Career Composer
Career Composer is a career and life advice podcast “Helping YOU, professionals under 30, navigate your careers with a music-themed twist!” Truly the first of its kind, Career Composer mixes expert career advice with fresh music variety that leaves listeners feeling inspired and motivated to take action.So how does this work exactly? Your host, Erin Ahart, wipes the dust off traditional career concepts and uses music analogies, current events, and storytelling to explain the career advice she provides every day. As a full-time career counselor, Gallup-certified CliftonStrengths Coach, and pianist, she knows that leaning into our passions is the key to f...
The Prelude: Lollapalooza, Simon & Garfunkel, and Music Therapy
The Prelude is your music appetizer to our main Career Composer episodes! Erin introduces today's career topic, chats about music, gives her weekly song recs, and catches you up on all things Career Composer. Thanks for listening!
Career Composer Playlists
Submit Your Song & Playlist Recs!
Socials:
Instagram, TikTok, X/Twitter, Threads: @careercomposer
YouTube: @careercomposer
Email: careercomposerpodcast@gmail.com
1:1 Career Coaching Services: Email Erin at careercomposerpodcast@gmail.com for information about her coaching services! Use "1:1 Career Coaching"...
18. Summertime Sadness: Career Comparisons + Navigating a Quarter Life Crisis
Erin shares her advice for how to navigate a quarter-life crisis (or multiple) and the career comparisons that happen so often in our 20s. When we're all at different places in our lives and careers, it is way too easy to get stuck in a comparison spiral. You're not alone!
We cover:
Erin's most recent quarter-life crisis at Ocean City Maryland (and why Lana Del Rey is the best medicine)Why there is so much pressure to be perfect in our 20s!!!Advice for navigating friendships when we're all in different placesHow money, status, and job...The Prelude: Lana, Sublime, and Elite Dark Chill Summer Vibes
The Prelude is your music appetizer to our main Career Composer episodes! Erin introduces today's career topic, chats about music, gives her weekly song recs, and catches you up on all things Career Composer. Thanks for listening!
Career Composer Playlists
Submit Your Song & Playlist Recs!
Socials:
Instagram, TikTok, X/Twitter, Threads: @careercomposer
YouTube: @careercomposer
Email: careercomposerpodcast@gmail.com
1:1 Career Coaching Services: Email Erin at careercomposerpodcast@gmail.com for information about her coaching services! Use "1:1 Career Coaching"...
17. How to Answer What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses in an Interview
Welcome back to another interview prep episode! Today, we’re breaking down (yet another) one of the most common questions you’ll get in an interview: “What are your strengths and weaknesses?”
It's easier than you think, there is an EXACT formula you can use to answer this question, and you can PREPARE YOUR ANSWER ahead of time!
We cover:
The exact format you can follow to answer both parts of this questionHow to choose the right strengths and weaknesses to mentionWhen to list more than one strength or weaknessWhat not to say when talking a...The Prelude: Not sure what strengths to list in an interview? TRY THIS + Sharps & Flats
The Prelude is your music appetizer to our main Career Composer episodes! Erin introduces today's career topic, chats about music, gives her weekly song recs, and catches you up on all things Career Composer. Thanks for listening!
Career Composer Playlists
Submit Your Song & Playlist Recs!
Socials:
Instagram, TikTok, X/Twitter, Threads: @careercomposer
YouTube: @careercomposer
Email: careercomposerpodcast@gmail.com
1:1 Career Coaching Services: Email Erin at careercomposerpodcast@gmail.com for information about her coaching services! Use "1:1 Career Coaching"...
16. Overnight Sensations: How to Break Into a New Industry
Overnight sensations exist because one day, no one knew about them. And the next day? They blew up. That doesn't mean there weren't YEARS of hard work and challenges they had to overcome to FINALLY make it in their industry!
You might not get your dream job overnight, but IT IS TOTALLY POSSIBLE to change industries! Erin shares EXACTLY how to do it in this episode of Career Composer.
We Cover:
Knowing your WHY: Why are you making a career shift?How to brainstorm job titles and discover hidden roles by task using LinkedIn...The Prelude: How Lainey Wilson, Lil Nas X, and Ice Spice Became Overnight Sensations
The Prelude is your music appetizer to our main Career Composer episodes! Erin introduces today's career topic, chats about music, gives her weekly song recs, and catches you up on all things Career Composer. Thanks for listening!
Career Composer Playlists
Submit Your Song & Playlist Recs!
Socials:
Instagram, TikTok, X/Twitter, Threads: @careercomposer
YouTube: @careercomposer
Email: careercomposerpodcast@gmail.com
1:1 Career Coaching Services: Email Erin at careercomposerpodcast@gmail.com for information about her coaching services! Use "1:1 Career Coaching"...
15. What I Learned About AI & The Future of Work at NACE 2025
Career Composer is back with another jam-packed episode, inspired by the NACE 2025 conference in Philly! Trust me—you’re going to want to take notes.
Today, we’re diving into what every job seeker needs to know in the age of AI:
AI, The Future of Work, and Erin's message to employers who hold the power in the current job marketErin's advice for how job seekers can stand out in the age of AIHow recruiters and hiring managers use AI, and what that means for you!We also cover...
Why the job market feels so com...14. The STARR Method for Answering Behavioral Interview Questions
Welcome back to another episode of Career Composer! It's finally yours - the BEST interviewing technique out there, made simple!
Ready, set, let's talk about THE STARR METHOD.
The STAR (R) Method is a behavioral interviewing technique that ensures you make the most of your answers and have the biggest possible impact on your interviewer(s). Once you get the hang of it, it is SO EASY! (I promise!)
In this episode:
What are behavioral interviews and why do hiring managers use them? Erin breaks down the STAR(R) method acronym and wh...The Prelude: Feel like you do worse in real interviews? DO THIS
The Prelude is your music appetizer to our main Career Composer episodes! Erin introduces today's career topic, chats about music, gives her weekly song recs, and catches you up on all things Career Composer. Thanks for listening!
Career Composer Playlists
Submit Your Song & Playlist Recs!
Socials:
Instagram, TikTok, X/Twitter, Threads: @careercomposer
YouTube: @careercomposer
Email: careercomposerpodcast@gmail.com
1:1 Career Coaching Services: Email Erin at careercomposerpodcast@gmail.com for information about her coaching services! Use "1:1 Career Coaching"...
Job Searching is Like the Dating Apps
Season 2 is HERE! Career Composer is back and today's episode is a spicy one! And honestly, it might hit a little too close to home...
...Because job searching is like the DATING APPS.
Whether you're swiping right or hitting "apply" on your favorite job search platform, the similarities are real! We cover:
Why job searching and dating apps feel exactly the sameWhat filters CAN and CAN'T do for you in your job search and on the dating appsFake jobs and fake dating profilesWhy cyber-stalking is actually smart before interviews and dates!The importance of...The Prelude: Our New Format + The REAL Pink Pony Club
The Prelude is your music appetizer to our main Career Composer episodes! Erin introduces today's career topic, chats about music, gives her weekly song recs, and catches you up on all things Career Composer. Thanks for listening!
Career Composer Playlists
Submit Your Song & Playlist Recs!
Socials:
Instagram, TikTok, X/Twitter, Threads: @careercomposer
YouTube: @careercomposer
Email: careercomposerpodcast@gmail.com
1:1 Career Coaching Services: Email Erin at careercomposerpodcast@gmail.com for information about her coaching services! Use "1:1 Career Coaching"...
12. Creativity at Work: Why Innovation is Gen Z's Baseline with Arianna Risilia
Arianna Risilia joins Career Composer for our new GUEST EPISODE discussing how to be more creative at work!
Arianna is an Elementary General Music Teacher and an AMAZING singer and musician who also loves nature and trying new things. She approaches life with optimism and curiosity and has a LOT to say about why creativity is key to our success as young professionals!
We talk about:
LinkedIn I: START HERE to Get Your LinkedIn Profile Networking Ready!
Welcome back to Career Composer! Networking season is in full swing, so we’re kicking off a 3-part series to help you create a LinkedIn profile that’s ready to go!
LinkedIn and networking are all about one thing - CONNECTION. After listening to this episode, you’ll feel like the main character in your own movie, and employers will leave your LinkedIn profile feeling connected to YOU and your professional brand. Kind of like how it feels leaving the movie theater after watching the best movie ever!
In this episode, Erin teaches you:
Is the Universe Telling You No?
What if nothing in your career is going as planned? It almost feels like the universe is telling you no... You are not alone! In this episode, Erin's got you covered with real life examples of other 20-somethings who have felt this way, too.
Erin talks about:
When to change course or power throughNoticing when signs are pointing you in a different directionThe role we play in our own career trajectories and how external circumstances can influence our careersIt's okay to be totally confused about your career next steps! And what to do next if this i...9. Your Guide to Work, Travel, and Building a Life You Love with Nathalye Chona
Nathalye Chona joins Career Composer for a conversation about work, travel, and building a life you love! Nathalye is the Director of Finance and Accounting at Ziflow, has a dual master’s degree in International Business and Finance from Hult International Business School, and is the founder of Boston Girls Who Walk. Nathalye has done it all, from moving to the U.S. from Venezuela and achieving enormous success early in her career, to traveling to 15 different countries in 2023! This episode is what Career Composer is all about - figuring out who we are, growing in our careers, and ta...
8. Making Friends in a New City!!! ...Because Loneliness Impacts Job Performance
Moving to a new city for your career? Wondering how to make new friends as an adult? Whatever your situation, this episode is for YOU. Your host, Erin Ahart, talks about her experience moving to two new cities and breaks down EVERYTHING she did to make new friends - including what worked and what didn't. You'll leave this episode knowing exactly how to get started. Erin even gives her advice for how to build and maintain new friendships and stay motivated to put yourself out there when loneliness takes all your energy. After all, loneliness actually impacts job performance...
7. All Industry Interview Prep Checklist
Finally!!! Everything you need to prepare for your upcoming interview, all in one place! Erin Ahart shares how to prepare for an interview like you're packing for vacation, and provides listeners with an interview prep checklist that applies for all interviews across all industries. She covers:
What you physically need to bring with you if you’re interviewing in-personWhat to wear and traveling to your interviewErin's favorite interviewing tricks to keep in your back pocketHow to mentally prepare, including how to do your research, what you need to know going in, and how to change your mindset so you...6. How to Answer Tell Me About Yourself in an Interview with Matt Norawong
In this episode of Career Composer, Erin dives into how to answer the question 'Tell me about yourself' in an interview!
Erin shares:
How to use the present, past, future model to craft the perfect response.The importance of making a great first impression and setting the stage for the rest of the interview. (And by the way, we can learn a LOT from Opening Acts in music when answering 'Tell me about yourself' and opening up the interview.) Special guest Matt Norawong shares his answer to this question, providing listeners with a real-world example from a...E5 All I Want For Christmas is a Job
E5 All I Want for Christmas is a Job
Welcome back to another episode of Career Composer! In our special holiday episode, Erin dives into: Navigating the job search during the holiday season and why it’s a great time to apply; Insider HR tips on job postings and what to expect from employers; Emailing employers and keeping open lines of communication during the holidays; Handling nosy relatives and their career questions at family gatherings, including hysterical advice from Reddit and Quora! In the music portion of this episode, Erin highlights cozy fall and winter music and mus...
4. Every Factor You MUST Consider Before Going to Grad School
Grad school can be an important step towards achieving your career goals, but is it always necessary? Erin shares what she's learned from coaching master's and PhD students in her full-time job, as well as from pursuing her own master's degree.
We discuss:
The importance of doing industry researchTHE COST (including potential long-term benefits and financial implications)Balancing grad school and personal life (Hint: it's not easy!)The importance of liking what you learn vs. just going to school for the degreeWork experience and soft skills are equally as important! How to make informed career decisions & alt...3. Should I Go to Grad School? with Sarah Marsan
In this episode of Career Composer, Erin Ahart chats with Sarah Marsan about her journey deciding whether or not to go to grad school. Sarah shares her story from undergrad to her current role, the challenges she's faced, and what helped her make her decision. Erin also gives a sneak peek into the next episode, where she shares her career coach's perspective on every factor you should consider before going to grad school.
Timestamp: Career content - 6:33
Career Composer Playlists
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2. The Death of the Resume Template
Welcome back! Full-time career coach and host Erin Ahart explains why using resume templates can negatively impact your job search, and how to build a stand-out resume instead. Resume templates are dead, so here's why you should NEVER use them! (Unless they're ATS-friendly of course.)
We discuss:
Common mistakes found in templates (Hint: most "pretty" online resume templates are created by graphic designers, not career coaches!)What makes a good resume My tips for creating a resume that ATSs (Applicant Tracking Systems) LOVE!Resources for finding sample resumes to reference onlineTimestamps: Career content - 4:04
1. A Cover Letter is Like a Love Letter
Welcome to the VERY FIRST EPISODE of Career Composer with Erin Ahart! In this episode, Erin explains how writing a cover letter is similar to writing a love letter and shares a simple, three-step process to make sure your cover letters stand out.
Erin introduces her music and professional background, and also shares the unique music-themed approach of this podcast. Don't miss Erin's story about the spicy love letters between Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms!
Timestamps: Career content - 6:41
Career Composer Playlists
Submit Your Song & Playlist Recs!
