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

In this episode, Lucas and Luna tackle one of the toughest challenges new grads face: a bad boss. Using the example of a first-year analyst at a consulting firm who quit after six months, they explore what constitutes a truly bad boss versus a tough-but-fair one, how to set boundaries without burning bridges, and when it's worth sticking it out. Luna shares a personal story about a micromanaging s...

Most career advice focuses on figuring out what you want to do. But for new grads and entry-level workers, knowing what you don't want can be just as valuable. In this episode of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna discuss how a first job can serve as a 'negative signal detector' — helping you identify the tasks, cultures, and industries that drain you. They use the example of a marketing coordi...

Getting rejected from a first job is painful — but it doesn't have to be the end. In this episode of The First Job Podcast, Lucas shares the story of a marketing grad who turned a 'no thanks' email into a six-month follow-up that landed her a role. Luna breaks down the data: roughly 30 percent of hiring managers will reconsider a candidate who stays on their radar respectfully. Together they walk...

In this episode of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna tackle one of the biggest hurdles for new grads and entry-level job seekers: how to craft a standout application when you have zero direct experience. Lucas breaks down the 'scaffolding method'—using transferable skills from part-time jobs, class projects, and volunteer work to build a compelling narrative. They discuss a real case study of...

In this episode of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore why asking great questions is the single most underrated skill for new graduates entering the workforce. Drawing on a 2025 study from the Carnegie Mellon Human-Computer Interaction Institute, they break down the three question types that senior managers wish junior employees would use more: clarifying questions, context questions, an...

Episode 24 of The First Job Podcast tackles the nerve-wracking moment every new grad faces: asking for a raise. Lucas and Luna walk through the timing, the preparation, and the actual conversation—using the example of a marketing coordinator at a mid-sized tech firm who successfully negotiated a 10% increase after nine months. They break down the three documents you need before you even schedule t...

Hosts Lucas and Luna tackle one of the biggest anxieties for new grads: negotiating a first job offer when you have zero leverage. Lucas shares a concrete framework from a 2024 study of 2,000 entry-level offers showing that candidates who asked for one specific thing—a signing bonus or a delayed start date for professional development—got a yes 68% of the time. They break down the 'one-ask rule,'...

In this episode of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna reveal a skill every new grad needs but nobody teaches: how to read a job description the way a hiring manager wrote it. They dissect a real (anonymized) entry-level posting line by line, explaining why 'fast-paced environment' actually means constant change, why 'other duties as assigned' is the most important clause, and how to spot a job...

Getting rejected from entry-level roles is inevitable, but it doesn't have to be a dead end. In this episode, Lucas and Luna share a specific strategy called 'the rejection pivot' that helped a recent grad turn a 'no' into a paid internship at a marketing agency. They break down the exact email template to send after a rejection, why following up with a specific project beats generic persistence,...

In this episode of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna tackle a topic rarely discussed in career guides for new grads: how to resign from your first job without burning bridges. They walk through a real case study of a marketing assistant who left after 14 months for a better opportunity and ended up getting a glowing reference from the boss she feared disappointing. The hosts cover the right wa...

Episode 19 of The First Job Podcast explores how to build mentoring relationships before you've even landed your first job. Lucas and Luna unpack the story of a marketing assistant who cold-emailed 50 senior executives—and got replies from 12. They discuss why informational interviews are not fake job interviews, how to craft an ask that busy professionals actually want to answer, and the three ru...

In this episode of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore a counterintuitive career strategy: treating your first full-time role not just as a job, but as a credential that unlocks your next move. They dive into the story of Maya, a 2024 marketing graduate who spent 14 months as a junior analyst at a mid-sized CPG company, then leveraged that experience into a senior role at a top-tier bran...

In this episode of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore how entry-level employees can leverage their first job to build a side hustle without burning out or violating company policy. They break down the story of Sarah, a marketing coordinator who started a freelance copywriting business on the side after learning client communication skills at her 9-to-5. The hosts discuss practical strat...

In this episode of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna break down the art of the cover letter for entry-level roles. They discuss why most cover letters fail, why you should avoid opening with 'I am writing to apply for...', and how to structure a letter that hiring managers actually finish. Lucas shares a concrete example: a friend who landed a marketing coordinator interview by leading with a...

In Episode 15 of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna tackle a classic entry-level dilemma: how to build a professional network when you're 22 with no connections and no experience. They break down the specific strategy of 'targeted informational interviews'—using LinkedIn to find junior alumni at companies you admire, sending a short non-awkward message, and asking one specific question. Lucas s...

In this episode of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna challenge the conventional wisdom that a big-name corporate job is the safest first step. Using the real story of a 2023 grad who joined a 12-person startup called FieldSync (now 80 employees), they break down the concrete advantages of a scrappy first role: more responsibility faster, direct mentorship from founders, and a resume that shows...

Lucas and Luna make the case that recent grads often overlook small companies, focusing on brand-name employers. They cite data: companies with under 200 employees account for nearly half of all new hires in the US, and first-job tenure at small firms leads to 30% more skill acquisition in the first year. Lucas shares his own story of joining a 40-person startup out of college, where he learned sa...

Every first job is a sales job, whether you're in retail, tech, or a cubicle. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore why developing a sales mindset early in your career pays dividends for decades. They break down the story of a new grad who turned a front-desk reception role into a path to enterprise sales at a Fortune 500 company. Lucas explains the three core sales skills every entry-level work...

Episode 11 of The First Job Podcast tackles a quiet career superpower: the temp-to-perm transition. Lucas and Luna drill into the story of a recent grad who converted a three-month admin temp assignment at a mid-size logistics firm into a permanent operations analyst role. They break down the specific behaviors that made it work — from the early ask ("What would make you want to keep me?") to the...

Lucas and Luna walk through a real scenario facing many new grads: picking between two job offers that look similar on paper but lead in very different directions. They break down the decision framework using a specific case — a marketing role at a large CPG company versus a generalist position at a fast-growing startup. Along the way, they discuss compensation structure, mentorship access, compan...

In this episode of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna tackle a salary anxiety that haunts nearly every new grad: the fear that a low first offer permanently anchors your lifetime earnings. Lucas opens with a concrete case — a 2023 NACE study showing the average starting salary for Class of 2023 was $59,600, up 4.2% from the prior year — then pushes back on the idea that number defines you. They...

In this episode of The First Job Podcast, Lucas and Luna explore why internships have become the single most effective path to a full-time job offer for new graduates. They break down a 2025 NACE study showing that 72% of interns at large companies received return offers, with conversion rates highest in tech and finance. Lucas explains the 'two-intern rule' that many recruiters follow, while Luna...

Episode 7 of The First Job Podcast with Fexingo turns to a counterintuitive strategy for new grads: asking more questions than you answer in your first 90 days. Lucas and Luna unpack a Stanford Graduate School of Education study showing that entry-level employees who ask an average of 11 questions per day during onboarding are rated 23% higher on learning agility by their managers after six months...

In this episode of The First Job Podcast with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna dive into the art of building a powerful LinkedIn profile—even before you have much experience. They discuss why your headline matters more than your job title, how to frame internships and projects as real impact, and the surprising stat that 85% of entry-level jobs are filled through networking. Lucas shares his own first prof...

Lucas and Luna explore why the quality of your first manager often determines your career trajectory more than your starting pay. They break down the 'manager multiplier' concept using real data from a Gallup study showing that employees with great managers are 3x more likely to be engaged and 59% less likely to leave within a year. Lucas shares a concrete framework for evaluating a potential boss...