The Work Seminar

And once again, a semester of The Work Seminar comes to an end. We’ll return with Season 4 after the break. 

In the meantime, here’s hoping you’ve learned as much from these conversations as we have. See you back here in 2023. 

Don’t be a stranger in between seasons

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Zakiya's debut book Dump Your Degree is a practical guide for thinking beyond academic credentials as you pursue a new career. And she’s followed her own advice, transitioning from the professoriate (with a PhD in religious education) to full-time author.

We delve into her methodology through a step-by-step example of:

• considering different work after or during grad school
• reflecting on and discovering your natural interests, unique talents, and in-depth knowledge
• translating these abilities into relevant full-time, freelance, and self-employment roles 
• networking and creating content to highlight your expertise and create your own opportunities

Like many guests have said before, it’s always easier to update your résumé and indiscriminately apply to jobs. But the success rate and job satisfaction of Zakiya’s playbook is much higher, particularly for the liberal arts crowd.    

Where to find Zakiya and her book

Dump Your Degree by Zakiya Akerele 

ZakiyaAkerele.com

Zakiya on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook

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Judith finished grad school with a passion for increasing student retention. As she spent more time — and moved up the ladder — in higher ed administration, she became equally committed to expanding access.

And she did, indeed, make retention and access top priorities in positions across student affairs, development, and international education. But what appeared to be a perfect career progression on paper was not in practice. 

That’s when Judith, for the first time, looked beyond the ivory tower for work. Within a few years in finance, she had the opportunity to transfer to investment banking, where she now relishes the quick pace of change and ability to solve complex problems. 

Had she not taken the time to question what she valued in her work, Judith may have never considered if careers outside of higher ed could be a better fit.

Books & other resources mentioned

What Should I Do with My Life? by Po Bronson

The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin

Life map resources

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A self-branded writer/poet, Austin relished the opportunity to hone his creative skills in grad school. And he was open to divergent work after graduation.

Just as he found his footing as a copywriter and social media strategist at a small marketing agency, the Great Recession reared its head, ending his gig six months after he started. 

And that marked Austin’s last full-time job.  

The freelancing he began during a rough economy morphed into entrepreneurship.  Now Austin splits his time between writing, consulting, and building Freelance Cake, where he passes along the lessons he’s learned to land better clients (more pay, less drama) and strategic marketing projects. 

His time in grad school — particularly those poetry workshops — instilled a love for the economy of words, which he’s reflected in his copywriting and content ever since. 

**Please forgive my poor audio. A couple technical difficulties popped up that I’ve hammered out for future episodes.”** 

Books mentioned

Let Your Life Speak by Parker J. Palmer

Give and Take by Adam Grant

Range by David Epstein 

Where to find Austin & Freelance Cake

Austin on LinkedIn and Twitter

AustinLChurch.com 

FreelanceCake.com 

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Jackie held down six (six!) part-time jobs after grad school. But a couple years into her first full-time gig, her art and career hit a lull. 

That’s when she started devoting her commute time to learning everything she could about digital marketing. In relatively short order, she secured a full-time marketing position at a small agency. And she started focusing on her art in the early mornings, soon joining a shared studio space where she could better create and showcase her abstract and geometric art.

Now she helps fellow artists hone their craft and balance their practice with the Level Up Artists podcast and her online course, all while flourishing as a marketer. 

By focusing on processes she could incorporate into her life — and not abiding by the unwritten rules of how artists and scholars should live and work — Jackie has found a day job that informs her artwork, and vice versa.

Book mentioned

The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss 

Where to find Jackie, Level Up Artists, & Jackie’s art work

JaclynSanders.com and Jackie on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook

Level Up Artists podcast

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Jesan pivoted from student affairs leadership to entrepreneurship in a novel fashion: He started with revisiting his grad school curriculum. 

After combing through the syllabi from his master’s program, Jesan thought, “I could take that topic and turn it into a product.” And so he did, marketing his conflict resolution and reconciliation skills to business audiences willing to pay for them.

From his early solopreneur days of consulting and speaking engagements to founding HSCT Publishing, creating training programs, writing books, and hosting podcasts, Jesan centers his businesses on the idea of intentional leadership. 

And it’s in no small part thanks to capitalizing on his MA work, adjuncting, and previous career in higher ed. 

Jesan’s books & podcast

12 Rules for Leaders: The Foundation of Intentional Leadership

My Boss Doesn't Care: 100 Essays on Disrupting Your Work By Disrupting Your Boss

Marketing for Peace Builders: How to Market Your Value to a World in Conflict

Leadership Lessons from the Great Books podcast

Where to find Jesan & HSCT Publishing

Jesan on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram

HSCT’s website and HSCT LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram profiles

The Leadership Toolbox website

The Leading Keys platform

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A future of intellectual exploration and research drew Tory to grad school. But two seasons of an unfruitful tenure-track search prompted her to question what she wanted out of work — and where she wanted to do it.

After 40 or 50 informational interviews with anyone willing to chat about their careers, Tory landed a data science role in Silicon Valley. She soon discovered a passion for coaching as she mentored her employees.

In May 2020, she founded Academic Exit to help social science PhDs succeed in the tech industry. Now she focuses on what she enjoyed most from her time at Meta (Facebook) and Google with the independence she missed from her academic days.

And her  willingness to explore what she truly wanted out of a job and to untangle her academic achievements from her work — and overall — identity made all the difference.

Where to find Tory & her work

Tory (Academic Exit) on Gumroad

Tory on Twitter and LinkedIn

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And once again, we’ve reached a temporary end.

After a little rest, The Work Seminar will return with Season 3. 

In the meantime, here’s hoping you’ve learned as much from these conversations as we have. See you back here this fall. 

Don’t be a stranger in between seasons

Sign up for The Work Seminar newsletter to find out first when Season 3 drops.

Check out our BookShop.org store for all the books mentioned in our first two seasons.

Send your questions, thoughts on the show, and guest suggestions to [email protected]. 

Check out more from The Work Seminar

Visit theworkseminar.com or find @TheWorkSeminar on social media. 

Support the show

Jon taught guitar lessons — including to, once upon a mid/late 90s time, yours truly — while finishing his liberal arts degree. Not long after graduation, his passion for animal rights drew him to leave teaching music for advocacy, and he’s worked full-time in the field ever since. 

In his first 10 years of advocacy work, Jon played guitar and wrote tunes on the side, telling himself one day he’d take music more seriously. Then in 2012, a severe case of Lyme disease landed him in the ICU for over a week. After that reminder of life’s finite nature, Jon’s priorities shifted. 

He incorporated playing and writing music into his daily routine, booked time in a studio, and released his first album in 2014. Since then he’s toured across the US, released three more albums, and made music a non-negotiable part of life. All while still devoting his 9-to-5 life to improving the treatment of animals. 

Today, Jon’s been kind enough to walk us through the logistics and rewards of balancing a significant creative pursuit with a cause you love. And yes, there are plenty of sacrifices along the way. But in Jon’s experience, those concessions are a small price to pay for passion in your work and your art.

Resources mentioned

“How to be a Musician with a Day Job” and “How to Balance Full-time Work with Creative Projects” by Jeffery Silverstein

Where to find Jon, his music, and his advocacy work

Jon on Bandcamp

Jon on Spotify

Jon the Musician on Instagram and Twitter

Jon the Animal Advocate on Twitter

The Humane League

Jon’s induction into the Animal Rights Hall of Fame 

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Amie studied fine arts with no intention of working professionally in the field. She took office jobs during college, and shortly after graduating parlayed that experience into a full-time job for a clinical research company. 

Without a technical background, she was moved to the company’s quality team. And she’s flourished in that discipline ever since.

Amie graciously walks us through the ins and outs of moving to a technical career without the “proper” background or education. She dives into:

• The liberal arts skills to double down on and emphasize.
• Entry-level jobs that can act as a pipeline to technical jobs.
• What hiring managers want to hear — and see — from “nontraditional candidates.” 

A liberal arts disposition doesn’t preclude technical aptitude or interest. And with Amie’s insights, you can better convince a hiring manager of that fact. 

Where to find Amie 

Amie on LinkedIn

Check out more from The Work Seminar

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