Ever wondered how to become a published author? Smith College senior Kelly Coons ‘22 wondered the same thing until the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when a LinkedIn DM started her on a journey. Now with a published book, "All Ways," in hand, she has encouraging news.

Annie Scranton '02 never planned to start a multi-million dollar all-women PR firm, but her ability to ask for help when needed, build relationships that last, be curious, and say "yes"  - opened many doors for a successful future. Annie shares why it's ok not to have it all figured out in your 20s, and what she is looking for in new talent.

Aster attributes their success in Nonprofits to the skills they gained studying dance and pre-med at Smith. Starting out juggling 5 jobs in New York City to managing multiple partner accounts for the WNY Women's Foundation in Buffalo, NY, Aster shares why it is important to stay true to your core values and find a company that supports them too.

Negotiating a job or internship offer can be intimidating. But, it's especially important for women and BIPOC candidates to negotiate to ensure compensation is equitable. By not negotiating candidates run the risk of being behind in earnings before they even start. In this podcast, hear tips and suggestions from an HR expert on how to engage in  this important process.

Layla Ramirez '09, Harvard Business School graduate and currently the Senior Program Manager on the Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity team at Amazon Web Services discusses the term "DEI," (diversity, equity, and inclusion) what it means to work in this space, and lessons learned as an undergraduate first-generation student of color.

The views expressed in this episode are solely Layla’s and do not represent the views of AWS or any of the organizations referenced therein.

Professional artist, coach, and advocate Scout Cuomo '06, speaks about  mental health, creativity, and her career as an artist. She shares how  "failed opportunities" have led her to new paths, and offers her  insights on how to empathize with yourself, build resilience, and recognize the balance between a human being and a human doing.

Lisa Ilka '90, Glendean Hamilton '13, and Dannia Guzman '15 share insights on how students can tap into Smith's alumnae community. They share advice on how to ask for and how to make the most of networking  conversations with alums, the importance of letting curiosity drive your conversations, and the power of asking, "What house did you live in?"  They also give tips for following up after a conversation, staying in touch, and growing relationships over time.

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Leela McClintock looks back on her summer internship with the Stimson Center, a Washington D.C.-based think talk focused on non-proliferation and security policy. Leela shares how a guest speaker in a class she took during her sophomore year sparked her interest in policy work and how she approached applying for internships in a competitive field. She also discusses navigating the shift from what was to be an in-person role to a remote internship, why she found daily check-ins with her internship supervisor to be essential, and how feedback from her supervisor helped Leela manage Imposter Syndrome and build her self-confidence.

Patience Kayira '20 and Claire Rand '20 look back on their post-graduation planning when they began their senior years, and share how they adapted and kept moving forward after the world changed in spring 2020. Patience and Claire discuss their experiences with remote networking and interviewing, what they've learned along the way, the work they're doing now, and the advice they would give to their senior-year selves.

Today we talked with Halimat Ipesa-Balogun, who graduated from Smith in 2017 and has just started a Masters Degree program in Instructional Systems Technology at Indiana University.

We discussed her work after Smith, how she researched her field of interest and decided to pursue graduate training, how she navigated the application process and preparing for the GRE, her experience in graduate school so far, and advice she has for others considering graduate school.