The One Word Costing You the Job | with Lili Foggle

The One Word Costing You the Job | with Lili Foggle

Getting to the interview is hard enough right now but what happens when you get there and still don't get the job? In this episode, Kevin Cameron sits down with Lili Foggle of Impressive Interviewing, a communication coach with 10 years of experience, to talk about what actually separates the number one candidate from everyone else. Lili breaks down why skills alone won't get you the offer in the final round, how to use AI smartly without sabotaging yourself, and the one language mistake quietly costing candidates — especially women — jobs they're more than qualified for. Key Takeaways In the final round, everyone can do the job — the decision shifts to trust, likability, and fit. Research the company's real values by looking at what leadership is actually saying, not just the website.  Never ask AI to write your interview answers.  Use it for research and gap analysis. Stop using "we" for your achievements — own your contribution with "I."  Your closing questions should be so specific they couldn't be asked anywhere else.  Chaos in the hiring process usually means chaos in the culture. Episode Highlights Why only 3% of applicants land an interview and what that means for your prep.  The shift that happens in the final round and why likability outweighs skills.  Lili's five-list method for breaking down any job description.  The study of 25,000 interview answers that proved "I" language predicts hiring decisions.  The ping pong rule for small talk that makes you instantly more memorable. Timestamps 00:00 — Introduction  01:03 — Lili's background and Impressive Interviewing  03:18 — The 3% interview rate and the AI recruiting doom loop  06:02 — True or false: skills are what get you hired  07:10 — What actually decides the final round  08:10 — Fit for the team vs fit for the role  10:34 — The cheat code: deep research  13:50 — Questions that show interest vs questions that show doubt  16:32 — How to use AI in interview prep — and how not to  19:44 — The five-list method for job description analysis  23:22 — How to handle panel interviews  27:41 — How to close the final round  29:44 — The question that couldn't be asked anywhere else  32:41 — Why "we" is erasing you from your own success stories  38:35 — Lili's why Connect With Lili Prepare for your next interview: https://impressiveinterviewing.com [https://impressiveinterviewing.com] Become an interview coach: https://parwcc.com/interview-institute/ [https://parwcc.com/interview-institute/] TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yourinterviewcoach [https://www.tiktok.com/@yourinterviewcoach] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lilifoggle/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lilifoggle/] If you found this advice valuable, please hit subscribe, leave us a review. Visit Talent Connect: Website: www.talent-connect.net [http://www.talent-connect.net] LinkedIn: Talent-Connect Kevin's LinkedIn: Kevin Cameron PCC Production Credit: Edited and produced by @the32collective_ / https://www.the32collective.co/ [https://www.the32collective.co/]

Why Your Workplace Is Failing Neurodivergent Employees | with Shea Belsky

What does it actually take to create a fair hiring process for neurodivergent candidates and why does it matter for everyone, not just a few? In this episode, Kevin Cameron sits down with Shea Belsky, an autistic software engineer and neurodiversity advocate, to talk about the parts of hiring and onboarding that most companies are quietly getting wrong. Shea brings a direct, no-fluff perspective on when and how to disclose a diagnosis, why accommodations are an investment not an expense, and what onboarding looks like when it actually works. If you manage people, hire people, or are neurodivergent yourself — this conversation will shift how you think. Key Takeaways When disclosing a neurodivergent diagnosis, always frame it around a specific need — not just the label.  The return on investment is a more capable, more confident employee.  One in seven people worldwide are neurodivergent — far more than most workplaces acknowledge.  Dropping someone into a new role with no ramp-up hurts everybody, but hits neurodivergent employees hardest.  Workplace tools like AI note-taking and quiet rooms benefit the whole team — not just one person.  Framing your needs to a hiring manager is not a warning. It is a map to your best work. Episode Highlights Why disclosing a diagnosis without context can backfire — and how to frame it effectively.  The honest case for why accommodations pay for themselves.  How one in seven people around you may be neurodivergent without either of you knowing it.  The onboarding mistake that sets people up to fail from day one.  Shea's vision for a tool that helps every employee cut through the masking and communicate what they actually need. Timestamps 00:00 — Introduction  02:28 — What neurodivergent candidates face in interviews  04:39 — When and how to disclose: framing it as a need  06:00 — What to tell a hiring manager vs a recruiter  07:21 — Why hiring managers fear getting it wrong  09:28 — Accommodations as investment, not expense  13:27 — Most common accommodations in interviews and on the job  15:11 — AI tools and cultural shifts that benefit everyone  17:29 — How many people around you are neurodivergent  23:43 — The onboarding mistakes companies keep making  29:08 — What Shea wishes existed for every employee  33:35 — Framing your needs as your superpower 35:12 — Shea's why Connect With Shea LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sheabelsky [http://linkedin.com/in/sheabelsky]Website: https://www.sheabelsky.com/ [https://www.sheabelsky.com/] If you found this advice valuable, please hit subscribe, leave us a review. Visit Talent Connect: Website: www.talent-connect.net [http://www.talent-connect.net] LinkedIn: Talent-Connect Kevin's LinkedIn: Kevin Cameron PCC Production Credit: Edited and produced by @the32collective_ / https://www.the32collective.co/ [https://www.the32collective.co/]

The Mental Health Side of Job Searching Nobody Talks About | Steph Gillies

What happens to your mental health when your job disappears or when you're too burnt out to stay?  In this episode, Kevin Cameron sits down with Steph Gillies, resume writer, interview coach, and career development speaker, who brings a rare combination of lived experience and professional expertise to the conversation. With 37 jobs in 15 years and a background in social work, Steph has seen it all and she's not afraid to talk about the parts of career transition that most people are too ashamed to name. From grieving a layoff to protecting your mental health through a long job search, Steph shares the practical frameworks and honest truths that her clients wish they'd heard sooner. This one is for anyone who has ever stayed in the wrong job too long or felt guilty for wanting something better. Key Takeaways Give yourself permission to grieve a job loss, even if you're relieved it's over.  The response rate for online applications is 3 to 6% — knowing the numbers protects your confidence.  Track where you're dropping off in the process: that's where to focus your energy.  Apply to five to ten jobs and network with three to five people per week — consistency beats volume.  Informational interviews are the most underused tool in a career pivot.  You don't owe a company loyalty it hasn't earned — accept the offer and keep interviewing.  Self-care during a job search means sleep, food and movement, not just bubble baths. Episode Highlights Why people stay in jobs they hate — and what it actually takes to admit it.  The three stages where mental health takes a hit: toxic employment, layoff shock, and the long search.  How Steph helped a banking director land a nonprofit director role in three months by rewriting her entire resume around volunteering.  The startup horror story: two people quit their jobs three days before joining a startup that then ran out of money.  Why the people closest to you are sometimes the worst advocates in your job search.  How to talk about a layoff professionally — and why "restructuring" is always the right word. Timestamps 00:00 — Introduction and Steph's background  02:24 — The link between career and mental health  03:50 — Three stages where mental health suffers  05:19 — Admitting you're unhappy: the hardest first step  06:18 — Why people undervalue themselves and apply below their level  08:44 — The fear of making a change — and how to face it  09:40 — Informational interviews: the most underused career tool  11:09 — How informational interviews can turn into referrals  12:59 — Why you need to grieve before you apply  15:25 — What to say when people ask what happened  16:22 — Mental health through the job search  17:18 — The 3 to 6% response rate explained  18:15 — Building a fuller job search strategy  19:32 — Tracking where you drop off in the process  21:33 — Making space for yourself during transition  22:30 — Not everyone needs a dream job — and that's fine  24:17 — Structure: how to run a targeted, time-condensed search  27:27 — When you get an offer but a better role is still in play  28:25 — How to handle competing offers tactfully  29:23 — The startup story and why you must look out for yourself  31:51 — The wellness pillars that actually matter  32:39 — Steph's why Connect With Steph LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephgillies/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephgillies/] Website: stephgillies.com [http://stephgillies.com] If you found this advice valuable, please hit subscribe, leave us a review. Visit Talent Connect: Website: www.talent-connect.net [http://www.talent-connect.net] LinkedIn: Talent-Connect Kevin's LinkedIn: Kevin Cameron PCC Production Credit: Edited and produced by @the32collective_ / https://www.the32collective.co/ [https://www.the32collective.co/]

The Job Search Is Rigged Against You | with Jeremy Schifeling

If you're a recent grad staring down a job market that feels like it has the rug pulled out from under it, this episode is exactly what you need. Kevin Cameron sits down with Jeremy Schifeling of The Job Insiders - a former kindergarten teacher turned LinkedIn insider turned career strategist, to talk about what's actually holding the next generation back, and more importantly, what to do about it. From using AI to uncover jobs you didn't know existed, to why reaching out to senior alumni is your biggest untapped advantage, Jeremy brings practical, no-fluff advice for students, recent grads, and the parents trying to help them. He also makes the case for why your first job doesn't have to be your forever job and why that's actually great news. Key Takeaways Use AI to discover job titles that match your strengths and passions — upload your performance reviews and letters of recommendation and ask it what others see in you.  Reach out to alumni with curiosity, not a transaction.  Ask about their career, not for a job.  Don't let a blue chip brand be the goal — small and mid-sized companies build better skills faster.  Your first job is a stepping stone, not a life sentence.  Notice when work feels like flow — that's your signal.  Grad school used to hide from the job market is an expensive mistake. Episode Highlights Jeremy's pivot from kindergarten teacher to LinkedIn and Khan Academy.  Why 70% of Gen Z say they want to be influencers — and what that actually reveals.  The alumni outreach mistake that kills your chances before you've even started.  Why senior leaders get almost no outreach — and why that's your opportunity.  The "brand creep" trap: chasing logos over meaning.  Why small companies are hiring while big names are laying off.  How to do a background check on your future boss using LinkedIn. Timestamps 00:00 — Introduction  00:42 — Meet Jeremy Schifeling and The Job Insiders  03:49 — What grads are feeling right now  04:57 — Using AI to find jobs you didn't know existed  05:33 — A word to the parents  06:51 — What Gen Z actually wants (it's not what you think)  09:48 — Location as a career strategy  12:19 — The cheat sheet for structuring your search  14:30 — The alumni outreach mistake everyone makes  17:05 — Why senior leaders never get messaged (and why you should)  19:17 — Let your kid do the outreach themselves  21:07 — Building confidence through discomfort  21:48 — How The Job Insiders works  23:45 — Your first job is a stepping stone, not forever  25:41 — Should you go to grad school?  27:35 — What to look for in that first role  28:42 — The concept of flow and your career  30:29 — The brand creep trap  32:55 — Small companies vs big names: the truth  35:28 — How to background check your future boss  36:57 — Jeremy's why Connect With Jeremy Website: https://www.thejobinsiders.com/ [https://www.thejobinsiders.com/] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schifeling/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/schifeling/] If you found this advice valuable, please hit subscribe, leave us a review. Visit Talent Connect: Website: www.talent-connect.net [http://www.talent-connect.net] LinkedIn: Talent-Connect Kevin's LinkedIn: Kevin Cameron PCC Production Credit: Edited and produced by @the32collective_ / https://www.the32collective.co/ [https://www.the32collective.co/]

She Got Rejected by the Algorithm — Then Got the Job Anyway | with Christine Avedissian

What does a real career transition actually look like from the inside? In this episode, Kevin Cameron sits down with Christine Avedissian, a Talent - Connect coaching client and in-house attorney who navigated a layoff in one of the most competitive job markets in recent memory. Christine opens up about what caught her off guard, what finally clicked, and the practical habits that got her across the finish line. From the "dartboard" networking approach to colour-coded interview cheat sheets, Christine shares the tools and mindset shifts that made the difference - including how she managed her mental health, set boundaries with her support circle, and stayed organised when everything felt out of her control. If you're in career transition right now, this one is for you. Key Takeaways Network before you apply — find a connection at the company first, then submit your application.  Don't let a rejection from an ATS system be the final word.  A system said no; a person may still say yes. Treat your job search like a job — build a routine, track everything in a spreadsheet, and protect your mental health.  Use remote interviews to your advantage with cheat sheets, post-its, and visual reminders.  Apply even if you don't tick every box — job descriptions are often wish lists.  Visualise what you actually want and come back to it when the process feels overwhelming. Episode Highlights Christine's surprising discovery that her resume wasn't reaching human eyes.  The moment she realised she needed a new strategy — and what she did about it.  Why the people closest to you might not be your best advocates in a job search.  Her layered interview prep method: company research, interviewer research, and personal tie-backs.  How she managed anxiety by setting clear expectations with family and friends.  The turning point when six or seven active interviews gave her confidence the process was working. Timestamps 00:00 — Introduction  00:40 — Meet Christine Avedissian 01:38 — Christine's career background  03:15 — The biggest surprise: resumes not reaching people  04:22 — The turning point and new strategy  05:44 — Mass outreach and unexpected helpers  08:04 — Why people outside your close circle often help more  11:36 — Building a daily routine and protecting mental health  14:55 — Preparing for remote interviews  16:21 — The cheat sheet system  18:10 — What interviewers are really looking for: fit  19:07 — The turning point in Christine's search  20:09 — Visualisation as a daily tool  22:08 — Final advice: don't let job descriptions scare you off  24:22 — Outreach cadence: once a week  25:16 — Christine's why Connect With Christine LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/christine-avedissian-5b457115 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/christine-avedissian-5b457115/]  If you found this advice valuable, please hit subscribe, leave us a review. Visit Talent Connect: Website: www.talent-connect.net [http://www.talent-connect.net]  LinkedIn: Talent-Connect  Kevin's LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kevinmcameron [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinmcameron/]  Production Credit: Edited and produced by @the32collective_ / https://www.the32collective.co/ [https://www.the32collective.co/]