Best Lesa Edwards Podcasts (2024)

1
317: Addressing Gaps in Employment in Resumes, LinkedIn, Job Interviews 13:50

1d ago13:50

13:50

Gaps in employment. I want to start with the big picture, then drill down to some specifics. If it was several years ago, or more recently for only a few months, it probably isn’t the problem you think it is. You can eliminate or minimize the appearance of an employment gap on your resume and LinkedIn, but you can’t do this on an application. You C…

1
316: How to Transition Smoothly into a New Job 13:22

2d ago13:22

13:22

SO…you’ve landed a new position at a new company. How can you make your transition as smooth as possible? Here are 15 strategies: Exit Gracefully You don’t want your reputation to be tarnished in the final weeks with your old employer. Finish up any projects you need to, create whatever you need to help your successor in the role, say your goodbyes…

1
315: Your Resume: What Belongs and What Should Go 18:00

9d ago18:00

18:00

I want to talk with you today about what SHOULD and SHOULDN’T be on your resume in 2024. Like many of the topics I bring to the podcast, this one comes from resumes I’ve seen lately with very old-school information. What Should Be Included -Branding statement & Summary (which I covered in episode #314 last week). -Professional Experience section, w…

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314: The Resume Summary: What it is and how to write it 28:13

19d ago28:13

28:13

I want to talk with you today about how to approach your resume summary. I will also be talking a lot about personal branding in this section. If you are new to this concept, the resume summary goes “above the fold” on page 1 of your resume – after your name and contact information, before your Experience section. Here’s what DOESN’T go in this spa…

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313: What's Going on With Those Companies That Offer "Free" Resume Reviews? 25:23

29d ago25:23

25:23

Over the years, a number of people have reached out to me with concerns about their resume – in some cases, resumes I wrote for them. They went to a website that offered a free resume critique and got back harsh criticism that worried them. Here’s what’s going on: Larger, so-called “resume mills” have software they run your resume through. That sof…

1
312: How to Become a Thought Leader on LinkedIn 17:16

1M ago17:16

17:16

Today’s topic is how to become a thought leader on LinkedIn. This is something I work with many of my mid- and upper-level clients on and I wanted to share some of that work with you in this episode. Let’s start with the obvious: If you want to become a thought leader on LinkedIn, you need a complete, professional, and optimized profile. If this is…

1
311: How to Manage Your Former Peers 12:55

1M ago12:55

12:55

Here’s the scenario: You’ve been promoted in your current unit. You are now managing people who used to be your peers – at least one of whom may have also applied for the promotion. How do you transition from a colleague to a manager? This can happen as you move from an individual contributor to a first-time manager, or from a manager to a director…

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310: The Difference Between Job Duties and Achievements on Your Resume 24:01

2M ago24:01

24:01

I want to start by being clear: This is a topic I’ve covered before. I’m covering it again because, based on the resumes that come to me for consults, ya’ll haven’t gotten the message yet. In addition to touching on this topic in several episodes, I specifically covered job duties and achievements in episode #174. I’m going to expand on the content…

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309: Set Yourself up for Success in a New Role - at Any Experience Level 25:16

2M ago25:16

25:16

As most of you know, the first 90 days in a new job are critical for your long-term success – not only in that role, but for your future with the organization. Today, I want to give you key steps you can take in those first 90 days to set yourself up for success. Let’s start with an Individual Contributor role. A primary focus from week 1 should be…

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308: What is a "Dry Promotion" - and Should You Accept it? 10:06

2M ago10:06

10:06

First, a confession: When I started seeing articles and comments about “dry promotions,” I didn’t know what that was. In case some of you are in that same boat, here’s a definition: “A promotion without a salary increase.” As American businesses seek innovative ways to cut costs in a tightening economy, employers may be enticed to promote employees…

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307: Developing Your Elevator Pitch 13:33

2M ago13:33

13:33

Today, we’re talking about how to develop your elevator pitch. This is your 15-to-30 second “commercial” about yourself, which you will need for use in a variety of settings, including: -Introducing yourself at a networking meeting -Selling yourself to a potential employer -Selling yourself, your company, or your product/service to a potential cust…

1
306: Improving Written Communication Skills to Enhance Promotability 25:39

3M ago25:39

25:39

Last week, I focused on Verbal Communication Skills to Enhance Promotability; today I’m covering Written Communication Skills. Once again, I want to start with an assessment – these are great questions to ask yourself. From there, I recommend you pick the area that you felt the least confident about and set a 90-day goal for improvement. 1. How wel…

1
305: Improving Verbal Communication Skills to Enhance Promotability 33:31

3M ago33:31

33:31

Today, I want to give you strategies to improve your verbal communication skills – specifically, with an eye to enhancing your promotability. Next week’s episode will piggyback on this one with ways to improve your written communications skills – also with an eye to enhancing your promotability. In episode #113, I covered active listening at work; …

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No. 50. Mary Crafts, Culinary Crafts, Humanitarian 42:13

3M ago42:13

42:13

Mary Crafts is the founder of Culinary Crafts a successful catering business. There is a lot to Mary Crafts. She shares her journey through sorrow, struggle, and sacrifice to how she became the woman she is today, focused on helping others heal. https://marycraftsinc.com/ The People and Their Work Podcast was created by Douglas S. Gardner Professor…

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304: The Most Important Leadership Qualities - and Derailers to Avoid 24:48

3M ago24:48

24:48

Today’s topic is the most important leadership qualities employers are looking for – and derailers to avoid. As you can imagine, every source I reviewed for this episode had a slightly different list and number of qualities, so I’ve attempted to synthesize a few sources into my list of leadership qualities for leading an organization, leading other…

1
303: Frustrations Facing Job Candidates - How to Overcome 24:33

3M ago24:33

24:33

Greetings, Career-Minded Superstars! Welcome to The Exclusive Career Coach podcast. I’m Lesa Edwards, Certified Executive and Leadership Development Coach, Certified Job Search Strategist, and Master Resume Writer. If you would like to learn more about my practice, check out my website at exclusivecareercoaching.com. While you’re there, be sure to …

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302: Job Market Prognosis for 2024 31:15

4M ago31:15

31:15

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’s a quote from Nick Bunker, Indeed Hiring Lab Director of Economic Res…

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301: Planning to Job Search This Year? Here's What You Need to Know 20:36

4M ago20:36

20:36

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. Of course, the job market can vary widely depending on your field and industry; …

1
300: 300 Episodes - Academy Awards for My Best Advice 25:55

5M ago25:55

25:55

I can’t believe this is episode #300! My first podcast was published on October 25th, 2017. Shortly after that, I put out four additional episodes utilizing some material I had already created. I had no idea where I was going to go with the podcast after those initial episodes – I only knew that I really, really wanted to podcast and believed it wa…

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299: People Pleasing in the Workplace: Self-Preservation or Lack of Self-Worth? (with Amy Green Smith) 40:09

5M ago40:09

40:09

As a reminder, I’ll be offering Land Your Dream Job Accelerator again in January. Here’s the link for more information and to register: https://bit.ly/lydja 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 Sm…

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298: Five Unusual Things to Be Thankful For - 2023 Edition 19:35

5M ago19:35

19:35

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 yo…

1
297: Do's and Don'ts of Interview Etiquette 30:58

5M ago30:58

30:58

Here’s the link to January’s Land Your Dream Job Accelerator, which starts on January 11th: https://bit.ly/lydja Typically, my episodes around interviewing are the most downloaded. I’ve done more than 25 episodes on interviewing; if you want to see all of them in one place, check out my website at https://exclusivecareercoaching.com and click on th…

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296: The Importance of Body Language in Job Interviews 19:34

6M ago19:34

19:34

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 …

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295: Help! I'm an Introvert and I Hate Networking! 25:55

6M ago25:55

25:55

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 …

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294: Common Mistakes to Avoid When Seeking a Promotion 27:04

6M ago27:04

27:04

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 c…

1
293: How to Improve Your Time Management and Productivity 27:05

6M ago27:05

27:05

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, y…

1
292: Pros and Cons of Using a Third-Party Recruiter 22:07

7M ago22:07

22:07

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-part…

1
291: What Should I Wear to a Job Interview? 26:00

7M ago26:00

26:00

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 …

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290: Job Searching with a Chronic Physical or Mental Health Condition (with Jane Springer) 46:40

7M ago46:40

46:40

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, an…

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289: What to Do if You Aren't Getting Any Job Offers 16:12

7M ago16:12

16:12

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 ind…

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288: Identifying Potential Red Flags When Looking for a Job 22:44

8M ago22:44

22:44

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 mov…

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287: How to Tailor Your Resume and Other Materials for a Specific Position 16:48

8M ago16:48

16:48

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. Thi…

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286: Should You Use AI to Create Your Resume? 10:41

8M ago10:41

10:41

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 practi…

1
285: Want to Work from Home? Resources and Strategies 24:15

8M ago24:15

24:15

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…

1
284: Free Resources on exclusivecareercoaching.com 13:08

8M ago13:08

13:08

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…

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283: What is Happening in the Job Market - and What it Means for Job Seekers 24:28

9M ago24:28

24:28

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 othe…

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282: Project Management 101: What it is, what skills it requires, and how to become one (with Ahmed Wasfy) 29:55

9M ago29:55

29:55

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…

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281: How Employers Are Using AI in Job Interviews and How to Prepare for an AI Interview 13:54

9M ago13:54

13:54

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 tha…

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280: What You MUST Do in Your Job Search if You Are Pivoting Careers 21:17

9M ago21:17

21:17

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 ba…

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279: Five Cool Tools on LinkedIn You Probably Don't Know About 21:50

10M ago21:50

21:50

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…

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278: What Role Should Job Boards Play in Your Job Search - and Which Sites are Best?

10M ago

—

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 seek…

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277: Behavioral Interview Questions Don't Come Out of Thin Air - How to Know What You're Going to Be Asked 14:03

11M ago14:03

14:03

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 wha…

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276: A Look Inside My Coaching Practice 25:50

11M ago25:50

25:50

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) …

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275: How to Develop a List of Target Employers 27:32

11M ago27:32

27:32

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…

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274: How to Research an Employer Before a Job Interview 16:45

11M ago16:45

16:45

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…

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273: Here's a Key Quality Employers Interview For 18:12

12M ago18:12

18:12

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, q…

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272: According to a Harvard Expert, This is the #1 Most Desirable Trait Employers Look For 18:46

12M ago18:46

18:46

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…

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271: How to Focus on the Right Things at Work 16:39

12M ago16:39

16:39

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. Inste…

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270: The Signs Your Company is Likely to Do a Reduction in Force (RIF) - and How to Be Prepared 15:57

1y ago15:57

15:57

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 fir…

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269: The Perfection Loop & How to Counter It 14:21

1y ago14:21

14:21

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…

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