We released more episodes than ever before this year, and many job seekers told us they found this podcast just at the right time for the encouragement they needed to get through. In a year filled with layoffs, furloughs, and changing industries, we were honored that this podcast could provide support for people going through a difficult chapter of their career.

So, we wanted to look back at 2020 with the top Career Warrior Podcast episodes of the year. These were our five most downloaded episodes, so they’re the most intriguing according to you, our wonderful listeners.

Did you hear all of these episodes? If not, listen up to grab all of the game-changing career advice you missed! And if you’re new to the podcast in 2021, this is a great place to start.

We’re so thankful for all the support that was given to the podcast and the company last year! Stay tuned for even bigger plans in 2021 😉

The Most Downloaded Career Warrior Podcast Episodes of 2020

#1: 107) Interview Techniques: Your 30-60-90 Day Plan | Merryn Roberts-Huntley

(Bonus episode for #2: 100) Your Next Secret Weapon for Interviews)

Struggling with getting callbacks after your interviews? If you use this technique for every job interview from now on, you’ll be sure to land an offer more quickly.

Repeat guest Merryn Roberts-Huntley of Made to Hire is one of our favorite career coach partners, and you’ll easily hear why in these two related episodes. (#107 is our most downloaded episode of the year, but it’s actually a bonus episode from Merryn’s larger episode #100.)

She has stellar advice to share on job searching, especially on interviewing skills and developing a professional presence. We guarantee you haven’t heard an interview tip more effective than her interview portfolio strategy.

Listen to episode #100 to learn:

• How bringing a customized portfolio to your interview (instead of just a resume) sets you apart from the competition
• The seven parts of an effective interview portfolio
• How to format/package your portfolio and refer to it in the interview
• Detailed tips on how to write a suitability map and get the best recommendation letter possible

AND listen to bonus episode #107 to learn about one more piece of the interview portfolio:

• How to construct an impactful 30-60-90 day plan that will show exactly how you will crush it once you’re hired for the role

#3: 136) How to Write a Top 1% Cover Letter

Cover letters get a bad rap. You might have heard stats about how “no one reads cover letters anyway” or “recruiters usually skip them”, but here’s a secret — that’s because most cover letters they read stink. If a hiring professional doesn’t read a cover letter, it’s probably because it just restates the resume and/or spits out boring, generic information that could be written for any job with any company. Those cover letters don’t make a difference.

But a great cover letter, on the other hand, can make all the difference. Recruiters may sometimes skip cover letters on their initial scan, but that’s because your cover letter is meant to convince a hiring manager who’s on the fence about your resume. If you write a cover letter that does just that by using the techniques in this episode, you can stand out from the competition, especially if you don’t have as much to showcase on your resume as them.

Listen to this quick 10-minute minisode to learn how to write a Top 1% cover letter by:

• Including unique info about the company’s mission and showing how you align with their values
• Showing how you’ll solve problems for this particular company
• Telling specific stories that elaborate on your resume
• Using the magic of highlighters to make sure your letter is free of irrelevant info

#4: 111) Spruce Up Your Resume Content and Design

Remember in-person events?! We sure miss them and were happy to share some of our live presentations on the podcast. This recording of Chris presenting at General Assembly Austin’s 2020 Career Camp with instructor Erin Ford was a hit episode, as it’s filled with rapid-fire resume tips and answers to burning questions on writing and designing the best resume possible.

Listen to learn:

• How to easily format your resume to make it ATS-compliant — and why you should avoid fancy, outside-the-box templates when submitting applications online
• How far you should go back on your resume to avoid ageism
• Whether you should include volunteer experience on your resume
• Which file format you should save your resume as

#5: 103) Rebranding Yourself for Your Career | Kanika Tolver

January 2020 seems like decades ago! Before we even knew how many people would be forced to make career pivots this year, Kanika Tolver shared some revolutionary tips for job seekers to rebrand themselves and plan for a career they love. 

Kanika is a career coach, an engaging and energetic speaker, and author of Career Rehab: Rebuild Your Personal Brand and Rethink the Way You Work. (She’s also one of our repeat podcast guests, which should tell you how awesome she is!) She shared her own story of pivoting after building a successful federal IT career and showed us that anyone can think of their professional accomplishments as a brand to make them attractive to new employers.

Listen to learn: 

• Her 3-step process for preparing for your next career move: 1) Brand, 2) Market, and 3) Sell
• How planning out your career is like building a house, and how to arrange your own Career Floorplan, Career Rooms, and Career Appliances to ensure you target the right jobs before applying
• How to face doubts about your career pivot from both Kanika’s and Chris’ own pivot stories

It’s been such a pleasure producing this podcast for you, and we’re excited for everything that 2021 has in store.

Keep pushing for success, Career Warriors!

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