Career & Leadership Real Talk – Details, episodes & analysis

Ever wonder why your CV isn't landing you those senior role interviews? In this episode, we tackle the common pitfalls that even the most experienced professionals fall into when crafting their CVs.

We've all been there - agonising over every word, wondering if we're selling ourselves short or coming across as too boastful. But what if the secret to a standout CV isn't what you think it is?

Join us as we unpack six (sometimes surprising) questions you should be asking yourself about your CV before you submit it.

Key points from this episode

• Why the "rules" you've always followed for CV writing might be holding you back
• The unexpected truth about CV length (hint: it's not what you think!)
• How to avoid the trap that's making your CV sound like everyone else's
• The mindset shift that could transform your CV from good to irresistible
• Why "hitting the ground running" might not be the selling point you think it is

00:00 Introduction and the CV conundrum

02:30 Debunking common CV myths

07:15 The human touch: Why authenticity matters

12:40 Seeing through the recruiter's eyes

16:55 Telling your career story (and why it's trickier than you think)

21:30 The game-changing perspective that elevates your CV

25:45 Confidence vs. arrogance: Walking the line

29:10 Wrap-up and invitation to the Catalyst Career ClubUseful Links

Join The Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders

Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/

Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/

Follow the Catalyst Careers LinkedIn page for career tips and advice

Interested in working with us?

Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

Enjoyed this Episode?

If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Mentioned in this episode:

Catalyst Career Club for £50k+ Leaders & Managers

Moving up the career ladder needs an inside edge - strategies that allow you to unlock your full potential and position yourself as a true leadership talent. And that's exactly what the Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders provides. No fluff, no corporate jargon. Just a down to earth, purposeful injection of oomph for your career from Pamela & Jacqui Use the code PODCAST to get your first month for £1 https://www.pamelalangan.com/catalystcareerclub

This week, we break down what it takes to develop executive presence, an invaluable skill for leaders. It often seems a nebulous concept, with lots of emphasis but very little actual advice on how to develop it

We're discussing the components that make up executive presence, why developing executive presence isn't just for senior leaders and the importance of self-awareness and actionable feedback

Key Points From This Episode

00:00 Introduction and Listener's Request

00:44 Defining Executive Presence

03:27 The Importance of Developing Executive Presence Early

05:56 Key Components of Executive Presence

10:31 Gravitas: The Core of Executive Presence

12:40 Learning and Developing Executive Presence

16:39 Top Tips for Developing Executive Presence

21:27 Conclusion and Call to Action

Useful Links

Join The Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders

Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/

Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/

Follow the Catalyst Careers LinkedIn page for career tips and advice

Interested in working with us?

Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

Enjoyed this Episode?

If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Mentioned in this episode:

Catalyst Career Club for £50k+ Leaders & Managers

Moving up the career ladder needs an inside edge - strategies that allow you to unlock your full potential and position yourself as a true leadership talent. And that's exactly what the Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders provides. No fluff, no corporate jargon. Just a down to earth, purposeful injection of oomph for your career from Pamela & Jacqui Use the code PODCAST to get your first month for £1 https://www.pamelalangan.com/catalystcareerclub

Are you tired of leaving interviews feeling like you didn't showcase your best self? In this episode, we share our essential tips and strategies to prepare for interviews effectively and boost your confidence.

Whether you're facing in-person or virtual interviews, these insights will help you stand out from other candidates and increase your chances of landing that dream job.

Key points from this episode:

• How to identify key competencies for a role and prepare relevant stories to demonstrate your skills
• Tips for practising your interview responses ahead of the interview
• Strategies for building rapport and managing nerves
• Making use of notes and reminders during online interviews without appearing distracted
• How to approach interviews where questions are provided in advance, and why this can be a game-changer

Useful Links

Join The Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders

Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/

Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/

Follow the Catalyst Careers LinkedIn page for career tips and advice

Interested in working with us?

Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

Enjoyed this Episode?

If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Mentioned in this episode:

Catalyst Career Club for £50k+ Leaders & Managers

Moving up the career ladder needs an inside edge - strategies that allow you to unlock your full potential and position yourself as a true leadership talent. And that's exactly what the Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders provides. No fluff, no corporate jargon. Just a down to earth, purposeful injection of oomph for your career from Pamela & Jacqui Use the code PODCAST to get your first month for £1 https://www.pamelalangan.com/catalystcareerclub

In this episode, we're talking through the topic being direct without being perceived as difficult in the workplace. Drawing from our own experiences as two pretty direct people, we discuss how to build strong relationships and communicate effectively without trying to be fluffy or go against your direct nature

Key points from this episode

• The importance of listening and curiosity in direct communication
• Adapting your communication style to different situations and personalities
• The role of empathy and relationship-building in being direct without being difficult
• Balancing directness with other complementary skills and traits

Useful Links

Join The Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders

Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/

Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/

Follow the Catalyst Careers LinkedIn page for career tips and advice

Interested in working with us?

Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

Enjoyed this Episode?

If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Mentioned in this episode:

Catalyst Career Club for £50k+ Leaders & Managers

Moving up the career ladder needs an inside edge - strategies that allow you to unlock your full potential and position yourself as a true leadership talent. And that's exactly what the Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders provides. No fluff, no corporate jargon. Just a down to earth, purposeful injection of oomph for your career from Pamela & Jacqui Use the code PODCAST to get your first month for £1 https://www.pamelalangan.com/catalystcareerclub

In this episode, we delve into the age-old career dilemma: should you pursue a specialist or generalist path? Whether you're at a career crossroads or simply curious about your options, we explore the definitions, advantages, and strategies for both paths.

Join us as we unpack this complex topic, drawing from our extensive experience in career coaching to provide insights that can help shape your professional future.

Key points from this episode

• Discover the key differences between specialist and generalist career paths and how to identify which suits you best
• How organisational size can impact your career choice and development opportunities
• The importance of continuous learning and networking in both career paths
• How to align your career choices with your personal strengths, interests, and long-term goals

Useful Links

Join The Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders

Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/

Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/

Follow the Catalyst Careers LinkedIn page for career tips and advice

Interested in working with us?

Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

Enjoyed this Episode?

If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Mentioned in this episode:

Catalyst Career Club for £50k+ Leaders & Managers

Moving up the career ladder needs an inside edge - strategies that allow you to unlock your full potential and position yourself as a true leadership talent. And that's exactly what the Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders provides. No fluff, no corporate jargon. Just a down to earth, purposeful injection of oomph for your career from Pamela & Jacqui Use the code PODCAST to get your first month for £1 https://www.pamelalangan.com/catalystcareerclub

In this episode, we dive into the importance of speaking up and being heard in meetings, especially as ambitious leaders in management roles. We discuss the frustrations that can arise when you feel like your contributions aren't being valued and explore strategies to ensure your voice carries the weight it deserves.

Join us as we consider the barriers that hold people back and share practical tips to help you communicate with confidence and impact.

Key points from this episode

• Why it's crucial to speak up and be heard in meetings, both for your own career and as a responsibility of leadership
• Learn how to identify and overcome the personal barriers that may be holding you back from contributing fully
• Understand the power of adapting your communication style to the preferences of your audience
• Tips for building your influence and credibility outside of meetings to amplify your impact within them

Useful Links

Join The Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders

Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/

Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/

Follow the Catalyst Careers LinkedIn page for career tips and advice

Interested in working with us?

Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

Enjoyed this Episode?

If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

In this insightful episode, we are joined by the brilliant Laura Chamberlain, an award-winning marketer, career strategist, coach, and professor of marketing at the University of Warwick. Laura shares her expertise on how cultivating curiosity can be a game-changer for your career growth and development.

Discover practical tips and strategies to harness the power of curiosity and unlock more of your full potential.

Key points from this episode

• Understanding curiosity as a skill and how to develop it purposefully
• Overcoming barriers to curiosity in the workplace and beyond
• Creating the right conditions and habits to nurture your curiosity
• Using curiosity to enhance your leadership and team-building abilities
• Applying curiosity to solve problems, drive innovation, and advance your career

Useful Links

Join The Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders

Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/

Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/

Connect with Laura Chamberlain on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lmchamberlain/

Interested in working with us?

Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

Enjoyed this Episode?

If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Mentioned in this episode:

Catalyst Career Club for £50k+ Leaders & Managers

Moving up the career ladder needs an inside edge - strategies that allow you to unlock your full potential and position yourself as a true leadership talent. And that's exactly what the Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders provides. No fluff, no corporate jargon. Just a down to earth, purposeful injection of oomph for your career from Pamela & Jacqui Use the code PODCAST to get your first month for £1 https://www.pamelalangan.com/catalystcareerclub

Are you looking to take your team's performance to the next level? In this episode, we share an overview of the Catalyst Five Cs framework - a powerful, practical model for supporting team development.

We walk you through each of the Five Cs, explaining what they are and how they can combine to support increased team performance

Key points from this episode:

• Why clarity is the basis for ensuring goals and priorities can be met
• Building team competence and how it differs from individual skill and experience development
• Why capacity is not just impacted by headcount and budgets
• How connection contributes to building psychological safety

Download the team assessment

Useful Links

Join The Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders

Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangan/

Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/

Follow the Catalyst Careers LinkedIn page for career tips and advice

Interested in working with us?

Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

Enjoyed this Episode?

If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Mentioned in this episode:

Catalyst Career Club for £50k+ Leaders & Managers

Moving up the career ladder needs an inside edge - strategies that allow you to unlock your full potential and position yourself as a true leadership talent. And that's exactly what the Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders provides. No fluff, no corporate jargon. Just a down to earth, purposeful injection of oomph for your career from Pamela & Jacqui Use the code PODCAST to get your first month for £1 https://www.pamelalangan.com/catalystcareerclub

In this episode, we dive into the essential do's and don'ts of creating an effective recruitment process. Drawing from our experience as in house and agency recruiters as well as working with clients to support recruitment, we share our insights and practical tips to help if you're a hiring manager who's just expected to know how to design a great recruitment process!

Key themes:

• The importance of being clear on what / who you want as a candidate before you start recruitment
• Why timely feedback is so important
• How to design interview processes that allow candidates to showcase their skills
• What to think about when creating task or presentation briefs

Useful Links

Join The Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders

Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangancoaching/

Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/

Follow the Catalyst Careers LinkedIn page for career tips and advice

Interested in working with us?

Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

Enjoyed this Episode?

If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Mentioned in this episode:

Catalyst Career Club for £50k+ Leaders & Managers

Moving up the career ladder needs an inside edge - strategies that allow you to unlock your full potential and position yourself as a true leadership talent. And that's exactly what the Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders provides. No fluff, no corporate jargon. Just a down to earth, purposeful injection of oomph for your career from Pamela & Jacqui Use the code PODCAST to get your first month for £1 https://www.pamelalangan.com/catalystcareerclub

In this episode, we discuss the challenges many leaders face when it comes to setting boundaries and saying no at work. We explore why it can feel so difficult to say no, even when you know you should, and share practical tips and insights on how to get more comfortable with it. If you've ever struggled with being a people-pleaser or found yourself drowning in "can you just" requests, this episode is for you.

Key points from this episode

• Why many of us are wired to avoid saying no, even at our own expense
• How to start flexing your "no muscle" and break the people-pleasing habit
• Offering alternative solutions to make saying no feel easier
• The importance of considering the longer-term consequences of always saying yes
• Using questions strategically to help others realise their request may not be necessary

Useful Links

Connect with Pam on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelalangancoaching/

Connect with Jacqui on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacqui-jagger/

Follow the Catalyst Careers LinkedIn page for career tips and advice

Join the Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders

Interested in working with us?

Get in touch about career or leadership development, outplacement workshops or recruitment support via the Catalyst Careers website

Enjoyed this Episode?

If you enjoyed this episode, please take the time to rate and review it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Make sure you're first to hear about new episodes, along with bonus content and free career and leadership tips by signing up on the Career & Leadership Real Talk website

Mentioned in this episode:

Catalyst Career Club for £50k+ Leaders & Managers

Moving up the career ladder needs an inside edge - strategies that allow you to unlock your full potential and position yourself as a true leadership talent. And that's exactly what the Catalyst Career Club for 50k+ Leaders provides. No fluff, no corporate jargon. Just a down to earth, purposeful injection of oomph for your career from Pamela & Jacqui Use the code PODCAST to get your first month for £1 https://www.pamelalangan.com/catalystcareerclub