Advertise on podcast: Career Cravings

📖 My book, The Career You Crave, is out now! Buy your copy here: US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HFJWYCRC Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0HFJWYCRC Working harder doesn't automatically mean you'll get paid more. After years of leading HR and recruitment teams, helping leaders make compensation decisions, and sitting behind the scenes of these conversations, I've learned that there are really only three situations that create a strong business case for earning more in your current role. In this episode, I'm breaking down exactly what those three situations are and how you can use them to approach your next compensation conversation strategically. Because being loyal, taking on more work, or quietly doing an incredible job doesn't guarantee that someone will notice and offer you more money. I'm also sharing examples from my own career, including how I used a $660,000 cost saving to demonstrate my impact, what I learned when I realized I'd reached my earning potential at one company, and why sometimes hearing "no" can give you exactly the information you need to make your next move. If you know you're bringing more value than your paycheck reflects, I want to help you understand how these decisions are actually made and how to build a business case that makes your impact impossible to ignore. In this episode, you'll learn: The three reasons companies pay you moreWhy working harder isn't enoughHow to prove your value with numbersWhat makes you difficult to loseHow to build your case for a raise Connect with Irina Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/careercoachirina/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irinaposan/Website: https://www.irinaposan.com/

📖 My book, The Career You Crave, is out now! Buy your copy here: US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HFJWYCRC Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0HFJWYCRC Can you love your career and still want more? Absolutely. One month after the release of The Career You Crave, I’m answering your biggest questions about the book, my writing journey, and how to create a fulfilling career without blowing up your life. I’m sharing who I wrote this book for, the hardest stories to include, and how becoming a mother and surviving cancer changed my definition of success. I also explain why career fulfillment evolves as your life changes and how I built Career Cravings while staying in my corporate role for eight months. If you feel that quiet pull toward something more but don’t know where to begin, this episode will help you take your first step with greater clarity. In this episode, you’ll learn: How motherhood, cancer, and major life changes reshaped what I wanted from my careerWhy your definition of career success should evolve as you doHow to approach a career change using my three-step framework: see yourself, trust yourself, and choose yourselfConnect with Irina Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/careercoachirina/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irinaposan/Website: https://www.irinaposan.com/

📖 My book, The Career You Crave, is out now! Buy your copy here: US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HFJWYCRC Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0HFJWYCRC What does it really take to build a successful career and a fulfilling life? For my 100th episode, I’m joined by the person who has influenced my career more than anyone: my husband, John. John shares how he went from working in technical support to becoming Chief Revenue Officer at DocuSketch, without following the traditional path to the C-suite. We talk about people-first leadership, building a professional reputation that creates future opportunities, and why chasing titles won’t guarantee career fulfillment. We also get personal about work-life balance, avoiding burnout, raising our son, and what has helped us continue growing together after 17 years. If you want practical career advice from an executive who has built successful teams while staying deeply committed to his family, this conversation is for you. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why the people you work with can shape your career successHow your reputation and personal brand create future career opportunitiesHow to define success beyond job titles while protecting your life outside work Mentioned & Helpful Links Get your copy of The Career You Crave: https://www.irinaposan.com/bookChicago Book Tour Tickets: https://www.irinaposan.com/tour Connect with Irina Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/careercoachirina/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irinaposan/Website: https://www.irinaposan.com/

📖 My book, The Career You Crave, is out now! Buy your copy here: US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HFJWYCRC Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0HFJWYCRC What if your next career opportunity found you before you even started applying? That’s exactly how I landed my dream Director role without submitting a single job application. In this episode, I’m sharing the LinkedIn strategy that made it possible. Drawing on my experience leading recruitment teams, I’ll show you what recruiters actually look for, how LinkedIn Recruiter works, and why some of the best career opportunities are never advertised. Whether you’re actively job searching or simply want to be ready when the right role appears, you’ll learn how to make your LinkedIn profile discoverable to recruiters without alerting your current employer. In this episode, you'll learn: How to attract recruiters without actively job searchingThe LinkedIn feature most professionals overlookWhy 70% of the best opportunities are never postedHow to become the candidate recruiters search forThe mindset shift that can change your next career moveMentioned & Helpful Links Get your copy of The Career You Crave: https://www.irinaposan.com/bookChicago Book Tour Tickets: https://www.irinaposan.com/tourConnect with Irina Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/careercoachirina/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irinaposan/Website: https://www.irinaposan.com/

📖 My book, The Career You Crave, is out now! Buy your copy here: US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HFJWYCRC Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0HFJWYCRC What if the success you worked so hard for no longer fits the life you want? In this episode, I’m joined by executive coach, keynote speaker, and Career Slay® founder Kelly Poquiz Burke. After building an award-winning marketing career and leading Super Bowl campaigns for major brands, Kelly was diagnosed with breast cancer while pregnant during the pandemic. That experience forced her to reconsider what success meant and whether the career she had built still aligned with the person she had become. Kelly and I explore why achievement doesn’t always create fulfillment, how to recognize career misalignment, and why work-life alignment may be more meaningful than work-life balance. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to recognize when your definition of career success no longer fitsKelly’s framework for making career decisions based on your valuesHow to create greater fulfillment through work-life alignmentMentioned & Helpful Links Get your copy of The Career You Crave: https://www.irinaposan.com/bookBook Tour Tickets: https://www.irinaposan.com/tour Connect with Kelly Poquiz Burke Website: https://careerslay.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellypoquizburke/Career Slay: https://www.instagram.com/careerslay/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-burke/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@careerslayYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@careerslay Connect with Irina Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/careercoachirina/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irinaposan/Website: https://www.irinaposan.com/

📖 My book, The Career You Crave, is out now! Buy your copy here: US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HFJWYCRC Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0HFJWYCRC You know what you want. You’ve listened to that voice telling you there’s more for you. Maybe it’s a career change, a promotion, a side business, a book, or an idea you can’t stop thinking about. But knowing what you want isn’t the part that changes your career. Taking action is. And this is where so many people freeze because they assume a career change requires a dramatic leap. They think they need to quit their job, risk their financial security, or have the entire plan figured out before they begin. I know that fear because I experienced it when I started considering my own career transition from corporate HR to building Career Cravings. In this final episode of my three-part series inspired by The Career You Crave, I’m sharing how I began turning my career clarity into action. I’ll take you inside the conversations I had with my husband, my financial advisor, and my boss before I made a change. I’ll also show you why the safest way to explore a career pivot is to stop endlessly thinking about your idea and start testing it in the real world. The more information you gather, the more confident your next decision can become. You don’t need to blow up your career to build a new one. You need to take the next small step that gives you more clarity than you have today. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to start planning a career change without immediately quitting your job or putting your financial security at riskWhich conversations can help you prepare for a career transition and make your next move with greater clarity and confidenceThree practical actions you can take this week to test your career idea, gather real-world information, and move your dream out of your headMentioned and helpful links Book tour tickets: https://www.irinaposan.com/tour Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/careercoachirina/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irinaposan/ Website: http://www.irinaposan.com/

📖 My book, The Career You Crave, is out now! Buy your copy here: US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HFJWYCRC Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0HFJWYCRC Have you ever felt like you’re meant for more in your career, even if you can’t quite explain what “more” looks like yet? In part two of my three-part series inspired by The Career You Crave, I’m exploring what happens after you recognize that something in your career no longer feels right. Knowing you want something different is one thing. Trusting yourself enough to listen to that feeling is another. For years, I felt pulled toward something more while continuing to pursue the career I thought I should want. I ignored that inner knowing until it began affecting my sleep, draining my energy, and making it impossible to keep pretending everything was fine. In this episode, I’m sharing what it cost me to ignore that feeling and the life-changing moment that finally pushed me to listen. I want this episode to help you quiet the outside noise, put other people’s expectations aside, and create enough space to hear what you actually want. You don’t need to quit your job or have your entire future figured out. You just need to be willing to listen. In this episode, you'll learn: Why feeling "meant for more" mattersThe hidden cost of career misalignmentWhy your intuition gets louder when ignoredThe question that makes fear feel smallerHow to get clear on what you actually wantMentioned and helpful links Book tour tickets: https://www.irinaposan.com/tour Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/careercoachirina/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irinaposan/ Website: http://www.irinaposan.com/

📖 My book, The Career You Crave, is out now! Buy your copy here: US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HFJWYCRC Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0HFJWYCRC You landed the promotion. You checked every box. On paper, your career looks exactly the way you imagined it would. So why does something still feel missing? In this first episode of my three-part series inspired by my new book, The Career You Crave, I’m sharing the story behind my own career crisis and the realization that changed everything for me: achievement and fulfillment are not the same thing. After finally landing what I thought was my dream role, I found myself asking a question I couldn’t ignore: Is this really the life I want? That question forced me to look beyond the job title, the promotions, and everything I thought I was supposed to want. I had achieved the career I had worked so hard for, but it still didn’t feel fulfilling. If you’ve ever felt guilty for wanting more or wondered why your success hasn’t brought you the fulfillment you expected, this episode will help you look inward and begin asking the questions that matter most. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why achieving your dream career doesn’t automatically lead to fulfillmentThe important difference between achievement and fulfillment, and how confusing the two can leave you feeling stuckHow to recognize the subtle signs that your career may no longer be aligned with who you’ve becomeWhy looking inward, instead of immediately chasing the next promotion, can help you find more meaningful workHow to begin defining success based on what truly matters to you, rather than what society expects from youMentioned and helpful links Get my book for free by joining my VIP launch team: https://www.irinaposan.com/VIP Book tour tickets: https://www.irinaposan.com/tour Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/careercoachirina/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irinaposan/ Website: http://www.irinaposan.com/

This week's episode is unlike any other. With just one week until the launch of The Career You Crave, Irina shares a deeply personal reading from the introduction of her upcoming book—the story that changed everything. She opens up about the life-altering cancer diagnosis that forced her to stop ignoring the questions she'd been avoiding for years. After finally landing what she thought was her dream role, she found herself asking a question so many ambitious professionals quietly wrestle with: Is this really it? In this vulnerable episode, Irina explores the pursuit of fulfillment, why success on paper doesn't always feel fulfilling in reality, and the powerful reflection questions that ultimately led her to leave corporate HR and build Career Cravings. If you've ever felt like there's more waiting for you—even if you can't quite explain it yet—this episode is your invitation to stop pushing those thoughts aside and start listening to them. In this episode, you'll learn: Why your dream job can still leave you feeling unfulfilledThe one question that completely changed Irina's career and lifeHow "golden handcuffs" keep high achievers stuck longer than they should beWhy you don't need a crisis to start creating a career you actually loveThe first step to building a career that's aligned—not just impressiveMentioned and helpful links Get my book for free by joining my VIP launch team: https://www.irinaposan.com/VIP Book tour tickets: https://www.irinaposan.com/tour Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/careercoachirina/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irinaposan/ Website: http://www.irinaposan.com/

The job market may have changed, but one thing hasn't: the best opportunities don't go to the most desperate candidates. They go to the professionals who know how to position themselves as the solution. In this episode, Irina sits down with career strategist Anna Belyaeva to unpack what it really takes to stand out in today's AI-driven hiring landscape. Together, they explore how mindset influences every stage of the job search, why rejection feels so personal, and how shifting from "pick me" energy to strategic confidence can completely change your results. Anna shares practical strategies for navigating today's competitive market, building meaningful relationships, communicating your value, and approaching your career like the high-impact business decision it truly is. If you're feeling discouraged by the job market or preparing for your next career move, this episode will help you regain confidence, refine your strategy, and take back control of your career. In this episode, you'll learn: Why great candidates still get overlookedHow to ditch "pick me" energy for goodWhy rejection isn't as personal as it feelsThe job search strategy most people missHow to position yourself as the obvious choice About Anna Belyaeva Anna Belyaeva is a career strategist and founder of The Career Diet. She works with high-achieving mid-to-senior professionals who are successful on paper but struggling to make their next move in today's AI-driven market. She helps professionals land $150K–$300K+ roles by shifting how they approach their careers through strategic relationships, clear positioning, and communicating their value effectively. Anna has experienced every side of the hiring process—from navigating competitive job searches herself while pivoting industries and building a career in a new market, to leading recruitment for top employers in Canada. Today, she teaches these strategies to thousands of professionals through her 300K+ online community, LinkedIn Learning courses with more than 70,000 learners, The Career Diet Podcast, and features including LinkedIn's official Get Hired Podcast. Get my book for free by joining my VIP launch team: https://www.irinaposan.com/VIP Book tour tickets: https://www.irinaposan.com/tour Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/careercoachirina/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irinaposan/ Website: http://www.irinaposan.com Mentioned and helpful links Anna Belyaeva's website: https://thecareerdiet.com The Career Diet Podcast: https://thecareerdiet.com/podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecareerdiet/

The biggest dreams are rarely the ones you announce confidently. They are the ones you write privately in your journal, think about for years, and immediately talk yourself out of because they feel too ambitious, too unrealistic, or too far away from where you are today. In this episode, Irina is sharing the messy middle of pursuing three dreams that scare her enough to say out loud: becoming a bestselling author, creating an unforgettable five-city book tour, and becoming the kind of speaker who can carry the message of The Career You Crave onto bigger stages. This is not the polished story told after everything works out. It is the behind-the-scenes reality of investing before you feel ready, learning skills you have never needed before, managing imposter syndrome, and taking tangible action toward goals you cannot fully control. Inside this episode: Why your biggest dreams should scare you The hidden cost of waiting until you're "ready"  What becoming a bestselling author has really required  How to stop letting imposter syndrome make your decisions  The question that can completely change what's possible for your futureYou do not need to know exactly how your biggest dream will happen. But you do need to stop treating it like a private fantasy and start taking the first action that makes it real. Mentioned and helpful links Get my book for free by joining my VIP launch team: https://www.irinaposan.com/VIP Book tour tickets: https://www.irinaposan.com/tour Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/careercoachirina/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irinaposan/ Website: http://www.irinaposan.com/

You've probably heard the advice to become your "best self." But what if that's the very thing keeping you stuck? In this episode, Irina sits down with Carly Ottaway, founder and CEO of Web of Words, bestselling author of Coming Home, and host of The Favourite Self Podcast. Through her work helping founders build authentic brands and her own journey of rebuilding after life's hardest moments, Carly has discovered that the most powerful version of yourself isn't some future destination. It's the version of you that already feels the most alive. Together, they explore what it means to stop performing, start trusting yourself, and build a career and life that's rooted in authenticity instead of perfection. Inside this episode: The difference between your best self and your favorite self, and why it changes everythingHow showing up authentically creates confidence in interviews, networking, and career conversationsWhy over-preparing and scripting can actually hold you back from making genuine connectionsHow to trust the unknown when your career path isn't unfolding the way you expectedIf you've been waiting until you feel more confident, more qualified, or more ready before going after what you want, this episode is your reminder that the version of you you're looking for may already be here. Mentioned and helpful links Buy my book here: https://www.irinaposan.com/book  Free Book tour tickets: https://www.irinaposan.com/tour Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/careercoachirina/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irinaposan/ Website: http://www.irinaposan.com Carly Ottaway's website: https://www.carlyottaway.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itscarlyottaway/

You landed the role you wanted. The title looked right on LinkedIn. The pay was better. The path made sense. So why does it feel like something is missing? That feeling, the quiet I thought this would feel better than it does isn't a sign you made the wrong move. It's a sign you evolved and your career didn't evolve with you. And it's the single most common pattern I see in clients who have done everything "right" and still feel stuck. In this episode, I'm breaking down the two factors most professionals miss when planning their next career move. The two filters that determine whether the next role will actually feel meaningful, or whether you'll be back here in six months wondering what's wrong. I'm also sharing the story of the promotion I almost talked myself out of. I was a month pregnant, terrified, and convinced I couldn't handle it. What happened next reshaped how I think about career alignment and what it actually takes for work to feel fulfilling. Inside this episode:  ✔️ The two factors most people skip when choosing their next role  ✔️ Why career fulfillment isn't a job problem, it's an alignment problem  ✔️ The story of the promotion I tried to give back to someone else  ✔️ How your season of life changes what you actually need from work  ✔️ Why your values at 25 won't fit your career at 35  ✔️ How to use season and values as decision filters for every career move  ✔️ Journal prompts to map who you've become and what you want next If you've been quietly wondering whether the next promotion is really going to fix what's missing, this episode is for you. Mentioned and helpful links JOIN THE OFFER ROOM, BONUS ENROLLMENT:  https://www.irinaposan.com/room Get my book for free by joining my VIP launch team: https://www.irinaposan.com/VIP Book tour tickets:  https://www.irinaposan.com/tour  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/careercoachirina/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irinaposan/ Website: http://www.irinaposan.com/

This is a different kind of episode. I turned the mic on the moment it happened. I'd just gotten off a call with my coach, I'd been crying for 15 minutes straight, and I had this knowing in my body that everything in my life was about to change. Not a hope. Not a wish. A certainty. So I documented it. In this episode, I'm sharing the practice I've used during every quantum leap in my life. The one that helped me move from poverty in a war torn country to the life I'm living now. The one I used when I was diagnosed with cancer and knew I'd be in perfect health again. The one I used to manifest a million dollars in our bank account, to attract my dream director role without applying, and now, to know with absolute conviction that I'm becoming a best selling author in the next 90 days. This is the practice my own coach took me through this week. It's the same one I write about in The Career You Crave. And it's the reason I no longer wait for evidence before I believe. Inside this episode:  ✔️ The moment I felt my next quantum leap arrive and what it looks like in my body  ✔️ Why certainty has to come before the evidence, not after  ✔️ The 100 Reasons exercise that builds unshakable belief in your biggest dream  ✔️ How I've used this practice through cancer, career changes, and business launches  ✔️ Why most people wait for permission they're never going to get  ✔️ How to live as if your biggest dream has already happened If you have a dream that feels too big for the path you can currently see, this episode is for you. Mentioned and helpful links Join my Free Masterclass: https://www.irinaposan.com/livetraining  Get my book for free by joining my VIP launch team: https://www.irinaposan.com/VIP Book tour tickets:  https://www.irinaposan.com/tour  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/careercoachirina/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irinaposan/ Website: http://www.irinaposan.com/

"Just be yourself in the interview." It's the most repeated career advice on the internet, and it's quietly costing people job offers every single day. Because here's the truth: the interview process isn't designed to reward the most honest candidate. It's designed to find the person who can communicate their value most clearly in a very small window of time. And there are six specific questions where being too transparent will move you backwards, not forwards. In this episode, I'm breaking down the six interview questions where honesty hurts you, and the exact reframes I teach my clients to use instead. This isn't about being fake. It's about understanding what each question is actually trying to assess, and answering in a way that keeps you in the running. Inside this episode:  ✔️ Why sharing your current salary can cost you tens of thousands in your next offer  ✔️ How to talk about a difficult boss without making yourself the red flag  ✔️ The push vs pull reframe for why you're leaving (and why pull always wins)  ✔️ How to answer "where do you see yourself in five years" without scaring the hiring manager  ✔️ What to say when they ask if you're interviewing elsewhere (hint: never say no)  ✔️ How to position your experience for a more senior role without inflating your title  ✔️ The difference between authentic interviewing and oversharing If you've ever walked out of an interview thinking I was too honest in there, this episode is the strategy shift you've been missing. Mentioned and helpful links Join my Free Masterclass: https://www.irinaposan.com/livetraining  Get my book for free by joining my VIP launch team: https://www.irinaposan.com/VIP Book tour tickets:  https://www.irinaposan.com/tour  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/careercoachirina/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irinaposan/ Website: http://www.irinaposan.com/