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.
304: The Most Important Leadership Qualities - and Derailers to Avoid
Today’s topic is the most important leadership qualities employers are looking for - and derailers to avoid. I’ve divided the list into leadership skills for leading an organization, leadership skills for leading teams, and leadership skills for leading yourself. I’ve also identified the #1 derailer, which can be a result of a lack of any of the leadership skills I’ve identified.
303: Frustrations Facing Job Candidates - How to Overcome
Today, we’re talking about the obstacles you may face if you are planning to job search this year. I’ve teased out six things you’ll want to take into consideration as you look for your next great role.
302: Job Market Prognosis for 2024
There is a lot of confusion about the current job market – perhaps the most I’ve ever heard of outside of the 2008 recession. I wanted to bring you some facts today – as well as a translation of those facts into action steps you can take to increase your chances of success.
Here are five economic trends that will shape the job market for 2024:
301: Planning to Job Search This Year? Here’s What You Need to Know
If you are planning to job search this year, there are some important things to know, especially if you haven’t been in the job market for a while. I want to focus on 5 things I think are important for you to understand about the current job market and hiring process.
300: 300 Episodes - Academy Awards for My Best Advice
I can’t believe this is episode #300! In honor, I am offering My Best Career Advice, Academy Award style, in each category I cover.
299: People Pleasing in the Workplace: Self-Preservation or Lack of Self-Worth? (with Amy Green Smith)
As those of you who listen to the podcast regularly know, I seldom have guests on the podcast – and only when they are fantastic and will add value to you listeners. Today’s guest, Amy Green Smith, is a perfect example of this. We’re talking about People Pleasing – something many of you are very familiar with. Amy tells us when it is okay to people-please in the workplace – and how to know if you’re doing it for the right reasons. She gives several scenarios to help us understand people pleasing, when it’s right, and when it isn’t.
298: Five Unusual Things to Be Thankful For – 2023 Edition
If you’ve been a faithful listener of the podcast for some time, you’ll know that I do a special episode each year during Thanksgiving week.
It started out as five unusual things to be thankful for that weren’t specific to me. Somewhere along the way, they became MY five things. The hope has always been that you will look at the circumstances of your life through a different lens after listening to my list.
297: Do's and Don'ts of Interview Etiquette
Today, we’re covering interview etiquette — what to do, and what not to do. I’ve talked about several of these points on previous episodes, so I’m including links to those here.
296: The Importance of Body Language in Job Interviews
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 trained interviewer will believe your body language. The caveat here: Be yourself. Here then, are 11 tips for conveying appropriate body language during a job interview.
295: Help! I'm an Introvert and I Hate Networking!
When it comes to networking, it’s not about introverts being socially awkward. It’s about the drain on their energy. It’s about having to initiate a conversation (they generally DON’T want to do this). It’s about small talk, which seems pointless to them. I’d like to offer the flip side of networking for introverts, followed by 13 tips for you introverts to…if not love networking, at least not hate it so much. Maybe even enjoy it a little.
294: Common Mistakes to Avoid When Seeking a Promotion
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.
293: How to Improve Your Time Management and Productivity
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 are my top 12 strategies to improve your time management. In each instance, I’m giving you some of my tips as to how I implement that strategy.
292: Pros and Cons of Using a Third-Party Recruiter
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. Now, let’s dive into the vocabulary you should be aware of regarding recruiters, as well as the pros and cons, in my opinion, of choosing to navigate your job search this way.
291: What Should I Wear to a Job Interview?
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?
290: Job Searching with a Chronic Physical or Mental Health Condition (with Jane Springer)
Job searching with a chronic physical or mental health condition can be tricky to navigate. 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 before. Jane is a life coach specializing in health and wellness for women ages 50+. We talk about what a chronic physical or mental health condition is, how to manage your condition during the stress of a job search, and how to make sure you find a job that can accommodate your specific health needs.
289: What to Do if You Aren't Getting Any Job Offers
Oftentimes, people who schedule a consult with me are doing so because they have been job searching with little to no success. One of the questions on the scheduling form has to do with the number of applications they have completed, the number of interviews with different companies they’ve had, and the number of job offers they’ve received. I ask for this information because it helps me begin to narrow down where their problem might be. Let’s look at each step of this process, and what to do if your problem is in that step.
288: Identifying Potential Red Flags When Looking for a Job
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 for your motivated skills you'd like to seek in your next job, while also being aware of your burnout skills you'd like to avoid. When you don’t do this work, you risk jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire…or, at best, not progressing in your career towards your ideal job. Now let’s talk about the possible red flags an employer could be waving right in front of your face.
287: How to Tailor Your Resume and Other Materials for a Specific Position
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 interview you. I DON’T think most people know what tailoring actually means, so let’s dig into this today.
286: Should You Use AI to Create Your Resume?
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, then we will delve into ways you can DIY and outline when you should turn to a professional to write your resume.
285: Want to Work from Home? Resources and Strategies
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. A note here: your desire to WFH shouldn’t be the primary consideration as to which jobs you pursue. You still have to enjoy the work and exercise your Zones of Genius. Let’s get into it!
Let’s work together