Career Composer

If you're wondering if you should negotiate your salary ...Let me guess, is anxiety trying to talk you out of it? ...The answer is YES, you absolutely 1,000% SHOULD negotiate your salary!

I wish someone had given me this advice before I entered the job market. In this episode, we address EVERY fear, and answer the most common questions Gen Z professionals ask related to salary negotiation.

This crucial step is all part of YOU ac...

The Gen Z experience in the world of work today is nothing short of... Chaotic? Contradictory? Overwhelming? Way too difficult for no reason? Fill in the blank.

Gen Z career coach, entrepreneur, TedX speaker, and LinkedIn Top Voice Ang Richard joins Career Composer for a candid conversation about the challenges we face in the world of work today and how to navigate them. And, how our unique strengths make us best equipped to handle ...

Happy Monday! I can't tell you the amount of times I've been asked: "How do I follow up after applying for a job?" Today, I'm answering ALL of your questions and sharing why the traditional career guidance is no longer relevant in today's job market. We cover:

• When you should follow up
• How to know who to contact (and whether you should email or LinkedIn message)
• What to SAY!!!

Don't worry abo...

Happy Monday! If you desperately need to get your job applications out there, or even if it's your first time job searching -- this episode is FOR YOU! Erin explains the Top 5 steps job seekers need to take to properly apply for jobs, AND how to apply faster than ever before.

Don't miss this episode if you're job searching in today's competitive market! 

Get my FREE Job Application Tracker!

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Welcome back to Career Composer for our first episode of 2026! In this episode, we talk about how to set and achieve career goals for the year. This episode is 2 parts -- getting in the right mindset (creating your career vision board) and mapping out realistic, achievable goals. Anything can happen this year!

In this episode:

• Getting in the right mindset for a fresh start
• Creating a conceptual vision board for your life and caree...

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
• Ho...

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...

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 r...

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 y...

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 mana...

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 ar...

Arianna Risilia joins Career Composer for our new GUEST EPISODE discussing how to be more creative at work! 

Arianna is an Elementary General Music Teacher and an AMAZING singer and musician who also loves nature and trying new things. She approaches life with optimism and curiosity and has a LOT to say about why creativity is key to our success as young professionals!

We talk about:

• Ella Fitzgerald, Bob Marley, Joni Mit...

Nathalye Chona joins Career Composer for a conversation about work, travel, and building a life you love! Nathalye is the Director of Finance and Accounting at Ziflow, has a dual master’s degree in International Business and Finance from Hult International Business School, and is the founder of Boston Girls Who Walk. Nathalye has done it all, from moving to the U.S. from Venezuela and achieving enormous success early in her career,...

Finally!!! Everything you need to prepare for your upcoming interview, all in one place! Erin Ahart shares how to prepare for an interview like you're packing for vacation, and provides listeners with an interview prep checklist that applies for all interviews across all industries. She covers: 

• What you physically need to bring with you if you’re interviewing in-person
• What to wear and traveling to your interview
• Erin's...

In this episode of Career Composer, Erin dives into how to answer the question 'Tell me about yourself' in an interview!

Erin shares:

• How to use the present, past, future model to craft the perfect response.
• The importance of making a great first impression and setting the stage for the rest of the interview. (And by the way, we can learn a LOT from Opening Acts in music when answering 'Tell me about yourself' ...

Grad school can be an important step towards achieving your career goals, but is it always necessary? Erin shares what she's learned from coaching master's and PhD students in her full-time job, as well as from pursuing her own master's degree. 

We discuss: 

• The importance of doing industry research
• THE COST (including potential long-term benefits and financial implications)
• Balancing grad school and personal life (H...

In this episode of Career Composer, Erin Ahart chats with Sarah Marsan about her journey deciding whether or not to go to grad school. Sarah shares her story from undergrad to her current role, the challenges she's faced, and what helped her make her decision. Erin also gives a sneak peek into the next episode, where she shares her career coach's perspective on every factor you should consider before going to grad school....

Welcome to the VERY FIRST EPISODE of Career Composer with Erin Ahart! In this episode, Erin explains how writing a cover letter is similar to writing a love letter and shares a simple, three-step process to make sure your cover letters stand out. 

Erin introduces her music and professional background, and also shares the unique music-themed approach of this podcast. Don't miss Erin's story about the spicy love letters betw...