Minute Mentor Podcast
Welcome to Minute Mentor: Quick Tips for Career Success, your go-to podcast for essential career advice!
About the Show
In this podcast series, career counselors Erin Ahart and Paul Binkley distill must-have career insights to help you be more successful as you explore who and what you want to be.
Erin and Paul work at the George Washington University in Washington, DC, and have decades of combined work experience helping undergraduate and graduate students as well as alumni and working professionals achieve their career goals. Whether you’re currently job searching or simply looking to develop professionally, Minute Mentor delivers the career information you need in just five minutes per episode. Tune in each week and keep striving for career success!
Meet the Team
Erin Ahart, MEd
- Career Counselor,
GW Columbian College of Arts & Sciences Erin Ahart, MEd (she/her) is career counselor for graduate students within the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences at the George Washington University. With a background in music and passion for helping young professionals get ahead in their careers, Erin helps students and alumni navigate their careers with confidence and creativity. Erin has 5+ years of career counseling and employer relations experience at Penn State University - University Park, Salem State University, and now at GW. She is also a Gallup-Certified CliftonStrengths coach and enjoys helping others identify their unique strengths and how to best leverage them in the job search and in the workplace. Her top five CliftonStrengths are Empathy, Connectedness, Communication, Activator, and Woo. Erin is originally from Pennsylvania and holds a Master of Education in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Salem State and a Bachelor of Science in Human Development and Family Studies from Penn State.
Paul Binkley, EdD, BCC
- Career Development Manager,
GW Columbian College of Arts & Sciences Paul Binkley, EdD, has over 20 years of career services, student affairs, international development, and higher education management experience. Currently, he is integrating core career readiness competencies into a Liberal Arts curriculum as the Career Development Manager for the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences at the George Washington University. Prior to this position, he served as the Executive Director of the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD) at the University of Mary Washington and as Director of Student Career Development at Johns Hopkins University. He also worked in Monrovia, Liberia for four years first as an education officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and then as the Resident Director for the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI). Paul also spent 13 years working in career development at GW's Trachtenberg School of Public Policy and Public Administration and the Elliott School of International Affairs. He has also worked in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kosovo, Tajikistan, and several other countries in Europe and Africa as an independent contractor and as an Elections Observer with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Paul has been recognized for his significant knowledge and expertise in the area of Federal Careers, and in 2012, co-authored the award-winning book Students’ Federal Career Guide—How Students, Student Vets, and Recent Grads Land a Federal Job. Paul holds a doctorate in Higher Education Administration from GW, a master’s degree in International Affairs from the University of Kentucky, a certificate in Human Performance Improvement, and is a certified MBTI facilitator. Paul is originally from central Minnesota.
Payton Casarico
- Production Associate
Payton Casarico holds a bachelor's degree in marketing and economics from Elon University with specialties in visual and audio editing. With experience at several marketing and PR agencies, Payton has supported numerous podcast projects covering topics such as education, music, current events, and is excited to contribute to Minute Mentor's success. In addition, she works in the Columbian College Academic Advising office, where she assists and guides students on academic matters and supports GW’s team of academic directors and advisors. As a current graduate student herself at the George Washington University, Payton is also involved in planning various professional and academic development initiatives for GW undergraduate students, including GW’s First Year Experience, The Scholar Salon, Columbian College Commencement Awards and Minute Mentor!