spend on job boards depends on the of the position you are seeking. As a reminder: -Just out of college: 25% active, 75% job boards and other passive activities -Mid-career: 50%/50% -Senior/executive level: No mor...
Jul 05, 2023•Ep. 278
Hey – I’m taking the next two weeks off for a summer vacation. I’ll be back as usual on July 5th. If you listened last week, you know that I’ve implemented a DIY vs. DFY segment at the end of each podcast. Be sure to stick around! Today, I want to talk about behavioral interview questions. Specifically, where do they come from? How can you know what you’re going to be asked so you can prepare appropriate CARL stories? The answer to these questions begins with the job description – if the recruit...
Jun 14, 2023•14 min•Ep. 277
There is a change to my podcast starting with this episode. I will begin offering a segment at the end of episodes called “DIY vs. DFY” – Do iI Yourself vs. Done For You. This segment will tie into the podcast episode whenever possible and offer 1) a top tip or resource for those of you who want to tackle that episode’s subject on your own, and 2) a service or program for those of you who would like help. So stay tuned to the end! This week, I wanted to give you a peek inside my coaching practic...
Jun 07, 2023•26 min•Ep. 276
Link to schedule an introductory call for Highly Promotable: https://calendly.com/lesaedwards/highly-promotable-introductory-call With so many people job searching right now, I wanted to do a deep dive on a particular aspect of the job search. But first, let me set the stage. When it comes to networking, many of you engage in what I call “The Tommy Gun Approach” – spray everyone you can think of with the information about what you are looking for, followed by “If you think of anything, let me kn...
May 31, 2023•28 min•Ep. 275
Today, we’re talking about researching an employer who has sought you out for an interview. However, it is important to research employers BEFORE you apply for a job. Here’s the alternative scenario: You see a job posted online and it looks perfect for you. You’ve never heard of the company, but you apply anyway. Soon, they reach out to schedule an interview. In preparation for the interview, you begin to research the company – only to find that their business practices, lack of commitment to DE...
May 24, 2023•17 min•Ep. 274
I’m leaning heavily on an article from cnbc.com by Claire Hughes Johnson entitled “I was VP at Google for 10 years. Here’s the No. 1 skill I looked for at job interviews—very few people had it” According to research references by Claire, 95% of people think they have this quality, but only 10% to 15% actually do. What is this important, yet rare, quality? Self-awareness. Here’s a quote from the article: “Sure, your experience and skills matter, but they can be learned. And when someone is highly...
May 17, 2023•18 min•Ep. 273
I found this article from Heidi K. Gardner, Ph.D., who has discovered through more than a decade of teaching and research at Harvard’s business and law schools that people who figured out how to collaborate across teams gained a major competitive edge over those who did not. Dr. Gardner also discovered just how rare collaboration skills are. A 2021 McKinsey study found that collaboration skills are surprisingly rare, especially among men. The study found that women leaders, compared with men at ...
May 10, 2023•19 min•Ep. 272
This week, I want to talk about how to focus on the right things at work, using Stephen Covey’s Four Quadrants. At its essence, the Four Quadrants is about time management. If you’re anything like me, you’ve had it up to your eyeballs with articles, speakers, and social media posts about how to manage your time better. So, let’s not go there. Instead, let’s think about the Four Quadrants as a tool to manage our ACTIVITIES better – so we are focusing on the right things to get the results we are ...
May 03, 2023•17 min•Ep. 271
I talked in episode #268 about leading through a reduction in force – today I want to talk about the signs that your company might be about to do a RIF – and how to be prepared. Here’s the link to episode #268: http://exclusivecareercoaching.com/posts/2023-04-12-268-leading-through-a-reduction-in-force-rif Let’s talk about the preparation piece first. I’ve talked on this podcast numerous times about ARFO – Always Ready For Opportunity. If you take that approach, your resume, LinkedIn profile, qu...
Apr 26, 2023•16 min•Ep. 270
Once again, I am pulling from the book “Leading with Emotional Intelligence” by Reldan Nadler. In his book, Nadler talks about “The Perfection Loop” – the fact that success-driven people often set unrealistic goals that set them up for failure or frustration. There are three reasons for setting unrealistic goals: 1. The expectations are set without the benefit of critical thinking 2. Once the unrealistic expectations are set, they aren’t revisited for their accuracy or realism 3. The unrealistic...
Apr 19, 2023•14 min•Ep. 269
Today, we’re talking about leading through a Reduction in Force, or RIF. This episode isn’t just for people who have managerial duties, but also people who lead by influence. I want to frame this with some statistics; as of the day I am writing this episode in late March: -Meta is planning to lay off 10,000 workers this year -More than 161,000 tech layoffs occurred in 2022, with an additional 128,000+ layoffs so far in 2023 -Disney announced 7,000 layoffs in February -Amazon is cutting 18,000 jo...
Apr 12, 2023•21 min•Ep. 268
Today’s topic, Transitioning from Managing Yourself to Managing Others, relies heavily on The Leadership Pipeline by Charan et al. In this book, they go through six leadership passages, the first of which we’ll be covering in this episode. The biggest change when you become a first-time manager is a shift to begin thinking about others. This is not to say you have been a selfish narcissist prior to becoming a manager, but rather you weren’t concerned about the productivity of others, how to lead...
Apr 05, 2023•20 min•Ep. 267
