Tips For Work And Life With Andrew Lacivita

Question for ya… When the interviewer asks you to “tell me about a time when…,” do you: A) Launch into a timeline of tasks you completed? B) Rattle off a list of responsibilities? C) Sound like your own resume? (Oy to the vey.) If so, don’t worry. You’re not alone. But you are probably leaving value on the table. Here is a capital “T” truth… Most people report work history. Few, if any, tell real stories. Almost no one uses those stories to sell who they truly are. But that’s exactly what interview storytelling should be. This week’s podcast is one of the most important lessons I can give you on how to elevate your interview game and position yourself as THE standout candidate. Excitement alert: You will squeal with glee if you’ve ever wondered I’m just a cog in the wheel and my background feels narrow. I’m not sure how to sound valuable or impactful. What you’ll learn alert:The real purpose of storytelling in interviews (big hint: it’s not just to explain what you did). Why sounding “too junior” is a storyt

I know it’s tempting. A recruiter emails you with your job offer. You want to reply quickly. Clear things up. Maybe even negotiate. But email is the worst place to have that conversation. Why? Have you ever heard of Albert Mehrabian? He developed “The Mehrabian Rule.” Catchy, yes. But more importantly, true. His rule is also known as the 7-38-55 rule. It suggests, that in communication, the impact of any message is divided into pieces. 7% from the words spoken (or, in your inclination, written). 38% from the tone of your voice. 55% from your body language. Now, I realize you might not have my 9 semesters of higher math I needed to endure at THE Iowa State University to get my rarely-used Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering, so let me help you with the calculation. That’s 93% of your communication power not at your disposal in an email. When it comes to negotiating your salary, tone, timing, and tactics matter. Plus, the real-time going round-and-round and back-and-forth is somewhat necessary. You ba

Ever felt cornered when a recruiter asks, “What’s your expected salary?” Only you and about a bajillion other job seekers. I’m a little sick and tired of silly recruiters cornering you about this. It’s TOO EARLY in the process to be doing this nonsense. Why do people not show each other their “balance sheets” on the first date, amiright?!?! Even so, your matchmaker Coach here wants you to handle the pressure with grace and simultaneously avoid lowballing or highballing yourself. Here’s the script and I included the backdoors and escape hatches too. If you'd like to build a great career and lead a rewarding life, check out some of these other places where I share my teachings: 1. Check out the milewalk Academy, my coaching and training site, for freemiums and premiums. 2. I have hundreds of educational and inspirational videos on my YouTube Channel. 3. Grab any of my three books related to interviewing, hiring, and goal setting. All can be found on my Amazon Author Page. 4. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, T

Lisa asked me a great question the other day. “Coach, how do I know which story to tell in a job interview?” Here’s what I told her. If you want to win the interview, there’s one thing to focus on. Function. As in, what they actually need you to do. Not who you are. Not how nice you seem.What. You. Can. Do. See, you get hired for WHAT you can do. You get fired for WHO you are. So, here’s a quick video to you dial in your focus during the interview. In this shortie (well, Coach Andy’s version of shortie), I walk through: What to look for in the job description. How to reverse-engineer your stories. And how to match what you say to the work they need done. Because if they don’t believe you can do the thing… You don’t get the thing. Hope this helps you dial in and dial up your next interview! If you'd like to build a great career and lead a rewarding life, check out some of these other places where I share my teachings: 1. Check out the milewalk Academy, my coaching and training site, for freemiums and premiu

Worried your age is playing villain in your job search? Lemme tell about Jayme. She joined my Job Search Coaching Program when she was 74. Got a job with Verizon by beating out literally 10s of thousands of people. She says so right here in the over 50 section (but I’m wondering if I should create an over 70 section).

Have you ever had a recruiter reach out, spark your interest, and then disappear without a trace? You’re not alone. Just ask JF. (7 times within 3 weeks. Ouch.) In just 4 minutes and 19 seconds, I break down why this happens and what it really means. Here’s the thing: Recruiters aren’t bad people. They’re not trying to mess with you. But the system? It’s messy. Understanding the real reasons behind the ghosting can save you from unnecessary frustration and help you better navigate your job search. Give today’s show a listen to reclaim your peace of mind! If you'd like to build a great career and lead a rewarding life, check out some of these other places where I share my teachings: 1. Check out the milewalk Academy, my coaching and training site, for freemiums and premiums. 2. I have hundreds of educational and inspirational videos on my YouTube Channel. 3. Grab any of my three books related to interviewing, hiring, and goal setting. All can be found on my Amazon Author Page. 4. Follow me on Instagram, Linke

Happy Sunday. I know many people are at church right now praying and healing and doing a bunch of other beneficial acts.  Need some healing from your job search? Have you ever heard of the “wild horse effect?” Story goes the horses in the African savanna tend to get bitten by bats. The bats draw a miniscule amount of blood, but the horses, because of the minor irritation, go crazy, run around, get exhausted, and basically realize their downfall. All from a tiny little bite that is the equivalent of pinch. I don’t think you need a neon sign to get the analogy, but to give you a scoot, the employers are the bats. I’ve got a little something today to heal those bites so you don’t start running around stressed and exhausted… If you'd like to build a great career and lead a rewarding life, check out some of these other places where I share my teachings: 1. Check out the milewalk Academy, my coaching and training site, for freemiums and premiums. 2. I have hundreds of educational and inspirational videos on my YouT

If you’ve recently been laid off—or just want to be prepared in case it happens—I’ve got you covered today with a step-by-step recovery plan. It’s the final piece in my 3-part layoff series and I’m walking you through 10 critical moves to bounce back faster, stronger, and smarter than before. (If you missed parts 1 and 2, catch the Top 7 Reasons for Layoffs and Questions to Ask to Avoid Them and Layoff-Proof Your Career: 10 Proven Strategies to Secure Your Job.) In today’s comeback session, I covered how to: Quickly gather the right materials from your employer before access is cut. Craft a compelling layoff story that builds confidence and credibility. Take control of your finances and daily routine during the transition. Build a proactive job search plan that gets results Stay visible, sharp, and in demand—even if you’re out of work.  A layoff can feel like a punch to the gut, but it doesn’t have to derail your career. With the right actions, you can turn this setback into a powerful setup for your next b

No one ever plans to be laid off—but in an uncertain job market, the most successful professionals are the ones who plan not to be. Last week, I hit the first part one of my layoff survival series with Top 7 Reasons for Layoffs and Questions to Ask to Avoid Them. In my newest lesson, I share 10 powerful strategies to make yourself indispensable at work—the kind of employee companies fight to keep, not cut. I covered: How to consistently deliver measurable results your company can't ignore. The exact skills that make you layoff-resistant in any industry. Smart ways to stay visible (without bragging) and build influence with decision-makers. Why adaptability and financial awareness can protect your role. The mindset shift that helps you spot company risk—and prepare early. If you’re not actively working to become indispensable, you may be more replaceable than you think. Today’s lesson will show you how to strengthen your position inside your company, build long-term career security, and create opportunities

In today's unpredictable job market, understanding the reasons behind company layoffs is crucial for your career stability. That’s why I not only created today’s lesson for you, but I created an entire trio to, eh, triage your situation and keep you layoff-proof and thriving. First, let’s start with the top 7 reasons companies lay off employees and how you can identify the warning signs early. I covered: The primary factors that lead to layoffs, including financial constraints, restructuring, technological advancements, and more. Key indicators that suggest your company or future employer might be considering layoffs. Strategic questions to ask during interviews to assess a company's stability and reduce your risk of future layoffs. Being informed allows you to take proactive steps to safeguard your career. By recognizing potential red flags early, you can make informed decisions about your current position or future opportunities. I never want you to leave career to chance. Let’s get you equipped with the

There’s a spectrum of proficiency, and it starts in the worst possible place. That’s when you’re unconsciously incompetent—you're not good at something, and worse, you don’t even know you’re bad at it or what to do about it. Think job interviewing. If you put in some effort, you might move to consciously incompetent stage—you know what you should do (like the strategies your dear Coachy Andy teaches), but you’re not quite there yet. Fast forward through the grind, and let’s skip some steps for email brevity, until you hit the sweet spot: unconsciously competent. That’s when you’re so good, it’s automatic. You’re nailing it without even thinking about it. As your coach, I’m here every week to help you climb this spectrum, especially when it comes to building your career. And let’s face it—interviewing is one of the biggest hurdles in career advancement. So, we’re tackling that head-on this week. Today, we’re uncovering the three most brutal interview killers that trip up 99% of job candidates. Spoiler alert: t

Are you a rambler? Fast talker? Slow talker? Nervous when asked a question in an interview and curious just how long that ideal answer should be? Or, how to deliver it concisely? Powerfully? Today, it’s all about staying on track when you respond to interviewers. Whether your response is one minute, three minutes, or five minutes, it needs to be packaged with the right information, powerful words that paint a picture, and phrases that elicit the feelings you want the interviewer to have about you. That’s right. They hire you based on feelings. Why? Because they have to hire you (or not) based on something. And, they don’t exactly have enough time to get all the information they’d actually need to know whether you’d be a star. (Even though you and your beloved Coach are already certain that’d be the case.) What’s more, they think four times faster than you can talk, so that gives them ample time to imagine. Let’s get them imagining how awesome their lives will be once they hire you! If you'd like to build a gr

Feel like you never have enough time to prep for an interview? Ever been contacted by an employer who wanted to talk right away? And you deferred? BIG mistake. You never want the employer waiting on you. I don’t care about the double standard. If someone is interested in you, strike when the iron is hot! If you ever feel rushed to prepare for an interview, one thing is certain… You did not approach your job search the correct or efficient way. You should never need more than an hour to prepare for an interview. Today, I’m going to tell you why and give you the steps so you will never feel rushed again. If you'd like to build a great career and lead a rewarding life, check out some of these other places where I share my teachings: 1. Check out the milewalk Academy, my coaching and training site, for freemiums and premiums. 2. I have hundreds of educational and inspirational videos on my YouTube Channel. 3. Grab any of my three books related to interviewing, hiring, and goal setting. All can be found on my Ama

My life is full of left turns. Electrical engineering graduate to IT consultant. IT consultant to executive recruiter. Executive recruiter to career coach. Don’t even get me started on blogger, author, speaker, trainer, podcaster, YouTuber, and aspiring TikToker. I know a thing or a bajillion about making a career change. If there’s only one piece of advice I could give you, it’d be this… If you'd like to build a great career and lead a rewarding life, check out some of these other places where I share my teachings: 1. Check out the milewalk Academy, my coaching and training site, for freemiums and premiums. 2. I have hundreds of educational and inspirational videos on my YouTube Channel. 3. Grab any of my three books related to interviewing, hiring, and goal setting. All can be found on my Amazon Author Page. 4. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter (X), TikTok, Threads, and Facebook. 5. Stay in touch with me in your email inbox by joining my newsletter here! --Andy

When candidates prepare for their interviews, most make the mistake of solely focusing on rehearsing answers to common questions. Uh, no good. I’ve got a much more effective way to truly elevate your performance and get better results. Remember, as I’ve reminded you, oh, I dunno, about a bajillion times, the most qualified candidate often doesn't get the job. So, there are other aspect of your interview interaction you need to nail! There’s the storytelling part. I’ve gone to great lengths to teach you my CAAR technique and how to prepare and package your “power stories.” Those lessons are fantastic and you can find them on my YouTube channel. They will teach you tactically how to identify the right stories and deliver them. That is, how to write the lyrics to the song. Today, however, I have a next-level lesson on ways to improve your “performance.” I’m talking not about the song itself, but the singing, dancing, and energetic part of the delivery that is overlooked by job seekers but mostly what the intervi

The job market sky isn't falling. The data says what we're experiencing right now is as average as it gets. Don't believe me? If you've got ~ 13 minutes or so, give this a listen. If you'd like to build a great career and lead a rewarding life, check out some of these other places where I share my teachings: 1. Check out the milewalk Academy, my coaching and training site, for freemiums and premiums. 2. I have hundreds of educational and inspirational videos on my YouTube Channel. 3. Grab any of my three books related to interviewing, hiring, and goal setting. All can be found on my Amazon Author Page. 4. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter (X), TikTok, Threads, and Facebook. 5. Stay in touch with me in your email inbox by joining my newsletter here! --Andy

Education does NOT get you paid. Knowledge is NOT power. The only thing that matters in life (as it relates to your career success) is the value of the assets you produce. Some might call this the application of your knowledge. Right now, how do you feel about your renumeration in relation to your hard work? That’s another little bugger. Hard work does NOT equal pay just like knowledge itself is not value. And don’t even get me started about that variable called “time” and the inertia it produces when it comes to capping your value and earning power for that matter. If you’re trading your muscles for money, your capacity to increase your income is limited. Even I trade my brain for money when I coach individuals, which caps my earning capacity because I can only coach one person during that one hour. If you’re managing lots of people or I perform a group coaching session, our income capacity will still be handicapped in some way or another. How ‘bout, today, I help you understand the limiters and accelerators

Bad assumptions. Change that. Assumptions of any kind. They simply ruin your negotiation process. Any time you speak first, you’re making an assumption. Anytime you’re thinking, you’re making an assumption. I know this sounds ridiculous, but unless you actually have a job offer in hand, you don’t know what the employer is thinking. This is public enemy #1—assumptions—when it comes to negotiating an offer. Public enemy #2 is not knowing what success looks like and how to argue your value in relation to it. Let’s have a chat on that today. Enjoy Negotiating Salary | The Information You Need Before You Counteroffer and please think of me with every automatic deposit of your paycheck! If you'd like to build a great career and lead a rewarding life, check out some of these other places where I share my teachings: 1. Check out the milewalk Academy, my coaching and training site, for freemiums and premiums. 2. I have hundreds of educational and inspirational videos on my YouTube Channel. 3. Grab any of my three book

“It hurts me […] when you’re so awesome, but you just can’t convey your awesomeness in a bite-sized package that sells you best […] because you want to add all these albatrosses around your neck with dead-weight words that don’t do anything or paint a colorful picture.” That’s verbatim from today’s lesson on Why You Fail Job Interviews and the Best Way to Fix it (CAAR). I know it’s verbatim because I kept stopping the video every few seconds so I could type the words just like I said them. We’re diving into perspective, new ways to look at how you convey yourself, and the exact formula to use. You know me. I’m all about the formulas. If you'd like to build a great career and lead a rewarding life, check out some of these other places where I share my teachings: 1. Check out the milewalk Academy, my coaching and training site, for freemiums and premiums. 2. I have hundreds of educational and inspirational videos on my YouTube Channel. 3. Grab any of my three books related to interviewing, hiring, and goal sett

Does it feel like you’re working hard at your job search but not getting results? Could it be you’re working hard at all the wrong things? Well, I’m about setting a direction, working the best steps, capturing data, making adjustments, and finding success fast! I know job searching stinks. I know you don’t do this very often. I feel for you. I truly do, which is why I created today’s video for you. It’s about how to view your job search correctly. Chart your path. Capture the right data. With a 9-step formula I know works. Let’s get after it! If you'd like to build a great career and lead a rewarding life, check out some of these other places where I share my teachings: 1. Check out the milewalk Academy, my coaching and training site, for freemiums and premiums. 2. I have hundreds of educational and inspirational videos on my YouTube Channel. 3. Grab any of my three books related to interviewing, hiring, and goal setting. All can be found on my Amazon Author Page. 4. Follow me on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter