Careers Explained - SoundSage

View Details

Learn what a Senior Operations Research Scientist at Wayfair does, how Ryo Kimura got into this role, and what career advice he has learned. He received his bachelor's degree from Oberlin College in Mathematics and his master's and Ph.D. in operations research from Carnegie Mellon University. His previous work experience includes being a research Fellow at GE Global Research and a Data Analysis Intern at Compassionate Care Hospice. Timestamps:0:28: An overview of what a research operations scientist does1:09: His typical roles and responsibilities4:59: What the software engineering aspect of his roles entails6:10: An example of the projects he works on9:17: The typical timeline of his projects10:57: What he likes about the role12:04: Challenges of the role13:05: The education requirements for his role22:09: Advice on applying to operations research roles23:23: General career advice

View Details

In this interview, Grant Sheely will share what he does in his current role, how he got this role, and some career advice he has learned. He received his bachelor's degree from Oberlin College in Math and Physics, with a minor in Environmental studies. His work experience includes being a Green House Gas Inventory Intern at Oberlin College, a Sustainability Coordinator at Vornado Realty Trust, and a Project Manager at MaGrann Associates. He is now a Codes and Policy Project Analyst at the New Buildings Institute. We discuss:

1:13: What he does in his current role
2:23: What a typical day is like
4:09: What his general schedule is like
5:02: How many projects he works on at a time
5:51: The type of work his projects entail
7:13: How social his role is
8:01: An example of his projects
9:41: The typical timelines of his projects
11:01: What the job training is like
12:10: Prerequisites needed for the role
13:39: An overview of the required certifications for the role
16:32: Challenges of the role
17:50: What the on the job training is like
19:46: How he got into this field and role
24:27: Advice on career exploration
25:54: How to explore this industry without a formal job
27:20: Advice on networking
28:29: General career advice

View Details

Jack Armstrong shares about his career path and current role as a Financial Services Representative at Barnum Financial Group. He received his bachelor's degree from Providence College in Business and Managerial Economics and his previous work experience includes being an Account Manager with Coastline Risk and working at the front desk of the Cape Cod Country Club. We discuss:

0:39 - What he does in his current role as a Financial Services Representative

2:17 - The educational courses required to move up from his role within the company

3:53 - How to take certification courses

5:14 - What a typical day or week is like for him

6:35 - Barnum’s company culture

7:10 - Overview of what customer outreach entails

9:01 - How long outreach phone calls last

11:21 - What the on-the-job training is like

12:22 - The long-term trajectory of the role

12:57 - The typical timeline for moving up

1437 - What he likes about the role

15:16 - What the industry is like

15:36 - Challenges of the role

16:27 - Industry drop-out rates

17:24 - How success is measured

17:53 - His company’s culture around competition

19:06 - What made him interested in this field, position, and company

20:58 - Prerequisites to apply

22:41 - Most important qualities for the job

24:19 - Advice on how to explore whether this role is a good fit

26:14 - Types of roles that can help you gain experience

27:22 - General career advice

View Details

In this episode, Nolan Piatkowski describes his career path and current role as a Financial Planning and Analysis (FP&A) Analyst at IMAX. He received his bachelor's degree from Northeastern University in Finance and Business Analytics. His work experience includes working as an FP&A Coop at Salsify and as a Corporate Finance Coop at Boston Consulting Group. We discuss:

His current role:

0:44 - Overview of his current role

1:36 - His roles and responsibilities

2:33 - The timeline of his tasks

6:27 - How many projects he works on simultaneously

7:03 - What a typical day looks like

7:39 - How social his role is

8:34 - How collaborative his assignments are

9:47 - What he likes about the role

10:40 - Challenges of the role

12:00 - What the training was like

13:12 - Examples of specialties within IMAX

Career path:

14:17 - What made him interested in finance

14:54 - Why he wanted to be an FP&A analyst

15:41 - Factors he did and didn't want in a role

Advice:

17:12 - Advice on how to explore career options

18:25 - Advice when applying to jobs

19:27 - Networking advice

20:43 - Advice on how to set yourself up for success

22:25 - General career advice

View Details

Evan Carter describes his career path and current role as a cinematographer. He received his bachelor's degree from Davidson College in Political Science and after college has held many different filmmaking roles including being the Director of Photography on an Emmy award-winning PBS show and working on a wide variety of projects such as a documentary about feminists in Chile, and commercials for brands like Huggies and Bed, Bath, and Beyond. He is currently a Freelance Filmmaker, working as both a production company and as an individual part of a team in multiple roles. We discuss:

0:56 - An overview of his role

1:51 - The difference between cinematography and other filmmaking roles

5:44 - How he gets his projects

6:07 - The challenges of freelancing

7:15 - Aspects he likes about his role

8:06 - What a typical day and week is like as a cinematographer

9:24 - How much travel the role entails

12:02 - An overview of the film making process

14:23 - How many projects he works on simultaneously

17:07 - Things he loves about the role

18:44 - How he got into his current role

22:14 - How to get into the filmmaking world

23:42 - Advice on how to be proactive in getting into the film industry

25:15 - Advice on how to get film experience

27:14 - The culture of film sets

28:31 - Advice on how to network

31:39 - General career advice

View Details

In this episode, Jani-Mikael Kuusisto describes his career path in the corporate world and how he switched over to founding and running his own startup. We discuss:

His current role:

0:27: Overview of his current role as CEO
1:26: His schedule balancing being CEO and a Director of another company
2:14: What a typical day or week in his role as CEO entails
3:49: His process of acquiring funding for a startup
5:18: What he does around proof of concept for his product
6:28: How social his role is
7:05: What he likes and finds challenging about his role
8:01: The signs of success for a startup
9:00: His role in recruiting talent

His career path:

10:26: The major steps of his career path
14:08: How he became CEO
15:53: What he learned he did and didn't want in a job
18:15: Opportunities to grow as a CEO

Career advice:

19:52: Advice on how to be resilient
21:10: Advice on when to attempt entrepreneurship
23:19: Advice on how to balance practicality with passion in one's career
24:46: Advice on how to develop interpersonal skills
26:06: How to find job opportunities
27:17: Why everyone should think of themselves as an entrepreneur regardless of their career

View Details

In this interview, Gabrielle Mauro describes her career path from getting her degree in social work to her current role as a Senior Patient and Customer Experience Specialist for neurosurgery patients and families at Northwell Health. She received his bachelor's degree from Siena College in social work and her Master's degree in social work from Adelphi University. Her previous work experience includes working being a Teacher Aide at Nassau BOCES, a social work case manager at Bethany House of Nassau County Corporation, and a Coordinator of Neurology and Critical Care at Northwell Health. We discuss:

0:50: Overview of her current role
1:44: Examples of the types of programming she creates
3:41: What makes her role unique from patient navigators
4:40: What a typical day and week is like in her role
8:46: An overview of how she supports patients and families
11:25: Her most common roles and responsibilities
13:35: The frequency of the educational programming she runs
14:48: What she likes and finds challenging about her role
17:39: Opportunities for moving up
21:26: How she got into her current role
22:42: The major steps that led to her current role
27:46: Advice on how to ask for what you want
30:01: Advice on networking
33:10: Leadership advice
35:07: General career advice

View Details

In this interview, Kellie Bland describes her career path and current role. She is currently a Program Analyst at the U.S. Department of State. She received his bachelor's degree from Elon University in Communications and her Master of Arts in international and intercultural communication from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Her previous work experience includes working as an English Teacher Trainer for the Peace Corps, as a Shriver Peaceworker Fellow for Friends of Patterson Park, and as a Team Development Specialist for AFS Intercultural Programs. We discuss:

0:38: Overview of current role

1:29: Most common roles and responsibilities

3:07: The process and timeline for some of her tasks

4:55: How many projects she works on simultaneously

5:35: What a typical day is like

7:41: Examples of her work outside of on demand tasks

11:04: Additional roles of the job

12:56: The benefit of having diverse and dynamic roles

13:05: Things she likes and finds challenging about her role

14:44: Opportunities for moving up or into different roles

16:12: The process of moving up

18:26: What the training was like for her role

20:51: The prerequisites to getting into her role

22:55: The points of her career path that led her to this role

25:42: The job qualities she learned she did and didn't want along her path

28:03: Advice for reframing the question of "what do you want to do"

28:24: Advice for those who want to follow her path

30:38: Advice on how to explore career options

31:00: Career advice to decrease stress

View Details

In this interview, Erik Schnurstein describes his career path and current role as a Manager of Change Management and Communications for Ford Motor Company, where he has worked for over 20 years. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan in French and English and his Master’s in Business Administration from Lawrence Technological University. His previous work experience includes working as a Department Manager of Market Research for CX Group, as an Installation Coordinator for General Motors, and as a Project Analyst and Team Leader for Trilogy International.

We discuss:

0:48: An overview of his current role

2:30: Examples of tasks in his role

3:46: His typical roles and responsibilities

4:30: What a typical day in his role is like

15:35: How many projects he typically works on at a time and their average timeline

18:43: Opportunities for moving up

23:33 Tips on how to achieve a promotion

25:30: Additional advice on how to move up

28:51: How he got into this career

34:05: The impact jobs that weren't on his resume had on his career path

40:30: Advice on how to figure out what you want to do

43:14: Advice on whether an MBA is helpful

45:54: Advice on how to strategize your professional development

48:29: Questions to ask yourself about what type of company to work for

49:12: Advice on how to effectively manage your time

View Details

In this interview, Mimi Schwanda describes her career path as a teacher and her current role as a high school Math Teacher and a Dorm Head at Episcopal High School. She received her bachelor's degree from Davidson College in mathematics and her Master’s in Education from the University of Virginia. Her previous work experience includes working as a teaching assistant in Andover Massachusetts.

We discuss:

00:38: An overview of what she does as a high school Math Teacher and a Dorm Head

1:27: Her typical roles and responsibilities

4:53: Her typical schedule in a typical week

7:55: Her annual schedule

9:28: When she plans her lessons

11:56: Things she likes and finds challenging about the role

14:05: Opportunities for moving up

19:32: What the training entails for her roles

21:36: Why she wanted to be a teacher and work at an independent school

24:00: Why she chose to work at a boarding school

26:10: Advice for aspiring teachers

27:46: Advice on the interview and application process

View Details

In this episode, I interview Meredith Davis about her career path and current role. She received her bachelor's degree from Davidson College in English and her master’s in occupational therapy from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Her previous work experience includes working as a Concierge at BF Saul, a Circulation manager for France Magazine at the French Embassy, and an Occupational Therapy Assistant at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is currently a Therapy Supervisor at the League Education and Treatment Center. We discuss:

0:46: An overview of her current role

1:57: What a typical day is like

3:20: The types of problems she helps her students with

4:08: The distinction between occupational therapy and speech therapy

5:58: The typical patient timeline

8:22: How students are typically referred to her

9:33: The process of determining a student's needs and goals

11:40: The level of treatment customization for students

15:02: An overview of the collaboration with other professionals in the role

17:10: The highs and challenges of her role

19:34: The training required for her role

22:00: Why she chose this career path

23:00: What she likes more about her current role than to previous jobs

24:47: Advice for narrowing down one's career interest

26:07: Advice for how to prepare for a career in occupational therapy in college

26:58: General career advice

View Details

Today we are talking with Charlotte McLaren about her career path and current role. She received her bachelor's degree from Davidson College in biology and economics and her Master’s in Business Administration from UNC. Her previous work experience includes working as a Sales Analyst for Sun Life Financial, as a Manager of Corporate Development at Premier Inc., and as a Client Executive for IBM. She is currently a Strategic Account Director at Salesforce.

We discuss:

0:41: An overview of her current role

1:37: Her typical roles and responsibilities

3:12: The typical process of her sales deals

4:48: The typical timeline of a sales deal

5:41: Examples of what client meetings are about

7:40: Examples of types of products she sells

8:48: How long people typically stay in this role

10:01: How success is measured

12:02: Benefits of the role

13:17: What a typical day is like

15:16: How social the role is

17:52: Challenges of the role

18:50: How she got into this role

21:16: Why she chose Salesforce

22:34: Prerequisites for going into sales

23:37: Pros and cons of getting an MBA for a sales job

26:28: Advice for how to be successful in a sales role

View Details

In this episode, Madelyn Buitendorp describes her first role out of college as a Strategy Associate at Penta Group. She received her bachelor's degree from Davidson College in political science and her previous work experience includes working as an Intern with Rock the Vote, as the director of communications for the college crisis initiative, and as a senior admissions fellow for Davidson College. We discuss:

0:34: An overview of her current role
1:35: Examples of projects
2:26: What a typical day or week is like in the role
6:29: The typical length of projects
8:14: How projects are assigned
10:11: What she likes and finds challenging about the role
13:31: Why she was interested in this role
16:56: What the training entailed
19:23: How long people usually stay in the associate role
21:46: General career advice
25:09: Networking advice
28:03: Final advice

View Details

In this episode, Caitlin Ranson describes her career path and current role. She received his bachelor's degree from Davidson College in Studio Art and her Master's in Architecture from Clemson University.

Her previous work experience includes working as a Marketing Director for William Rawn Associates, Architects, and as a Designer for McMillan Pazdan Smith. She is currently a Project Architect at Hacker. We discuss:

Her Current Role

0:39: Overview of what she does as a Project Architect

2:23: Examples of types of projects she works on

3:59: The typical timeline of her projects

5:00: How many projects she works on at a time

5:39: Her roles and responsibilities

7:35: A typical day/ week in her role

8:56: The most common areas of specialization

10:31: How social her role is

12:30: What she likes and finds challenging about her role

Her Career Path:

14:03: Why she wanted to become an architect

15:32: Education and experience required to become an architect

18:15: Opportunities for moving up

Advice:

20:18: Advice for choosing your first firm

22:28: General career advice

View Details

Today we are talking with Kirsten Allen about her career path and current role. She received his bachelor's degree from Davidson College in psychology and her Master's in Sport and Performance Psychology and her doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Denver. Her previous work experience includes working as a Research Assistant for the US Olympic Committee and as a Sport and Performance Psychology Consultant for the Center for Performance Excellence. She is currently a Sports and Rehabilitation Psychologist at the Shepherd Center. We discuss:

Her Current Role

1:05: Description of her current role

2:41: Her roles and responsibilities

4:02: How social the role is

5:23: An overview of her patient interactions

7:01: What she likes and finds challenging

8:15: Examples of collaboration between practitioners

9:30: Her process of assessing patients

11:28: Opportunities for moving up

Her Career Path

12:30: An overview of how she got into this path

13:43: How she chose her graduate school program

14:21: Why she got a PsyD in addition to her masters

15:05: The difference between a Ph.D. and a PsyD

16:30: Why she chose sports psychology for her master's instead of social work or counseling

17:24: Differences between masters in psychology specialties

18:09: The difference in ability to practice between  a master's and a doctorate of psychology

19:38: What can you do as a practitioner with a master's in psychology

21:15: Why she chose a PsyD over a Ph.D.

25:26: Financial differences between a master's and a doctorate

26:28: The timing of psychology graduate school options

28:45: An overview of the internship process

29:45: Post-graduate school steps

30:46: Stipends for Ph.D. vs PsyD

31:39: Options for income during graduate school

32:27: Job qualities she learned she did and didn’t want

34:21: Her plans for creating her own private practice

Her Advice:

36:23: Advice for picking a career track in psychology

38:11: Advice on how to get experience in different roles before internship

39:16: Advice for picking a graduate school

40:58: Advice for how to stand out in graduate school applications

43:55: General career advice

View Details

In this episode, Maddie Brodrick describes her career path and current role. She received his bachelor's degree from Colby College in environmental policy and philosophy. She has interned with the Maine Conservation Voters, and in the Environmental Crimes Section of the US Department of Justice and is now a Legal Assistant with the Department of Justice (DOJ), Environmental and Natural Resource Department (ENRD), Environmental Enforcement Section (EES). We discuss:

Her current role:

0:40: An overview of the Department of Justice Pathways Program for recent graduates

1:14: Her current role and main responsibilities

3:04: What a typical week is like

4:03: Examples of projects she works on

4:40: What she likes and finds challenging

6:26: Opportunities to learn

9:50: How social the role is

10:58: How many projects she works on simultaneously

Her career path:

12:15: Why she was interested in this role

13:36: How she got this role

15:39: Characteristics she has learned she does and doesn’t want in a role

Advice

18:38: Advice on applying to jobs

18:52: How applying to a federal job was unique for her

View Details

Listen to Alex Stoller describe her career path and current role. She received her bachelor's degree from Davidson College in Art History and Studio Art and her master's in Exhibition Design from George Washington University.

She has worked as a Lead Designer for the Sweetlife Music Festival, as a Designer and Project Manager for the Royal Danish Embassy in Washington DC, as a Store Designer and Project Associate for Sweetgreen, and as a Director of Art for Swatchroom. She is currently an Art Consultant for LK Art Consultants. We discuss:

0:39: What she does as an Art Consultant

1:41: Her main roles and responsibilities

4:15: How much traveling she does in her role

5:37: The purpose of travel in her role

5:55: The difference between her role and an art broker

7:16: Examples of types of projects she does and the steps they entail

11:56: What she likes and finds challenging about the role

14:00: Opportunities for moving up

14:57: The biggest points in her career path that led her to this role

16:15: Why she went to grad school for design

17:18: Her jobs before her current role

19:27: Career advice

19:47: Other job opportunities within art

21:22: Whether graduate school is necessary to move up

22:01: How she started her own company

23:49: Ways to prepare now for a career in art

25:24: Advice on how to get experience in the art world

26:51: Advice on persistence

View Details

In this episode, Mike Jucewicz describes his career path working for the federal government in finance roles and what he currently does. After college, he worked for seven years in the US Army as a Financial Management Analyst, as a Student of the Defense Comptrollership Program, and as a Lead Budget Analyst. He is now a Senior Budget Analyst at the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense Comptroller. We discuss:

His Current Role

0:46: An overview of the Office of the Secretary of Defense

1:28: An overview of his role as a Senior Budget Analyst

3:29: His most common roles and responsibilities

6:02: The steps of vetting a budget request

8:10: The timeline of a budget oversight process

8:55: What a typical day/week is like

11:28: What determines his goals on projects

13:18: A breakdown of how social his role is

15:35: What he likes and finds challenging about his role

17:35: An example of a crisis situation that impacts his responsibilities

21:10: An overview of government job pay scales

His Career Path

23:29: Career path steps that led to his current role

26:19: How the Army paid for his graduate school

26:50: What drew him to the Army

27:38: The pay scale on his federal career path

28:39: What he's learned he does and doesn't want in a role

30:07: Clarifying the distinction between his role and accounting roles

32:46: How he chose what qualities to prioritize in a job

Advice:

35:40: General career advice

37:53: How he leveraged his network in an unusual way to get on his current career path

40:03: The importance of balance in one’s career

View Details

In this interview, Tomás Husted describes his career in foreign affairs research and what he does in his current role as an Analyst of African Affairs at the Congressional Research Service. After getting his bachelor's degree from Davidson College, he worked as a Research Associate for the Congressional Research Service and as a Strategy and Development Fellow for the International Rescue Committee. We discuss:

His career path

0:34: His original career interests

3:00: Why he chose to be a research associate

4:54: How he got his role at the Congressional Research Service

6:55: An overview of the Princeton in Africa Program

9:35: How his experience living in Africa shaped his career path

His current role

12:58: An overview of the Congressional Research Service

19:23: Examples of common tasks in his role

28:53: His biggest roles and responsibilities

31:29: What he likes and finds challenging about the role

Advice:

36:57: Advice for careers in foreign affairs

38:41: General career advice

40:36: Tips for how to be a better writer

47:00: Tips for how to be a better presenter

View Details

Today we are talking with Anjan Mukherjee about his career path and current role. After getting his bachelor's degree from Davidson College in Music, he worked in a variety of research roles including as a Research Associate for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and as a Research Director for US Senator Chris Coons and for the League of Conservation Voters. He then was a Partner at Hone Strategies, a communications and strategy agency, before founding his own strategic communications firm, Tunlaw Strategies where he is currently a Principal. We discuss:

His career path:

0:52: What his original career interests were

3:13: His career path from political research to strategic communications

6:47: Why he switched roles when he did

6:57: What to expect for job duration in politics

7:44: Why he switched industries from research to strategic communications

8:21: What he loved about opposition research

11:34: His role as a Research Director for Senator Chris Coons

13:37: His experience working for the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee

15:14: His experience working on a presidential campaign

His current role:

21:03: His pivot into communications

23:42: The factors he looks for in a role

25:11: Keys to success in communications he learned through experience

26:16: What a communications strategy firm does

30:06: Examples of types of projects in his current role

32:46: The typical duration of projects

34:31: What a typical day/ week is like

38:18: How social his role is

40:09: Advice

View Details

In this episode, we are talking with Erin Sellman about her career path and current role. She got her bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan in Economics and German and her MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management. Her previous experience includes 12 years at Lowe’s including roles from an Engagement Manager to the Senior Vice President of Strategy, Insights, and Planning and being the VP of global marketing at Sealed Air Corporation. She is now the Senior Vice President of Marketing and communications at the Carolina Tractor and Equipment Company. We discuss:

0:47: An overview of her original career interests

2:01: What she learned she did and didn’t want in a role

4:47: Why she got an MBA

5:43: Her career aspirations after getting an MBA

6:08: Why she left consulting

6:55: The biggest similarities and differences between her previous roles

8:03: Why she switched roles and how she got her current role

11:33: An overview of her current role

13:06: What a typical week is like in her current role

14:41: Her team structure in her current role

16:40: How social her current role is

18:38: The learning curve of her current role

19:27: Opportunities for continued learning in her current role

20:15: Training for her current role

22:09: What she likes and finds challenging

23:58: Examples of her roles and responsibilities

25:48: Opportunities for moving up

26:53: Things she didn’t expect about the role

27:57: How consulting can help you figure out what you want to do

29:45: Advice for going into marketing

View Details

In this episode, we are talking with Andrew Wilkins about his career path and current role. He got his bachelor's degree from Davidson College in political science. After graduating, he worked as a Staff Assistant in the US Senate, as an Assistant to the Executive Director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and as a Government Relations Representative for the Theodore Roosevelt conservation partnership. He is currently the Director of Land Conservation Policy at the National Wildlife Federation. We discuss:

0:50: His original career interests
1:40: The biggest similarities and differences between his previous roles
2:59: Why he switched from working on campaigns on the hill to advocacy roles
4:54: Qualities he didn't want in a job
5:40: What he did want in a job
7:02: How he got his first role in advocacy and tips for applying to jobs
8:53: An overview of his current role at the Nature Conservancy
9:32: Advice for your first job
10:57: Why he changed roles when he did
11:18: Advice for when to leave a role
12:29: What the training is like in advocacy roles
14:13: Advice on how to stand out in a role
15:28: His biggest roles and responsibilities
16:15: An overview of the National Wildlife Federation
19:18: What a typical week is like
19:39: Advice on how to be effective in any role
22:04: An example of the types of projects he works on
22:59: How collaborative the role is
26:13: Favorite parts of his role
28:26: Challenges of the roles
30:19: Opportunities for moving up
30:58: What he likes about working for the National Wildlife Federation
32:08: Career advice

View Details

In this episode, Chieko Phillips talks about her career path and current role. She got her bachelor's degree from Davidson College in History and her master's in museum studies from the University of Washington. Her previous work experience includes working as a curatorial assistant at the Northwest African American Museum, a development consultant at UNCF, and an exhibitions manager at the Northwest African American Museum. She is currently the heritage program director at 4Culture. We discuss:

0:55: What her original career interests were

3:06: The similarities and differences between her previous roles

4:05: What she discovered over the course of her career she did and didn’t want in a job

5:53: What type of qualities she wanted in a job

8:57: How she got her current role

10:41: An overview of her current role

17:44: Her roles and responsibilities

20:48: Examples of projects she manages

26:22: An example of a grant program she runs

27:25: Advice

View Details

Today we are talking with Jimmy O’Dea about his career path and current role. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Puget Sound in Chemistry and his Ph.D. in chemistry from UC Santa Barbara. Previously, he worked as a research associate at Cornell University, a science and engineering congressional fellow, a vehicle analyst for the Union of concerned scientists, and was the deputy director of trucks for Calstart. He is now the assistant deputy director of transportation electrification at Caltrans. We discuss:

0:51: Why he wanted a Ph.D. in chemistry and what his original career interests were

2:51: The biggest similarities and differences between his previous roles

3:41: What he learned the most important qualities in a job are for him

5:14: How he got his current role

6:29: The prerequisites to get his current role

7:27: How he found his current role

8:38: Overview of his role

11:23: His roles and responsibilities using examples of projects he works on

12:42: What the team structure looks like

13:55: How social the role is

15:15: Opportunities for moving up

16:59: What the training looks like

18:40: What a typical day is like

19:51: How his goals are set

23:17: A detailed example of the steps of a project proposal

24:15: Advice

View Details

Today we are talking with Arturo Fernandez about his career path and current role. He received his undergraduate degree from The Autonomous University of Aguascalientes in Mexico in Computer Engineering and received his master's degree in computer science from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. Previously, he worked as an iOS senior software engineer for dictionary.com and is now a Senior Software Engineer at Pandora.
We discuss:

0:32: What made him interested in computer science

6:56: How he got his current role

9:53: The interview process for software development

11:05: An overview of his role as a Software Engineer

13:59: What the training process was like

15:45: The team structure of projects

17:30: How social the role is

18:36: What a typical day is like

20:54: Opportunities for professional development

View Details

In this interview, Matt Petit describes his career path and role as a Foreign Service Officer and the Director for African Affairs at the National Security Council. He joined the foreign service in 2008 and has worked as a vice consul in India, as a desk officer in Somalia and Eritrea, and as the Deputy Chief of Political and Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Zambia. Matt speaks Persian, Spanish, and some Russian, Armenian, Tamil, German, and French.

We discuss:

0:40: Why he wanted to become a foreign service officer

3:00: The steps required to become a foreign service officer

6:36: Career options within foreign service

7:29: Why he chose to be on the political side of foreign service out of all of the options

7:53: Misconceptions about diplomacy

10:13: An overview of his role

13:14 What determines the length, location, and job function of different assignments

15:33: Different types of assignments

16:56: What training entails

18:57: What the team hierarchy looks like

24:20: Opportunities for moving up

26:23: Typical roles and responsibilities

30:49: Typical hours

35:24: How long people usually stay in the role

37:58: Advice

View Details

In this episode, Chris Tapia describes what he learned from his previous roles at Kearney, The North Highland Company, and Data Ventures and what he does in his current role as a Strategy Principal Director at Accenture. He received his undergraduate degree from Duke University in Mechanical Engineering and his MBA in New Product & Venture Development from MIT Sloan School of Management. We discuss

00:34 - What he learned were the biggest factors he did and didn’t want in a job from his previous roles
1:36 - The type of company culture he wanted
2:06 - Why he switched jobs when he did
4:09 - How he got his current role
5:35 - How he chose which consulting firm he wanted to work for
7:22 - An overview of his role
8:25 - What he does more specifically
9:23 - Examples of projects he’s worked on
9:48 - What supply chain strategy means
11:02- The typical steps to get a consulting role
13:01 - Why he was interested in supply chain consulting out of the other areas
14:03 - What a typical day looks like
16:12 - The typical length of a client project
17:14 - The standard steps of a project
18:02 - Examples of each step in a project
20:47 - What he likes about the role
22:11 - What he finds challenging about the role
23:33 - His typical hours
24:41 - How social the role is
25:34 - Advice
26:57 - What networking looks like to him

View Details

Sam Robinson talks about his career path and current role. He graduated summa cum laude from Furman University with a double major in history and philosophy and received his master's degree and Ph.D. in history from the University of California Berkley and is currently a content design manager at PayPal. We discuss:

0:00 - An overview of the major points along his career path and how he figured out what he wanted to do and handled setbacks

1:05 - Why he got a Ph.D. in History

5:02 - Why he switched career paths

7:25 - His experience with graduate school

8:27 - What a Ph.D. takes mentally

8:46 - His regrets about a Ph.D

9:53 - Why academia wasn’t a good fit for him culturally

11:04 - His experience applying for postdoc jobs

13:14 - His jobs between graduate school and his current role

14:37 - How he got his role at PayPal

16:56 - Different names for content design roles

17:36 - An example of a content design project

18:12 - A description of what a UX writer does

21:31 - What he does as a manager

22:08 - What a typical day is like for him

28:18 - what he likes and finds challenging about his role

33:23 - Career advice

View Details

Angelina Darrisaw describes her career path working at ESPN and Viacom and her current role as Founder & CEO of C-Suite Coach including:

0:00: An overview of the major stepping stones on her career path
2:01: Career advice
2:53: Her experience overcoming rejection
6:27: How she learned what she did and didn’t want in a job
9:16: Misconceptions around working in media
9:37: Tips for increasing your salary
10:08: An overview of company C-Suite Coach
15:58: What her role entails
17:33: More career advice

View Details

Next in our entrepreneurship series, Kendall Scales Glade describes her career path and current role as a founding principal and chief of staff at Series Next Solutions. We discuss:

0:24 - The major steps on her career path including working as an auditor at Deloitte and at The Coca-Cola Company in financial roles for 11 years, before co-founding Series Next Solutions

2:15 - Why she chose to work at a large corporation like Coca-Cola for the career exploration support

9:31 - How the professional development opportunities at Coca-Cola led her to her current role

10:41 - An overview of her current company: Series Next Solutions

14:13 - What the transition was like for her switching from roles in large corporations to her roles in a startup

14:50 - How her previous roles prepared her for her entrepreneurship roles

16:01 - The personalities she is exposed to in entrepreneurship

16:35 - An overview of the main roles at her company

16:41 - What it’s like working in a startup

17:45 - An overview of her role

20:51 - The challenges of her role and working in a startup

22:02 - What she likes about the role

22:29 - The company culture they have intentionally cultivated

23:37- Advice

23:49 - Career lessons

25:16 - How networking affected her career

26:38 - Things to look for in a role to see if it’s a good fit

View Details

Dr. Michelle Higgins O.D., owner and optometrist at Insight EyeCare in Yarmouth, Maine describes her career path and her role.

We discuss:

0:14 - An overview of the major steps on her way to her current role

1:14 - What interested her in optometry

5:29 - How she picked what type of optometry school she wanted to go to

6:46 - An overview of optometry school

7:58 - What she chose for her external rotations in graduate school

14: 59 - Tips for getting the most out of graduate school

15:49 - Details on her training

16:39 - Her first roles out of optometry school

18:41 - Overview of nursing home optometry

20:21 - How she chose her specialty

21:16 - Lessons she has learned on being a better practitioner

23:04 - Her experience opening her own practice

24:28 - What a typical week is like

25:19 - What an optometrist does

26:43 - What a typical day is like for her

30:07 - The benefits of being a generalist instead of a specialist in Eyecare

34:07 - Advice

View Details

Josh Zipin describes his career path, his experience in entrepreneurship creating Handstand, and his current role as an Account Executive at Stripe including:

The major steps on his career path
How he started his own business
How he pivoted when he was laid off
The challenges he faced running his own business and how he tackled them
What led him to switch companies when he did
Advice on applying to jobs and how to spin your existing experience
The roles and responsibilities in his current role
What a typical day can look like for him and how it can vary
How his performance is measured
What he likes about his role at Stripe
How the company’s mission is aligned with his interests
Advice for anyone unfulfilled in their 9-5

View Details

Lauryn Albold describes her role as a Medical Assistant at a Dermatology Practice including:

0:00: The steps she took to get this role
1:35: The types of patient care in medicine and why she prefers outpatient care
2:52: What experiences in college helped her decide what she wanted to do
3:54: What she does as a medical assistant, including her typical roles and responsibilities
5:35: Why she was interested in this role and dermatology specifically
6:31: What a typical day is like
8:27: What she likes about the role and finds challenging
11:18: How this role is preparing her for her end goal of becoming a physicians assistant
13:14: Advice for those who want a similar role

View Details

Bryant Barr describes his career path and current role. He worked at Mercer as an Actuarial Analyst, at Nike as a Financial Analyst and Manager, founded Slyce, was the President of SC 30 Inc, and is now a Managing Partner at Penny Jar Capital.

We discuss: