Podcast
Looking for a new job or want to move up in your company? Lesa teaches you the tools and strategies you need to land your dream job, increase your promotability, and successfully navigate your career.
125: Making it Through a Job Search Unscathed
…okay, maybe I overstated a bit in the heading. Disappointment, rejection, and frustration are part of the deal when it comes to job searching. Here’s what is optional during a job search: Beating. Yourself. Up. Today, we’re talking about taking that rejection notice…that non-response…mean something about you as a human being. As an employee. As a valuable contributor to the world.
126: Laid off 5 Times By Age 30 (Interview with Lorraine Rise)
Today’s guest is Lorraine Rise, and she’s speaking with me about being “Laid off Three Times by Age 30.” In this time when so many have lost their jobs due to COVID, Lorraine’s topic is both timely and inspirational.
127: Managing an Uncertain Future
Here’s the first thing I want to say about the uncertainty of our future in the face of COVID19: The future has ALWAYS been uncertain. Today we’ll talk about my best strategies for navigating an uncertain future (which, remember, is always).
128: Launching Your Creative Career (Interview with Chris Lyons)
My guest today is Chris Lyons of Creative Career Starter. Applying for a creative job is different from filling out an application and uploading your GPA and resume. Today, we talk with Chris to see how he does it and how he can help you.
129: Is Your Resume Job Search Ready?
The Coronavirus, or as I call it, Virus Jail, means many of you will need to update your resume. Clearly, I have a bias for hiring a credentialed resume writer. Not all are created equal, so if all you can afford to spend is a few hundred dollars, you’re better off doing it yourself. Here are five top tips to make sure your resume is job search ready.
130: What Job Seekers Need to Know About Executive Recruiters (Interview with George McGehrin)
Here are the topics George and I discuss during this episode: the difference between retained search firms and contingency search firms (this is an important distinction and one of the first questions you should ask a recruiter who reaches out to you), myths about executive recruiting, how the role of the executive recruiter has changed in the face of COVID, the proper role of recruiters in your job search, & ways to cultivate long-term relationships with recruiters as a career management strategy
131: Persistence Strategies for your COVID Job Search
I’m working with a lot of clients right now who were laid off as a result of COVID. Many others were already job searching when COVID hit. For many of these clients and, I suspect, many of you – you are fighting feelings of despair and frustration as you look for a job right now. What I want to offer you today are some persistence strategies to keep you going in the midst of the most challenging job search environment in, maybe, ever.
132: How to Answer Interview Questions Related to COVID and Quarantine
Today we’re discussing those of you who will be interviewing for jobs, where questions about why you were let go during COVID, or how you spent your time during COVID, might well be asked.
133: Is Now the Perfect Time to Reinvent Your Career?
Today we’re focusing on the idea of career reinvention. We’ll discuss the pros and cons and then which steps may be helpful in this process once you make the decision that this is the right move for you.
134: Returning to the Office - Challenges and Strategies
Those of you who were fortunate to keep your jobs during quarantine may have already returned to work or will be returning soon. You may feel a lot of uncertainty around that, like who still works there? How have my co-workers been affected by quarantine? How will the company be different? I’m certainly no expert on the health aspects of the workplace, so I want to focus on some best practices you can personally adopt as you return to work. Here are the 5 top qualities you have the opportunity to demonstrate, or develop, as you return to work.
135: Managing Your Boss's Expectations About Your Job Duties
Many employees would assume that their boss knows exactly what they are already doing, minute by minute. They figure if the boss gave them this responsibility, they should be able to manage it in addition to what they are already doing – otherwise, why would the boss have assigned it? WRONG. Of course, your boss has at least a general idea of what you’re doing, but it is a mistake to assume she knows how full your plate is. Today we’ll be talking about the factors you need to consider when the boss puts a new responsibility on your plate.
136: What are you Lacking as a Job Candidate?
Lee Hecht Harrison surveyed 277 human resource managers to find out what was missing from the job candidates they receive application materials from. Today, we’ll cover their responses and what this means for you as a job applicant.
137: Five Quick Ways to Get Branded as Unprofessional
Today, we’ll cover my top five ways to quickly become branded as “unprofessional.” I’ve described them as you might talk about someone who is unprofessional and given you some of my real-world experiences with unprofessional behavior.
138: Skills and Values Employers are Looking For
I came across an article on LiveCareer entitled “14 Skills and Values Employers Seek in Jobseekers,” and I wanted to share it with you. Today we’ll walk through these 14 skills and talk a bit about each.
139: How to Have Difficult Conversations at Work
Today, we’ll talk about how you can have difficult work conversations in a way that doesn’t leave one or both parties feeling like you’ve been run over and left for road kill. The purpose of this exercise is to move the relationship forward, not to convince the other person that you’re right and they are wrong. There is no upside to having a winner and a loser. Be willing to be wrong…or at least not right.
140: Transferable Skills (Interview with Jeanne Bohen)
Today’s guest is Jeanne Bohen, and we’re discussing transferable skills. Especially in today’s job search climate, being able to pivot by identifying and capitalizing on your transferable skills has never been more important. We discuss what transferable skills are, why they are so important, and a process you can go through to identify your transferable skills. We also talk about the importance of proactively developing transferable skills as part of your career development plan.
141: ARFO in the Time of COVID
A few years back I coined the term “ARFO” – Always Ready for Opportunity. It is the idea that you should always be prepared to have conversations about job opportunities…and that there are certain steps you want to take to be prepared for those conversations. Today we’ll talk about the importance of ARFO in the time of COVID.
142: Using LinkedIn in a Discreet Job Search
Sometimes, you are free to shout your professional availability from the roof top. Other times, your job search needs to be covert, because you don’t want your current employer finding out what you’re up to. Here are five tips for utilizing LinkedIn for a discreet job search.
143: How to Handle Tough Career Conversations (Interview with AmyK Hutchens)
Today’s guest is AmyK Hutchens, and we’re talking about “How to Handle Tough Career Conversation.” AmyK covers how to handle three particularly challenging career conversations: the job interview, dealing with a difficult co-worker, & asking for a raise. AmyK also provides you with her three top tips for handling any tough career conversation you may face.
144: How to Prepare for Your First Meeting with Your New Boss
Today we’ll be talking about the questions that can be useful during a first meeting with a boss. This is your chance to determine what your boss’s expectations of you are, what criteria he will use to measure your success, and what is most important to your boss. This is also the perfect time to clarify job responsibilities, as well as things like work hours, dress code, and expense reporting. For the boss, this is an opportunity to understand how to motivate and communicate with the new hire.
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