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 build a professional reputation starting from day one. They use the case of Emily, a 2024 marketing hire at a midsize tech firm, who transformed from an unknown entry-level employee to someone senior leaders sought out for input—all within 18 months. The hosts break down specific tactics: being the person who asks t...

In this episode of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna discuss how to strategically use your first job as a launchpad for long-term career growth. They explore the concept of 'career capital'—the skills, relationships, and credentials you accumulate early on—and share concrete tactics for identifying high-learning roles, building a reputation as a reliable employee, and positioning yourself for...

Episode 52 of The First Job Podcast explores how new grads can use their first job to build career optionality — the ability to pivot into new roles, industries, or paths without starting from scratch. Lucas opens with the example of a 2021 college grad who spent two years in a customer support role at a logistics SaaS company, deliberately learning SQL, shadowing the product team, and building a...

Episode 51 of The First Job Podcast tackles a topic every new grad worries about but few talk about openly: how to build a financial safety net when you're just starting out. Lucas and Luna break down the 'three-month rule' for emergency funds, explain why your first raise should go straight into a high-yield savings account, and share a real example of a listener who used a side hustle to save $5...

In this milestone 50th episode of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna tackle one of the trickiest career transitions: leaving your first job gracefully. They walk through a real-world case of a new grad at a mid-size marketing firm who resigned after 14 months, and break down the three-part exit playbook: the resignation conversation, the transition document, and the last-week impressions. Lucas...

Lucas and Luna dive into a specific resume strategy: how to write up your college club leadership experience so it actually moves the needle with employers. They break down a real example — a student who ran a 40-member marketing club and turned that into a full-time offer — comparing weak versus strong bullet points. They discuss the shift from listing tasks to quantifying impact, using numbers l...

Episode 48 of The First Job Podcast tackles one of the most intimidating conversations a new grad can face: asking for a raise when you've been in your role less than a year. Lucas and Luna break down a real case study of a marketing coordinator at a mid-size agency who successfully negotiated a 12% increase with only eight months of experience. They walk through the three pieces of leverage you a...

Episode 47 of The First Job Podcast tackles a skill most new grads never learn in school: managing up. Lucas and Luna explore what it actually means to build a productive relationship with your boss, using the case of a first-year analyst at JPMorgan who transformed a rocky start by learning her manager's communication style. They break down the difference between advocacy and apple-polishing, wal...

Episode 46 of The First Job Podcast explores how new graduates can use their first job as a foundation to start a side hustle without burning out. Lucas and Luna discuss the story of a marketing associate who built a freelance graphic design business on the side, hitting $15,000 in revenue in her second year. They break down the practical steps: choosing a side hustle that complements your day job...

Episode 45 of The First Job Podcast tackles the nerve-wracking moment of negotiating your first job offer. Lucas and Luna break down why new grads often leave money on the table—statistics show that 85% of entry-level candidates accept the first offer without negotiating. They walk through a real example: a $45,000 offer with a $5,000 range, explain how to research market rates using sites like Gl...

Episode 44 of The First Job Podcast with Fexingo. Hosts Lucas and Luna talk about how to use your first job as a deliberate stepping stone rather than just a place to collect a paycheck. They focus on the concept of 'career capital' — the skills, relationships, and reputation you build in your first role — and break down a framework from Cal Newport's book 'So Good They Can't Ignore You.' Lucas sh...

Lucas and Luna explore how side projects — not just internships or formal jobs — can launch a career. They break down the story of a new grad who turned a small open-source tool into a full-time role at a major tech company, and walk through the specific steps to make a side project portfolio-ready: choosing the right problem, documenting the process, and leveraging it in interviews. They also dis...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna discuss a framework for choosing your first job based on learning potential rather than salary or title. They break down the 'learning curve ratio' — a simple way to evaluate how much a role will teach you in the first year. Using the example of a marketing coordinator role at a mid-size B2B SaaS company versus a higher-paying but repetitive client services job, the...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna break down exactly what it takes to make a strong first impression on your first day of a new job. They discuss the specific actions that hiring managers and team leads notice, from arriving prepared with questions to reading the room's communication culture. Lucas shares a story about a new hire who impressed him by asking about the team's preferred feedback style...

In Episode 40 of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna tackle a crucial skill that most new grads overlook: setting career goals in your first job. They break down the difference between performance goals (what your manager cares about) and development goals (what you should care about), using the example of a first-year analyst at a mid-size consulting firm who mapped out a 12-month plan using OK...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna tackle the classic catch-22 of entry-level job hunting: every job requires experience, but you can't get experience without a job. They focus on one specific, actionable strategy — reframing your 'non-professional' experience into professional skills on your resume. Lucas breaks down a concrete example: how a part-time campus bookstore job can demonstrate inventory...

Lucas and Luna break down the specific strategies that convert summer internships into permanent job offers, using data from the National Association of Colleges and Employers. They cover the 72-hour rule for post-task follow-up, how to map your intern project to a manager's pain points, and the one question to ask your boss in week two that signals you're thinking like a full-time hire. Luna shar...

Lucas and Luna dive into the art of networking from scratch for entry-level job seekers. With 70 percent of jobs never publicly listed, building connections is critical. They explore the 'weak ties' theory from sociologist Mark Granovetter's 1973 study, which found that 58 percent of people found jobs through acquaintances, not close friends. Lucas shares a concrete tactic: the 'three-step warm ou...

In this episode of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how to strategically position yourself for a promotion in your first job, even if you've only been there six months. They break down the concept of 'promotion velocity' — the idea that the fastest career growth often comes not from waiting years but from making your impact visible early. Using the example of a new grad who got promot...

Lucas and Luna discuss how to transform your first job into a skill-building asset rather than just a paycheck. They explore the concept of 'skill stacking' and the '30% rule' for choosing tasks that stretch your abilities. Using examples from real entry-level roles at companies like Adobe and Shopify, they show how to use performance reviews as a negotiation tool for training and certifications....

In this episode of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore a practical, low-pressure approach to finding a mentor when you're brand new in a role. They break down why the traditional 'ask a busy executive for coffee' method often backfires, and offer a simple alternative: start by identifying three key people in your organization whose work you genuinely admire, then engage with them through...

Episode 33 of The First Job Podcast with Fexingo dives into why building a personal brand early in your career is a strategic move—not just for influencers. Lucas and Luna break down the specific steps a new grad can take without a huge following, using the example of a junior analyst who started sharing industry notes on LinkedIn and landed a mentor at a target firm. They discuss how to choose a...

In Episode 32 of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna tackle one of the most stressful parts of entry-level job hunting: explaining an employment gap on your resume. Whether you took time for travel, family care, health issues, or just struggled to find work, a gap doesn't have to derail your candidacy. Lucas shares a concrete framework from a 2025 LinkedIn survey showing that 62% of hiring manag...

Episode 31 of The First Job Podcast: Lucas and Luna explore the power of informational interviews as a strategy for new grads and early-career professionals. They break down a real example: how a 2025 public policy graduate from the University of Michigan turned 12 informational chats into three job offers at mid-size consulting firms. Lucas shares the specific script she used — a subject line tha...

In this episode of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna tackle a practical challenge every new grad faces: dressing professionally without breaking the bank. Lucas walks through a specific budgeting strategy — spending $300 total, broken into $100 for a blazer, $100 for two pairs of pants, $50 for two shirts, and $50 for shoes — all from stores like Uniqlo, H&M, and thrift shops. He explains why...