The First Job Podcast with Fexingo: Entry-Level Roles, New Grads, and Starting Your Career

In this episode of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how new grads can develop a distinctive, effective communication style from day one. Drawing on a 2024 LinkedIn study showing that professionals with a self-aware communication style are 35% more likely to receive a promotion within two years, they break down the four common archetypes—the Clarifier, the Connector, the Advocate, and...

Your first job is a masterclass in negotiation, even if you're not sitting across from a client. In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down how entry-level employees can build a personal negotiation playbook by observing and practicing in low-stakes moments: asking for a deadline extension, proposing a process change, or pushing back on scope creep. They share a real example from a recent grad who...

Starting your first job is exciting, but what if things go wrong? In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the overlooked skill of building a career backup plan before you need it. Using the story of a junior analyst at a midsize bank who was laid off during a restructuring, they break down three concrete steps: mapping your emergency network, creating a digital career portfolio, and establishing a...

In this episode of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how new grads can strategically build a strong internal reputation within their first company — without being obsequious or political. Lucas shares a specific framework from career coach Gorick Ng: the 'three-legged stool' of being known as reliable, original, and a connector. Luna pushes back on whether this works in remote or hybri...

In the 100th episode of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore a counterintuitive career strategy: treating your first job as an insurance policy against future downturns, not just a stepping stone to promotion. They unpack a 2025 LinkedIn analysis showing that new grads who stayed at their first employer for at least 18 months were 40% less likely to experience long-term unemployment durin...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna discuss how new grads can intentionally build a reputation inside their first company without playing politics. They break down three concrete strategies: becoming the go-to person for a specific task, documenting your wins for stakeholders, and asking the right questions in meetings. Lucas shares a story about an entry-level analyst at a mid-size consulting firm wh...

In this episode of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore the concept of a career risk map — a simple framework to identify and manage the biggest threats to your professional growth early on. They break down a concrete case: a new grad at a fast-growing fintech startup who overlooked concentration risk by tying all her learning to a single senior engineer. When that engineer left, her deve...

Episode 97 of The First Job Podcast. Lucas and Luna discuss the concept of a career safety net—financial and professional buffers that protect early-career professionals from unexpected setbacks. Using the example of a recent graduate who saved $5,000 in six months, they break down practical steps: building an emergency fund, maintaining professional relationships, and developing a side skill. The...

In this episode of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how new grads and early-career professionals can start building a personal brand without a big social media following. Using the example of a junior marketing analyst at a mid-sized tech firm who started a bi-weekly internal newsletter about industry trends, they break down the strategy: pick a narrow focus, deliver consistent value...

Episode 95 of The First Job Podcast: Lucas and Luna explore how to design your own learning curriculum in a first job, using the example of a marketing assistant at a midsize tech company who taught herself SQL, Python, and data storytelling over 18 months. They break down the three-step framework: identify skill gaps by reverse-engineering job postings for your dream role, carve out 90 minutes pe...

Episode 94 of The First Job Podcast dives into a skill no one teaches you but every manager wishes you had: building a feedback habit. Lucas and Luna break down why most new grads dread the annual review, and how to turn feedback into a daily, low-stakes practice. With a concrete example from a junior analyst at JPMorgan who asked for a five-minute weekly check-in, they show how to frame requests,...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna discuss how early-career professionals can build a career timeline — not just a resume. Using the example of a software engineer who mapped her first three years into six-month skill sprints, they explore how tracking progress against personal benchmarks (not just performance reviews) can accelerate growth. Lucas shares a framework he calls 'the forward-looking CV'...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into a challenge most new grads face: how to network professionally without feeling sleazy or awkward. They break down a specific approach called 'informational interviewing' — not just the concept, but the exact script and follow-up strategy. Lucas shares a case study: a first-year analyst at a mid-sized consulting firm who cold-emailed 30 people in adjacent r...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how your first job is a perfect training ground for emotional intelligence — a skill that matters more than technical ability for career growth. They break down the concept using a concrete example: how a junior analyst at a mid-size bank turned a tense feedback session into a career-changing relationship by reading the room and managing her own reaction. Th...

In this episode of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore the concept of a career mentor map — a structured approach to identifying and building relationships with multiple mentors who can guide different aspects of your professional growth. Using the example of a first-year marketing associate at a mid-sized tech company, they walk through how to map out mentors for skill development, indu...

Lucas and Luna explore how new grads can build a personal learning system in their first job. Lucas shares a specific case: a junior analyst who created a weekly 'insight log' capturing one concrete lesson per week from meetings, reports, and mistakes. Over two years, that log became a 100-entry portfolio of practical knowledge that helped her land an internal promotion. The hosts discuss why most...

Most career advice tells new grads to climb the ladder — move up, get promoted, earn more. But the world of work has changed: the average person now holds 12 jobs in a lifetime, and the traditional vertical path is often a trap. In this episode of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore the concept of a 'career lattice' — moving sideways, diagonally, or even backward to build skills, relatio...

In this episode of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore the concept of a personal board of directors — a small group of advisors you assemble to guide your career decisions. They break down why a single mentor isn't enough, how to recruit people from different domains (a peer, a senior leader, an outsider), and concrete steps to start building yours in your first year on the job. Luna sha...

Getting the offer is one thing. Leaving well is another. In this episode of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna dig into the art of the career exit — how to negotiate your departure from a first job without burning bridges, and why the way you leave can shape your reputation for years to come. They break down a 2025 LinkedIn survey that found 47% of early-career professionals regretted how they...

Episode 85 of The First Job Podcast explores a career concept most new grads overlook: building a safety net before you need one. Lucas and Luna break down the three-part framework—emergency fund, transferable skills, and network depth—using the story of a marketing coordinator who navigated a sudden layoff in early 2026. They discuss why six months of expenses is the right target, how to identify...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the art of finding and cultivating mentors early in your career, using the concrete example of a first-year analyst at JPMorgan who built a mentor network across three different divisions within six months. They discuss the difference between formal mentorship programs and organic mentor relationships, how to approach senior colleagues without feeling awkw...

In Episode 83 of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna dive into one of the most overlooked career levers for new grads: building a network beyond your immediate team. Lucas shares a specific tactic he calls the 'cross-functional coffee chat' — scheduling fifteen-minute conversations with people in adjacent departments like sales, product, or HR — and explains how these low-stakes meetings can unl...

Lucas and Luna tackle one of the most intimidating conversations for new grads: asking for a raise at your first job. They break down a real case—a marketing coordinator who successfully negotiated a 12% increase after nine months—and walk through the specific prep work, timing, and framing that made it work. Lucas shares a simple but powerful formula for building your case using market data and y...

Most new grads scan a job offer for the salary and start date. In Episode 81 of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna break down the nine clauses a recruiter actually pays attention to — and how missing one could cost you thousands. Using real examples from a 2026 entry-level consulting offer, they walk through signing bonus language, restrictive covenants, non-compete windows, and the 'at-will' f...

Your first job is more than a paycheck — it's the raw material for a career portfolio that can unlock your next opportunity. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore how to systematically collect evidence of your impact, skills, and growth from day one. They break down the concept of a career portfolio (think: a living document, not a dusty folder), share a practical framework for capturing achieve...