Authentic Career and Life Design

Laura Kestner-Ricketts, Career + Life Design Coach

In this episode, Laura dives into the importance of using the right keywords on your resume to navigate the challenging job market of August 2025. Discover how AI-driven automation and hiring freezes are impacting job seekers, and learn practical tips to ensure your resume gets noticed by both ATS systems and hiring managers.

Chapters:

• Introduction to the Job Market - Understanding current trends and challenges

• The Power of Keywords - Why they matter and how to find them

• Avoiding Common Mistakes - Tips to prevent keyword stuffing and generic terms

• Customizing Your Resume - The importance of tailoring your application

• Resources and Next Steps - Tools and tips for further learning

Key Takeaways:

Get up to speed on today’s job market—what’s working, what’s not, and why it matters for your search. I’ll show you how to pinpoint the exact keywords that can help your resume rise to the top and how to use them strategically without falling into the trap of keyword stuffing or bland, generic terms. You’ll also learn why tailoring your resume and cover letter for every application isn’t optional anymore—it’s the edge that gets you noticed.

Resources:

Want to see exactly how to do this for your own resume?

• Check out the blogpost: Crafting Your Resume

• Grab my free Resume Checklist

• Check out other job search resources at authentic-careers.com/blog-posts/

Call to Action:

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with someone who might benefit from it. Don't forget to subscribe for more career insights!

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• laura@authentic-careers.com

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Next Episode: Join us next week for the start of our 10-part series, "The Job Search Blueprint."

In this episode of Authentic Career and Life Design, Laura discusses the importance of intention in career development, introducing the seven faces of intention as outlined by Dr. Wayne Dyer. She emphasizes the need to approach job searching from a place of intention rather than stress, and how this internal alignment can lead to more authentic career choices. The episode invites listeners to reflect on their intentions and offers a framework for navigating their career paths with clarity and purpose.

Takeaways

• Your next big career move begins with your intention
• Pause and ask yourself what you want to be moving forward
• Intention helps align your energy for career success
• The seven faces of intention include creativity, kindness, love, beauty, expansion, unlimited abundance, and receptivity.
• Internal alignment is often overlooked in traditional job search advice
• Operating from intention leads to clearer decisions and authentic choices
• Reflect on the intention you want to carry into your career

Chapters

00:00 The Power of Intention

01:24 Reframing Job Search Strategies

02:45 The Seven Faces of Intention

04:48 Internal Alignment in Career Development

06:12 Invitation to Reflect on Intention

BONUS: A free downloadable worksheet with reflection prompts and career action steps. Download: Set Your Career Intention worksheetWant More?

• Subscribe to the blog at authentic-careers.com to get each new post in your inbox
• Prefer to read about this episode? Check out the blog post and companion worksheet
• Download: Set Your Career Intention worksheet
• Ready to take action? Book a free discovery call

• Understanding the flow of change and coherence
• Practical activities for realigning your values and actions
• Real-life stories of overcoming frustration and finding purpose

• Curiosity and Reframing: Explore how curiosity fuels personal and professional growth and how reframing challenges can open new opportunities.
• Radical Collaboration: Find out how collaborating with diverse individuals and perspectives can enhance your career design process.
• The Power of Prototyping: Learn how experimenting with different career paths through internships, volunteering, and informational interviews can help you make more informed decisions.
• Understanding Bias Toward Action: Discover what it means to have a bias toward action and why it’s crucial for overcoming indecision and taking proactive steps in your career.
• Real-Life Examples: Hear compelling case studies of people who successfully navigated their career journies by applying one or more of these mindsets.

• The value of taking small, actionable steps to test out career ideas
• How prototyping can save time and prevent burnout
• Strategies for shifting from indecision to action
• Insights on how to incorporate curiosity and collaboration into your career planning

• Spreaker
• Spotify
• I Heart Radio
• Apple Podcasts
• Amazon Music

• youtube.com/@authentic-careers
• facebook.com/authenticcareers
• pinterest.com/authenticcareers
• authentic-careers.com

• The importance of early and thorough preparation
• How to create your 10/10 list of skills and examples
• Mastering the STAR method for behavioral questions
• The significance of researching the organization

• Spreaker
• Spotify
• I Heart Radio
• Apple Podcasts
• Amazon Music

• facebook.com/authenticcareers
• youtube.com/@authentic-careers
• laura@authentic-careers.com
• pinterest.com/authenticcareers
• authentic-careers.com