Episodes
Feb. 14, 2025
31: How to Spot the Signals That Shape Your Career Narrative
Have you ever considered how the career choices you make can send intentional and unintentional signals to others that shape your personal narrative? Based on his experience as an executive recruiter at a top firm, host Doug Lester leads you through a quick exercise that lets you step outside yours…
Feb. 5, 2025
30: How to Define Context in Your Personal Narrative
If you've ever struggled to communicate your personal narrative, there's a good chance it has something to do with context. What is the context in which you do your work and make an impact? The answer is probably more complex and nuanced than you might expect at first. Based on his work with well o…
Jan. 17, 2025
29: Why You Don't Want to Reach Out to "an Executive Search Firm"
In addition to reviewing key learnings from previous episodes on executive recruiters and executive search firms, Doug Lester helps you understand how search firms are structured. Armed with this information, you'll be better equipped to build the long-term relationships with recruiters that can he…
Jan. 3, 2025
28: Career Narratives Podcast 2025 Update
Host Doug Lester considers format updates to the podcast for 2025 and invites listener feedback and questions.
Dec. 20, 2024
27: Don't Reach Out to That Executive Recruiter Before You Listen to This
You should think twice about reaching out to an executive recruiter you don't already know and have a relationship with. Host Doug Lester explains why, based on his experience as an executive recruiter at a top search firm, reaching out to recruiters directly can potentially create self-inflicted c…
Dec. 6, 2024
26: Five Ways to Get on Executive Recruiters' Radar Screens
Have you ever been concerned that executive recruiters weren't calling you enough (or at all) or were calling about roles you weren't interested in? If so, then host Doug Lester shares five strategies for getting on the radar screens of recruiters for the right opportunities. They're based on his e…
Nov. 22, 2024
25: Three Things You Need To Know About Executive Recruiters
If you're a mid or senior-level MBA and want to advance your career, then executive recruiters are probably going to play a part in your narrative. Host Doug Lester pulls back the curtain on this opaque industry and shares what he learned as a senior associate at a top retained executive search fir…
Oct. 31, 2024
24: One Thing Could Unblock Your Career Advancement This Year
Have you made less progress advancing your career than you had wanted to this year? Or maybe no progress at all? If so, host Doug Lester shares a little social media psychology and a realization from his own life experience that could help you identify and get past your roadblock so you can move fo…
Oct. 11, 2024
23: Why You Shouldn't Drop Dates and Experience from Your LinkedIn Profile and Resume
If you're in your 40s or 50s, have you ever been advised to drop the dates from your education entries and remove a few of the earlier roles from your LinkedIn profile and resume? Trying to soft-pedal or hide your age and level of experience can actually work against you getting the aspirational se…
Sept. 27, 2024
22: Ditch the Fake Due Dates and Make Consistent Progress Toward Your Ideal Narrative
If you want to craft a compelling work-life narrative, you need to stay focused on work that yields the stories you want to be able to tell about yourself. But truly important and impactful work tends to happen over time.
So to keep yourself on track, you set arbitrary due dates for key milesto…
Sept. 13, 2024
21: Why Your Interview Stories Might Not Be Getting You the Job
If you've ever felt you nailed an interview, especially for a senior role, but you didn't get the call-back, there may be a problem with your storytelling, even if you're using the classic STAR method. Host Doug Lester has prepared thousands of MBA leaders for career-defining interviews, and he's n…
Aug. 30, 2024
20: A Simple Way to Increase Your Confidence in Networking Conversations
If you've ever felt less than confident in a career networking conversation, you're not alone. Host Doug Lester shares a tip he picked up as an executive recruiter that helped him feel more confident and be more effective when he was networking for a living. It can help you, too.
Aug. 16, 2024
19: Why You May Procrastinate Networking for Your Career and What You Can Do About It
Send Doug a message If you’re trying to get started on networking for a new job or your career, the fear of reaching out to people isn’t the only thing that might keep you from getting started. Host Doug Lester shares insight...
Aug. 2, 2024
18: How to Ensure Your Career Networking Is Worth The Time
Send Doug a message If you've ever felt that networking for a new job or your career is a lot of effort for very little benefit, then you may be doing it wrong. Doug Lester shares techniques he learned as an executive recruit...
July 19, 2024
17: Get More People to Say "Yes" to Your Networking Requests
Are fewer people saying "yes" to your networking requests than you'd like? You may be unintentionally causing the problem. Doug Lester shares a simple strategy he learned as an executive recruiter to get the people in his net...
July 5, 2024
16: Two Proven Strategies When You're Networking For a Job
Have you ever been networking for a job and found that your narrative's not working in a conversation with a critical decision maker? Or maybe things do click but you end up feeling like you cut the process short and short-ch...
June 21, 2024
15: How to Get Over Your Fear of Networking
Need to start networking to advance your career, but can't seem to do it? You're not alone. Doug Lester shares his personal experience with networking procrastination as a new executive recruiter and how he got over it. Read ...
June 7, 2024
14: Why Executive Recruiters Might Not Be Interested and What To Do About It
Not getting much love from executive recruiters? Finding that they just don't "get" your skills and experience and how good fit you'd be for the job? Host Doug Lester draws on his experience as a senior associate at a top exe...
May 24, 2024
13: Sharing Your Narrative Could Potentially Save Your Job
If you've ever thought there was a chance that your manager or skip level isn't clear on what you do and the value you bring to your company, then this episode of The Career Narratives Podcast is worth a listen. Host Doug Les...
May 3, 2024
12: You May Be Diluting Your Personal Narrative
Words and phrases you think you need in your resume and LinkedIn profile can unintentionally dilute your personal narrative. As a hiring manager, executive recruiter and coach, host Doug Lester shares the prime suspects and m...
April 18, 2024
11: A Simple Way to Increase Your Odds of Negotiating a Good Job Offer
When you're negotiating a salary and other compensation for a job, do you say (or think) that you're negotiating with a company? If you do, then you're making a critical mindset mistake that could cost you a lot. As a hiring ...
April 4, 2024
10: How to Write a LinkedIn Experience Entry That Answers 3 Key Questions
Based on his experience as an executive recruiter at a top firm, Doug Lester offers a strategic perspective focused on crafting a concise, helpful LinkedIn Experience entry. Emphasizing an intended reader's requirements, Doug...
March 21, 2024
9: How to Write a LinkedIn About Section That Supports Your Narrative
Is your LinkedIn profile actually written to connect with your reader? Do you have a LinkedIn Headline that communicates what you do, the context you do it in, and the impact of your work? If not, give Episode 8 a quick liste...
March 7, 2024
8: How to Communicate Your Narrative in Your LinkedIn Headline
If you don't define your narrative, then someone else might do it for you. Why take that chance? Doug Lester shares a simple, three-part framework he picked up as an executive recruiter that you can apply to your LinkedIn hea...