GradSchooled with Fatimah Williams, Ph.D.

Welcome to GradSchooled, a podcast about making career and life choices based on who you are, not just what we study. At GradSchooled, we believe that you are more than your graduate degree. You define it, it does not define you. In this episode, I share insights from my career journey as an Anthropology Ph.D. - turned public health advocacy professional - turned full-time entrepreneur and discuss how the podcast will provide you with strategies and information to navigate your own career transitions. If you’re trying to figure out what’s next in your career and life, this podcast will help you learn how to stay motivated and take the next steps. You will gain the clarity and confidence needed to win both personally and professionally. If you’ve been looking for a knowledgeable career coach and professional support system, you’ve found it with GradSchooled. Instagram: @theGradSchooled Facebook: @theGradSchooled

On today’s episode, I share Step 1 of the GradSchooled framework for working through the ups and downs of career change. The first step is to Envision.  You know how uncertainty in your professional life somehow seems to up-end the rest of your life? Even when it’s a good change like finishing your Master’s degree or starting a new job, we can feel unsettled about what’s next. In that state of mind, it’s so easy to make decisions out of fear and doubt or simply out of reaction to what you think your options are.  In this episode, I talk about how to envision who you are and what you want in this time of change or uncertainty.  Instead of being reactionary or acting out of fear, we discuss how to rethink what’s possible. If you’re feeling like it’s time to break out of the box of basing your career-life decisions on your academic background alone, this episode is for you.  I go deeper into these topics in this episode:  The importance of taking time to reflect before starting a job search or making a career change How to cultivate an asset-based mindset even when you’re unsure of what’s next How to get unstuck when an unexpected career-life change throws you a curveball  Let’s connect on IG or FB. I’d love to hear how you manage career-life changes. Instagram: @theGradSchooled Facebook: @theGradSchooled

Making assumptions about the professional world can lead to fear and paralysis, hindering us from tapping into the range of career options available to us. If you’ve ever stopped yourself from exploring a career field or opportunity of interest saying, “I should be...”, “what will my …. (spouse/parents/friends) think,” or “I don't have time” then this episode is for you.  On the episode, I share Step 2 of the GradSchooled framework for navigating career and life change -- Discover. I discuss: How to move past the common assumption that professional freedom can only be achieved through academia or entrepreneurship  How to be intentional about your career choices by doing research and understanding the options available  The four-letter word that stands between you and your next professional opportunity Instagram: @theGradSchooled Facebook: @theGradSchooled

How can you be a competitive candidate for the professional job market? How do you go from learning to earning -- converting your academic knowledge and skills into careers? In this episode, I discuss how to assess your skills and experiences and build upon them for career competitiveness. If you want to learn more about career skills and how to evaluate the gaps in your resume, this is the episode for you.  Today, we’re on Step 3 of the GradSchooled framework -- Assess. Here’s what I cover:  Understanding the difference between what you know versus what you know how to do   Hard skills and soft skills; transferable skills and transferable experiences  How to identify gaps in your resume and find ways to fill them  Books Mentioned in this Episode:  Richard Bolles, What Color is Your Parachute? Pam Denicolo, Developing Transferable Skills: Enhancing Your Research and Employment Potential.   Instagram: @theGradSchooled Facebook: @theGradSchooled

When you’re experiencing a shift in your life and work it can be easy to stay in your head. You know, read a bunch of self-help books, tell yourself all the reasons why this shift sucks, and complain ad nauseum to your friends about what’s going wrong.  In this episode, I discuss the hard truth about why your situation will not change unless you get out of your head and into real life. Transition is a contact sport. It requires you to jump in and explore in order to know what to do next. If you are ready to get unstuck, this is the episode for you.  I share Step 4 of the GradSchooled framework, Explore, and talk more about these topics in today’s episode:  How to break out of your comfort zone and get into action  How to find events in your area where you can engage with your career of interest Tips for starting up conversations with new people  Instagram: @theGradSchooled Facebook: @theGradSchooled

There are few people who actually enjoy making cold calls or sending LinkedIn invitations to people they don’t know. Yet we know the importance of connecting with other people in order to find your next professional opportunity, research collaborator, or job.  Today, I share Step 5 of the GradSchooled framework for navigating career-life transitions. The fifth and final step is to Connect.  In the episode I talk about:  Tips for being your authentic - and confident! - self when networking How to get out of your comfort zone in order to find new connections  The value of making monetary investments to build the right connections Why I rarely use the word “networking” and what I say instead   Whether you are looking to expand your network or are just starting out and struggling to meet people in your field, this is the episode for you.  Instagram & Facebook: @theGradSchooled

My guest this week is Bernadette Gailliard, Ph.D., a R1 tenure-track faculty member turned faculty development program director. Her transition story is so fascinating to me because of how open she was to share her uncertainty about her desire to continue as a faculty member with mentors, colleagues and even her department chair (!) in order to discover the best career path for her.  From Bernadette, we learn that things can be going just fine in your professional life, yet you can feel that it’s time for a career change. Hear how she went from crying in her Chair’s office to landing her current role with a flexible mix of research, implementation of that research, and administrative leadership. Did I mention that she also started a side hustle that’s already made her thousands of dollars in additional income? (Bernadette is an Options for Success Program Alumna).  My Key Takeaways from this Episode: Often we think of transition as coinciding with a dramatic change in our lives, but things can be just fine at your job, and you can still feel like you aren’t in the right space. Transition does not always mean that there is something inherently wrong on the outside. It is important to take the time to internally evaluate your needs and desires. Personal evolution is not confined just to your career; it is about deciding what you want from life as a whole. Bernadette recommends being open to learning from experts and mentors. Investing in professional development opportunities can open your eyes to the possibilities of what you can do with the skills you have. Keep up with BernadetteWebsite: www.dreamactdiscoveru.com Instagram: @discoveru_coachingFacebook: @discoverucoaching   Follow GradSchooledInstagram: @theGradSchooledFacebook: @theGradSchooled

Angel Acosta walks us through the “cultural dexterity” required to navigate the many worlds he lives and works in as a doctoral student, education consultant, international speaker, and first generation immigrant. He entered his graduate program as a nontraditional student who simultaneously worked in a college access nonprofit, and unlike his doctoral program peers, he was not an educator by training.  Angel says, “When I coached with you, I was hungry for clarity. I wanted to curate a profile, a resumé, and way of thinking about all the work I was doing and texts I was reading in a way that didn’t feel scattered. I wanted to be more intentional and understand what this doctorate meant about who I was becoming and what I could do professionally.” (28:31) Angel is a true intellectual who reflects deeply on his lived experience in the context of social structures, but he doesn’t stop there. He shows us how to take action to move through uncertainty. Follow GradSchooledInstagram: @theGradSchooledFacebook: @theGradSchooled

My guest this week is Dorianne St. Fleur, an HR expert, career strategist, and leadership coach. Dorianne is the founder of the digital career development agency, Your Career Girl. She has 10+ years experience working in HR for top industries and understands how to succeed in corporate America.  In this episode, Dorianne and I discuss the importance of mindset in the job search process, and Dorianne reveals how to grow your self-worth using her “VIP” process: Value – Understand what you have brought to the table in the past and how it has contributed to the bottom line of past positions. Impact – Acknowledge the impact your work has had and speak to what you do.   Power – Communicate your value and impact with power and confidence.   Successful networking happens through forming connections with the “gatekeepers” of companies and industries. Dorianne and I discuss  some practical tips on how to successfully use Linkedin and network at events, conferences, and career meetups to form meaningful connections with people in your field. Then, Dorianne answers questions from two listeners looking to transition from academia into an industry career. She discusses the importance of not putting yourself in a box when it comes to professional descriptions and how to demonstrate your knowledge and skills in a way that is sure to wow recruiters and hiring managers. Books Mentioned:Letting Go: The Path of Surrender by David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D. Keep Up with Dorianne: Website: https://yourcareergirl.com/Deeper than Work Podcast: https://yourcareergirl.com/podcast   Follow GradSchooled:Instagram: @theGradSchooledFacebook: @theGradSchooled

Mieka Polanco holds a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology, and has recently transitioned from academia to international development. As an academic, Dr. Mieka Polanco wrote and taught about punishment, juvenile justice, and mass incarceration. In development, she focuses on social disparities, and ensuring that aid programming is attentive to marginalized and vulnerable populations. In this episode, Mieka shares how a professional fellowship at a government organization served as a stepping stone to test the waters for a bigger career change. When Mieka made the transition from academia into government work, she was shocked by the differences in the professional culture and was often accused by colleagues as being too academic. We discuss how she learned to negotiate with different stakeholders and found space to practice honest, rigorous research. Mieka reveals how working with people outside of academia opened her up to diverse backgrounds and perspectives. This exposure pushed her to become mentally sharper about her research and allowed her to become more flexible in her ideas. We also explore how hobbies can grow into a flourishing side business. Mieka discusses how she developed her soap-making side-hustle while holding down her full time, tenure-track position. Mieka is an example of experimenting to suit her evolving career-life needs.  Resources Discussed:ProFellow AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships   Follow Gradschooled: Instagram: @theGradSchooledFacebook: @theGradSchooled

Dr. Sophia N. Johnson is a political economist and the Assistant Director of the Program for Economic Research at Columbia University. She is also the host of The Feminist Perspective, a NY-based public affairs television series featuring wide-ranging, in-depth conversations with cultural influencers, and offering interdisciplinary perspectives from which to understand the diversity of human experiences, from class, race, ethnicity, nationality and transnational movements.  After finishing graduate school, Sophia felt lost. She had no clue what direction she wanted to take her professional life. In this episode, we discuss how career coaching and self-exploration helped her to recognize her successes and believe in what she had accomplished. Sophia shares how she started to understand the patterns in her life, and how she came to utilize the seeds she had planted in grad school to view herself as independent of her degree.  Sophia is an advocate of saying yes to different types of experiences instead of sitting on the sideline waiting for the perfect professional opportunity. This mindset helped her find work that felt like an extension of the many facets of herself.  Keep Up with Sophia: The Feminist Perspective airs Wednesdays at 9pm pm LMCTV (Channel 75 Optimum / 36 Verizon)

Let’s face it, career transition is often accompanied by discomfort. This episode Priscilla Jabouin (The Dream Career Expert) and I discuss how stretching beyond your comfort zone is a normal and necessary part of the journey toward change. Priscilla discusses what is needed to achieve authenticity in life: “Are you fully expressed? Are you feeling free? Are you feeling empowered?” (20:30).  Too often people are closed off when it comes to the possibilities of what they could do in their professional life. Priscilla emphasizes the importance of making a total mindset change in order to open yourself up to the possibilities of finding fulfillment and meaning in your career. As an international workshop presenter, career counselor and advanced yoga teacher, Priscilla’s mission is to help as many people as possible wake up to a career they love! As we dig deeper, Priscilla discusses her own transition journey as she explores the possibility of relocating from Canada to New York to live out her dream. We discuss the importance of sharing your dreams with others and building a system of support. Priscilla also gives some advice to international job seekers on how to break through the barriers and find a position in a new country.  Keep Up with Priscilla: Website: www.mymaptohappiness.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/priscillajabouin/ Follow Gradschooled: Instagram: @theGradSchooledFacebook: @theGradSchooled

“You are so smart.” Most high achievers have heard others describe them this way since their youth. As a career transition professional, I wondered how being smart may be getting in the way of high achievers trying new interests, developing new skills sets and exploring career possibilities. I found a few answers in Mindset by Carol Dweck, Ph.D.  Dweck challenges high achievers - and the people who educate and parent them - to rethink our praise for natural ability over continuous, dedicated effort. When we expect to be intrinsically good at a subject, methodology, or even a new job, we settle into a fixed mindset which can produce anxiety, feelings of personal inadequacy and even project abandonment -- all because we don’t excel at a new area right from the start.  In this quick solo episode, I dig deeper and discuss: 4 ways to disrupt the fixed mindset so we can enjoy new pursuits and become more patient with our progress. My personal experience with managing the disappointment of a reviewer’s stinging comment on one of my research fellowship applications. (It wasn’t pretty!) Why graduate students and researchers, in particular, must embrace a growth mindset to achieve professional milestones.  2 key reasons for anyone starting a new career, leadership role, or a new job to tap into a growth mindset. Listen to this episode and learn why brilliance is not a requirement for success.  Books Mentioned: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D.   Join the discussion and connect with GradSchooled host, Fatimah Williams, Ph.D. Website: www.beyondthetenuretrack.com/podcast LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/fatimahphd Instagram: @fatimahphd

We are all experiencing a new way of working. Many of you are nearing graduation, preparing for promotion or looking for ways to monetize your skills while we wait out this stay at home season. In this week’s episode, I provide four simple steps you can take to move your professional development forward even while we’re on modified schedules and working from home. I’ve put it off one of these for at least a year now (!), but there’s no time like the present to jump in.  If you’ve never heard of “social listening” or you aren’t sure how it can apply to your job search, you don’t want to miss this solo episode.  Resources Discussed: > GenM > General Assembly > Skillshare > Coursera > LinkedIn Learning Join the discussion and connect with GradSchooled host, Fatimah Williams, Ph.D. Website: www.beyondthetenuretrack.com/podcast LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/fatimahphd Instagram: @fatimahphd

Elite elder businessmen, stuffy boardrooms, C-suite titles... These are the images that come to mind when we think of boards. Paul Smith, CEO, Future Directors Institute, is working to change that by training the next generation leaders to govern world changing not-for-profit and for profit organizations. Whether you are a new professional with little experience or a seasoned professional looking to deepen your leadership profile, you will learn how to leverage boards to grow your influence, career, and income. Topics in this episode: >>  “Do I belong in the boardroom?”  >>  How to distinguish yourself from other prospective board members with a BVP - Board Value Proposition. >>  How to “network your career.” >>  Key professional skills you will learn or strengthen as a board member -- some of these may even get you a raise on your 9-5 job.

How does a sociology professor with no tech experience come to found an award-winning retail technology startup? I interview Tope Mitchell about her career transitions from sociology graduate student to corporate insights director to tech founder. Sidebar: if you’re a researcher and don’t know what insights are, you definitely want to listen to this episode.  Her curiosity for applied sociology combined with her relentless desire to create a more inclusive world for her young daughter led her to a $30K startup award and a new career in record-breaking time.  Resources Discussed: Black Women Talk Tech Conference Join the discussion and connect with GradSchooled host, Fatimah Williams, Ph.D.

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”  This question suggests that having a career means arriving at a fixed point. When that notion gets challenged by job loss, constricting industries (hello, COVID-19!), or the sudden confrontation that a desired career path is no longer of interest, fear often bubbles up. Therapist and licensed clinical social worker Nathaniel Amos, MSW, LICSW offers us tools to: Engage in “the brave act of being vulnerable” by asking for help. He reminds us to identify people who feel safe and who have the capacity to hold the process where it is without judgment.  Manage unmet expectations of self, family, community, and industry. These expectations are highly raced, classed, and gendered, and therefore experienced differently by each of us.  Navigate “the middle” -- that space when you are no longer who you used to be, but have not arrived at the next stop in your career-life path. How to look toward the future with an abundance mindset even in moments of profound uncertainty like our current COVID-19 economic landscape.  We laugh a lot in this episode and even channel the world’s favorite academic Brene Brown and Queer Eye’s Jonahthan Van Ness to really drive home our points. Join us for this reprieve. Resources Discussed: psychologytoday.com therapyforblackgirls.com   Join the discussion and connect with GradSchooled host, Fatimah Williams, Ph.D. LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/fatimahphd Instagram: @fatimahphd Website: www.beyondthetenuretrack.com/podcast

I was all set for this season finale episode to answer two recent, most recurring listener questions: 1) Should I get a PhD, given the current climate in higher education? 2) How do graduating PhDs look for work in a WFH environment and compressed job market?    I get to those questions toward the end of the episode. But first, I address the #1 question that’s been in my inbox and DMs: What has been your experience of racism, and how are you doing these days? I share from my perspective as a cultural anthropologist, a Black woman living in America, and a black business owner -- yes, sometimes ya’ll forget that I run a company, manage a team, and offer services.

“You can do all the management of time that you want, but if you are not managing the right things, it is a waste.”    Organizing your genius will be the theme of season two, and Dr. Fatimah shares four steps that she believes will help you get it done. She goes into detail and describes each step, gain clarity, make a plan, activate your courage, and secure accountability and support. “If you don’t know how to pull these productivity tools together, you will not get the success you desire in your projects.”    “Despite living and working in extraordinary times, your genius is flowing.” Dr. Fatimah discusses the Professional Pathways Planner and the Free Planning Tool Kit. Your feedback is important so don’t hold back, share how these tools are working for you.    Listen, as Dr. Fatimah shares how Organize Your Genius has helped her make exciting changes in her business and how it can do the same for your career, business or academic success. Are you excited about season 2? Listen in for a sneak peek of the topics and guests that will make this the best season yet.   In This Episode [01:08] Welcome back, everyone! [02:47] Dr. Fatimah speaks about the amazing group of people from around the country and internationally that met for a weekly challenge she held called Organize Your Genius. [05:01] She shares some things she has heard from high achievers like you over the last few months. [06:05] The theme for this season is helping you organize your genius. [07:18] Dr. Fatimah talks about how to organize your genius in four steps. [07:20] Listen, as Dr. Fatimah discusses step one, gaining clarity. [08:15] She explains step two, which is making a plan. [10:15] When planning tasks, make sure you have an obvious start and finish date.  [10:47] Last, you need to inventory the resources and people you need to complete this task. [15:13] Step three, activate your courage. Once you have a plan, you need the courage to execute. [16:30] Step four, secure accountability and support. [19:00] “If you don’t know how to pull these productivity tools together, you will not get success in your projects.” [21:36] Dr. Fatimah speaks about the Professional Pathways Planner that they launched last year. [24:23] Dr. Fatimah shares the many guests and topics she has planned for season two. [28:37] Dr. Fatimah speaks about how Organize Your Genius has helped her make exciting changes in her business. [30:21] Thank you for listening!   Hang out with Dr. Fatimah Williams Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn Beyond the Tenure Track The Professional Pathways Planner Free Planning Tool Kit

If you are thinking of rebranding yourself during this time of reinvention, listen as Dr. Fatimah shares what happened when she was unprepared for a question about her branding for her side business that was the catalyst for this episode. She shares three things that she hopes will help you with your rebranding journey.   When you are in the middle of a change or managing multiple roles, lean into these three things for your personal branding. The first thing is to zoom out to the big picture of who you are and what you bring. Second, look forward and ask yourself, where am I going? And the third thing is to be present to the moment at hand and tap into your passion for the work.    A final tip from Dr. Fatimah: when updating your profile, look at profiles of professionals at the level of work you desire or want to do, and see how they describe themselves. You might get some ideas on how to describe the new you.   In This Episode [01:05] Welcome back, everyone! [01:54] Listen, as Dr. Fatimah talks about what personal branding looks like when you are reinventing. [03:11] Dr. Fatimah shares a time that she was uncomfortable answering a question about how she got into facilitation. [06:35] She has no branding on the work she does with schools and PHDs, separate from her work with Beyond The Tenure Track. [09:12] Dr. Fatimah shares some things she thinks might help you as you are looking at your branding. [09:35] The first thing would be to zoom out to the big picture of who you are and what you bring. [15:36] Look forward, where am I going? It is the second thing you need to do when you are thinking about rebranding. [18:12] The third thing is to be present to the moment.  [21:23] Dr. Fatimah would like to hear from you on Instagram or Facebook and hear some personal brand challenges you have had. [22:00] How to look at profiles of professionals at the level of work you desire and see yourself doing to learn how to describe yourself. [26:16] Thank you for listening! Hang out with Dr. Fatimah Williams Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn Beyond the Tenure Track The Professional Pathways Planner Free Planning Tool Kit