Career Composer

Special guest and human resources professional Abby Weaver shares her experience navigating not 1, but 2 (!!!) layoffs in her early twenties! What DON'T we cover in today's episode?

• Should you search for jobs when you're anticipating a layoff?
• What can you expect from a severance package? What is severance?
• How to address a gap on your resume due to a layoff
• The difference between getting laid off vs. getting fired
• How to navigate changing work friendships when you no longer work for the same company
• Navigating low self-esteem and confidence after a layoff, plus how to deal with anxiety when you're anticipating a layoff
• What to do with your time when you don't have a job!
• Applying for full-time vs. part-time roles and the different types of employment
• Traveling abroad to refresh your job search motivation! YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE
• Your job does not define you. Remember, work is only one part of who you are!

If you're currently navigating a layoff or expecting one, we're here for you and hope this episode offers some level of comfort and reassurance that you're not alone. You will get through this, and you will be okay. <3

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Socials:

Instagram, TikTok, X/Twitter, Threads: @careercomposer
YouTube: @careercomposer

Email: [email protected]

ASK ERIN (FREE!): Email Erin at [email protected] to get started. Use "ASK ERIN" in the subject line!

1:1 Career Coaching Services: Email Erin at [email protected] for information about her coaching services! Use "1:1 Career Coaching" in the subject line.

The Prelude is your music appetizer to our main Career Composer episodes! Erin introduces today's career topic, chats about music, gives her weekly song recs, and catches you up on all things Career Composer. Thanks for listening!

Get my FREE Job Application Tracker!

Socials:

Instagram, TikTok, X/Twitter, Threads: @careercomposer
YouTube: @careercomposer

Email: [email protected]

ASK ERIN (FREE!): Email Erin at [email protected] to get started. Use "ASK ERIN" in the subject line!

1:1 Career Coaching Services: Email Erin at [email protected] for information about her coaching services! Use "1:1 Career Coaching" in the subject line.

Erin shares her advice for how to navigate a quarter-life crisis (or multiple) and the career comparisons that happen so often in our 20s. When we're all at different places in our lives and careers, it is way too easy to get stuck in a comparison spiral. You're not alone!

We cover:

• Erin's most recent quarter-life crisis at Ocean City Maryland (and why Lana Del Rey is the best medicine)
• Why there is so much pressure to be perfect in our 20s!!!
• Advice for navigating friendships when we're all in different places
• How money, status, and job title play into career comparisons. Hint: Your career does not equal your worth!
• Why it's totally normal to feel this way (and how to use career comparisons to motivate you to make a change)

Check out The Prelude to hear song recs from Erin's Summertime Sadness playlist on YouTube, plus Erin's take on Taylor Swift's "The Life of a Showgirl" announcement on New Heights podcast!

Enjoy :)

Get my FREE Job Application Tracker!

Socials:

Instagram, TikTok, X/Twitter, Threads: @careercomposer
YouTube: @careercomposer

Email: [email protected]

ASK ERIN (FREE!): Email Erin at [email protected] to get started. Use "ASK ERIN" in the subject line!

1:1 Career Coaching Services: Email Erin at [email protected] for information about her coaching services! Use "1:1 Career Coaching" in the subject line.

The Prelude is your music appetizer to our main Career Composer episodes! Erin introduces today's career topic, chats about music, gives her weekly song recs, and catches you up on all things Career Composer. Thanks for listening!

Get my FREE Job Application Tracker!

Socials:

Instagram, TikTok, X/Twitter, Threads: @careercomposer
YouTube: @careercomposer

Email: [email protected]

ASK ERIN (FREE!): Email Erin at [email protected] to get started. Use "ASK ERIN" in the subject line!

1:1 Career Coaching Services: Email Erin at [email protected] for information about her coaching services! Use "1:1 Career Coaching" in the subject line.

Welcome back to another interview prep episode! Today, we’re breaking down (yet another) one of the most common questions you’ll get in an interview: “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”

It's easier than you think, there is an EXACT formula you can use to answer this question, and you can PREPARE YOUR ANSWER ahead of time! 

We cover:

• The exact format you can follow to answer both parts of this question
• How to choose the right strengths and weaknesses to mention
• When to list more than one strength or weakness
• What not to say when talking about weaknesses
• Example responses for early-career professionals!

Don’t forget to check out The Prelude for a music tie-in and more ideas for strengths you can mention in your answer!

Get my FREE Job Application Tracker!

Socials:

Instagram, TikTok, X/Twitter, Threads: @careercomposer
YouTube: @careercomposer

Email: [email protected]

ASK ERIN (FREE!): Email Erin at [email protected] to get started. Use "ASK ERIN" in the subject line!

1:1 Career Coaching Services: Email Erin at [email protected] for information about her coaching services! Use "1:1 Career Coaching" in the subject line.

The Prelude is your music appetizer to our main Career Composer episodes! Erin introduces today's career topic, chats about music, gives her weekly song recs, and catches you up on all things Career Composer. Thanks for listening!

Get my FREE Job Application Tracker!

Socials:

Instagram, TikTok, X/Twitter, Threads: @careercomposer
YouTube: @careercomposer

Email: [email protected]

ASK ERIN (FREE!): Email Erin at [email protected] to get started. Use "ASK ERIN" in the subject line!

1:1 Career Coaching Services: Email Erin at [email protected] for information about her coaching services! Use "1:1 Career Coaching" in the subject line.

Overnight sensations exist because one day, no one knew about them. And the next day? They blew up. That doesn't mean there weren't YEARS of hard work and challenges they had to overcome to FINALLY make it in their industry!

You might not get your dream job overnight, but IT IS TOTALLY POSSIBLE to change industries! Erin shares EXACTLY how to do it in this episode of Career Composer.

We Cover:

• Knowing your WHY: Why are you making a career shift?
• How to brainstorm job titles and discover hidden roles by task using LinkedIn and Boolean searches
• Resume and cover letter strategies that make your experience (and your WHY) stand out in a new industry
• The importance of talking to people in your new industry. Hint: Prioritize in-person networking for stronger connections!
• Why making a lateral move (or even a step back) should be your goal when making an industry shift
• How to identify your BRIDGE. What makes you stand out?
• What “overnight sensations” in music can teach us about hard work, dedication, and preparation

Good luck!

Get my FREE Job Application Tracker!

Socials:

Instagram, TikTok, X/Twitter, Threads: @careercomposer
YouTube: @careercomposer

Email: [email protected]

ASK ERIN (FREE!): Email Erin at [email protected] to get started. Use "ASK ERIN" in the subject line!

1:1 Career Coaching Services: Email Erin at [email protected] for information about her coaching services! Use "1:1 Career Coaching" in the subject line.

The Prelude is your music appetizer to our main Career Composer episodes! Erin introduces today's career topic, chats about music, gives her weekly song recs, and catches you up on all things Career Composer. Thanks for listening!

Get my FREE Job Application Tracker!

Socials:

Instagram, TikTok, X/Twitter, Threads: @careercomposer
YouTube: @careercomposer

Email: [email protected]

ASK ERIN (FREE!): Email Erin at [email protected] to get started. Use "ASK ERIN" in the subject line!

1:1 Career Coaching Services: Email Erin at [email protected] for information about her coaching services! Use "1:1 Career Coaching" in the subject line.

Career Composer is back with another jam-packed episode, inspired by the NACE 2025 conference in Philly! Trust me—you’re going to want to take notes.

Today, we’re diving into what every job seeker needs to know in the age of AI:

• AI, The Future of Work, and Erin's message to employers who hold the power in the current job market
• Erin's advice for how job seekers can stand out in the age of AI
• How recruiters and hiring managers use AI, and what that means for you!

We also cover...

• Why the job market feels so competitive right now
• The skills AI can't replace (Hint: Figure out what you an offer that AI can't!)
• Why targeting areas where there is scarcity in the market can give you a HUGE advantage
• Gen Z Entrepreneurship

As Mark Cuban says, "Learn AI like your life depends on it!!!"

Get my FREE Job Application Tracker!

Socials:

Instagram, TikTok, X/Twitter, Threads: @careercomposer
YouTube: @careercomposer

Email: [email protected]

ASK ERIN (FREE!): Email Erin at [email protected] to get started. Use "ASK ERIN" in the subject line!

1:1 Career Coaching Services: Email Erin at [email protected] for information about her coaching services! Use "1:1 Career Coaching" in the subject line.

Welcome back to another episode of Career Composer! It's finally yours - the BEST interviewing technique out there, made simple! 

Ready, set, let's talk about THE STARR METHOD.

The STAR (R) Method is a behavioral interviewing technique that ensures you make the most of your answers and have the biggest possible impact on your interviewer(s). Once you get the hang of it, it is SO EASY! (I promise!)

In this episode:

• What are behavioral interviews and why do hiring managers use them? 
• Erin breaks down the STAR(R) method acronym and what each letter means.
• A simple way to remember all parts of the STARR method without memorizing each letter in the acronym.
• Erin's REAL examples of how she has used the STARR method to answer behavioral interview questions!

Make sure you listen to The Prelude, too! If you feel like you tend to do worse in real interviews than when you practice, Erin has a helpful tip you don't want to miss! Enjoy :)

Get my FREE Job Application Tracker!

Socials:

Instagram, TikTok, X/Twitter, Threads: @careercomposer
YouTube: @careercomposer

Email: [email protected]

ASK ERIN (FREE!): Email Erin at [email protected] to get started. Use "ASK ERIN" in the subject line!

1:1 Career Coaching Services: Email Erin at [email protected] for information about her coaching services! Use "1:1 Career Coaching" in the subject line.