Conversations on Careers and Professional Life

Conversations on Careers and Professional Life, from the Foster School of Business office of MBA Career Management Host Gregory Heller has conversations with University of Washington and Foster School faculty, staff, alumni, executives, current MBA candidates and other experts relating to career development, planning, and resilience. If you're navigating a career change, pursuing your MBA, or looking to develop a resilient mindset to help you with your job search, this podcast may be for you!

Scott Case, Recurrent Co-Founder, Offers Career Advice and Insights (Part 2) 03/22/2024

Scott Case, Recurrent Co-Founder, Talks About Used EV Battery Data Transparency (Part 1) 03/22/2024

Josh Mastromatto, Co-Founder of Waste Diversion Company Rego, Shares Career Advice (Part 2) 03/11/2024

Josh Mastromatto, Co-Founder of Rego, Talks About Building A Sustainability Business Diverting Waste With Software (Part 1) 03/11/2024

Steven Zhang, Founder of ClimateTechList.com Shares Career Advice (Part 2) 02/26/2024

Steven Zhang on founding ClimateTechList.com (Part 1) 02/26/2024

Gabriel Scheer Talks About Attending COP28 (with Jonathan Azoff) 12/22/2023

Jonathan Azoff of Snocap Ventures 12/07/2023

From Non-profit founder to Clean Tech Venture Capital Funder, a Conversation With Alexandra Iljadica 11/30/2023

David Woodson Talks About His Career In Campus Sustainability and District Energy 11/22/2023

Charlie Donovan on Sustainability in Business 11/17/2023

Foster's MBA Study Tours with Foster Global Business Center's Angela Shelley 10/21/2023

Foster's MBA Study Tours with Foster Global Business Center's Angela Shelley This episode features a conversation with Angela Shelley, the Assistant Director of MBA Global Programs at the . We had an enlightening discussion about the global study tour program at the Foster School of Business, its objectives, and the transformative impact it has on students' career trajectories. Learn more about the , and the The Global Study Tour Program: An Overview The global study tour program is an innovative initiative designed to expose MBA students to global business. The program takes students on a two-week journey to different countries, immersing them in local businesses and cultural experiences. These tours are led by faculty members, often accompanied by a staff member, and offer pre-departure sessions to equip students with necessary information and preparation for the trip. These sessions cover a wide range of topics, from culture and history to the nuances of doing business in the destination country. While the study tours are optional for credits, they can fulfill requirements for the international perspective, the global business program certificate, and some ESG specializations. The Study Tour Destinations: A Changing Landscape The locations of the study tours change every year, with two exceptions. The Asian Capital Markets course includes a study tour to China and Japan every other year. The Global Consulting India project happens annually, providing consulting services to the Self Employed Women's Association in India. This consulting experience extends beyond the trip, as students continue to work on their projects both in India and back home in Seattle. The Impact of Study Tours on Career Trajectories Angela shared some insightful observations about the impact of study tours on students' career trajectories. While she didn't have specific stories to share, she noted a recurring theme of students being inspired to do more in global business after participating in study tours. For instance, some students have shifted their thinking about sustainability, realizing that it should be implemented from the beginning rather than added on later. Angela also shared about a student who was inspired to pursue a career in global business after a trip to Israel and reached out to her for guidance on how to get started. The Global Business Program Certificate: A Gateway to Exclusive Opportunities Angela advises students to sign up for the Global Business Program Certificate, which encourages a more global experience and provides access to exclusive opportunities. She also mentioned other programs and events offered throughout the year, such as the Taiwan Business Conference and the Global Business Forum. The Benefits and Opportunities of Participating in a Global Business Center Study Tour Angela emphasized the importance of being open to new ideas and ways of doing business. One of the main advantages of these study tours is the chance to engage with difference and gain exposure to new perspectives. She also highlighted the networking aspect of the study tours. Students have the opportunity to form deep connections with their peers, faculty members, and professionals in the industry. These relationships can be valuable for future collaborations and career opportunities. Preparing for a Study Tour: Angela's Advice Angela suggests being excited about engaging with difference and being open to new opportunities. She encourages students to take advantage of the network they can build during the tour and to make the most of unique experiences that may not be available in their everyday lives. In conclusion, Angela highlights the transformative impact that study tours can have on students' personal and professional lives. She encourages interested students to reach out to her or other MBA classmates who have participated in the tours for more information. So, if you're an MBA student looking to make the most of the study tour experience, take Angela's advice: take advantage of the opportunities available, stay connected through the Global Business Program Certificate, and be open to new perspectives and career possibilities. The content in this post was generated using . This episode was produced with editing and engineering support from Amelia Ngyuen, a student in the at the University of Washington, and made possible in part with funding from , a Venture Capital firm investing in early-stage, platforms that directly and indirectly solve the climate crisis. /episode/index/show/mbacm/id/28381328

Using Yoodli For Job Interview Practice with Priyanka Natrajan 10/16/2023

Leveraging Generative AI For Job Applications 10/12/2023

Leveraging Generative AI For Job Applications As you navigate the challenging waters of internship and job searches, your resume and cover letter become your primary ambassadors. But what if I told you there's a tool that can give you an edge? Enter GenerativeAI. Today, we'll dive into how this technology can refine your application materials. First off, let's talk about the basics. GenerativeAI can be a game-changer in improving the grammar and syntax of your documents. We've all been there – after hours of editing, a pesky grammatical error slips through. With GenerativeAI, those mistakes can be caught and corrected. But it's not just about grammar. Imagine tailoring your resume's language to mirror a job description or even a company's core values. GenerativeAI can help align your documents in such a way that they resonate more deeply with your prospective employers. It's like having a personal editor who knows exactly what the company is looking for! However, with great power comes great responsibility. It's crucial to remember that while GenerativeAI is a powerful tool, it's just that – a tool. Ethically, you must ensure that the content it generates genuinely represents your skills, experiences, and qualifications. It can be tempting to let the AI do all the heavy lifting, but authenticity is key. Your resume and cover letter should be genuine reflections of who you are and what you bring to the table. This brings us to some potential pitfalls. GenerativeAI, as advanced as it is, can sometimes get a little... creative. It might suggest details or skills that sound impressive but aren't accurate. And like all technologies, it can sometimes exhibit biases based on the data it's been trained on. It's essential to review and vet any suggestions it makes critically. Now, I know some of you might be wondering about the technical side of things. The good news? You don't need to be a tech whiz to leverage GenerativeAI. There are user-friendly platforms out there designed for non-techies. So, whether you're a marketing major or diving deep into finance, this tool is accessible to you. Before we wrap up, I want to leave you with a challenge. Before you find yourself in the thick of the application season, give GenerativeAI a try. Review your resume or cover letters with it. Experiment, play around, and most importantly, learn how to prompt it effectively. The better your prompts, the more tailored and useful the AI's suggestions will be. Remember, in today's competitive job market, every edge counts. But no tool, no matter how advanced, can replace the unique experiences, insights, and values you bring. Use GenerativeAI as a complement to your skills, not a replacement. So, MBA students, are you ready to give your application materials a boost? Dive into the world of GenerativeAI, and let's make those resumes and cover letters shine! This episode was written with assistance from ChatGPT 4.0, and my voice was synthesized using ElevenLabs. AI Career Resources: Follow . Without a doubt, Jeremy is at the vanguard of using Generative AI for career search and prep. He is posting great content, tutorials, tools, and even wrote an e-book about using ChatGPT as your career coach. Check out . There are a wide variety of apps and services that have emerged for various career search related tasks from writing cover letters, to developing your resume, to preparing for interviews. I have not used any of them enough to endorse them, other than for interview prep. Listen to my podcasts with , and Yoodli user Priyanka Natrajan (coming soon). My advice, is to start with the feely available tools from the likes of OpenAI, or Anthropic's Claude, and look for recommended prompts. Have you tried meta prompting? (HT ), before your prompts, add, "What additional information, details or context would help you effectively run this prompt?" This will drastically up your prompting game! Here are a few that I like to use for developing interview questions: Act like a hiring manager interviewing a candidate for [insert job] and [company]. Our company values are [insert text from company website]. I would like you to come up with a dozen behavioral interview questions based on the following job description. [insert relevant portions of the job description]. Are you struggling with your resume? Act like a career coach. Help me revise my resume to better match the following job description [insert job description]. Stand by for my resume. [Insert accomplishment statements from your resume]. ** My recommendation is do do this on statement at a time. OR, as Jeremy Schifeling has shown on his videos, give chat GPT a job description, ask it to identify the job related key words in that description, then give it your resume and ask which keywords are missing. Then you can ask it to help you rewrite specific accomplishment statements using the missing keywords. Most people don't know what to write in a cover letter. And some people think you can just say to ChatGPT, "Write me letter for the following job description." This will yield garbage. Add a meta prompt to the front, and then also include relevant information about yourself, your degrees, a few professional highlights, maybe a line or two about why you are really excited about the job. Ask your Generative AI to return a cover letter that is no more than 325 words. Then be sure to edit it. Once you have a letter you feel good about, give that back to ChatGPT so it can learn from you. Check out ALexandra Samuel's newsletter (linked above) for some great cover letter prompts. How did I make this episode? I prompted ChatGPT 4.0: I am looking for is a plain text description of the text so I can use it to guide further writing. I don't want you to write anything other than a description of the style and voice of the text. How would you describe the style and voice of the following text sample [insert script from another podcast]. What additional information, context or details would you need to effectively run the following prompt? PROMPT: Using the writing style and voice that you have identified, please write a 500 word script for a podcast about how to effectively use GenerativeAI to improve cover letters and resumes. I answered the 8 questions ChatGPT provided, which yielded the following prompt: Using the direct, prescriptive, analytical, conversational, structured, credible, and empathetic writing style and voice identified earlier, craft a 500-word script for a 6 to 10-minute podcast aimed at MBA students engaged in an internship or job search. The podcast should focus on how to effectively use GenerativeAI to improve cover letters and resumes. Highlight the capabilities of GenerativeAI in improving grammar and syntax, as well as aligning language with that of a job description or a company's values/principles. Address the ethical considerations, emphasizing the importance of ensuring that the AI-generated content accurately reflects the individual's genuine work experience, skills, and qualifications. Discuss the potential pitfalls, such as the AI's tendency to fabricate information or exhibit biases. Conclude with a call to action, encouraging listeners to experiment with GenerativeAI for their resume or cover letter reviews and emphasizing the importance of refining their prompts to obtain optimal results. I ran the prompt, took the script, did some light editing, and then fed it into ElevenLabs where I had already created a voice clone using some podcast monologues I'd already recorded and released. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J8aN6rXtqaM?si=bbCqTq9IVR34AP0B" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe> The video above was generated using HeyGen, after using Insight FaceSwap to swap my face onto a still image from MaxHeadroom. /episode/index/show/mbacm/id/28304150

ClimateCAP Fellow Sean Dew Shares His Experience 10/11/2023

Varun Puri, Founder of Yoodli.ai an AI Powered Speech Coach 09/29/2023

Varun Puri, Founder of Yoodli.ai an AI Powered Speech Coach On this episode, I speak with Varun Puri, Co-Founder of Yoodli.ai. I'm a big fan of Yoodli and have been using it basically since the day it became available. Many of my students in the MBA program are using it to practice for job interviews and other presentations. Full disclosure, I'm on the Yoodli Speech Coaches Advisory Board. I receive no compensation for this. I do it because I believe in the product and the power of public speaking skills to improve people's career opportunities. Born and raised in India, Varun moved to the US for college and later joined Google. At Google, he wore many hats, from running special projects for Sergey Brin to being a product manager at Google X. Despite his fulfilling career at Google, Varun's passion for his innovative idea led him to take a leap of faith and start Yoodli.ai. Yoodli.ai is an AI-powered speech coach that provides real-time feedback on speaking skills. It focuses on three key areas: delivery, content, and peer collaboration. As Varun demonstrated during our podcast interview, Yoodli.ai can alert users in real-time to adjust their speaking pace. The platform has received an overwhelming response, with users worldwide comparing it to Grammarly and Duolingo for speech coaching. This comparison underscores Yoodli.ai's effectiveness in enhancing speaking skills. Yoodli.ai has developed an everyday communication coach feature. This feature, available as an app, can be installed on a computer and used during calls. It provides real-time feedback on speaking habits, such as speaking too quickly or for too long. This feature allows users to improve their communication skills without having to set aside dedicated practice time. Varun draws inspiration from fitness apps like Apple Health, which encourage progress in everyday activities, and aims to do the same for speaking. Making Public Speaking Fun and Engaging Yoodli.ai also incorporates games to make the learning experience fun and engaging. The goal is to demystify public speaking and make it enjoyable, much like improv games. Varun and I discussed the importance of practice in feeling comfortable and confident when it comes to public speaking and storytelling. Yoodli.ai provides “exposure therapy” and low-risk practice opportunities for individuals to improve their communication skills. Varun emphasized that mid-career professionals, particularly those seeking promotions or leadership roles, can benefit greatly from the platform. He shared examples of users who have found success with Yoodli, including a non-native English speaker looking to improve their confidence in meetings. /episode/index/show/mbacm/id/28182476

Season 10 Coming Soon 09/22/2023

Case Competitions and MBA Recruiting as an International Student with XJ Cai 02/22/2023

Alumni Advice to Students on Effective Interviewing 02/18/2023

ClimateCap and Pursuing Careers in Sustainability with Doug Beach and Connor Almon-Griffin 02/17/2023

Gabriel Scheer on Clean Tech and Climate Solutions Startups 02/02/2023

Shine a Spotlight In Your Next Job Interview 02/02/2023

Shine a Spotlight In Your Next Job Interview Photo by on Flickr under CC by/2.0 As a job candidate, it’s up to you to shine the spotlight on the skills and experiences you've had that are relevant to the job or company you are interviewing for. Too often, candidates prepare scripted answers and don't adapt them to the specific interview questions, company or interviewer. On this episode, I share some advice on effectively communicating during job interviews. Take a moment It is not enough to have a dozen well-rehearsed stories that illustrate examples in response to the interview questions you anticipate. Invariably, you will get asked a question that you haven’t prepared for. In a few seconds you will have to decide which story fits the question best and start your answer. The danger is that you will tell the story as you've prepared it without tailoring it to your audience or the exact question. Interviewers remember when a response doesn't answer their question. But they don’t remember that you took an extra few seconds before starting your response. Focus on what your audience wants to hear The AIM framework from Lynn Russell and Mary Munter is a great tool to employ when preparing any communication, including job interview responses. The acronym stands for Audience, Intent, Message. The audience is the person or people receiving the communication. The intent is both your intent: what you want to happen, and the intent you want to create in your audience. The message is both the delivery mechanism and the content. When preparing for any interview, take the time to really think about your audience. Are you speaking with the recruiter, or the hiring manager? These are two different audiences, and your intent will be different. For the recruiter, your intent is to communicate that you are a strong candidate with relevant skills; you want to advance to the next round of interviews. The recruiter needs to believe that you are the right choice for the role she is trying to fill. For the hiring manager, your intent is to communicate that you have the relevant skills, right fit with the team, and ability to do the job; in this case, you want to get the offer. The hiring manager needs to believe that you are capable of doing the job, fitting in with the team, and growing to be a valuable asset to the company. Start with “the end in mind” Reminding yourself of your intent before preparing, and before your actual performance (the interview) will help you shine the spotlight on the right facets of your experiences and respond appropriately to questions that you did not expect. This starts with the most common interview question: Tell me about yourself. The interviewer wants to know just the relevant details about what you've done that led you to this company and this role at this moment. For example, the fact that you used to build Contact Relationship Management systems for nonprofit organizations may have nothing to do with the work you do today. Your ability to analyze voter data and cut turf for political canvassers? Irrelevant. Scrum Master and Scrum Product Owner certifications? Who cares. But throughout your career, maybe you’ve always been committed to helping the people around you and your clients communicate more effectively. BINGO. I might be talking about myself here... When answering behavioral interview questions ("Tell me about a time when…") don't get sucked into the trap of sharing a very procedural (and generic) explanation of the situation, and what you did filled with every detail you can think of. Think about your intent: why are you telling this story? What does it demonstrate about how you think and work? What skill or competency does it demonstrate that is relevant to the role or company you are interviewing for? It’s all about structure and focus And remember that the human you are talking to is hardwired to look for structure. Stories have a beginning, middle and end. Gustav Freytag mapped out the classic narrative arch: Introduction, Initial incident, Rising Action, Climax, Falling Action, Resolution, Denouement over 160 years ago. People retain structured information 40% more reliably and accurately than information that is not structured. When you are answering a question, make sure that the content fits into a structure and is relevant to the audience and the question. There are many interview answer structures or frameworks: STAR is the most common: Situation Task Action Result, but I like CAR: Context (or Challenge) Action Result. These are not the only two that are out there: sometimes you want to add a learning or a take-away (CARL or CART) at the end, or a summary at the beginning (SCAR). Consider the level of detail, language and analogies that may be relevant to your audience. For example: if you are interviewing for a data analytics role, you might focus on the part of the story where you extracted insights from data. If you are interviewing for a role that focuses on interaction with customers and clients, you might focus on that part of the story where you determined what your client (internal or external) really wanted to know from the data and how you delivered the insights on-time. If you are interviewing for a role that requires cross functional collaboration, you might focus on how you worked with multiple teams to pull together the dataset you needed. Think of these as different facets of a multi sided die. The die is the experience or story, but depending on what question you are asked and what role you are interviewing for, you will expose different facets. That’s how you can shine the spotlight on the parts of your experience that are most relevant to your audience and, ultimately, land the job! /episode/index/show/mbacm/id/25806399

Graduating With an MBA into a Recession With Melissa Schneider 12/22/2022

Christopher Barnes on Sleep and Work 11/07/2022

Christopher Barnes on Sleep and Work My sleep hasn't been great for years. I never have trouble falling asleep, but I wake after about 5 hours and then have trouble getting back to sleep. I average about 7 hours of sleep a night, sometimes more, sometimes less (an improvement over a few years ago). A few years back, after talk about his book, on a podcast (), I went down the rabbit hole (not for the first time) on ways to improve my sleep. I'm happy to report, that it many ways, it has gotten better and my relationship to sleep has as well. I write this as a preface for why the topic of this episode is so important to me. Sleep is important for mental and physical health, and for the quality of our work product, our relationships, and the broader work environment as we'll here from my guest, . Christopher Barnes is a Professor of Management and the Michael G. Foster Endowed Professor of Management at the Foster School of Business. His recent research over the past few years focuses on sleep and its impact on work, ethics, decision making and work place engagement. His research has been featured in the , , and a I've long wanted to have Professor Barnes on the podcast, somewhat selfishly, because of my own interest in -- and challenges with sleep. In April of 2022, I invited him to present to faculty and staff as part of my work on the Health, Wellness and Professional Development Committee at Foster, and after that, I knew I what he had to say would be important to my listeners. We discussed how sleep hygiene can improve sleep: Stick to a schedule for wake time and bed time. Avoid alcohol, caffein and nicotine too close to be time, up to 12 hours prior for caffein. Use your bed for just two things, sleep and sex. Don't stare into your smart device screen before bedtime, We briefly touch on his research on , and we discussed one reputable supplier, . I'll add: keep your bedroom dark and cool. Consider lowering the lighting in your house in the hour or two before bed Get bright (preferably natural) light upon waking. For those of us in the PNW, you might want to get a for these dark winter months, and use it for 20 minutes upon waking. (I have one from Verilux.) Some other important resources: If you suffer from insomnia or sleeplessness, the best experts now recommend avoiding sleeping pills. From my reading, the jury is out on Melatonin except at low doses for short periods of time (like around dealing with a time change). One reason why sedatives and melatonin aren't great is that while they will bring on sleep, they disrupt the best kind of sleep for your brain, deep wave sleep. I learned about this from Matt Walker, so if you want to learn more, follow the links in the first paragraph, or . The gold standard is now . You can even get , some are actually FDA Approved. Chris mentioned . There is also a free email based program from that I found helpful. There are some supplements that can help with sleep, but you should talk to your doctor about taking anything regularly for help with sleep, whether it is over the counter, or prescription. Chris also mentioned Arrianna Huffington's book, , or There is also a great recorded talk from the . /episode/index/show/mbacm/id/24923955

Nivedita Kumar on Recruiting During Year 2 of the MBA 10/18/2022

Jeff Perry On Coaching Engineers 09/15/2022

Portia Obeng on Updating Your LinkedIn Profile 08/30/2022

Advice from Foster 2022 MBAs on the Career Search and Interviewing 07/01/2022

Advice from Foster 2022 MBAs on Internships 07/01/2022

Mikaela Winter on Her Path to a Career in Sustainability at Microsoft 06/01/2022

Conversations on Careers and Professional Life

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