Customer Success Career Coach, Career Tips and Proven Job Interview Strategies For Every Customer Success Manager (CSM)

Is applying on LinkedIn actually dead, or is that just what everyone wants you to believe?
In this episode, I’m sitting down with fellow CS career coach, Rachel Provan, for a real conversation about what we’re seeing in the customer success job market right now. We’re getting into whether applying online is still worth your time, the one tiny detail that got six or seven resumes skipped in literally a second and a half, what recruiters actually read on your resume, the interview mistakes that can get you an automatic no, and what you need to prove about AI right now.
If you want to know what’s actually working to land a CS job today, hit play and let’s dive in.
And if you’re tired of throwing applications into the void and wondering what the heck you need to do differently to land interviews, apply for 1:1 coaching HERE and let’s figure out what’s not working in your job search.
2:26 – Is Applying on LinkedIn Still Worth Your Time?
4:30 – Why Your Resume Might Be Costing You Interviews
9:24 – What Recruiters Actually Read on Your CS Resume
10:06 – What Should Go in Your First Resume Bullet Point?
14:42 – Why Landing a CS Leadership Role Is Getting Harder
22:21 – How to Show Your Results When You Don't Have Exact Numbers
26:07 – Why Recruiters Are Finding Candidates on LinkedIn Instead
32:38 – The Biggest Interview Mistakes That Could Cost You Job Offers
38:44 – The Words That Could Get You an Automatic No
50:56 – What Hiring Managers Want to Hear About Your AI Skills
EPISODE LINKS:
Connect with Rachel on LinkedIn
Learn more about Rachel’s Program, The CS Dream Job Accelerator

FREEBIES & RESOURCES:
🛎️ Actively looking for a job in Customer Success or plan to in the near future? Apply for 1:1 Coaching with me HERE
🛎️ Optimize your resume for Customer Success jobs to land consistent interviews with my FREE Training: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/resume
🛎️ Learn how to sell yourself as the best candidate & walk into your next Customer Success job interview with confidence with my FREE Training: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/sellyourself
🛎️ Learn how to Master Behavioral Interviews with my FREE Training: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/behavioral
CONNECT WITH ME:
❤️ Let's be LinkedIn friends: www.linkedin.com/in/carly-agar/
💭 Got any questions? Send me an email at support@carlyagar.com
HEAD TO THE SHOW NOTES: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/episode145
FOLLOW & REVIEW:
Are you loving the podcast? I'd appreciate it if you could take a few seconds to do these two things:
👉🏻 Hit the FOLLOW button so you don't miss out on any new episodes when they drop
👉🏻 And either leave a review on Apple Podcasts or let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment over on Spotify!
This helps me reach more customer success pros who need these insights.
Thanks for tuning in to the Customer Success Career Coach podcast! I'll catch you next week.
New episodes drop every Wednesday!

If you're worried about AI taking over your CSM job, I have some good news for you.
I just got back from Moment 2026, where pretty much every conversation was about AI. But here's what surprised me. Almost every CS leader I heard from ended up saying the exact same thing.
In this episode, I'm breaking down the six skills CS leaders say are becoming more and more important, what you should be showcasing in interviews, and three new job titles that might not even be on your radar right now.
If you want to keep your job, get hired, or figure out where the CSM role is headed, hit play and let’s dive in.
And if you're getting interviews but struggling to land an offer, apply for 1:1 coaching HERE and let's work on showcasing the skills and judgment hiring managers are actually looking for.
1:10 – What CS Leaders Are Really Saying About AI Taking Over CSM Jobs
2:30 – How Customer Success Teams Are Actually Using AI Right Now
6:30 – Why Saving Time With AI Isn't Enough to Keep Your Job
9:45 – The One Skill AI Can't Replace and Why It Matters
12:05 – How to Showcase Your Judgment in Customer Success Interviews
14:00 – The 6 Skills CS Leaders Say Every CSM Needs
20:20 – Three Emerging Customer Success Roles You Should Know About
22:30 – Why the CSM Role Is Heading in Two Different Directions
FREEBIES & RESOURCES:
🛎️ Actively looking for a job in Customer Success or plan to in the near future? Apply for 1:1 Coaching with me HERE
🛎️ Optimize your resume for Customer Success jobs to land consistent interviews with my FREE Training: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/resume
🛎️ Learn how to sell yourself as the best candidate & walk into your next Customer Success job interview with confidence with my FREE Training: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/sellyourself
🛎️ Learn how to Master Behavioral Interviews with my FREE Training: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/behavioral
CONNECT WITH ME:
❤️ Let's be LinkedIn friends: www.linkedin.com/in/carly-agar/
💭 Got any questions? Send me an email at support@carlyagar.com
HEAD TO THE SHOW NOTES: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/episode144
FOLLOW & REVIEW:
Are you loving the podcast? I'd appreciate it if you could take a few seconds to do these two things:
👉🏻 Hit the FOLLOW button so you don't miss out on any new episodes when they drop
👉🏻 And either leave a review on Apple Podcasts or let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment over on Spotify!
This helps me reach more customer success pros who need these insights.
Thanks for tuning in to the Customer Success Career Coach podcast! I'll catch you next week.
New episodes drop every Wednesday!

Your CSM resume could be getting rejected in seconds, even when you're perfectly qualified for the job.
After reviewing over 1,400 Customer Success resumes and working directly with hiring managers, I've seen the same four mistakes costing qualified candidates interviews.
In this episode, I'm breaking down what recruiters actually look for, why your experience and results might not be standing out, and four specific changes you can make to your resume to stop blending in with hundreds of other applicants.
If you want to turn your CSM resume into one that grabs a hiring manager's attention, shows exactly what makes you different, and helps you land more interviews, hit play and let’s dive in.
And if you're ready to actually make these changes to your resume, join me for my FREE live CSM Resume Working Session on October 27th, where we'll make all four edits together so you can stop getting overlooked and start landing more interviews. Save your spot HERE!
0:40 – Why Qualified CSMs Get Rejected Before Getting an Interview
4:36 – Four Resume Edits That Can Help You Land More Interviews
6:05 – The Missing Information That Gets Your Resume Overlooked
9:26 – How to Stand Out When Other Candidates Have Similar Experience
10:01 – Why Your CSM Resume Needs Numbers to Prove Your Impact
12:12 – What to Do When You Don't Have Access to Your Metrics
14:20 – Why Your Best Results Might Not Impress Hiring Managers
16:10 – The Biggest Mistake Making Your Resume Sound Like Everyone Else's
19:13 – How to Show What Makes You Different From Other CSMs
24:10 – Why It's So Hard to Communicate Your Own Value on a Resume
FREEBIES & RESOURCES:
🛎️ Actively looking for a job in Customer Success or plan to in the near future? Apply for 1:1 Coaching with me HERE
🛎️ Optimize your resume for Customer Success jobs to land consistent interviews with my FREE Training: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/resume
🛎️ Learn how to sell yourself as the best candidate & walk into your next Customer Success job interview with confidence with my FREE Training: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/sellyourself
🛎️ Learn how to Master Behavioral Interviews with my FREE Training: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/behavioral
CONNECT WITH ME:
❤️ Let's be LinkedIn friends: www.linkedin.com/in/carly-agar/
💭 Got any questions? Send me an email at support@carlyagar.com
HEAD TO THE SHOW NOTES: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/episode143
FOLLOW & REVIEW:
Are you loving the podcast? I'd appreciate it if you could take a few seconds to do these two things:
👉🏻 Hit the FOLLOW button so you don't miss out on any new episodes when they drop
👉🏻 And either leave a review on Apple Podcasts or let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment over on Spotify!
This helps me reach more customer success pros who need these insights.
Thanks for tuning in to the Customer Success Career Coach podcast! I'll catch you next week.
New episodes drop every Wednesday!

Are you applying for CSM roles feeling either overqualified or underqualified and wondering where you actually fit?
In this episode, I’m breaking down how to decide which roles are actually worth your time, why job titles matter way less than you think, and the three things I want you looking at before you apply. I’ll also walk you through when being overqualified is totally fine and how to tell when an underqualified role is still within reach.
You’ll walk away knowing where to focus your job search instead of wasting time on roles that aren’t the right fit.
If you want to apply more strategically and feel confident about the roles you’re targeting, hit play and let’s get into it.
And if you’re tired of second guessing which CSM roles are actually worth your time, apply for coaching HERE and let’s build a job search strategy around the right roles for you.
0:57 – Why CSM Job Titles Matter Less Than You Think
4:23 – How to Know If You Should Apply When You’re Overqualified
6:01 – Why Your Current Life Phase Should Shape Your Job Search
10:55 – How to Know When Being Underqualified Is Too Much of a Stretch
12:17 – Why Enterprise Experience Does Not Automatically Qualify You for Scaled Roles
14:06 – Which Experience Gaps Are Actually Worth Stretching For
17:38 – The Simple Two Out of Three Rule for Choosing CSM Roles
FREEBIES & RESOURCES:
🛎️ Actively looking for a job in Customer Success or plan to in the near future? Apply for 1:1 Coaching with me HERE
🛎️ Optimize your resume for Customer Success jobs to land consistent interviews with my FREE Training: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/resume
🛎️ Learn how to sell yourself as the best candidate & walk into your next Customer Success job interview with confidence with my FREE Training: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/sellyourself
🛎️ Learn how to Master Behavioral Interviews with my FREE Training: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/behavioral
CONNECT WITH ME:
❤️ Let's be LinkedIn friends: www.linkedin.com/in/carly-agar/
💭 Got any questions? Send me an email at support@carlyagar.com
HEAD TO THE SHOW NOTES: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/episode142
FOLLOW & REVIEW:
Are you loving the podcast? I'd appreciate it if you could take a few seconds to do these two things:
👉🏻 Hit the FOLLOW button so you don't miss out on any new episodes when they drop
👉🏻 And either leave a review on Apple Podcasts or let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment over on Spotify!
This helps me reach more customer success pros who need these insights.
Thanks for tuning in to the Customer Success Career Coach podcast! I'll catch you next week.
New episodes drop every Wednesday!

What if the thing costing you the job in your final round interview presentation is something you don’t even realize you’re doing?
I reviewed around 60 coaching calls with Customer Success job seekers preparing for final round presentations and the same three mistakes kept showing up.
In this episode, I’m breaking down exactly what they are, how to show the hiring team how you actually think and make decisions, and the subtle difference between presenting to a panel and showing them what you’d be like in front of a real customer.
Plus, I’m also sharing two bonus tips that can instantly make your presentation stronger and help you catch the small details that are incredibly easy to miss.
If you want to walk into your next final round presentation knowing exactly how to stand out and prove you can do the job, hit play and let’s dive in.
And if you have a final round interview coming up and want a coach in your corner to review your deck, perfect your talk track, and help you stand out, apply for coaching HERE.
0:45 – The 3 Final Round Presentation Mistakes CSMs Keep Making
1:45 – Why Giving Options Without Taking a Clear Stance Can Hurt Your Presentation
7:58 – Why Your Talk Track Matters More Than the Perfect Slide Deck
11:55 – The Difference Between Presenting and Running a Customer Meeting
17:35 – How to Sound More Confident by Talking Like You Already Have the Job
19:35 – Why You Should Treat the Interview Prompt Like a Grading Rubric
OTHER EPISODES YOU’LL LOVE:
🎙️Episode 127: AI Won't Replace You as a CSM (But It Does Raise the Bar) with Dan Ennis
FREEBIES & RESOURCES:
🛎️ Actively looking for a job in Customer Success or plan to in the near future? Apply for 1:1 Coaching with me HERE
🛎️ Optimize your resume for Customer Success jobs to land consistent interviews with my FREE Training: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/resume
🛎️ Learn how to sell yourself as the best candidate & walk into your next Customer Success job interview with confidence with my FREE Training: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/sellyourself
🛎️ Learn how to Master Behavioral Interviews with my FREE Training: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/behavioral
CONNECT WITH ME:
❤️ Let's be LinkedIn friends: www.linkedin.com/in/carly-agar/
💭 Got any questions? Send me an email at support@carlyagar.com
HEAD TO THE SHOW NOTES: https://customer-success-career.captivate.fm/episode141
FOLLOW & REVIEW:
Are you loving the podcast? I'd appreciate it if you could take a few seconds to do these two things:
👉🏻 Hit the FOLLOW button so you don't miss out on any new episodes when they drop
👉🏻 And either leave a review on Apple Podcasts or let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment over on Spotify!
This helps me reach more customer success pros who need these insights.
Thanks for tuning in to the Customer Success Career Coach podcast! I'll catch you next week.
New episodes drop every Wednesday!