Tips for Work and Life with Andrew LaCivita

I hate that I even have to write this. But fake recruiters and fake job postings are everywhere right now. And job seekers are being targeted hard. That's not because you're careless. It's because scammers go after people who are motivated, hopeful, and actively searching. That's you. What makes this worse is how convincing these scams have become. In fact, a couple months ago, one of my clients showed me a recruiter message that fooled me! The company looked real. The LinkedIn profile looked legit. The email sounded professional. It wasn't. That's why this week's lesson is about how to protect yourself. Not with fear. With awareness. In today's video, I walk you through 10 clear warning signs that help you quickly answer one critical question: Is this real…or is it just a scam? You'll learn: What to check first when a recruiter emails or messages you. How fake job postings give themselves away. Why Gmail addresses, rushed language, and vague roles should always make you pause. What legitimate recruiters never ask you for. How to verify a job or recruiter in minutes, not hours. This isn't about becoming paranoid. It's about becoming informed. If you're job searching right now, please don't skip this one. Even smart, experienced professionals are getting caught off guard. And if this helps you, pass it along to someone else who's searching. A simple heads up can save them a lot of stress. Listen to STOP Falling for Fake Jobs and Recruiter Scams now! If you'd like to build a great career and lead a rewarding life, check out some of these other places where I share my teachings: 1. Check out the milewalk Academy, my coaching and training site, for freemiums and premiums. 2. I have hundreds of educational and inspirational videos on my YouTube Channel. 3. Grab any of my four books related to career development, interviewing, hiring, and goal setting. All can be found on my Amazon Author Page. 4. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter (X), TikTok, Threads, and Facebook. 5. Stay in touch with me in your email inbox by joining my newsletter here! --Andy

Few interview questions create more damage with fewer words. Not because it's hard. But because people answer it at the worst possible time, with the least possible leverage. Most candidates think this question is about money. It isn't. It's about timing, power, and whether you understand how hiring decisions actually get made. Say a number too early and you either leave money on the table you'll never get back or price yourself out before anyone truly understands your value. And here's the part nobody teaches. There isn't one "right" answer to this question. There's a sequence. A progression of responses that protects your leverage, keeps the process moving, and positions you to negotiate when your stock is highest, not lowest. In this week's lesson, I break down: Why giving a number early almost always works against you. What recruiters are really trying to confirm when they ask. And the exact recruiter-proof responses I use to control this conversation without sounding evasive or combative. If you've ever felt pressure to answer this question quickly, or worried that one wrong sentence could cost you thousands, this lesson will change how you approach salary conversations forever. If you'd like to build a great career and lead a rewarding life, check out some of these other places where I share my teachings: 1. Check out the milewalk Academy, my coaching and training site, for freemiums and premiums. 2. I have hundreds of educational and inspirational videos on my YouTube Channel. 3. Grab any of my four books related to career development, interviewing, hiring, and goal setting. All can be found on my Amazon Author Page. 4. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter (X), TikTok, Threads, and Facebook. 5. Stay in touch with me in your email inbox by joining my newsletter here! --Andy

Does it feel like you're not growing in your career? Perhaps not learning much? Or building new skills? Or not sure which skills to even build? Maybe you're noticing other people passing you by. You're thinking, Why does she get the promotion? I'm just as good. If any of those questions are tugging at you, you're in luck, because I've got a lesson today wrapped in a little story with a big punch that'll shed some light on the answers. But first, one more question. Do you think pulling together and delivering a status report is boring? If you answered yes, drop what you're doing and give me four minutes. Because you won't believe what I think of them, and how the secret to knowing which skills to build is sitting right under your nose every single week when you prepare this "simple" deliverable, or any of your deliverables! Listen to This is How You Determine Which Skills to Build! If you'd like to build a great career and lead a rewarding life, check out some of these other places where I share my teachings: 1. Check out the milewalk Academy, my coaching and training site, for freemiums and premiums. 2. I have hundreds of educational and inspirational videos on my YouTube Channel. 3. Grab any of my four books related to career development, interviewing, hiring, and goal setting. All can be found on my Amazon Author Page. 4. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter (X), TikTok, Threads, and Facebook. 5. Stay in touch with me in your email inbox by joining my newsletter here! --Andy

If you're rehearsing your stories five minutes before an interview, you're cooked. I'm not saying that to be dramatic. I'm saying it because it's true. Right before an interview is not the time to cram, memorize examples, or mentally sprint through your résumé. This will just get you tense, not to mention self-focused (🤔, hmmm, what's he mean here?). Interviewers can feel your tension. It becomes palpable. The best performers do something different before any conversation. They run through a pre-interview ritual that puts them in the right state of mind. Not a routine. That's too mechanical and mindless. A ritual. That's a performance enhancer. It's something intentional that interrupts fear, quiets the noise, and shifts their focus away from themselves and onto the people they're about to meet. Thanks to a great question from Shantel, that's what I'm teaching in this week's lesson. You'll learn why interviews are won or lost before the first question is asked, how to reframe every interview as a guaranteed win regardless of the outcome, and the simple mental ritual that helps you show up relaxed, confident, and ready to deliver value. Interviews don't reward the most prepared candidate. They reward the candidate who shows up in the strongest state. Listen to The Pre-Interview Ritual That Helps You Perform at Your Best! If you'd like to build a great career and lead a rewarding life, check out some of these other places where I share my teachings: 1. Check out the milewalk Academy, my coaching and training site, for freemiums and premiums. 2. I have hundreds of educational and inspirational videos on my YouTube Channel. 3. Grab any of my four books related to career development, interviewing, hiring, and goal setting. All can be found on my Amazon Author Page. 4. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter (X), TikTok, Threads, and Facebook. 5. Stay in touch with me in your email inbox by joining my newsletter here! --Andy

January is a crucial month for job seekers, as companies ramp up hiring due to new budgets and unexpected employee departures. With reduced competition, it's an opportune time for proactive outreach to recruiters. Networking events and holiday gatherings can lead to hidden job opportunities, while updating your resume and LinkedIn is essential for visibility. Andrew shares a daily challenge to connect with targets and re-establish relationships. Focus on smaller companies for less competition and take daily actions to enhance your networking efforts.

Ever felt like your hard work isn't paying off? Discover why effort alone isn't enough to achieve your goals. Hear an inspiring story about training for an Ironman despite having no swimming skills. Learn the importance of structured coaching and how a solid system can accelerate your progress. Andrew emphasizes living your goals daily rather than just chasing the finish line. This enlightening discussion reveals key strategies for breaking free from stagnation and achieving success in your career and life.

Discover how to future-proof your career by focusing on timeless human needs instead of chasing fleeting trends. Understand how demand for quality and speed drives job opportunities. Learn to spot resilient industries for 2026 and beyond. Explore the importance of adaptability in a shifting job market and how to identify connections across sectors. Finally, realize that while technology aids processes, strong communication skills remain irreplaceable. This insightful guidance helps you take control of your career direction.

Job searching can be brutal. It tests your patience, your confidence, and your resolve. But if you shift your focus from results to wisdom, everything changes. That's what I'm teaching in this week's lesson, how to use your job search to make you a better professional. In the podcast, I share a personal story about recently finishing my new book. It's now off and running with the publisher, moving through the production process. The moment I hit send, I sat in my favorite Pottery Barn Wells swivel chair and thought for 20 minutes about nothing but the "agony" I'm going to endure over the next 12 months. Kidding aside, I genuinely did this. I didn't think about how many copies I might sell or what it'd take to make a bestseller list. I focused on something more important, the skills I need to strengthen over the next year as I market and launch this new book. You might think that because this is my fifth time around, I'd have mastered it by now. But if you assumed that, you'd be completely wrong. Yes, I've done a lot right and built some great skills when it comes to marketing a book. But many efforts have fallen short of my hopes. Some were dead ends. Others just confused the heck out of me. Which means only one thing, I need to try new things, keep learning, and keep building. Does this sound like your job search? The things you think will work don't. The things you don't expect to work do. It's effort, surprises, ups, and downs. That's just life in a nutshell. And what I'm about to say might sound like common sense. But I'm guessing it'll only sound like common sense after I actually say it. If you're going to go through a job search, why not gain the benefits of the experience? If we agree those benefits come in the form of new experiences and better skills, then it's time to ask yourself... 👉 What skills do you want to build throughout your job search? If you'd like to build a great career and lead a rewarding life, check out some of these other places where I share my teachings: 1. Check out the milewalk Academy, my coaching and training site, for freemiums and premiums. 2. I have hundreds of educational and inspirational videos on my YouTube Channel. 3. Grab any of my four books related to career development, interviewing, hiring, and goal setting. All can be found on my Amazon Author Page. 4. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter (X), TikTok, Threads, and Facebook. 5. Stay in touch with me in your email inbox by joining my newsletter here! --Andy

Most job seekers approach interviews all wrong by memorizing answers. Instead, it’s crucial to sell the transformation you can bring to the employer. Understanding the anatomy of an interview, including crafting a 'power story,' can set you apart. Learn to handle probing follow-up questions and strategically highlight your skills. By emphasizing repeatable steps and closing with impressive results, you can leave a lasting impression. This approach shifts the focus from mere storytelling to demonstrating real value.

In this insightful discussion, candidates learn to present their value through storytelling rather than listing skills. The focus is on understanding employers' goals and the transformation they seek. List the obstacles preventing success and demonstrate how you can solve them with impactful case studies. A powerful one-slide summary ties everything together, showcasing your approach and the results achieved. Prepare to impress by framing your presentation around outcomes that resonate with hiring teams!