Hosted by Jolie Downs, co-owner of Paradigm Staffing and author of “Thriving After 40,” the Career Wanderlust: Your Compass to New Career Horizons podcast features candid conversations with professionals. They share their most impactful career lessons, biggest challenges and how they overcame them. The conversations offer practical advice that listeners can apply immediately to their career journeys. Each episode provides a quadruple win: guests can spotlight themselves and their organizations, listeners gain new perspectives and actionable advice, professionals increase their credibility by sharing their stories and companies get highlighted to a network of tens of thousands of PR, marketing and communications professionals.
What is the podcast about?
Career Wanderlust is an expert interview series that connects with industry leaders to discuss and highlight their best career tips for successfully navigating today’s evolving professional landscape. Whether you’re looking to find and land a new job or advance within your current organization, this podcast aims to spotlight unique experiences and companies while sharing valuable pearls of wisdom that can positively impact professionals across all industries. Episodes typically run 20-30 minutes and cover essential career topics including interview strategies, LinkedIn optimization, promotion tactics, dealing with difficult workplace situations, salary negotiations and what to do when you find yourself unhappy in your current role.
Why should people listen to it?
Career Wanderlust offers real, actionable career advice from people who have actually walked the walk. Unlike generic career content, each episode features industry leaders sharing specific strategies that worked for them, from landing dream jobs to overcoming major career setbacks. Listeners get insider knowledge on topics like breaking into new industries, negotiating offers, dealing with toxic coworkers and positioning themselves for promotions. The 20-30 minute format makes it perfect for commutes or quick learning sessions. The advice is immediately applicable whether you’re job hunting, stuck in your current role or planning your next move.
Who is the podcast for?
- Job seekers looking for proven strategies to land their next opportunity
- Mid-career professionals seeking advancement or considering a career pivot
- Anyone feeling stuck or unhappy in their current role and needing guidance on next steps
- PR, marketing and communications professionals (the podcast’s core network) seeking industry-specific insights
- Ambitious professionals who want to learn from others’ successes and failures
- Career changers exploring new industries or roles
- Women in business who can benefit from hearing diverse career stories and strategies
- Anyone who believes in continuous learning and wants to invest in their professional development
The podcast is particularly valuable for people who prefer learning through real stories rather than theoretical advice. Each guest shares not just what worked, but what didn’t work and what they learned from their mistakes.
Featured episode: The Network Effect with Alex Ebanks; Insights on Goal Setting Mastery, Strategic Volunteering and Building Thriving Teams through Modern Leadership
About the guest
From turning childhood chatter into a networking superpower to navigating the heights of corporate communications, Alex Ebanks shares insights on authentic relationship building and career advancement. Discover how showing—not telling—became the cornerstone of her remarkable journey.
Ebanks is the Vice President of Communications at Fiserv. Previously, she was VP of Communications with Essence Ventures. She oversaw executive, internal and external communications across prestigious brands, including Essence Communications, Afropunk, Beautycon and Essence Studios. Her impressive career spans roles at Microsoft’s Xbox, Coca-Cola and Allied Global Marketing. Alex was recently named among Atlanta Business League’s Top 100 Women and selected as a 2024 Career Influencer of the Year by the T Howard Foundation.
What you’ll learn
- Learn how Alex hasn’t applied for a job online since her first position, leveraging relationship-building instead
- Discover her strategic approach to goal-setting with actionable timelines
- Uncover the power of volunteering in career advancement and network building
Key Takeaways
[03:00] “Don’t tell people your dreams, show them” – The philosophy behind career advancement [07:00] The two-pronged approach to career success: Self-PR and strategic volunteering [13:00] How early career relationships can circle back to create future opportunities [19:00] Leadership insights on managing teams with transparency and partnershipMemorable quote: “Don’t tell people your dreams, show them.”
Biography
Jolie Downs is a powerhouse in the career development space. She combines over two decades of executive recruiting expertise with a passion for helping professionals unlock their full potential. As co-owner of Paradigm Staffing, she has personally interviewed thousands of PR, marketing, communications and sales professionals, guiding them from entry-level positions to C-suite executive roles.
Beyond her recruiting success, Jolie is a multi-faceted entrepreneur and thought leader. She hosts the popular “Career Wanderlust” podcast, the “Thriving After 40” podcast and is the author of “Thriving After 40: Creating Wealth and Abundance through Your Authentic Success.” Her work proves that career reinvention and peak success can happen at any age. As a certified Life & Career Coach and professional speaker, she has helped countless individuals navigate career transitions, negotiate better offers and design lives aligned with their authentic goals. Her mission is simple: to ensure that no one settles for a career that doesn’t fulfill them, regardless of their age, background or current circumstances.
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