The Work Seminar
The Work Seminar is the podcast for people with liberal arts advanced degrees considering work outside their fields of study. Join me for unscripted conversations with MAs, MFAs, PhDs, and the like who made the leap to adjacent or (seemingly) unrelated work after grad school. You'll hear about life's unexpected turns, what guests have learned along the way, their thoughts and advice for finding enjoyable work, and work's role in their lives.
Episodes
38 episodes
Ep. 37: Season Three is in the Books
And once again, a semester of The Work Seminar comes to an end. We’ll return with Season 4 after the break. In the meantime, here’s hoping you’ve learned as much from these conversations as we have. See you back here in 2023. <...
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Season 3
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Episode 7
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2:19
Ep. 36: Finding a Career Outside Your Academic Discipline w/ Author and PhD Zakiya Akerele
Zakiya's debut book Dump Your Degree is a practical guide for thinking beyond academic credentials as you pursue a new career. And she’s followed her own advice, transitioning from the professoriate (with a PhD in religious education) ...
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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34:41
Ep. 35: Judith Lagrou - M.Ed. in Higher Education Turned Investment Banking Strategist
Judith finished grad school with a passion for increasing student retention. As she spent more time — and moved up the ladder — in higher ed administration, she became equally committed to expanding access.And she did, indeed, make reten...
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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38:24
Ep. 34: Austin L. Church - MA in English Turned Brand Strategist and Business Coach
A self-branded writer/poet, Austin relished the opportunity to hone his creative skills in grad school. And he was open to divergent work after graduation.Just as he found his footing as a copywriter and social media strategist at a smal...
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Season 3
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Episode 4
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41:47
Ep. 33: Jackie Sanders - MA in Material Culture & Public Humanities Turned Digital Marketer & Visual Arts Entrepreneur
Jackie held down six (six!) part-time jobs after grad school. But a couple years into her first full-time gig, her art and career hit a lull. That’s when she started devoting her commute time to learning everything she could about d...
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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42:13
Ep. 32: Jesan Sorrells - MA in Conflict Resolution Turned Entrepreneur & CEO
Jesan pivoted from student affairs leadership to entrepreneurship in a novel fashion: He started with revisiting his grad school curriculum. After combing through the syllabi from his master’s program, Jesan thought, “I could take ...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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45:07
Ep. 31: Tory Wobber - PhD in Human Evolutionary Biology turned Career Coach
A future of intellectual exploration and research drew Tory to grad school. But two seasons of an unfruitful tenure-track search prompted her to question what she wanted out of work — and where she wanted to do it.After 40 or 50 informat...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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40:48
Ep. 30: That's a Wrap on Season Two
And once again, we’ve reached a temporary end.After a little rest, The Work Seminar will return with Season 3. In the meantime, here’s hoping you’ve learned as much from these conversations as we have. See you back here this ...
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Season 2
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Episode 15
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2:22
Ep. 29: Balancing a Career & Creative Pursuits w/ Animal Advocate & Musician Jon Camp
Jon taught guitar lessons — including to, once upon a mid/late 90s time, yours truly — while finishing his liberal arts degree. Not long after graduation, his passion for animal rights drew him to leave teaching music for advocacy, and he’s wor...
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Season 2
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Episode 14
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38:10
Ep. 28: Pivoting to a Technical Career w/ QA Leader Amie Klager
Amie studied fine arts with no intention of working professionally in the field. She took office jobs during college, and shortly after graduating parlayed that experience into a full-time job for a clinical research company. Withou...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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28:18
Ep. 27: The Realities of Self-Employment w/ Entrepreneur Brian Bohley
Before Brian hired employees to support his three businesses, he was a solo practitioner in the payroll and financial services space for six years. And in today’s bonus episode, we’re tapping into Brian’s 10+ years of experience hel...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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28:54
Ep. 26: Laura Stef-Praun - PhD in Literature Turned Content Marketing Strategist
Laura’s multipotentialite mother inspired so much in her life: a love of learning, culture, language, and academic achievement. But a few years into her PhD in Victorian literature, Laura doubted that a tenured professorship was wit...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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52:56
Ep. 25: Megan Sauter - PhD in Cognitive Psychology Turned Talent Development Leader
Halfway through her doctoral program, Megan knew pursuing a professorship wasn’t the right path. She loved her studies, but seeing how her work could be applied in industry cemented her decision to look outside higher ed for career prospects.
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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38:56
Ep. 24: Joe Pulizzi - MA in Rhetoric Turned Content Marketing Leader & Serial Entrepreneur
Before Joe founded and sold Content Marketing Institute, wrote six books, and returned to entrepreneurship with The Tilt, he exemplified the liberal arts stereotype: a master’s in hand and uncertainty ahead. After earning his MA, J...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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43:39
Ep. 23: Dr. Chris Brooks - ThD Turned Impact Investor
Dr. Chris Brooks was in the thick of his dissertation when he co-founded Brown Venture Group, a venture capital firm exclusively for Black, Latinx, and Indigenous technology startups. On top of that, he worked a full-time job and took his commi...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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39:00
Ep. 22: Heather Dileepan - MA in Writing & Publishing Turned Conversion Copywriter
Boredom at her job, coupled with aspirations to become the next Maxwell Perkins, inspired Heather to enroll in an MA in writing and publishing program. While she spent time in educational publishing during grad school, a move to the...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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36:06
Ep. 21: Jonathan Kranz - MFA in Creative Writing Turned Marketing Writer and Trainer
Jonathan’s pursuit of an MFA was “totally mercenary.” After making little headway in his career or with his oil paintings post college, he realized his penchant for writing could be lucrative (and creative). Several years later, wit...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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43:37
Ep. 20: David Brown - MA in Religion Turned Software Development Manager
A self-described “case study in never deciding what I wanted to be when I grew up,” David found himself working in counseling before and after completing his MA in religion. It wasn’t the right fit, but at the time, he couldn’t quite articulate...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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36:28
Ep. 19: Amanda Kass - MA in Geography & PhD in Urban Planning & Policy Turned Public Finance Analyst
Amanda’s passion for public finance harkens back to her undergrad days. Yet before grad school, she had never intended to pursue applied public policy work. Her interest in social theory and the effects of capitalism in internationa...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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42:10
Ep. 18: Anthony Shenoda - PhD in Social Anthropology Turned UX Researcher
Anthony had every intention to work as a professional anthropologist. But after finishing his PhD and teaching for a few years, that desire changed. His decision to leave higher ed led to a different higher calling: joining the prie...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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46:00
Ep. 17: Mathew Brundage - PhD in History Turned Academic Test Developer
Job “ins” come in mysterious ways. For Mathew, it was teaching English in Shenzhen between his master’s and doctorate in history. Seven years later, that teaching abroad stint qualified him for a contract role writing ESL tests. And...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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40:15
Ep. 16: Jen Crichlow - MA in Arts Administration Turned Software Startup Leader
For Jen Crichlow, art and technology are inseparable.Her involvement at arts festivals of all stripes revealed the digital divide that affects everything from event management to the preservation of culture. So she enrolled i...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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41:07
Ep. 15: Thanks for Tuning in to Season One
All good things must come to … a short break.After a little R&R (rest and recordings), we’ll return with our sophomore season. In the meantime, here’s hoping you’ve learned as much from these conversations as we have. See...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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3:25
Ep. 14: Finding a Job Outside Your Field of Study w/ Exec. & Career Coach Paul Erdahl
Paul is an executive and career coach, licensed psychologist, former human resources leader, and friend of the podcast who’s generously agreed to guide us through his steps for making a career change. Paul shares his approach for:
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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1:05:35
Ep. 13: All Things Money After Grad School w/ Financial Planner David Fortosis
This (inaugural!) bonus episode features certified financial planner David Fortosis, owner of ClearCounsel Advisors, walking us through all things money after grad school. Specifically, David dives into the current economy’s likely ...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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40:04