What Do People Do All Day?

Before I started this podcast, I listened to podcasts. But I had never really thought about all of the jobs that go into making those podcasts possible. In this episode, I speak with Elena Schwartz, a producer for Slate Magazine's daily news podcast "What Next." In college, Elena thought that she might want to go to law school. Much of what she did in college, both academically and extracurricularly, was geared towards examining the intersection of race, class, and the criminal justice system. But during her junior year, she got an itch to do something in the audio-journalism world. She was worried that she was "behind" her peers, but managed to graduate with a temporary role with WGBH. She decided to give herself a year to test out this alternative career path, and now she's been at it for over three years. Best for: breaking into the audio-journalism world even when it feels late in the game; working in an industry that requires multiple temporary roles before you can get a full-time role Contents: 1:00 - Introduction 4:20 - Deciding that she wanted to pursue an audio-journalism career and her first gig out of college 12:40 - Day-to-day as an assistant producer at WGBH 15:07 - Her junior year internship and how it helped her pivot 18:46 - Elena's next role; finding and starting a role at Pineapple Studios 22:23 - Pros and cons of these early roles 27:41 - Applying for and starting as an intern at All Things Considered at NPR 37:37 - The challenges of an industry that starts with mostly temporary roles 41:12 - Looking for and finding a full-time role 45:26 - Day-to-day as a full-time producer at Slate 52:28 - Lessons learned --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-isabel-seymour/support

In this episode, I speak with my former co-worker, Jessica, about her path to becoming a Project Manager at an energy storage start up. In college, Jessica majored in computer science and minored in ethics and philosophy. Like me, she worked as an analyst at a boutique financial litigation firm after college, but after two years decided that it was time to move on. In deciding what she wanted to do next, Jessica looked to find a job where she felt more mission-aligned and where she could achieve better work-life balance. Now at Form Energy, she focuses on commercial strategy, business development and customer acquisition. Best for: people looking to pivot after their first job out of college; working at a start up in a non-technical role; learning more about clean energy jobs Contents: 1:00 - Introduction 5:04 - Goals for her first job out of college 9:30 - Pros and cons of working as an analyst at a boutique financial litigation firm 15:50 - Pivoting after her first job and the job search 24:07 - Day-to-day as a project manager at an energy storage start up 29:19 - Pros and cons of working as a project manager at an energy storage start up 33:50 - Lessons learned --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-isabel-seymour/support

In this episode, I speak with a fellow graduate of my high school, Ogechi Musa. Ogechi is now a full-time writer, director, actor, and producer. But that's not where she started. While a student at Boston College, Ogechi thought that she would pursue a career in medicine. Initially she thought she would be a doctor, but she ultimately landed on healthcare IT consulting and training. She was always passionate about acting and filmmaking, though, and pursued that, as well. After years of balancing two careers, Ogechi recently decided to follow her purpose, quit her six-figure job in healthcare, and pursue her career in independent filmmaking full-time. Best for: learning about independent filmmaking; hearing about the importance of being in-tune with yourself at different stages of your life; considering different careers in the healthcare space Contents: 1:00 - Introduction 9:43 - First steps coming out of college 13:03 - Taking time out of college to pursue filmmaking 17:41 - Healthcare IT day-to-day 24:32 - Pros and cons of healthcare IT 27:30 - Deciding to not become a doctor 32:28 - Balancing healthcare IT with filmmaking 36:53 - Day-to-day of being an independent filmmaker 40:52 - Pros and cons of independent filmmaking 47:32 - Looking back and lessons learned Edited by Dylan Smith from Valle Verde Studios. You can follow him @valleverdestudios on Instagram and Tiktok. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-isabel-seymour/support

As an English major at UC Berkeley, Carrie felt like the expectation was that she would immediately continue on to get a PhD. But instead she decided she wanted to take some time off and consider a career in publishing. In this episode, we talk about how she explored the publishing field through internships, what the different roles are within the publishing space, and how different publishing companies function differently. Carrie now works as a marketing coordinator for children's books at an independent publisher, so we do a deep dive on what she does on a day-to-day basis, what it's like to market a product when your audience aren't the buyers, and what she's learned along the way. Best for: English majors considering an alternative to pursuing a PhD straight after college; those hoping to learn more about the different roles within the publishing industry; gaining perspective on the intimidation factor when you first start your career Contents: 1:00 - Introduction 3:33 - Finding jobs and internships in the publishing industry 8:22 - Interning in the publishing industry 9:40 - Deciding not to go straight through to graduate school 13:07 - Applying to publishing jobs and deciding where to work 15:59 - Day-to-day in marketing at a publishing company 19:32 - Different jobs within the publishing industry 22:36 - What's tough about marketing 24:13 - Working on children's books specifically 28:05 - Additional details on the day-to-day of marketing at a publishing company 30:51 - Marketing when your audience aren't the buyers 33:05 - Working as a marketing assistant vs. marketing coordinator 34:12 - Lessons learned --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-isabel-seymour/support

After growing up in a small town in Indiana and after attending Bowdoin College, Jordan Daniel knew that he wanted to move to a bigger city. He knew he was interested in public health and health care, but wasn't sure exactly what he wanted to pursue. Hoping to develop his analytical skills, as well as to prepare himself for a graduate degree, Jordan Daniel took a job as a fundraiser for a Chicago-based non-profit in the public health space. After a while, though, he felt he had learned everything he could in his role and found himself drawn back to the east coast, so he moved to D.C. to do prospect research for American University. His role there, along with a CFO role for an online LGBT resource, helped him develop the hard quant skills he needed to apply to business school. In business school, Jordan Daniel found a passion for marketing in the pharmaceutical industry. Tune in to hear more about the thought process that went into each twist and turn. Best for: learning about the ins-and-outs of different fundraising roles; stretching oneself and getting outside your comfort zone; knowing when it's time to move on from a role Contents: 1:00 - Introduction 10:11 - Finding his first job out of college (fundraising at a non-profit) 21:22 - Day-to-day, pros, and cons of fundraising for a non-profit 29:50 - Deciding to move on and finding the next role (prospect research at university) 31:51 - Day-to-day, pros, and cons of prospect research at a university 42:12 - Serving as the CFO of an online LGBT resource (Pride Pocket) 49:27 - Deciding to go to business school and picking the right school 58:32 - Finding his way to a pharmaceutical marketing 1:08:20 - Lessons learned *Note: Jordan Daniel does not speak for Pfizer and any opinion or perspective shared in this episode is his own. Edited by Dylan Smith from Valle Verde Studios. You can follow him @valleverdestudios on Instagram and Tiktok. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-isabel-seymour/support

In this episode, I speak with Eshani. Eshani initially started college thinking that she wanted to become a doctor, but ended up switching to a pre-dental major and then went dental school. Throughout her life, Eshani spent a lot of time dancing, but found that, during dental school, she fell out of practice. Once she finished up her residency at a VA hospital, Eshani picked up dancing again as she waited for her exam results. After spending several months dancing and building an online presence, she decided that rather than being a full-time dentist, she would split her time between dentistry and promoting her dancing career. This episode is best for: people looking to balance an existing career with their passion-project-turned-side-gig; people hoping to learn about the process of becoming a dentist; people interested in learning about how to turn your side gig into something more. Contents: 1:00 - Introduction 2:52 - Deciding on dental school instead of med school 6:53 - Applying to dental school 8:17 - Dental school 18:02 - Applying to residencies 29:17 - Day-to-day of residency 35:17 - Post-residency and starting up her dancing business 46:47 - Day-to-day of running a dance business 51:37 - Lessons learned --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-isabel-seymour/support

In this episode, I speak with Kristen Fulmer about how she has built a career at the intersection of sustainability, buildings, and sports. She knew coming out of college that she wanted to work to make buildings more sustainable, but how exactly she wanted to approach that evolved over time. Tune in to hear more about why she chose each role along the way, how she navigated tough situations (including age differences in the workplace, gender-based biases, and getting laid off), and how she managed to pull her interests together in a way that works for her. Best for: taking personal consideration into account when making job decisions; navigating tough situations; tying your interests together Contents: 1:00 - Introduction 6:34 - How Kristen became interested in pursuing sustainability through the lens of buildings 9:07 - Kristen's first job out of college (building manager) 17:14 - Being taken seriously when you're younger than some of the people you manage 20:14 - Pros, cons and the day-to-day of building management; deciding to go to graduate school 26:00 - Masters program in sustainable design 28:49 - Pursuing sustainable design consulting after graduate school 39:31 - Pivoting to construction management and real estate development, partially for personal reasons 45:01 - Being a woman working in a male-led industry 51:07 - Pivoting to WeWork as a project manager 59:20 - Starting her own sustainability consulting firm 1:06:30 - Next steps 1:08:05 - Lessons learned Note: Since recording this episode, Kristen has started a new role as the lead for sustainability at Oak View Group. OVG recently launched a membership platform called GOAL (Green Operations and Advanced Leadership), which will help venues operate in more environmentally friendly ways. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-isabel-seymour/support

In this week's episode, I speak with Andrew, a MD/PhD student at the University of Washington. After initially pursuing environmental biology in college, Andrew took some post-baccalaureate classes to apply to medical school. While taking those classes, he also worked as an EMT. Then, while applying to medical school, he started working in a cancer biology lab, which caused him to realize that he wanted to continue to pursue research in tandem with his medical degree. Luckily, the medical school he got into allowed him to add a PhD after he was accepted. But before all of that, Andrew spent some time rock climbing full-time after he graduated college. Tune in to hear more about what pushed him to apply to medical school, how he decided what kind of career he wanted in the medical field, and why he decided to pursue a dual degree. Best for: people considering medical school who need to complete some post-baccalaureate classes first; those considering pursuing both a PhD and a MD Contents: 1:00 - Introduction 6:43 - Rock climbing after college 13:03 - Deciding that it was time to go to medical school 16:43 - Other medical professions considered 19:15 - Post-baccalaureate classes 21:46 - Applying to medical school 25:38 - Working as an EMT 31:19 - Working in a cancer biology lab 38:48 - Pursuing both a PhD and a MD 48:18 - Lessons learned --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-isabel-seymour/support

When Stephany was a sophomore in college, she was a chemistry major and had never heard of Goldman Sachs before. Now, she's working as a Global Sustainability and Impact Associate at Goldman Sachs. But how did she get from point A to point B? In this episode, we talk about her path from being a chemistry major to becoming a finance major, from interning as a Summer Securities Analyst to working as a Global Markets Analyst to now working in the ESG sphere within Goldman. This episode is best for: people hoping to learn more about the world of finance; people interested in learning about an ESG role Contents: 1:00 - Introduction 6:05 - Brief overview of Stephany's path 9:28 - Starting at Goldman as an intern 21:36 - Starting her full-time role at Goldman 28:10 - Day-to-day in Sales & Trading (Global Markets) 32:00 - Day-to-day in Asset Management (ESG) 37:46 - Pros and cons of her ESG work 46:53 - More details on the day-to-day (hours) 49:43 - Pros and cons of sales & trading 52:22 - Lessons learned --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-isabel-seymour/support

In the first episode of the season, learn about the ins and outs of applying to a PhD program, what it's like being a PhD student, and how to balance school work with other pursuits. In this episode, I speak with Garima about her path to becoming an Earth and Environmental Sciences PhD candidate. We talk about the time she took off before starting her PhD program (including working at a botanical garden), how she conducted informational interviews to help narrow down which PhD programs to apply for, and her work outside of the classroom. Best for: key lessons on applying to PhD programs, learning about the day-to-day of a PhD program, considering what to prioritize when Contents: 1:00 - Introduction 4:39 - Deciding between environmental consulting and environmental research 7:53 - Deferring grad school and working at a botanical garden in Hawaii 19:43 - Applying to a PhD in environmental sciences 25:20 - Overview of a PhD program 30:05 - Beyond the PhD program 37:23 - Evolving priorities 40:35 - Pros and cons of being a PhD student 43:33 - Lessons learned --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-isabel-seymour/support

Welcome (or welcome back!) to Season 2 of What Do People Do All Day?! This is a podcast geared towards helping college students and those a few years out of college figure out what they want to do professionally through a series of informational interviews. But for those of you who want to conduct some informational interviews of your own, I thought I'd kick off this season by giving everyone a quick how-to guide on what an informational interview is, how, when, and why to conduct them, as well as some other tips and tricks. Still have questions about informational interviews after listening to this week's episode? Reach out to whatdopeopledoallday2022@gmail.com and let me know! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-isabel-seymour/support

That's a wrap on Season 1 of What Do People Do All Day?! The show will be picking back up for Season 2 on Wednesdays in September after Labor Day. In the meantime, please reach out to whatdopeopledoallday2022@gmail.com with any comments or suggestions. Happy summer! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-isabel-seymour/support

When Michael graduated college, he wanted to get an MFA. He spent a few years working at a boarding school while building his portfolio to apply to an MFA program. During that time his art evolved from strictly photography to a more diverse set of media. He applied to MFA programs, got in, and matriculated, but two weeks in he realized that completing an MFA program wasn't for him. So he moved home and began applying to internships. Eventually, he began working at an art gallery as an intern and worked his way up to being the director of the gallery. After working there for seven years, he decided he wanted to focus more on the data-oriented aspects of business and was hoping to learn more. Tune in to hear more about what he's learned in business school and how he's balanced his art. This episode is best for: figuring out how to pursue art after college; learning about what it's like to work at a commercial gallery; hearing about the application process for MFA and MBA programs Also, check out his artwork at michaelpatrickobrien.info Contents: 01:00 - Meet Michael and hear about his educational background 05:30 - Building his portfolio and working at a boarding school 14:31 - Applying to MFA programs 21:48 - Finding internships at commercial galleries after dropping out of his MFA program 30:48 - Starting at Inman Gallery and working his way up 39:43 - Deciding to go to business school and applying 46:01 - What he's learned in business school 54:45 - Lessons learned --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-isabel-seymour/support

When Laura graduated, she wasn't exactly sure what she wanted to do, but she thought that she might want to try marketing or something in the sports industry. So she started at an ad agency and also worked as a fan cam director for the Rangers on the side. Laura found that marketing at an ad agency wasn't allowing her to exercise her creativity as much as she had hoped. So, through a connection from her job with the Rangers, she switched to a marketing role at FanDuel. But then she found out that her product line was being shut down. Given the opportunity to explore other options within FanDuel, Laura tried pivoting to product. Tune in to this week's episode to hear more about how Laura's marketing career has influenced her work as a product manager, how informational interviews helped her figure out where to go after marketing, and how to make the most of your time at a new company. This episode is best for: people who are trying to figure out a way to work in sports (even if part time); how to leverage a marketing background to transition into product management; narrowing your options if you're feeling choice paralysis Contents: 01:00 - Meet Laura and learn about her educational background 06:40 - Laura's first jobs out of college (ad agency; fan cam director at the Rangers) 11:20 - Why Laura started in marketing and what the day-to-day was like 13:26 - How and why she transitioned to product (first as a business analyst/product owner, and then as a product manager) 21:40 - Day-to-day as a product manager 30:21 - How her marketing background has influenced her role as a product manager 33:23 - The tough parts of being a product manager 36:13 - Lessons learned --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-isabel-seymour/support

In college, Gabrielle participated in Naval ROTC and then became a Surface Warfare Officer stationed in Japan immediately after graduating. She did a tour with the Office of Naval Intelligence as a Collection Strategist and served as a Flag Aid for the Director and Commander at the Office of Naval Intelligence. She now serves as the Department Head and Deputy Director for Maritime Intelligence Operations Center. After six years with the Navy, Gabrielle is reflecting on her lessons learned as she prepares for the next phase of her career as a civilian. This episode is best for: those considering ROTC or military service; reflecting on one's values and priorities; understanding what it means to be a leader at a young age Contents: 01:00 - Meet Gabrielle and hear about her educational background 06:20 - Becoming a Surface Warfare Officer 10:51 - The day-to-day of a Surface Warfare Officer 20:39 - Moving to the Office of Naval Intelligence 21:15 - The day-to-day of a Naval Intelligence Officer 27:32 - The day-to-day as the Intelligence Operations Department Head at the US Navy Cyber Headquarters 29:16 - What comes after life in the Navy 40:21 - Best career advice, both given and received Note: the views expressed in this interview are Gabrielle's own and do not represent the views of the Department of Defense, the Department of the Navy, or the U.S. government. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-isabel-seymour/support

This week I speak with Carter about his path to management consulting. Coming out of college, he took a year to do a fellowship in Taiwan. While he enjoyed the experience, it didn't exactly help him figure out what he wanted to do long-term. Going back to his political science roots, he took a few political consulting roles in Washington, D.C. Through those experiences he started to home in on what he liked and didn't like in a professional role. After building out a spreadsheet of every job he could think of, Carter decided to direct his job searching attention towards management consulting. Despite describing himself as someone who hates to network, Carter managed to network his way into a management consulting role in Los Angeles. Tune in to hear about what Carter learned along the way, why he decided not to become a comedian (or a lawyer), and what he would advise college students and those a few years out *not* to do. Best for: learning how to pivot into consulting if you're not coming out of college or an MBA; trying things in bite sizes early in your career and reflecting on what matters to you professionally; how to find and prepare for interviews for political consulting roles in D.C. Contents: 01:00 - Meet Carter and hear about his professional background 06:41 - Finding his fellowship in Taiwan and then finding his first role in D.C. 12:33 - Day-to-day of Carter's first political consulting role in D.C. 16:50 - Other roles he considered in D.C. 19:07 - What he liked/didn't like about his first political consulting role (and a bit about why he didn't go the law route) 23:37 - Carter's second political consulting role in D.C. and how he found it 27:33 - Day-to-day at Carter's second political consulting role 30:19 - The pros and cons of his second role in D.C. 32:58 - The spreadsheet and transitioning to management consulting 41:53 - Day-to-day in management consulting 48:57 - Pros and cons of management consulting 51:13 - Lessons learned Note: Carter mentions a few websites for finding roles in D.C. They were Brad Traverse, Tom Manatos, and District Daybook. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-isabel-seymour/support

In this episode, I speak with Gilbert, an educational consultant. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do after he graduated and his parents encouraged him to try living in another country. He taught English in China for two years until the pandemic hit. After realizing how many of his students wanted to go to college in the United States, but didn't really know what they were looking for beyond the ranking of the school, Gilbert dove into helping high school students apply to college as an educational consultant. Especially after growing up and watching his parents grind to run a Chinese restaurant in New Haven, Gilbert loves working for a company that provides him flexibility and a quality of life that he enjoys. This episode is best for: learning about how to navigate adulting in your first few years out of college; the benefits of working for a small company with a flexible work schedule; why not to worry too much about your major (and what to be more worried about instead). Contents: 1:00 - Meet Gilbert. Learn about his educational background and all the stuff he tried in college 9:32 - An overview of being an educational consultant 12:01 - Gilbert's first job out of college (teaching in China) 25:55 - Learning how to adult 31:59 - Transitioning from teaching to educational consulting 36:27 - Day-to-day of an educational consultant 51:49 - Lessons learned If you'd like to contact Gilbert directly, you can email him at guo@college-matters.com. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-isabel-seymour/support

From the time she was in elementary school, Madeline wanted to be an intelligence analyst. Moved by the events on 9/11, she took every step to set herself up for that career. But then she found out that she couldn't pursue that dream. On this week's episode, hear about how Madeline took the skills that she had developed in hopes of pursuing a career as an intelligence analyst and pivoted to become the co-founder of a luxury travel group. Best for: picking up the pieces when things don't go the way you expect; carrying your skills forward from one job to the next; reflecting on what it means to be successful. Contents: 1:00 - Meet Madeline and get an overview of her educational/professional background 05:02 - Madeline's first job out of college (working at a law firm in preparation for a career as an intelligence analyst) 10:52 - Where the road gets curvy (pivoting from her dream of being an intelligence analyst to starting her own company) 21:31 - The day-to-day of running a travel company 30:14 - Lessons learned This episode was recorded 3/4/2022. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-isabel-seymour/support

This week I speak with Krysten about her journey into the health policy and legal world. When Krysten took a job in government affairs at a pharmaceutical company coming out of college, she didn't realize how much she would love health policy. But as her career has moved forward, she realizes that her interests go all the way back to when she was a Girl Scout. Hear about how Krysten has opened doors for herself by "being nice and working hard." Best for: balancing work and graduate school; being reassured that everything will turn out alright; finding hope Contents: 1:00 - Meet Krysten + learn about her educational background 04:04 - Krysten's first job out of college (government affairs at a pharmaceutical company) 13:31 - Krysten's second job out of college (working on Capitol Hill) 27:50 - Applying to and going to grad school (Master's in Public Health + Juris Doctor) 38:06 - Balancing work and being an evening law student 47:48 - Lessons learned Note: this episode was recorded on 2/25/2022 --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-isabel-seymour/support

In this episode, I speak with Jeff Hartsough, a product manager at Cisco. Though he wasn't initially sure what he wanted to do when he graduated college, he knew he wanted to be able to use his Chinese language skills. From being an East Asian Studies major, to the first product manager hired at a start up, to being a product manager at a multinational technology company, we hear from Jeff about what it's like to be a product manager and how to leverage your network. This episode is best for: homing in on what you're looking for so that you can leverage your network effectively; learning about product management; how to enter that kind of role if you don't have a technology background Contents: 1:00 - Meet Jeff 06:09 - Jeff's first job out of college (analyst at Nielsen) 09:12 - Pivoting to product management 12:36 - Summary of Jeff's path after his first product management job at a small LED company and deciding to go to business school 13:58 - Leveraging your network (part 1) 17:36 - Learning how to be a product manager 21:06 - Other career paths considered 24:30 - Getting a consulting role and leveraging your network (part 2) 27:23 - Deciding to go to business school, applying, and leveraging a safe-to-fail environment 37:21 - Being a product manager (what he likes and what someone might not like) 43:05 - Being a product manager (day-to-day at different sizes of companies) 56:42 - Lessons learned --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-isabel-seymour/support

In this episode of What Do People Do All Day? we talk to my mentor, Staci. Staci loves learning and chemistry, so she thought she wanted to go into academia and higher education. She even got a Masters and then started a PhD in chemistry. But she began to realize that it might not be the right fit for her. So she moved across the country and started tutoring, which led her to join an educational startup called Polygence. Listen to learn more about her journey and startup life. This episode is best for: learning how to create your own serendipity, reflecting on what you want out of your career; pivoting career paths Contents: 1:00 - Meet Staci 07:12 - Graduate school 12:35 - Pivoting from academia and thinking about next steps 17:52 - Starting at Polygence 21:07 - Day-to-day at an educational startup 30:55 - Reflecting on her career path 34:01 - Good career advice (given and received) Note: A few weeks after recording this episode, Staci accepted a position in operations at Synthesis School--an online enrichment program for kids ages 6-14. Synthesis teaches critical thinking and collaboration by thrusting kids into complex game simulations that model real world decision making. It was originally just a class at Elon Musk's secret SpaceX lab school, and now it is offered to kids world wide. She's pretty sure that one of the main reasons she was granted an interview and offered a position was because she had experience as an early employee at an early stage start-up. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-isabel-seymour/support

This week I speak with my friend from college, Topiltzin. After graduating Yale, he became a Venture for America Fellow and joined Honeycomb Credit instead of taking Google up on their return offer. Hear about how he thought about what he wanted out of his first job and how he navigates a job with no roadmap. This episode is best for: those thinking about taking the "risky" path; making it into the startup world with a liberal arts background Contents: 1:00 - Meet Topiltzin 03:18 - Venture for America, why Topiltzin pursued that path, and how he became a fellow 11:33 - Getting matched with start-ups and how he chose Honeycomb Credit 24:33 - Starting at Honeycomb Credit and how Topiltzin's role has evolved 29:50 - Day-to-day at Honeycomb Credit (the good, the bad and the ugly) 35:59 - Lessons learned --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-isabel-seymour/support

This week I speak with my long time friend Genevieve about her path to working as an Associate Coach Program Manager at a healthcare startup. During her senior year (and even for a bit after she graduated), she wasn't sure what she wanted to do. Then she took a certification course to become a health coach. She joined a start up and has been growing with the company ever since. Genevieve will walk us through how she followed her gut, but also slowed down before jumping in. This episode is best for: gaining perspective; reflecting on your values; trusting your gut Contents: 01:00 - Meet Genevieve and learn about her educational background and her life before health coaching 07:08 - Getting her certificate to become a health coach and finding her first job as a health coach 17:13 - What Genevieve was hoping to get out of her first job and deciding not to be a nurse 23:30 - Day-to-day as a health coach (starting as a coach through becoming an Associate Coach Program Manager) 31:20 - What she liked about those roles and what might someone not like about those roles 38:23 - How, when and why she switched roles within her company 42:20 - Lessons learned --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-isabel-seymour/support

This week on What Do People Do All Day, I speak with my long time friend Lydia about her path to becoming a software engineer. An avid reader who wanted to be a tabloid reporter when she grew up, Lydia attended a coding bootcamp when she was 25. Since then she's worked at start ups and more established tech companies. She'll walk us through a day in the life of a database software engineer and she'll share some career insights that she's learned along the way. This episode is best for: learning about perseverance; how to pivot your career; reflecting on what you want out of your job Contents: 01:00 - Meet Lydia 03:49 - Lydia's educational background 08:53 - Lydia's first job out of college (data analyst at FTI Consulting), how she got that job, why she took it, and what she liked/didn't like 21:42 - Pivoting to software engineering and going to boot camp 26:26 - Finding her first job out of boot camp (software engineer at CrowdTap) 25:06 - Lydia's second job out of boot camp (software engineer at Code Academy) 38:29 - Lydia's current job (MongoDB) and her day-to-day 52:23 - Lessons learned --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-isabel-seymour/support

In this first episode, I'll give a bit of background about myself. I'll answer the questions that I'll ask my guests in other episodes, including giving a bit of background on my educational and professional history, how I found my first job, why I took it, what my day-to-day looked like, and what lessons I learned along the way. This episode is best for: The process of picking a career for those who don't have a "passion," those thinking about the legal profession Contents: 1:00 - Meet your host, Sara 03:16 - Figuring out that journalism wasn't for me 05:12 - Pivoting towards the law 12:18 - Finding my first job out of college 14:14 - Getting my first job out of college (as an analyst at a law firm) and deciding it was the right fit 20:26 - Day-to-day as an analyst at a law firm 23:37 - How I liked it (the good, the bad and the ugly) 27:21 - Deciding on whether or not to go to law school (and the lessons I learned along the way that helped me decide) --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-isabel-seymour/support

Before you dive into the informational interviews, let me give you a bit of background on why I'm doing this podcast and what I think you can get out of it. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-isabel-seymour/support

"What Do People Do All Day?" is a podcast for current college students and recent graduates who are figuring out what they want to do professionally. Sara Seymour, a recent graduate from Yale University, conducts a series of informational interviews with other recent college graduates across industries to help you figure out what it is you want to do professionally. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/sara-isabel-seymour/support