GradSchooled with Fatimah Williams, Ph.D.

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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 Bernadette
Website: www.dreamactdiscoveru.com
Instagram: @discoveru_coaching
Facebook: @discoverucoaching

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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: 

1. Tips for being your authentic - and confident! - self when networking
2. How to get out of your comfort zone in order to find new connections 
3. The value of making monetary investments to build the right connections
4. 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. 

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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: 

1. How to break out of your comfort zone and get into action 
2. How to find events in your area where you can engage with your career of interest
3. Tips for starting up conversations with new people 

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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: 

1. Understanding the difference between what you know versus what you know how to do  
2. Hard skills and soft skills; transferable skills and transferable experiences 
3. 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.  

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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:

1. How to move past the common assumption that professional freedom can only be achieved through academia or entrepreneurship 
2. How to be intentional about your career choices by doing research and understanding the options available 
3. The four-letter word that stands between you and your next professional opportunity

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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: 

1. The importance of taking time to reflect before starting a job search or making a career change
2. How to cultivate an asset-based mindset even when you’re unsure of what’s next
3. 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.

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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.

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