Your Career GPS

In this fantastic episode Blair Bloomston joins us to share perspective on how the power of game-based learning can help accelerate career success for students in transition. Put more simply, she’s got communication and networking tactics you can use to level up your job search. Game On has free resources and training available for podcast listeners, and you should definitely check them out.

Key highlights that Blair discusses in this episode: 

Guest Info:

Blair Bloomston

Blair is a Partner and Vice President of Business Development for the nationally acclaimed communication training firm, Game On Nation. She is considered a leading expert on the use of Game Dynamics and Game Theory to improve communication, leadership, team building, and culture. A few of Blair’s and Game On’s past clients include Deloitte, Hilton, NASCA, Honda and Acura, all branches of the US Military, and the U.S. House of Representatives. When she’s not coaching and consulting Blair is an avid lobster diver and permaculture practitioner, residing in Bradenton, FL with her husband and two young sons.

Social Media Handles

Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

Game On Nation: @gameonnation

Blair Bloomston: @blairbloomston

Free Tools

For students and alumni in career transition:

For Career Counselors and Workforce leaders:

In this incredible episode hosts Brad & Cassie have the incredible Austin Belcak on the show. Austin is the Founder of Cultivated Culture a leading platform to help job seekers get out of the stacks of resumes and implement innovative but effective strategies. Some of the main topics covered in this episode include: 

 - Austin's background and how he came to found Cultivated Culture from his own frustrations in the job search. 

 - The many mistakes that students and young job seekers make when starting their job search. 

 - How to get away from egocentric networking and consider how you can add value to the one's you're trying to meet. 

 - Easy steps that young professionals can take to network and find opportunities. 

 - How to overcome lack of experience when applying to first jobs or one's that are higher level. 

 - The best pieces of career advice he can pass along to the next generation.   

Guest Info:  

Austin Belcak

www.cultivatedculture.com  

https://linkedin.com/in/abelcak  

https://cultivatedculture.com/podcast   

https://www.instagram.com/cultivated.culture  

 #jobsearch #jobseekers #cultivatedculture #landajob #cultivatedculture 

In this episode Brad and Cassie go solo without guests to discuss one of the most important tools that students, new grads, and young job seekers can utilize: LinkedIn! They talk about what LinkedIn is and isn't and the misconceptions that so many young people have about the platform before they even start utilizing it. The guests highlight some of their favorite and most effective features of the platform along with how to use them. They discuss the multitude of ways that people can use the platform specifically for networking purposes along with an active and passive job search. They talk about some of the most important aspects of an optimal profile and how to attract opportunities. Finally they outline ways to use the platform to give back to their network and grow it at the same time. 

In this fantastic episode hosts Brad Minton and Cassie Spencer take a minute to slow down and reflect on an important topic for so many young people looking to make their first impression on the work world: Self care! They sit down with Chelle Shapiro, Author, Speaker, Career Development Coach and the Founder of Chelle Station. Chelle talks about her personal journey early in her career and how she dealt with many significant challenges in her work and the psychological and physical toll it took on her wellbeing. She discussed the importance for listeners to not "fake it until you make it" just to get along, and warns about the longer term ramifications of doing so. She talks about how it's easy to fall into a trap of negative self talk and how it's important to break the cycle. She provides many fantastic suggestions of how to improve emotional health and well being as a job seeker as well as after you start your career. Finally, she helps listeners by providing several important pieces of advice to be your own advocate and to live and authentic life and have an authentic career. 

Guest Info:

Chelle Shapiro

www.chellestation.com 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelleshapironyc/ 

Book: Loving Yourself Isn’t Selfish: How to Stop Internalizing Emotions & Persevere Against All Odds

Instagram: @chellestation 

In this amazing episode Brad and Cassie interview the incredible Jenna Zipf the Founder of The Intern Hustle. In this episode Jenna talks about her own personal history with internships and what she gained from going through not one but 4 of them! She highlights some of the major advantages that students and young professionals can gain through internships as well as some of the words of caution that could impact how productive they can be. She helps listeners understand practical steps to find and land those amazing internship opportunities that they seek as well as what they can do specifically to ensure that their internship is as successful as it possibly can be! She talks about the range of amazing doors that internships can open to students and the long-term impact on career growth. This is an absolute can't miss episode for college students! 

Guest Info: 

Jenna Zipf

https://www.theinternhustle.com/

Instgram: @theinternhustle 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennarzipf/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLDQ06MsjSG6VMuFh7FDMmw

In this episode Brad Minton and Cassie Spencer tackle the important issue of values and how they can bring incredible fulfillment or considerable frustration depending on if they're being met or not. They interview Paige Mitchell, Board Certified Life Coach and Founder of Paige Mitchell Coaching LLC. Paige helps badass humans craft a lifestyle that supports their values. In this episode, Paige talks about her journey from pursuing a career in mental health to running into her own brick wall when she realized her values weren't being met. After discovering fulfillment through coaching, she helps her clients now get clear on their values and how those integrate into their lives. She provides great steps that young professionals can take to gain more clarity on their own values as well as the clues to look for when they know something is not right. She provides some great insights into achieving balance in your life and putting the time and attention on your personal life value alignment before your career. Finally she helps listeners understand how to find the opportunities that will align with their values after they've taken an inventory of their own. 

Guest Info: 

Paige Mitchell MA, BCC

Website: https://www.paigemitchell.coach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paigemitchellcoach/

Instagram: @paigemitchell.coach 

In this amazing episode, Brad Minton and Cassie Spencer interview Valerie Le, a Career Confidence Coach on her work in building mentorship programs for youth ages 18-29. Valerie provides the backdrop to her story and how she ended up working in career development in Toronto. She takes listeners through the incredible work that she gets to provide with youth and the impact that it has on their lives. She highlights some of the ways that young professionals can start to build legitimate professional relationships with individuals in their chosen industry. Valerie emphasizes the need to give back and consider the ways in which they can do that. She finally provides words of both caution and encouragement to listeners looking to build their network. 

Guest Info: 

Valerie Le

https://www.linkedin.com/in/valerie-le-career-confidence-coach/ 

In this incredible episode Brad and Cassie sit down with the Founder of thevoiceofjobseekers.com, and job search expert Mark Anthony Dyson. Mark discusses his own unique career journey and how he found his way to be a voice and advocate for professionals looking for opportunities. He talks about the many lessons he has learned along the way of having over 20 jobs himself and what he can remind the young students and graduates of today to calm their worries about the job market. He discusses how young people can and often do short change themselves but how they can turn it around and own their own unique voices as they start their careers. Mark talks about the consultant mindset that he reminds so many professionals to take and what that means for young people. He finally supplies our listeners with some of the best pieces of career advice you can ever hear! 

Guest Info: 

Mark Anthony Dyson

thevoiceofjobseekers.com 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/markanthonydyson/ 

In this amazing episode Quiet Leadership Coach Faris Khalifeh joins hosts Brad Minton and Cassie Spencer to break down what being an introvert really is and what it isn't. Faris discusses his own journey to embracing introversion and how it has helped him throughout his career. He takes apart many of the commonly held misconceptions about introversion. He guides listeners to understand that those who have a preference for introversion have many strengths that they can leverage in their career. He also discusses how introverts can network and land the positions they want by using what works for them the best. He also breaks down some of the most important pieces of advice he has for anyone that feels they are an introvert along with the best overall advice for all young professionals. 

Guest Info: 

Faris Khalifeh 

http://www.fariskhalifeh.com/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/fariskhalifeh/ 

In this fantastic episode Brad Minton hosts solo and sits down with the incredible Andrea Yacub Macek to tackle an important topic: Imposter Syndrome. Andrea, the Career Coach and Founder of AYM Consulting breaks down what imposter syndrome really is, and peels back a lot of the mystery around who struggles with it and why it's so prevalent today. She is very candid in her own personal struggles early on with feelings of inadequacy in her own career pivots and provides so many helpful tips about what she learned through that process. She helps students and early career professionals normalize their own emotional stake in their success and helps them understand that our vulnerability comes hand in hand with our own learning. She provides great strategies and new ways of approaching and defeating imposter syndrome. 

Guest Info: 

Andrea Yacub Macek

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreayacubmacek/ 

Instagram: @aym_consulting