I can’t believe this is episode #300! My first podcast was published on October 25^th, 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 was the best way for me to get my brilliance out into the world.

There has been an evolution of The Exclusive Career Coach, to be sure…As the focus of my practice evolved, so did the audience I spoke to via the podcast. Earlier episodes were heavy on content for recent college graduates; there were also episodes for wanna-be entrepreneurs. I went from no guests to having about 25% of my episodes be with guests, before settling on about 10% guest episodes.

I used to “bracket” episodes with themes…spending three or four weeks in a row breaking down a larger topic like interviewing or career decision-making.

I will admit that finding new content for the podcast has become increasingly difficult. ChatGPT has been extremely helpful in guiding me towards the topics people are searching the internet for. I also rely heavily on the “zeitgeist” – what my clients are asking me about and what I’m seeing talked about on social media and in online groups I am a member of.

Now for the meat of episode #300 – My Best Career Advice. I’m going to reference specific episodes and have included the links to those episodes in the show notes. I’ve awarded winners in each of the categories of podcasts I release, Academy Award style.

Winner of My Best Advice for Career Decision-Making:

#119 – Are You Squarely in the Center of Your Passion?

This episode resonates deeply with me, as I talk about how so many people leave who they really are at home when they go to work. As a result, work is unfulfilling and mind-dulling.

https://www.exclusivecareercoaching.com/posts/2020-03-18-119-are-you-squarely-in-the-center-of-your-passion

I give three case studies of people I have worked with who were squarely in the center of their passion, and why. Two books I recommend in this episode are Tim Kelley’s “True Purpose” and Po Bronson’s “What Should I Do with My Life?”

Great episode for those of you who are questioning whether you have lost your way, career-wise…or just want reassurance that you haven’t.

Winner of Best Advice for Managing Your Career:

#219 - Ten Symptoms of Job Burnout – and What to Do About Them

http://exclusivecareercoaching.com/posts/2022-03-25-219-ten-symptoms-of-job-burnout-and-what-to-do-about-them

This episode was published on March 23^rd, 2022 as the world emerged from Covid. Although this episode wasn’t specifically about Covid-related burnout – I brought on guests to talk about that topic – it was about how to specifically recognize that what you are experiencing at work is burnout.

For each of the Ten Symptoms, I provide a question to ask yourself and what to do about that symptom. Hint: While some of the Ten Symptoms suggest that you may need to look elsewhere, only two of the Symptoms outright require moving on.

Great episode for those of you who aren’t feeling it at work, but don’t know why. Or you suspect what the problem is, but don’t know what to do about it.

Winner of Best Advice for Making a Career Transition:

I actually have three episodes for this category – all related to career pivots and career reinventions.

#121 – Career Pivots and Reinvention

https://www.exclusivecareercoaching.com/posts/2020-04-01-121-career-pivots-and-reinvention

#133 – Is Now the Perfect Time to Reinvent Your Career?

https://www.exclusivecareercoaching.com/posts/2020-06-24-133-is-now-the-perfect-time-to-reinvent-your-career

#280 – What You MUST Do in Your Job Search if You Are Pivoting Careers

http://exclusivecareercoaching.com/posts/2023-07-19-280-what-you-must-do-in-your-job-search-if-you-are-pivoting-careers

In these episodes, I define career pivots and career reinventions, give strategies for successfully navigating a career pivot or career reinvention, talk about the pros and cons of a career reinvention, and give strategies for job searching when you have decided to pivot or reinvent your career.

Great episodes for those of you who are considering a career pivot or career reinvention – or those of you who are dissatisfied with your current career path and want to explore alternatives.

Winner of Best Advice for Dress & Etiquette:

I haven’t done many episodes in this category, and some of them are with guests, which I’m leaving for a separate category.

#291 – What Should I Wear to a Job Interview?

http://exclusivecareercoaching.com/posts/2023-10-04-291-what-should-i-wear-to-a-job-interview

In this episode, I address the questions I’m getting about how to dress for job interviews in a post-Covid world. I cover WHY dress still matters, how to determine what is appropriate dress for the company culture, and the levels of business casual.

Great episode for those of you with a job interview coming up, whether in person or via technology.

Winner of Best Advice for Job Interviews:

Consistently, the episodes I publish about interviewing are among the most downloaded – clearly people are roaming podcasts to get ready for a job interview.

I began with episodes covering more general aspects of the job interview; since then, I’ve gotten more granular with the scope of what I cover.

I’ve selected three winners, all covering the behavioral interview:

#277 - Behavioral Interview Questions Don’t Come Out of Thin Air – How to Know What You’re Going to Be Asked

http://exclusivecareercoaching.com/posts/2023-06-14-277-behavioral-interview-questions-dont-come-out-of-thin-air-how-to-know-what-youre-going-to-be-asked

#262 – The Behavioral Interview: Your Five-Step Process for Delivering Job-Winning Answers

http://exclusivecareercoaching.com/posts/2023-02-22-262-the-behavioral-interview-your-5-step-process-for-delivering-job-winning-answers

#150 - Putting a Bow on Your Behavioral Interview Answers

http://exclusivecareercoaching.com/posts/2023-02-22-262-the-behavioral-interview-your-5-step-process-for-delivering-job-winning-answers

I cover what a behavioral interview question is, how to prepare for these types of questions, and how to wrap up your answers with one of two approaches that garner you what I like to think of as “bonus points.”

Great for those of you who have job interviews coming up!

Winner of Best Advice for Job Search:

This is a HUGE category! I could have gone in a lot of different directions with the winner, but I chose a foundational concept that benefits EVERYONE looking for a new job.

#258 - How to Organize Your Job Search Time to Optimize Your Results

http://exclusivecareercoaching.com/posts/2023-01-25-258-how-to-organize-your-job-search-time-to-optimize-your-results

I provide five strategies for structuring your job search time to yield the best possible results.

Great for those of you who find your job search time gets hijacked by other things – and those of you who find your job search time isn’t being used wisely.

Winner of Best Advice for Life Coaching:

To be clear, I am a Certified Executive & Leadership Development Coach, not a life coach. However, life coaching is an unregulated industry, and I am a student of life coaching.

It’s incredibly important for me to talk about your mindset when we talk about most of these other topics, but your thoughts WILL generate the results you get.

These five episodes each cover an aspect of the thought model taught by one of my early coaches, Brooke Castillo. In a nutshell:

A Circumstance is a situation in your life that can be proven in a court of law

You then have a Thought – positive, negative, or neutral – about that Circumstance

That Thought generates a Feeling for you

That Feeling generates an Action, Inaction, or Reaction, which

Leads to your Result

#38 - The Neutrality of Circumstances

https://www.exclusivecareercoaching.com/posts/2018-12-19-038-the-neutrality-of-circumstances

#39 - Your Thoughts Determine EVERYTHING

https://www.exclusivecareercoaching.com/posts/2018-12-19-039-your-thoughts-determine-everything

#40 - How Do You Want to Feel?

https://www.exclusivecareercoaching.com/posts/2018-12-19-040-how-do-you-want-to-feel/

#41 – Taking the Proper Action Steps

https://www.exclusivecareercoaching.com/posts/2018-12-19-041-taking-the-proper-action-steps

#42 - You ARE Getting Results…Are They the Results You Want?

https://www.exclusivecareercoaching.com/posts/2018-12-19-042-you-are-getting-results-they-the-results-you-want/

Great for those of you who want an easy-to-understand framework for looking at the results you are getting in your life…and why.

Winner of Best Advice for Leadership:

Several of the episodes about Leadership include guests, but here’s a great foundational one with 10 points you must know to be a successful leader.

One I think is often overlooked is #7 – ask for advice on your leadership. Many new leaders – and seasoned ones as well – are either afraid to ask or don’t think they need to. Be open to feedback from your direct reports and you’ll become an even better leader.

#223 – Leadership 101: What You MUST Know to Be a Successful Leader

http://exclusivecareercoaching.com/posts/2022-04-20-223-leadership-101-what-you-must-know-to-be-a-successful-leader

Great for those of you entering into your first leadership role, or those of you who could benefit from a refresher.

Winner of Best Advice for LinkedIn:

This is another huge category. Because technology is involved, some of my earlier podcasts on LinkedIn contact outdated information.

I chose this episode because this is a concept I teach a lot of my clients – how to leverage the people their connections are connected to.

#244 – Mining Your Connections’ Connections on LinkedIn

http://exclusivecareercoaching.com/posts/2022-09-28-244-mining-your-connections-connections-on-linkedin

Great way to expand your LinkedIn network strategically and easily.

Winner of Best Advice for Networking:

Of all the networking-related episodes I’ve put out, I’ve gotten the most feedback on this one. I think that’s because Introverts resonated with the topic – and many Extraverts did, too.

One of my goals in my practice is to help my clients become successful networkers – getting past their fears, learning how to network effectively, and how to give as much value as they get in the networking process.

#295: Help! I’m an Introvert and I Hate Networking

http://exclusivecareercoaching.com/posts/2023-11-01-295-help-im-an-introvert-and-i-hate-networking

Great for everyone who is less than excited about networking.

Winner of Best Advice for Professional Development:

I did this episode in the later days of Covid, when so many were working remotely and others had gone back into the office. I was getting a lot of questions about how to make sure your work was noticed when you didn’t have direct face time with your boss.

#221 – How to Get Noticed and Promoted While Working Remotely

http://exclusivecareercoaching.com/posts/2022-04-06-221-how-to-get-noticed-promoted-while-working-remotely

Great for those of you who still work remotely, and those of you who supervise remote workers.

Winner of Best Advice for Resume Writing:

It may surprise you that, as one of fewer than 25 Master Resume Writers in the world, I don’t love talking about resume writing.

I love WRITING resumes.

Having said that, I have put out great content covering all aspects of the resume. The episode I chose goes into some detail on how to customize your resume for each position you apply for. Everyone tells you you SHOULD do that – but I wanted to tell you exactly HOW.

#287 – How to Tailor Your Resume and Other Materials For a Specific Position

http://exclusivecareercoaching.com/posts/2023-09-06-287-how-to-tailor-your-resume-and-other-materials-for-a-specific-position

Great for those of you in a job search.

Winner of Best Advice for Salary Negotiations:

I’ve only done a handful of episodes on this topic; the episode I chose provides you some foundational teaching I do with my clients who want coaching on salary negotiations.

#149 – Salary Negotiations: 3 Important Numbers

https://www.exclusivecareercoaching.com/posts/2020-10-14-149-salary-negotiations-3-important-numbers/

Great for those of you who are in a job search.

Winner of Best Advice for Work Issues:

This category covers a lot of ground and it was difficult to pick a favorite. The one I chose is one I frequently send a link to for clients and those I consult with.

#169 – Questions to Ask Your Manager to Improve Your Relationship

https://www.exclusivecareercoaching.com/posts/2021-03-17-169-questions-to-ask-your-manager-to-improve-your-relationship/

This is another one I frequently send links to out to folks:

#171 – How to Have a Successful 1:1 With Your Boss

https://exclusivecareercoaching.com/posts/2021-03-31-171-how-to-have-a-successful-11-with-your-boss

Great for those of you who not only want to improve your working relationship with your boss, but also those of you who want to maximize the effectiveness and frequency of your 1:1 with your boss.

And finally, Winner of Best Guest:

As I tell you every time I have a guest on the podcast – I don’t often HAVE guests on the podcast. Think of this as a Venn diagram: I want a guest who overlaps the areas of expertise I have (in other words, not someone talking about something completely off-target for my audience), BUT who doesn’t completely overlap my area of expertise (I’ve already got those areas covered, thank you very much).

I want to give out two awards here; the first is for the episode I most frequently direct people to listen to:

#154 – Five Ways Mind Drama Can Creep Into Your Job Search

https://www.exclusivecareercoaching.com/posts/2020-11-18-154-5-ways-mind-drama-can-creep-into-your-job-search-with-jane-springer

Jane Springer was my guest on the episode – BTW, she earns a side award for being my most frequent guest. Mind drama is a HUGE issue in the job search…and completely avoidable. In this episode, we talk about the 5 ways mind drama can show up when you’re looking for a job – and what to do about each.

My second award goes to the person who most affected me personally; this episode rocked my work in more ways than one.

#247 – Are You Ready for a Career Break?

http://exclusivecareercoaching.com/posts/2022-10-19-247-are-you-ready-for-a-career-break-with-katrina-mcghee

Katrina McGhee talks about her own experience with taking an extended, planful career break – and how you can do the same. P.S. – She recently published her book: Career Break For Dummies” – check it out!

Great for those of you who have a life goal you’d like to achieve that requires a concentrated amount of time away from work – and those of you who have a deep need for rest and regeneration.

So, happy 300^th episode! To those of you who listen faithfully each week, I so appreciate your dedication to enhancing your career – and that you trust me for that help. For those of you who pop in and out based on the topic each week – I greatly appreciate you too! You know what you need, and you trust me to give it to you. I’m here for all!

Here's also to another who-knows-how-many episodes. As long as I continue to love delivering them to you and you are listening – and the world hasn’t moved on from podcasts to some other platform – I’ll be here.

If you are a high-achieving professional with the goal of landing in the C-suite, the Highly Promotable coaching program may be just the ticket! This 1:1 program is targeted to strategically leverage one of your strengths to become a signature strength — and move the needle on one of your developmental areas so it becomes a strength.

This is a four-figure investment in your professional future! If this sounds like just what you need, schedule a complimentary introductory call to determine if you are a fit for Highly Promotable:

https://calendly.com/lesaedwards/highly-promotable-introductory-call

#27: How do you do more with less?