Michelle McSweeney is director of data quality at Converseon, a social media analytics and consulting agency. Michelle earned her PhD in linguistics at the Graduate Center in 2016.

In this episode of Alumni Aloud, Michelle tells us about how to negotiate a job offer and earn what you’re really worth; the rewards and drawbacks of shifting your professional identity after academia; and how following your interests—even when they might seem incompatible at face value—can ultimately empower and even transform the value of your work and help you stand out on the job market.

This episode’s interview was conducted by Anders Wallace. The music is “Corporate (Success)” by Scott Holmes.