Stop Applying Blind: How to Actually Use AI in Your Job Search

If your job search strategy is "update resume, spray applications, pray," this episode is your wake-up call. Karen sits down with resume writer, career coach, and author Carrie Christiano (Empower Your Job Search with AI) to break down why the resume is never the right place to start — and how AI can become the research partner that gets you there faster.

Carrie unpacks her seven-step EMPOWER framework and explains the difference between asking AI transactional questions (surface-level, generic) versus interpretive ones (the kind that actually uncover your strengths, your fit, and what a company really needs). You'll learn her favorite prompts — like asking AI why a job posting even exists — plus how to use AI to mine your own experience for accomplishment stories you didn't know you had.

They also dig into the mindset shift every young professional needs: AI rewards curious thinkers and exposes lazy ones. Carrie explains why courage and iteration matter (don't accept the first answer!), how modern ATS systems actually evaluate candidates now that AI is involved, and why cultural fit — not skill — is the real reason most people don't get hired or get let go.

Whether you're a college junior with no internship experience or a grad student staring down a brutal market, this conversation will change how you think about AI — not as a shortcut, but as a thinking partner that makes you sharper, more prepared, and way more memorable.

• Click here for Carrie's Free prompt guide: empowercareerstudio.com
• Empower Your Job Search With AI (order Carrie's book on Amazon)

LAUNCH Career Strategies was founded by Karen Elders and Elyse Spalding. We help young professionals launch a successful career path with expert coaching services. Reach out today for an initial FREE coaching session.
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Landing the job is only the beginning — so why does it feel like the finish line? In this episode, host Karen Elders sits down with Dr. Deepak Bhootra, a Sandler and ICF-certified coach, bestselling author, and founder of Rise Up Career Studio and RISEUP@Work to unpack what it really takes to grow once you're in the door.

Deepak shares his signature framework — Performance, Visibility, Value, and Positioning — as a practical roadmap for turning a job into a career. He explains why the first three to five years matter so much, how "low-level advice" from well-meaning friends can lead you to quit for the wrong reasons, and why chasing a promotion without earning trust rarely works.

The conversation also dives into personal branding (and the gap between how you see yourself and how others do), why AI-generated resumes can backfire in AI-powered interviews, and how small, consistent habits compound into real career momentum. Deepak gets candid about his own career setbacks, the emotional toll of corporate life, and why community — not just content — is at the heart of Rise Up.

If you're a young professional wondering how to move from "just doing your job" to building real momentum, this episode is packed with tactical, human advice you can start using today.

LAUNCH Career Strategies was founded by Karen Elders and Elyse Spalding. We help young professionals launch a successful career path with expert coaching services. Reach out today for an initial FREE coaching session.
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From the Field to the Sales Floor | How College Athletics Prepares You for a Career in Sales

What does it take for a college athlete to thrive in a competitive sales career? In this episode, we sit down with Anna Stein, Account Executive on the MuleSoft Financial Services team at Salesforce, to find out. Anna took a classic path - starting as an Account Development Representative and earning promotions to Senior ADR and then AE - and she shares what it actually took to make those moves.

A four-year starter and captain at Lafayette College, Anna draws a direct line between her experience as a Division I lacrosse player and her success in sales. From being coachable and competitive to having tough conversations with managers (just like with coaches), the parallels are real and practical. She even compares reviewing recorded sales calls with her manager to watching game film - a habit that's paid off.

Anna also opens up about the job search process: how she used networking and LinkedIn to prepare for interviews, why over-preparing is non-negotiable, and what externship programs taught her before she even graduated. She shares candid advice on getting promoted, building mentor relationships, leveraging AI for meeting prep without losing the human touch, and giving yourself grace when rejections don't go your way.

If you're a current or former athlete figuring out your next move, Anna's story is a reminder that the skills that made you great on the field can absolutely carry you forward.

PS Don't forget to check out Prospect HQ - Prospect HQ helps college athletes and former college athletes turn their athletic experience into internships, jobs, and professional connections by combining networking, athlete-focused recruiting, and video-based personal branding. Essentially - LinkedIn plus a career center, but designed specifically for athletes transitioning from sports to the professional world

LAUNCH Career Strategies was founded by Karen Elders and Elyse Spalding. We help young professionals launch a successful career path with expert coaching services. Reach out today for an initial FREE coaching session.
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