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In this episode of Promoted, Merit America career coach Patricia Harris explains how to use AI as a tool to translate your existing life and work experience into a professional resume. Learn how to feed specific prompts to AI to surface connections between your past background and your future career goals. Finally, discover how to shape the results so you can tell your authentic story (because interviewers don't want a perfectly optimized candidate, they want someone who is a genuine fit for the role).
Learn more about Merit America here
CREDITS:
Host: Patricia Harris
Creative Directors: Brittany Davis-Green, Anne Keenan
Executive Producer: Deshani Semaan
Created by Merit America
This is a Maed in India production
Head of Production: Mae Mariyam Thomas
Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome
Producer: Rachna Sukuru
Junior Producer: Karan Solanki
Director and Video Producer: Jishnu Guha
Sound Editor & Mix Engineer: Nihar Temkar, Kartik Kulkarni
Support Merit America here
What do you do when your career takes an unexpected turn—and the job search takes longer than you expected? Jason Prater shares how he used a period of transition to build new skills, rethink his career direction, and land a new role. In conversation with his former Merit America coach, Patricia Harris, Jason explains how AI became a practical interview-prep partner, helping him practice his answers, uncover stories from his experience, and walk into interviews with greater confidence. His story is a reminder that a career doesn’t have to follow a straight line—and sometimes the best way forward is to prepare for possibilities you can’t yet see.
Learn more about Merit America here
CREDITS:
Host: Patricia Harris
Guest: Jason Prater
Creative Directors: Brittany Davis-Green, Anne Keenan
Executive Producer: Deshani Semaan
Created by Merit America
This is a Maed in India production
Head of Production: Mae Mariyam Thomas
Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome
Producer: Rachna Sukuru
Junior Producer: Karan Solanki
Director and Video Producer: Jishnu Guha
Sound Editor & Mix Engineer: Nihar Temkar, Kartik Kulkarni
Support Merit America here
In this episode of Promoted, Merit America career coach Sabrina Louissaint breaks down how to optimize your resume by using AI as an editor, not a ghostwriter, in your job search. She focuses on a simple editing technique that helps your real, authentic experience shine through so that you can land the role (and the career) you deserve.
Learn more about Merit America here
CREDITS:
Host: Sabrina Louissaint
Creative Directors: Brittany Davis-Green, Anne Keenan
Executive Producer: Deshani Semaan
Created by Merit America
This is a Maed in India production
Head of Production: Mae Mariyam Thomas
Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome
Producer: Rachna Sukuru
Junior Producer: Aditi Sutar
Director and Video Producer: Jishnu Guha
Sound Editor & Mix Engineer: Nihar Temkar, Kartik Kulkarni
Support Merit America here
This episode includes AI-generated content.
Kelsy Rodriguez started her career on the manufacturing floor at a major electric vehicle company, but she knew she wanted to build something more. In this episode of Promoted, Kelsy talks with her former Merit America coach, Sabrina Louissaint, about how she used upskilling, persistence, and a strategic approach to move into a more technical role within the same company. From balancing full-time work with her Merit America program to navigating a lengthy internal hiring process, Kelsy shares how staying committed to herself and her goals helped her turn an opportunity into a new career path. She also talks about why she’s continuing to learn, pursue her degree, and look ahead to what’s next.
Learn more about Merit America here
CREDITS:
Host: Sabrina Louissaint
Guest: Kelsy Rodriguez
Creative Directors: Brittany Davis-Green, Anne Keenan
Executive Producer: Deshani Semaan
Created by Merit America
This is a Maed in India production
Head of Production: Mae Mariyam Thomas
Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome
Producer: Rachna Sukuru
Junior Producer: Aditi Sutar
Director and Video Producer: Jishnu Guha
Sound Editor & Mix Engineer: Nihar Temkar, Kartik Kulkarni
Support Merit America here
In this episode of Promoted, Merit America coach Rob Kairuz shares an easier way to prepare for interviews: the BAR method. He breaks down the BAR method (Background, Action, Result) and shares some examples so that you can tell your real stories clearly instead of reciting a memorized script (because interviewers don't remember perfect answers - they remember honest ones).
Learn more about Merit America here
CREDITS:
Host: Rob Kairuz
Creative Directors: Brittany Davis-Green, Anne Keenan
Executive Producer: Deshani Semaan
Created by Merit America
This is a Maed in India production
Head of Production: Mae Mariyam Thomas
Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome
Producer: Rachna Sukuru
Junior Producer: Aditi Sutar
Director and Video Producer: Jishnu Guha
Sound Editor & Mix Engineer: Nihar Temkar, Kartik Kulkarni
Support Merit America here
In this episode of Promoted, Welen Wang shares his journey from 10 years in Supply Chain Logistics to starting a new career. Welen opens up about the challenges of navigating hundreds of job applications, facing rejection, and rebuilding his confidence after years away from interviews. He discusses how using AI, hands-on projects, and company-specific research helped him stand out and prepare for the opportunity that finally came his way. Welen also reflects on the impact of his career change on his family, his vision of the American Dream, and what he hopes to achieve next.
Learn more about Merit America here
CREDITS:
Host: Rob Kairuz
Guest: Welen Wang
Creative Directors: Brittany Davis-Green, Anne Keenan
Executive Producer: Deshani Semaan
Created by Merit America
This is a Maed in India production
Head of Production: Mae Mariyam Thomas
Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome
Producer: Rachna Sukuru
Junior Producer: Aditi Sutar
Director and Video Producer: Jishnu Guha
Sound Editor & Mix Engineer: Nihar Temkar, Kartik Kulkarni
Support Merit America here
In this episode of Promoted, Merit America career coach Maria Villalobos explains why having a clear career plan matters in today’s fast-changing job market. She breaks down what a career plan is, how to define what you want, research your path, and map out the steps toward a job and future you feel good about.
Learn more about Merit America here.
CREDITS:
Host: Maria Villalobos
Creative Directors: Brittany Davis-Green, Anne Keenan
Executive Producer: Deshani Semaan
Created by Merit America
This is a Maed in India production
Head of Production: Mae Mariyam Thomas
Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome
Producer: Ruchi Sawardekar
Director and Video Producer: Jishnu Guha
Junior Producer: Devanshi Chandak
Sound Editor & Mix Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni, Lakshman Parsuram
Visual Design: Alika Gupta
Support Merit America here: https://meritamerica.org/our-supporters/.
On this episode of Promoted, Merit America career coach Anne-Marcelle Kouame breaks down how to master the interview question that sets the tone for everything: “Tell me about yourself.” She explains why the first few minutes matter, how to craft a compelling present-past-future answer, and how to use an “I am” statement to showcase your personality and transferable skills — especially if you're changing careers.
Learn more about Merit America here.
CREDITS:
Host: Anne-Marcelle Kouame
Creative Directors: Brittany Davis-Green, Anne Keenan
Executive Producer: Deshani Semaan
Created by Merit America
This is a Maed in India production
Head of Production: Mae Mariyam Thomas
Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome
Producer: Ruchi Sawardekar
Director and Video Producer: Jishnu Guha
Junior Producer: Devanshi Chandak
Sound Editor & Mix Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni, Lakshman Parsuram
Visual Design: Alika Gupta
Support Merit America here: https://meritamerica.org/our-supporters/.
On this episode of Promoted, Merit America alum Sadie Cassidy talks to her former Merit America career coach, Anne-Marcelle Kouame, about how she was able to recognize and communicate her transferable skills in her job search. Sadie opens up about how she discovered strengths she hadn’t recognized before and explains how everyday experiences can translate directly into in-demand job skills. Sadie also shares about how applying her practical skills to her hobbies (like anime – a hobby she and Anne-Marcelle share) and personal projects helped her hone her skills even more.
Learn more about Merit America here.
CREDITS:
Host: Anne-Marcelle Kouame
Guest: Sadie Cassidy
Creative Directors: Brittany Davis-Green, Anne Keenan
Executive Producer: Deshani Semaan
Created by Merit America
This is a Maed in India production
Head of Production: Mae Mariyam Thomas
Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome
Producer: Ruchi Sawardekar
Director and Video Producer: Jishnu Guha
Junior Producer: Devanshi Chandak
Sound Editor & Mix Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni, Lakshman Parsuram
Visual Design: Alika Gupta
Support Merit America here: https://meritamerica.org/our-supporters/.
Joey Ratcliff, a Merit America career coach, takes you through how building confidence is key to breaking out of low-wage work and creating the career you want in this episode of Promoted. Learn why confidence isn’t always “faking it till you make it,” but about connecting with your story, practicing your skills, and visualizing your future. From recognizing transferable strengths to celebrating small wins, Joey shares practical strategies to help you navigate your career with confidence .
Learn more about Merit America here.
CREDITS:
Host: Joey Ratcliff
Creative Directors: Brittany Davis-Green, Anne Keenan
Executive Producer: Deshani Semaan
Created by Merit America
This is a Maed in India production
Head of Production: Mae Mariyam Thomas
Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome
Producer: Ruchi Sawardekar
Director and Video Producer: Jishnu Guha
Junior Producer: Devanshi Chandak
Sound Editor & Mix Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni, Lakshman Parsuram
Visual Design: Alika Gupta
Support Merit America here: https://meritamerica.org/our-supporters/.
From the publisher's feed
Promoted is a podcast about how to leave low-wage work for good, produced by Merit America, a national workforce development nonprofit that creates fast, flexible pathways to family-sustaining…
This show includes AI-generated content.