50 Conversations

Jobless America: the coronavirus unemployment crisis in figures https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/may/28/jobless-america-unemployment-coronavirus-in-figures Pods with Friends: An Inexhaustive Primer for Racial Justice Editionhttps://medium.com/swoot/pods-with-friends-an-inexhaustive-primer-for-racial-justice-edition-b5de63cffc9c Amma Marfo - Defector Academy & Speakinghttps://ammamarfo.com/defectoracademy/ 6 online tools to make job searching during coronavirus less difficulthttp://www.futureskills.blog/job-searching-during-coronavirus/ Upskill yourself: The best free online courses with certificateshttp://www.futureskills.blog/best-free-online-courses-with-certificates/ 

Jobscan career change toolhttps://www.jobscan.co/career-change/ How to Have an Informational Interview https://youtu.be/bULSVSwkiTU How To Handle Small Talk As An Introverthttps://youtu.be/kFsgTa17Xwo Designing Your Career: The Informational Interviewhttps://youtu.be/m6Pa4ZB4mvQ This week in layoffs music by: Soviet March by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com

Three tools to help you update your resume after a layoff: Zety: https://zety.com/EMSI: https://skills.emsidata.com/resumeJobscan: jobscan.co Learn all about Apllicant Tracking Systems (ATS) here:https://www.jobscan.co/applicant-tracking-systemsGet your resume reviewed by a human for free at Job Sauce: https://thejobsauce.com/free-resume-feedback/Awesome new book alternative to Amazon: bookshop.org The Mom Project: 5-day Resume Challengehttps://work.themomproject.com/resume-rev-5-day-challenge-evergreenSilver Linings Layoff support community and resourceshttps://www.getsilverlining.com/New career book:  Punch Doubt in the Face: How to Upskill, Change Careers, and Beat the Robots https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1946384860

HomeworkEach week I’ll give you an exercise to work on to help you build structure and forward movement during your layoff. All of the exercises will live in the Google doc below. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AZk642SvvBETf29m9HFSa4G-UlYMwjRZaP5DUlAhDf0/edit?usp=sharing ResourcesWhat it's like to file for unemployment via Vox, Today Explained podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/6-6-million-more-unemployed/id1346207297?i=1000470347653 Why Being Laid Off Can Hurt So Muchhttps://daily.jstor.org/why-being-laid-off-can-hurt-so-much/Free or (very) affordable career resources by Sarah Johnston on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6652904072313659392/ Six ways to handle the worry that comes when you’re laid offhttps://qz.com/work/1830606/how-to-deal-with-worry-after-a-coronavirus-layoff/ What to Say (and What Not To) When a Friend Gets Laid Offhttps://www.themuse.com/advice/what-to-say-and-what-not-to-when-a-friend-gets-laid-off How to Adjust Your Budget If You Lose Your Jobhttps://www.theskimm.com/money/adjust-your-budget-lose-job-income Lists of companies still hiring From Silver Lining: https://www.getsilverlining.com/job-boardFrom The Muse: https://www.themuse.com/advice/companies-hiring-during-coronavirus-covid-19From LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/news/heres-whos-hiring-right-now-4525187/

Layoffs are awkward. So let's talk about. I want your layoff stories. In this quick episode, I'm asking you to call in and share your recent layoff story. I want to know how it went and how you feel about it now. All perspectives are welcome. I'll use your anonymous stories in future episodes. More details about this project in the episode. Plus, in this episode I share what it's like to be laid off via Zoom when everyone is working remotely. Leave your story as a voicemail at ‪503-208-6037‬. Reminder: Keep your story under 2 minutes so we can play them in future episodes. Prepare for your next career move and the future of work with the new book: Punch Doubt in the Face: How to Upskill, Change Careers, and Beat the Robots.

HomeworkEach week I’ll give you an exercise to work on to help you build structure and forward movement during your layoff. All of the exercises will live in the Google doc below. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AZk642SvvBETf29m9HFSa4G-UlYMwjRZaP5DUlAhDf0/edit?usp=sharingResourcesLinkedIn’s list of companies that are hiring: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/heres-whos-hiring-right-now-andrew-seaman/Remote companies that are hiring right now: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1R9IR8Z3-gU8uf76HOvVvh44R-UeQAxzmDe03E_vwRfs/htmlview?usp=sharingCompanies still hiring (mostly tech roles) https://coda.io/@kenny/companies-still-hiringThe companies that are hiring even as the global economy grinds to a halthttps://qz.com/1823537/the-companies-with-jobs-hiring-during-the-coronavirus-crisis/Who’s hiring and who is freezing hiring: https://candor.co/hiring-freezes/How to file for unemploymenthttps://www.wrapbook.com/how-to-file-for-unemployment-in-every-state/Resources for freelancers and creativeshttps://supermaker.com/articles/coronavirus-pandemic-resources-for-freelancers-creatives-losing-wagesServices for restaurant workers: https://www.foodandwine.com/fwpro/as-the-coronavirus-shutters-restaurants-across-the-country-a-swell-of-support-rises-upCoronavirus payment explained https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2020/3/24/21188470/coronavirus-unemployment-benefits-senate-stimulus 

Hello fabulous listeners. I'm interrupting my normal podcast episodes for something a bit different. As this fierce global pandemic rages on, I'm going to pause on talking about career changes and the future of work. Instead, I'm switching gears. For the next 10 episodes or so I'm going to talk about layoffs. You may have seen the headlines by now: 3.3 million people have filed for unemployment. And it's only the beginning. There are a lot of more to come, and for those who have jobs, there is plenty of uncertainty and anxiety around layoffs. So let's talk about it. I'm going to talk about multiple aspects of getting laid off. From what to do in your first week after layoff, to finding your next steps in uncertainty, to spending your layoff severance, to anticipating layoffs in your current job. I'll still talk about upskilling, as it's still important in your career. I'll cover how to learn new skills with more discussion about how to find learning opportunities that position you for future roles. As I noted in a prior episode, we don't talk much about layoffs in our culture. It's time to change that. In this episode, I explain more about how I'm shifting the focus of this podcast for the near-future. Plus, I share how I was just laid off as well. Got something on your mind about layoffs? Need a question answered? Write me at hello@50conversations.com. I'll answer some of your questions throughout future episodes. Wishing you all health and safety! Need a new career book to help you? Check out my book: Punch Doubt in the Face: How to Upskill, Change Careers, and Beat the Robots.

Reskilling. Upskilling. It seems like everyone is talking about skills lately. New technology like automation and artificial intelligence are changing the workplace. Upskilling is a way to adapt to the changes in our workplace. Upskilling is a verb and a mindset. It’s the act of learning new skills to improve your professional life. It’s also a willingness to accept that things are changing, take charge of your learning and development, and not burry your head in the sand. This bonus episode dives into what it means to upskill and how to learn new skills. You’ll hear why you should upskill yourself and find ways to upskill your career. You'll also hear me say upskill a bajillion times. This is part of my keynote Upskill Now: Adapting to the Age of the Agile Worker. It's based on my new book Punch Doubt in the Face: How to Upskill, Change Careers, and Beat the Robots. This episode on upskilling yourself covers: - How to find the right learning experience to help you upskill - How to upskill yourself while working - How to find free learning opportunities in your workplace - Choosing companies that provide a learning environment - How to choose a digital bootcamp - Why leaders and management need to upskill as well For speaking inquires, visit www.nicollemerrill.com Got thoughts on this podcast episode? Contact me at hello at 50 conversations dot com.

Need a speaker to help your audience upskill and navigate automation in the workplace? Check out my talks at: www.nicollemerrill.com 

What happens when your dream job isn't the job you thought it would be? Dr Casandra Hoy shares her adventures in the healthcare field and the journey she took to opening her own chiropractic practice. As a premed and liberal arts graduate, Dr Hoy has always been interested in the medical field. Her first career change was from a Japanese teacher to electronic medical records trainer. In that role, she traveled around the country helping hospitals and medical professionals learn how to use electronic records. While in that role that she realized she no longer wanted to become a doctor. We talk about how she came to that realization, how to go back to school, and the many surprises in her journey to become a chiropractor. Plus we talk about the different types of career changes that happen in our lifetime. Listen to this episode if your dream job isn't a dream job anymore or if you're curious about navigating new paths in the healthcare field. Quotes you'll enjoy: "This is my third career change. My first one was out of convenience because I happen to have the skills necessary to do that job. My second one was out of necessity because I knew I needed that experience to get what I thought was my dream job. Now I've landed on a career that I've actually calculated." "I come from a family of career changers. So I can't say that i won't ever change my career again because I have this in the back of my head, that I know that I can, because I have so many examples in my life that have done it." "Don't settle. If you're unhappy in your career and you feel like you're waiting for something to nudge you in that direction, nudge yourself. Because it's worth it when you find something that you're really content with." Thinking about a career change? Don’t do it all on your own. Get the book to help you figure out your next career. Explore my new book, Punch Doubt in the Face: How to Upskill, Change Careers, and Beat the Robots.

In this episode Brady share’s how he transitioned from social work at a nonprofit to doing all the things at a small startup. Like many career changers, Brady has a bachelors degree. He put it to good use working at a nonprofit as a social work counselor. But it was his curiosity about tech that created a spark to try something different. So he went back to school at Portland Community College to get a technical degree in computer information systems.We talk about what it’s like to go through a hands-on technical program. Brady also shares how he uses his soft skills from his nonprofit work in his technical role. Plus we dive into the future of work to look at how new technology is reshaping our careers and how new educational paths can help career changers who want to get into tech.Listen to this if you're curious about how to get into tech or curious about how your local community college can help you make a career change.Quotes on getting into tech:“From a social work background, I had an aptitude for technology but actually learning what’s under the hood is what I needed to do.”“For every job in tech, soft skills have value.”Advice for career changers:“It’s definitely stressful in the moment but it’s totally worth it. If you’re not happy where you are currently, just go for it. There are so many resources out there to help facilitate a career change and the barriers to entry are pretty low because it’s such a good job market right now. Go for it. You’ll look back on it and be happy that you made that choice.”

You're heard the hype about robots and the future of work. But what does it all mean? In this keynote talk, I break down what it means to adapt to our new world of work. This episode is an intro to my background as a career futurist,  the future of work, and what we mean when we talk about "robots" in the workplace. I'll cover automation, hybrid jobs and skills, plus why it's not all doom and gloom. Enjoy this bonus episode!Want more on the future of work and upskilling in 2020? Get the book: Punch Doubt in the Face: How to Upskill, Change Careers, and Beat the RobotsOr hire me to speak at your organization. I teach employees and leadership how to upskill into agile workers and develop a learning mindset. 

This is an extra special episode. In this conversation, I'm chatting with someone who is at the beginning of her career change journey.Stephanie has had a fabulous international career working in higher education. Now, she’s just started the process to make the jump to instructional design and voice acting. In this episode, she explains in detail how she found her next path and selected the right educational program to get her started on her next career path. We talk about her interest in her new field of instructional design and how a career coach helped her figure it out.Plus, we talk about the finding your strengths and the paths you might discover as you start the career change process. Stephanie’s curiosity practically jumps out of the episode and into your ears in this episode.This episode is a must-listen for any mid-career professional looking for a change and wanting to learn how to work through the process. And if you’re curious about the field of online learning and development, Stephanie shares what she’s learned about the industry so far.Thinking about a career change? Don’t go on your own. There’s a new book to help you. Explore my new book, Punch Doubt in the Face: How to Upskill, Change Careers, and Beat the Robots.Quotes from the episode that'll motivate you to make a career change right now:“Knowing what your strengths are, knowing what you’re interested in, what you’re good at, and what you like to do, is important as you consider what comes next for yourself. That’s all a part of it.”“I was at a point where I was too content to the point where I wasn’t really moving forward. It was too comfortable. I needed to be challenged.”“This role has been transformational for me. But it’s also still time to get out of my comfort zone. This why I’m pursuing this new graduate degree, this new voice over opportunity, to challenge myself and enjoy what I’m doing. And then build on the skills and experience in to the next career."“Don’t let imposter syndrome stop you from moving forward. Imposter syndrome manifests itself as feelings of inadequacy sometimes or there are behaviors where you doubt your own accomplishments or have this fear of being exposed as a fraud. So don't let that stop you or hold up your progress. I want people to believe that they are more ready than they think they are. If they feel that sense of discontent with their current career, act on it, don't settle."

This is the fourth of four episodes where I'm interviewing career coaches about their career changes because even career coaches have twists and turns in their careers.Kori has worked in many jobs in her career. While pursuing a job as a copywriter, and having no luck, a recruiter told her to try IT communication. She took a chance and found her people, leading her to a new path in Tech. Later, she evolved even more, deciding to pursue her interests in coaching. Now she's started her own business as a Burn Out Coach for womxn in tech, which means she's using "mindset tools with intersectional feminism to help her clients crush it at work (without work crushing them). She teaches her clients how to unlearn burnout culture. in this episode, we talk about how twists in your career path can surprise you, why self-reflection is important, and how it feels to leave a corporate job to start your own coaching business.Kori also shares her fabulously positive perspective on how to pick your career path and how to flourish in your career. This episode is for anyone trying to make sense out of their career or for those who are thinking about starting their own coaching business. Connect with Kori and learn more about her coaching services here: http://www.korilinn.com/Quotes to fire you up for your next career change: "If I can be here and love this and be in this role that I'd never thought of before and having a lot of fun, doing a lot of cool projects, meeting amazing people, then anything is possible. It shook up what I thought of myself and people and what a career has to be.""I think there are so many things that people want that we don't do because we're afraid of how hard it will be. But sometimes when you make it through, when you crest the wave of that, that's the best part.""A lot of people are like "What should I do?" as if there is a right answer." Thinking about a career change? Don’t do it all on your own. Get the book to help you figure out your next career. Explore my new book, Punch Doubt in the Face: How to Upskill, Change Careers, and Beat the Robots.

This is the third of four episodes where I'm interviewing career coaches about their career changes because even career coaches have twists and turns in their careers.That means you'll be getting some serious insights and I'll tap into their expert advice on how to make a career change.We hear a lot about how we need to keep learning in our careers but what does that actually look like? Ramesh has had multiple careers, from engineering and construction management, to MBA startup coach, to working as a co-op counselor for students at a university. He's also got a side hustle helping international students and career changers, as he's an international student who received his MBA in the US.Ramesh shares his experience changing careers and continuing to learn new skills. He shares how he keeps learning. Plus, we talk about how mentors help you make change and the value of talking to people in the industry.Quotes from the episode that you'll enjoy:"My philosophy is to get the most education as fast as possible without spending too much money""I use Lynda.com a lot. I have used Udacity and Udemy. I buy textbooks to read. I use audible.com. I talk to a lot of people in the industry. I listen to podcasts. There are so many ways you can learn. If you're open to learning there are so many ways you can learn and you don't need to do a formal MBA and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars.""Don't spend thousands of dollars on a masters degree immediately. There are so many cheap, fast ways to learn about an industry. Shadow somebody. Volunteer. Listen to podcasts. Read blogs. Talk to someone in the industry. Watch YouTube videos. Take Lynda courses. All of this can be accomplished with almost zero money or a few hundred dollars. It's better than spending $50,000 in one year and realizing this isn't what you want to do. Be creative." Thinking of changing careers? My new book for career changes will sort you out. Explore more: http://www.nicollemerrill.com/work/punch-doubt/

Show notes! This is the second of four episodes where I'm interviewing career coaches about their career changes because even career coaches have twists and turns in their careers.That means you'll be getting some serious insights and I'll tap into their expert advice on how to make a career change.Dr. Kristine Lodge has a boomerang career - she left higher education after ten years to try out recruiting for several years and later returned to higher education. We talk openly about her experience of getting laid off and bouncing back (and why we shouldn't feel shamed after a layoff). Dr. Lodge shares how she used informational interviews to find her path. And then we happy rant about the myth of the career ladder, discuss what to do when you don't want to move up, and the value of career coaches. Plus, she introduces me to my new favorite phrase for management changes: regime change.Listen to this if you're feeling stuck, if you're a PhD who needs guidance, or just wants to listen to two career coaches dismantle out dated career thinking.Note: My cohost dog makes an appearance for a few seconds in this show.Check out Kristi's coaching work outside here: https://www.incipitcareer.com/Quotes from the episode to make you feel normal about career changes:"A lot of us hit that stage where we've grown in the role, we've gone as far as we are going to, and we don't necessarily see an immediate next step forward or upward.""A boomerang career is where you go away try something out, and build a skill set, and come back to the original thing. For me, the boomerang was great, I got to build a lot of experience in recruiting and talent acquisition. It  helped me so much now in both in my career coaching identity and coaching students identity."Don't forget to get on my book launch list for big surprises in 2020: www.punchdoubt.com

Show notes! This is the first of four episodes where I'm interviewing  career coaches about their career changes because even career coaches  have twists and turns in their careers.That means you'll be getting some  serious insights and I'll tap into their expert advice on how to make a career change. Lindsey graduated from college with an English degree and a full time job offer in the publishing industry, but she quickly discovered that editing books wasn't a good fit. A visit to her alumni career services office helped her uncover three potential new paths: nutrition and dietetics, personal finance, and career coaching From there, Lindsey set out to talk to people across all three industries to find out which path would be a fit for her next step. In this episode we talk about the value of having conversations with strangers when you don't know what path to take. Lindsay shares why it's so important to talk to people in your job search or career change. Once she picked her path as a career coach, she tested out her new career path by starting at the front desk of a university career services office. While there she was able to see all of the things at a high level before transitioning into an official career coach role and investing in a masters degree to become a career coach. Lindsey shares how she expanded from front desk to adding a valuable contribution to the career development team, building relationships with employers and students alike. Plus we chat about the value of working with people who you like. Listen to this if you're trying to get a job in higher education or if you're curious how to make informational interviews work for your career change (especially if you're an introvert) Show quotes to motivate you!Why conversations matter in your career exploration process: "Having conversations actually helps you see what your work entails. A job title doesn't tell you anything about what your day to day life will look like. It can give you tidbits but not the full situation. It gives important context, so if you're switching fields, those are going to be your colleagues in the future, even if not at the same institution or company, they are still going to be people in your field, so it can't hurt to have those conversations with them." On relationship building: "Relationship building is easy in a sense, but I'm extremely introverted and very shy. So putting myself out there is hard and challenging but it's important to do it because so many people have these amazing stories that you want to hear and it can help change your career too, and really change your life by hearing from other people as well." Don't forget to get on my book launch list for big surprises in 2020: www.punchdoubt.com 

A career change doesn't mean starting over. For many, it's an opportunity to combine old and new skills to make an impact. In this episode, Megan shares how she went from an elementary teacher to IT specialist for her school district. She starts by sharing how she resigned without a plan and then quickly figured out IT was a fit for her. She shares the importance of community in her process and how she uses her background as a teacher to succeed in her IT role. Plus Megan tells us how she found a mentor with the simple ABF method (Always be Making Friends) and how she's thinking through her future sub-career paths. Plus she talks about how she builds new skills by finding project opportunities at work.Listen to this if you're thinking about making a career change without going back to school or if you're curious about using your existing skills as a guide for your next career move.Lastly, my loud dog makes a guest appearance in this episode for 2 seconds.BOOK UPDATE! My new book, Punch Doubt in the Face: How to upskill, change careers, and beat the robots is out in November. Join our community of curious career changers so you don't miss out on events. www.punchdoubt.com  Quotes I'm loving from this episode:On why a career change isn’t starting over:"The job changed a lot but the mission stayed the same.”On finding opportunities to learn new skills:“As someone who has to balance a lot of different things, I’ve learned to be a little bit of an opportunist with my learning.”Advice for career changers: "I would say really think about the people you know, the environment you might be getting into. When I made the career change into it, I had the great fortune, they had just opened the position up. So, um, I had a manager who did a lot of intentional on-boarding, a lot of onsite training. As a group we were built to do our jobs, but then also to rely on each other and have a sense of community. So that was a really incredible transition into it. And in school district it, you're often just kind of thrown into the fire. So trying to network with people in your desired field to find out what might be a great place to land, someplace you’ll be supported and be able to feel successful as you take those first steps. It's huge." 

Like many of us in our careers, Zeba wears many hats. She's a scientist, a consultant, an entrepreneur, and soon, a materials science teacher at a university. Zeba talks about leaving the bureaucracy of corporate life to try out a new business idea. She shares how she took her side hustle, a direct to consumer shoe brand with the aim of making custom shoes to fit a customer, and made it into a business, testing and iterating along the way. We talk reinventing yourself and being true to yourself by doing the things you actually like doing. We talk about how she tested her business idea, gathered feedback from customers, and how much fun it can be to bring your business idea to fruition.Listen to this if you're thinking about making your side hustle a full time or if you're a scientist pondering a switch from your current career path.Also, my new book, Punch Doubt in the Face: How to Upskill, Change Careers, and Beat the Robots has a new home. Join our community of curious career changers who are interested in the future of work: www.punchdoubt.comCareer change advice to love and follow from this episode:"Set aside an hour a day strictly for yourself, so do something completed unrelated and fun, something that's totally unrelated to your job. This will help you smoothen the transition.""Don't expect miracles. It takes time. Be patient and expect at least a year or two to have a meaningful change that you want to say.""Have a good support system. Surround yourself with people who are going through this, and those who support you. It will make all the difference."

In this episode, we hear from Jennifer about making a big shift from a clinical psychologist to a full stack developer.  After a traumatic event forces Jennifer to reevaluate everything, Jennifer decides to make a career change. In this episode, she  takes us through her process, shares insights on the importance of self reflection and how she stayed true to herself along the way. We also dive into how to research a quality university certificate program or coding bootcamp to meet your needs. She shares insights into how she navigated the intensity of her 6 month program. She’ll also tell you exactly what it means to be a full stack developer, one of the most in-demand roles in the marketplace. Listen to this if you’re curious about coding bootcamps or what it’s like to get into the tech industry. Plus we celebrate finding your supportive community and give a big shout out to how much we love Lesbians who Tech. Quotes that’ll make you want to listen to this episode: "It took several years, but sometimes for things to fall into place and for us to meet our goals, it takes a long time.And that's okay because it's the ride that you, that you, you know, you go up and down with that that's important to learn all of those lessons along the way."On making it through intensive learning bootcamps: "You just keep yourself very present. Meaning you have to remind yourself that this is an accelerated program and that it is okay. It is considered normal to feel like, wait, I just, I'm learning something right now and I'm getting my feet wet, but I'm switching gears to something else."A clever motto to motivate you: "I remember reading once a saying, I don't know who it's from, but it said “Think it into existence. Speak it into existence. Write into existence. And Work it into existence.” I never forgot about that and that has really gotten me through."Advice for career changers: "It can be a challenge and that's a good thing. I think anything that challenges you means that the outcome is going to be so much worth it in the end. Ride the wave because that's when you start to really pick up lessons along the way. it really shapes who you are. Set your goal, never ever give up, no matter what position you're in. Make sure that you have a really solid foundation with people around you. The support system, those are the individuals and community resources that are going to be there for you."

Listeners, we are going on an interdisciplinary adventure with this interview. This adventure starts with Jeremy’s parent’s business, takes us through his work in storytelling with virtual reality, a switch to data science via the bootcamp Metis, and ends with a deep dive into his strategy for making a career shift into a cutting edge field like conversation design. Jeremy has a knack for figuring out what he’s good at and merging it with what interests him.Listen to this if you’re a person who’s interested in merging creative skills with tech skills or if you’re curious about what it’s like to participate in a data science bootcamp. On how he knew it was time to make a change: I started asking myself bigger questions and came to the realization that, you know, even though I studied some computer science in college as part of the major I created for myself, I really needed a more solid technical background. And I think that's sort of the crux of where my current career change.Advice for career changers:Happiness is number one. I think that a lot of people believe that happiness follows career success especially in the United States. That’s something that I thought for a long time, that I have to accomplish X, Y, and Z , and then I'm going feel so good. But there are many studies that show that happiness actually predicts career success, it doesn’t come after the career. I've also noticed in my best day-to-day work, especially if it's something like creative writing, that comes when I'm happy. If you're considering a career change or you're currently going through one make sure that you're giving your mental, emotional, and physical health at the time of day in effort to be happy. In the end it doesn't really matter what you're doing, it matters how you feel about it. That feeling about it is why a lot of people are pursuing pursue career change. That's why I did it.   

In this episode, Lindsey is only two weeks into her new position as a career coach at a university.  She's fresh off her career change and takes us on her journey of how she got from working in budget finance to career coaching. This episodes covers a range of topics, from having the confidence to make a career change to taking a break for family and then returning to work full time. Plus we talk about what it's like to work in higher education. This episode is for anyone who has ever had multiple professional interests.  Also: Are you a chaos muppet or an order muppet? Listen to find out.Quotes from the episode that show you  how good it feels to be on the other side of a career change: "You can see a pattern maybe in my story is just that I am passionate about a lot of things and I think I can do a lot of things. So, I just kind of follow my heart."On what it's like to be on the other side of a career change:"I love learning about people and stories and so  in the two weeks I've been here, it just is so natural. It doesn't feel like work. "

This episode is a bit different because we’re catching Alexandra in the middle of her career change. She is in the process of building new skills for her career change at an online bootcamp with Career Foundry. Alexandra shares why she is ready to move on from the freelance life, how a career path in user experience pairs well with her prior experience, and her love for always learning. In this episode Alexandra takes us through how she selected her bootcamp, what it’s like to go through a bootcamp, and how she stays motivated to keep learning online. This is an ideal episode for anyone who has considered learning new skills through an online bootcamp or want to know how to make a career change without going back to school. Also if you’re ever doubted your ability to change at any age, you’ll want to listen to this episode. *Note: This episode had a bit of a mishap with recording, so part of it is recorded by phone, which doesn't make a great sound experience. But stick with us through the medicore sound on this episode because it's worth it. * Quotes from the show that make us shout with joy: "It’s insane to think that we should know what we want to do forever or that it's somehow a better life or we're a more successful person if we've done one thing. I mean, it's really just outdated. It doesn't make any sense. You know, that's not true." "I realized that going back to school and getting $50,000 in debt was not for me."

Hold on tight listeners because you’re in for a ride in this show. Maigen shares her experience transitioning from flight attendant to UX/UI Engineer. Maigen also gets real about what lead to her career change. We talk about what it actually means to be a UX/UI engineer, making a career change without a college degree, and what it’s like to transition from startup culture to corporate culture. You’ll hear what it’s really like to learn new skills at a bootcamp and how to claim your space when you're new to a field. This episode is an excellent reminder that career changes are full of ups and downs. Notable show quotes: "People say the word careers as if it means lifetime. And it doesn't. I think we need to change our perspective on that." " Right now, what I do for work and what I do for passion are two things."

Our careers are messy things, full of surprises and unknowns. Amy’s career path takes off in the kitchen, evolves into the restaurant consulting business, and shifts again as when she decided to go back to school in her 30s. She ends up in Brussels and later working for the UN World Food Program. Now, she leads a nonprofit, among other roles. We talk about professional reinvention, finding your path after an international adventure, and how to make sense of all your skills as your career evolves. We get real honest about the ups and downs of finding yourself after a career transition. Listen to this if your career doesn’t fit into a tidy box or if you just love a good adventure story. Notable show quotes: " I had a bit of an epiphany that was like, wow, all the times that I have struggled in life is when I'm really trying to struggle against being something that I'm not and trying to fit into this box that doesn't speak to me. It just occurred to me that I need to stop doing that." "A lot of people were like, you're starting from scratch. And actually I'm not. The skills that you develop as a chef, like your project management tools, your ability to work with huge crews under massive amounts of pressure, are huge assets, especially when you're working in different cultures and new environments constantly. It is the kind of skill set you need if you work at the United Nations."

Career changes aren’t always a planned affair. Sometimes a new career finds you. In this episode, Lissa shares her unexpected journey to working in retail to working in business operations at a tech company. We also talk about the value of a good manager, getting feedback, understanding job titles, learning all the things on the job, and serendipity. Oh and she’s made all of her amazing career moves without a college degree. Listen to this if you’ve ever been the person behind the scenes, solving problems, and making organizations run. Notable show quotes: “One of the things that helped me the most was constantly asking for feedback and being receptive to it. Taking the time to Google everything and learn as much as I could all the time. I don't like it when I don't understand something, so I just go after it until I pin it down.” "She was an excellent manager. She was so patient and so kind. And she would always reassure me and say, look, you're not going to feel like you know what you're doing for a while. So just take it easy on yourself. Just learn as best as you can.”

If you're a person that wants to build things in your career, this show will resonate with you. Aimee merges art and digital tech, stumbling into the design world. WIth a liberal arts background, Aimee taught herself design skills and ended up going back to school in her mid-30s. We talk about being in the right place at the right time, bouncing back from the financial crash, learning new skills on YouTube, learning to code, and so much more. This is a freewheeling episode, with lots of laughter and celebrating the joy of learning new things. Notable show quotes: "I have pulled from all of my previous learnings and understandings and it's really been this evolution of my career, whether the industry or the title has changed. I've been using all have the same skillset throughout cause they've all kind of culminated together to help push me in this career that I finally found that I love." “It's like the idea of 35 being too late for you to go back to school to me is crazy because I think about life expectancy these days. It's like, what else you're going to do. We should be so lucky to live to seventies, 80s, nineties. 35 is a drop in the bucket for you to go figure out stuff.”

This trailer is a quick hello to all anyone who is stuck in their career and wants a new path. Whether you're a future career changers or just someone dreaming of an escape from their every day job, you'll find a home with this podcast. This short introduction explains what you'll get from listening to 50 people tell their career change story.