In this episode of Conversations on Careers & Professional Life, we go inside the Autumn Quarter Integrated Case Competition at the Foster School of Business—a one-week sprint where MBA teams analyze an acquisition case, submit a written recommendation, and deliver a 25-minute presentation to faculty, alumni, and industry judges.

I speak with three students from finalist teams:

• Nat Fernandes (Class of 2027) – whose team placed third, emphasizing early alignment and organized execution.

• Josh Gonzales (Class of 2027) – part of the second-place team, highlighting team cohesion built from day one and the importance of energetic delivery.

• Andrew Parriot (Class of 2027) – from the winning team, reflecting on iteration, practice, and transforming earlier missteps into strength.

We discuss:
• How teams approached analysis, collaboration, and slide design
• The value of early relationship-building and role clarity
• The pressure and payoff of presenting to the entire class
• What these students learned about communication, strategy, and themselves along the way

A great listen for prospective MBAs, current students preparing for next year, and anyone curious about how high-performing teams deliver under tight deadlines.

On this episode I share a principle that shows up again and again in great communication but is often overlooked by professionals: you have to earn attention before you earn understanding.

Too many presentations, meetings, and messages begin with dense context, background, or data. But audiences don't start in "information-processing mode." They start in attention mode — scanning for relevance. If the opening doesn't grab them, the content that follows doesn't land.

The core idea of this episode is simple but transformative:
Engage first. Then inform.

We live in a world of constant distraction. Phones buzz, inboxes refill, and meetings stack back-to-back. You can't assume your audience is ready to absorb information the moment you begin.

That's why starting with engagement is essential. As the episode puts it, if the first thing your audience hears is a spreadsheet, a data table, or a wall of bullets, "their brains will tune out before the thinking begins."

Engagement isn't entertainment — it's a form of cognitive kindness.
It tells your audience:
Stay with me. This matters.

Engagement doesn't require charisma or theatrics. Instead, it's about delivering an emotional or intellectual spark that primes the brain for meaning.

In the episode, you highlight several practical ways to create that spark:

• Start with a story — even a single sentence can establish stakes or human connection.

• Lead with a recommendation — clarity itself is engaging.

• Share a surprising fact — novelty triggers curiosity.

• Pose a thought-provoking question — questions pull the audience mentally into the conversation.

• Create simple tension — the gap between "where things are" and "where things could be."

These techniques aren't gimmicks. They are proven attention triggers that open the door for the logic and evidence that come next.

The episode lays out the psychology clearly:
engagement activates emotion, and emotion primes the brain for comprehension.

This echoes Aristotle's frameworks — Pathos sets the stage for Logos.
When your audience feels something — interest, tension, surprise — they become more open to understanding and retaining information.

Engagement isn't a bonus.
It's the bridge between attention and insight.

Once you've earned attention, now you can deliver the substance. The episode reinforces a familiar structure for this phase:

1. Lead with the key recommendation

2. Share the top supporting reasons

3. Present only the evidence necessary to make the case

4. Clarify implications, risks, or next steps

5. Make a clear request or action

This sequence works because the mind prefers clarity before detail, destination before map. Engagement at the start makes this structure even more powerful: the brain is now on board and ready to follow.

Importantly, the episode emphasizes what not to do.
Engaging first is not about jokes, theatrics, or forced "TED-ification."
The goal isn't to "perform."

The goal is to help your audience stay with you long enough to understand you.

Engagement is the runway.
Information is the flight.
Both matter, but one must come first.

Professionals who learn to engage first don't just communicate more effectively — they lead more effectively. Audiences trust them faster, stay with them longer, and remember their message more clearly.

Before your next email, meeting, or presentation, try asking:

• What's my hook?

• Why will this matter to my audience right now?

• What moment will pull them in before I deliver the data?

If you start there, the rest of your communication will feel smoother, clearer, and more compelling.

Because if you want people to listen, you have to earn their attention.
Only then can you earn their understanding.

In this episode of Conversations on Careers and Professional Life, I speak with Ryan Dickerson, founder of Good Fit Careers, about his innovative approach to career coaching. Ryan leverages generative AI tools like ChatGPT to help executives craft compelling resumes, prepare for interviews, and navigate career transitions. The conversation covers the importance of patience during job searches, building empathy for hiring managers, and the power of relational networking over transactional interactions.

Ryan also shares his strategies for reframing career narratives to highlight problem-solving abilities and deliverables, rather than simply focusing on personal achievements. Additionally, the episode delves into how AI assists Ryan's coaching process, helping clients break down their professional journeys into actionable, digestible insights.

• AI-powered career coaching and resume optimization
• The value and importance of patience in career transitions
• Developing empathy for hiring managers
• Reframing career narratives
• Effective networking: Relational vs. transactional approaches
• Preparing for interviews by focusing on concrete outcomes

Resources Mentioned:

• Good Fit Careers For Ryan's Coaching practice and podcast
• Follow Ryan on LinkedIn
• Tools: ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity.ai
  • Listen to my conversation with Jeremy Schifeling, founder of the Job Search Insiders, about using AI in the career search.
• Networking guides: The 2-Hour Job Search and The 20-Minute Networking Meeting
  • Listen to my conversations with Steve Dalton about the 2-Hour Job Search

In this episode of Conversations on Careers and Professional Life, I share some advice on reframing how you think about "networking" and asking for help.

• Move beyond the idea of collecting contacts
• Focus on building genuine relationships and learning from others
• Nurture connections over time for mutual benefit
• Understand that asking for help can actually benefit the person helping you
• Overcome the fear of being a burden when seeking assistance
• Strengthen relationships by showing trust and vulnerability
• Recognize that your network includes all communities you're part of
• Look for professional opportunities in unexpected places (e.g., school events, volunteer activities)

"Real networking is about building relationships. It's about getting to know people, learning from them, and creating genuine connections."

Action Steps for Listeners

• Reflect on recent interactions: What can you learn from someone you've met recently? What could you offer them?
• Practice asking for help: Reach out to someone in your network for assistance this week
• Map your communities: List all the different groups you're a part of and consider how they might connect to your professional life

Check out out the books, Designing Your Life or Designing Your Work Life by Bill Burnet and Dave Evans, All You Have to Do is Ask by Wayne Baker, and Give and Take by Adam Grant.

Leveraging Generative AI in Your Career Search with Jeremy Schifeling

Jeremy Schifeling, founder of The Job Insiders and author of Career Coach GPT and Linked: Conquer LinkedIn, Get Your Dream Job, Own Your Future shares his insights on how job seekers can leverage generative AI tools like ChatGPT in the job search process.

Jeremy and I have known each other for seven years and recently co-presented a session at the Career Services Employer Alliance Global Conference on how graduate business school career services can leverage generative AI in their work.

In this episode, Jeremy returns for a second conversation to discuss how business school students, job seekers, and professionals can use AI to tailor their resumes, cover letters, and interview prep, while staying authentic in their communication. Listen to my first conversation with Jeremy about his book, Linked, from May 2022.

Key Takeaways:

1. Get Hands-On with Generative AI: Jeremy emphasizes that AI tools like ChatGPT, Anthropic's Claude, Gemini and Copilot are easy to use, even for non-technical individuals. By interacting with these platforms, job seekers can quickly familiarize themselves with their capabilities—whether for refining resumes, helping to draft cover letters, or even brainstorming career paths based on personality tests like Myers-Briggs or CliftonStrengths.
2. Crafting Effective Prompts: Jeremy and talk about the importance of specificity in AI prompts as well as using meta prompting techniques. While a generic prompt like "write a cover letter" might yield basic results, being more precise—such as asking for insights into missing keywords or requesting tailored interview questions based on a job description—will lead to better outcomes. He also encourages users to iteratively refine outputs, ensuring the final result feels authentic and personalized.
3. Beyond Job Searching—Building Long-Term Skills: The skills you develop using generative AI tools can extend to developing AI literacy that is rapidly becoming a key asset in many industries. Understanding how to harness these tools for tasks like data analysis or marketing can make professionals more competitive in the long run.

Practical AI Tools and Strategies:

• Role-Playing Interviews with ChatGPT: Use AI to simulate job interviews, ask follow-up questions, and even offer feedback on your responses, preparing you for tough, real-life interview scenarios.
• Mining Job Descriptions for Insights: Paste multiple job descriptions into AI tools to uncover common skills, which can help you craft a LinkedIn profile that resonates across different career paths.
• Maintaining Authenticity: While AI can help draft resumes and cover letters, Jeremy advises against over-reliance on AI-generated content. Ensuring your voice comes through is essential, as recruiters are becoming savvy to AI-generated applications. Craft prompts that include your first drafts, or career highlights, feed your final drafts back into the chat so the bot can learn from the changes you make.

Resources Mentioned:

• ChatGPT
• Books by Jeremy Schifeling:
• Career Coach GPT
• Linked: Conquer LinkedIn, Get Your Dream Job, Own Your Future
• Ethan Mollick's book "Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI"
• Yoodli for interview preparation.

Where to Find Jeremy Schifeling:

• Website: The Job Insiders (UW Foster MBA students get free lifetime access to Jeremy's Masterclass Library)
• LinkedIn: Jeremy Schifeling

Listen Now and learn how to enhance your job search and career development with the power of generative AI!

For more episodes and show notes, visit Conversations on Careers and Professional Life. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or your preferred platform!

In this special live episode recorded as part of #PNWClimateWeek and the Bloomberg Green Festival at the KEXP Gathering Space, Gregory Heller and Jonathan Azoff sit down with Lauren Selig, a  film producer, investor, entrepreneur, and board member of the XPRIZE Foundation. , Lauren shares her journey from journalism to film production and investment, highlighting the importance of intuition, mentorship, and environmental consciousness in her diverse career. Tune in to discover how Lauren's innovative projects are making a significant impact on climate tech and sustainability.

• Shake and Bake Productions
• XPRIZE Foundation
• Vaxxinity
• Colossal
• Pacific Northwest Climate Week, Climate Capitalism author Talk with Akshat Rathi and UW Foster Dean Frank Hodge
• Bloomberg Green Festival

In this episode, we talk with Adital Ella, founder of Criaterra Earth Technologies, an Israeli company pioneering sustainable, low carbob building materials. Adital shares her journey from sustainable furniture designer to climate tech entrepreneur, offering insights into the development of Criaterra's beautiful and sustainable tiles and building materials.

Key points discussed:

• Criaterra's innovative building material, which sequesters carbon and reduces energy use by up to 82% compared to traditional manufacturing processes
• The importance of balancing environmental benefits with aesthetics and market appeal in sustainable product design
• Challenges and strategies for scaling a climate-focused building materials company
• Advice for aspiring climate tech entrepreneurs on navigating the business and investment landscape

Adital's story highlights the potential for design-driven innovation in addressing climate change, demonstrating how creative thinking can lead to practical solutions for reducing the construction industry's carbon footprint.

Whether you're interested in sustainable architecture, climate tech entrepreneurship, or the future of green building materials, this episode offers valuable insights into the intersection of design, sustainability, and business in the fight against climate change.

This is part 1 of a 2-part conversation. In part 2, Adital offers more advice on pursuing a career in sustainability.

This episode is made possible in part with support from SNØCAP.vc. 

In this episode we continue our conversation with Adital Ella, founder of Criaterra Earth Technologies. Adital shares valuable advice for those aspiring to enter the climate tech industry, drawing from her own experiences as an entrepreneur and innovator.

Key points discussed:

• How to approach climate tech companies as a job seeker, even without a scientific background
• The importance of demonstrating genuine passion and alignment with a company's mission
• Strategies for growth within an organization, including starting in junior roles and working up
• Adital's personal journey from industrial design student to climate tech entrepreneur
• The value of following one's intuition and inner calling in career decisions
• Balancing innovation and business acumen in a growing climate tech company

Adital's story provides a roadmap for those looking to make a meaningful impact in the fight against climate change. She emphasizes the importance of authenticity, collaboration, and personal growth in building a successful career in this rapidly evolving field.

This episode offers invaluable insights for anyone considering a career shift into climate tech, as well as entrepreneurs looking to build and scale sustainable businesses. Adital's experiences highlight the unique challenges and rewards of working at the intersection of innovation, sustainability, and business.

This episode is made possible in part with support from SNØCAP.vc. 

In the second part of the conversation, Scott Case, co-founder and CEO of Recurrent shares his career journey and lessons learned. Scott has worked at small companies, big companies, and started two companies himself. He shares some lessons learned at his first startup, EnergySavvy.

Scott then offers advice for people looking to enter the clean technology or energy revolution space. He suggests that recent graduates should gain experience by working for a large company in the industry they want to decarbonize, learn about the processes, and then identify high-leverage ways to disrupt the industry through a startup.

For those who prefer working at a startup right away, Scott recommends finding a small company where they can make a significant impact, learning about the company and how they can add value. He also shares the qualities he looks for when hiring, such as adaptability and a willingness to take on various roles. 

This episode is made possible in part with support from SNØCAP.vc. 

Gregory Heller and Jonathan Azoff talk with Scott Case, the co-founder and CEO of Recurrent, a Seattle-based startup that offers independent evaluations of used electric vehicle batteries. Case discusses his journey as a second-time entrepreneur, having previously founded Energy Savvy, a company that helped energy utilities connect with customers for home energy efficiency upgrades.

Case explains that Recurrent was founded in June 2020 to address the growing need for transparency in the used electric vehicle (EV) market. As more EVs enter the used car market, buyers are increasingly concerned about battery health and range. Recurrent's product aims to provide answers to these questions by analyzing data from connected EVs and comparing it to a large sample of similar vehicles.

This episode is made possible in part with support from SNØCAP.vc. 

In the second part of the conversation, Josh Mastromatto, co-founder of Rego, shares insights on how his experience as an athlete has shaped his approach to building a startup. He emphasizes the importance of focusing on what you can control, learning quickly, and surrounding yourself with people who can help you improve. Josh shares what he looks for an values when hiring. As a first-time founder, Josh's biggest learning curve was navigating the fundraising process, and he shares the importance of reaching out to experts, identifying patterns, and continuously acquiring knowledge through books and audiobooks tailored to the current stage of the business. This is part 2 of a conversation with Josh Mastromatto. Find part 1 in the podcast feed.

In this episode of "Conversations on Careers in Climate Tech," Gregory Heller and Jonathan Azoff are joined by Josh Mastromatto, co-founder of Rego, a startup addressing waste management in urban apartment buildings during move-out periods. Rego aims to reduce waste by diverting discarded items from landfills to more sustainable destinations where they can be reused. Part 1 of a this two part discussion covers the the inspiration behind the startup, the pivot from their original idea, fundraising and growth. Josh also shares the challenges of being a first-time founder and the support received from accelerators. The episode concludes with insights into Rego's potential growth and impact on sustainability in waste management.

Structure isn't a formatting exercise. It's the foundation of every clear, persuasive communication.
Whether you're giving a presentation, writing an email, or leading a meeting, structure is the difference between an idea that gets ignored and an idea that creates action.

In the latest episode of Conversations on Careers and Professional Life, we explore why structure matters so profoundly — and how leaders, students, and professionals can use it to communicate with more clarity and impact.

Human beings aren't wired to process information in random fragments. We make sense of the world through stories — beginnings, middles, and ends.

As you put it in the episode, we're not "data digesters"; we're storytellers. And when communication wanders, attention wanders with it.

A clear structure reduces cognitive friction. It guides your audience through the idea. It shows respect for their time and sets you apart as someone who thinks and leads with intention.

The classic story shape applies perfectly to business communication:

• Beginning: What's the point?

• Middle: Why does it matter?

• End: What should we do?

In practice, this means starting with your main idea — the recommendation, insight, or conclusion — and only then walking people through the reasoning.

This mirrors the Pyramid Principle, but it also aligns with how executives think: give me the destination first, then show me the path.

You referenced Matt Abrahams' framework from Think Faster, Talk Smarter:

• What: The headline or central idea

• So What: The significance — why it matters

• Now What: The implication or action

This structure keeps communication focused and future-oriented. It helps audiences quickly understand context, importance, and next steps. And when you use it, people stop interrupting with "What's your point?" because you've already answered it.

Every slide should tell a mini-story:

• A clear title that states the point, not a topic

• A single idea supported by one graph, chart, or set of bullets

• Visuals that reinforce your narrative rather than compete with it

The slide is scaffolding — not the building. Your voice delivers the narrative; the slide supports it.

Unstructured meetings drift. Structured meetings decide.

A simple three-bullet agenda can turn an hour-long discussion into a 20-minute decision. Before any meeting, ask:

1. What's the goal?

2. What's the sequence that gets us there?

3. What decisions or actions do we need?

Structure creates momentum, momentum creates clarity, and clarity creates action.

Editing is structuring.
This is where Chekhov's Gun becomes a communication tool: remove anything that doesn't serve the message.

Ask:
If I cut this sentence, slide, or data point, does the meaning change?
If not, remove it.

Editing isn't erasing work — it's generosity. It gives your audience time and brings clarity. Remember the ABCs!

1. Identify your main point.

2. List two or three reasons that support it.

3. Add only the evidence necessary to prove those reasons.

4. Arrange it in a natural sequence — then cut everything else.

It's deceptively simple, but rarely done well — and that's why it stands out.

Ultimately, structure is more than communication mechanics.
It's a leadership signal. Structured communicators show that they think clearly, respect their audience, and understand how decisions get made.

The episode closes with a reminder worth repeating:

Structure isn't just a communication tool. It's a mark of how you think. And it matters more than most people realize.

Gregory Heller and co-host Jonathan Azoff continue their conversation with Steven Zhang, the founder of ClimateTechList.com, a comprehensive job site dedicated to climate technology roles for both technical and non-technical professionals.  

Gregory, Jonathan and Steven discuss strategies for job seekers aiming to enter the climate tech industry. They talk about Fred Wilson's "bits versus atoms" framework, emphasize systems thinking, and explore the sector's diverse roles. The conversation highlights the need for a systematic job search approach, the value of networking, and the importance of aligning personal values with career choices. They also discuss leveraging one's current position for environmental initiatives and provide resources for job seekers. The episode is a resourceful guide for those looking to make an impact in the climate tech space.

Also mentioned in this conversation:

• WorkOnClimate.org
• Project Drawdown's Climate Solutions At Work / Every Job Is A Climate Job resources

This is the second part of a two part conversation. This first part focuses on Steven's journey to creating ClimateTechList.com. You may want to listen to the first part before this.

The Conversations on Careers in Climate Tech mini series is made possible in part with support from SNØCAP.vc. 

On this episode first episode of the "Conversations on Careers in Climate Tech" mini series, Gregory Heller and co-host Jonathan Azoff speak with Steven Zhang, the founder of ClimateTechList.com, a comprehensive job site dedicated to climate technology roles for both technical and non-technical professionals. 

We explore what drove Steven to create the listing, the technology behind it, and how he orchestrated his own pivot to working in climate tech. Steven talks about the importance of networking and informational interviews to map out the industry landscape. We cover the complexities of the climate tech job market, where job titles aren't as standard is in more established industries. 

This is part 1 of a 2 part conversation. This first part focuses on Steven's journey to creating ClimateTechList.com. Part 2 includes more advice to jobs seekers.

The Conversations on Careers in Climate Tech mini series is made possible in part with support from SNØCAP.vc. 

In this episode I am joined by cohost Jonathan Azoff of SNØCAP, and we talk with Gabriel Scheer, Director of Innovation for Mobility and Energy at ElementalExcelerator. Recorded on December 12th, 2023, the conversation covers Gabriel's fresh insights from his first attendance at COP28, offering valuable perspectives for MBA students and professionals interested in climate innovation and sustainable careers.

Gregory Heller speaks with Jonathan Azoff, an experienced tech leader who transitioned into a mentor and investor role with a focus on sustainability. Jonathan is a GP at SNØCAP a VC firm that invests in early-stage, profit-oriented platforms that directly and indirectly solve the climate crisis. Jonathan's journey began with a strong interest in environmentalism and computing in high school, leading him to Silicon Valley. He worked in various tech companies like Disney, Zillow, and WeWork before moving into roles more aligned with his passion for sustainability, including involvement in a nonprofit focused on agriculture, food systems, and waste systems. Jonathan talks about the intersection of technology, sustainability, and business, emphasizing the importance of grit, luck, and a strong business foundation in successful ventures, especially in the evolving field of climate tech.

Gregory Heller interviews Alexandra Iljadica, an investor with BHP Ventures, in this episode of "Conversations on Careers and Professional Life." Alexandra discusses her journey from running a youth-focused nonprofit in Australia to becoming a key figure in venture capital with a focus on sustainability. She talks about her path through various roles, including setting up the 5G Innovation Lab at T-Mobile, and emphasizes the importance of networking and relationship-building in career progression.

On this episode, Gregory Heller interviews David Woodson, the Executive Director for Campus Energy Utilities and Operations at the University of Washington. Woodson shares his journey from and undergraduate at UW to his current role as leader in sustainability with a proven record of making an impact. David highlighted the importance of being adaptable and ready to learn in any job. His journey exemplifies the value of being open to various roles and responsibilities, which can lead to unforeseen career paths.

David mentioned two books during our conversation:

• The Goal
• Leadership Moments

He also the International District Energy Association as a resource for anyone interested in sustainability at the district or campus level.

Learn more about David and the work he is doing on the University Of Washington campus in Seattle. Find out more about sustainability on the UW Campus here.

Gregory talks with Charlie Donovan, a visiting professor of sustainable finance at the Foster School of Business. The discussion revolves around the integration of climate change and sustainability into finance and business education, drawing on Donovan's experience in teaching and in the industry. Key topics include the importance of understanding climate risks in finance, the transformation of industries due to climate change, the skills gap in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing, and sustainable finance. The episode also covers a student study tour to Costa Rica led by Donovan, focusing on sustainability efforts and community-led development.

This episode features a conversation with Angela Shelley, the Assistant Director of MBA Global Programs at the Foster School of Business Global Business Center. 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 Global Business Center, and the MBA Global Programs.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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 PodSqueeze.ai.

This episode was produced with editing and engineering support from Amelia Ngyuen, a student in the Communication Leadership Master Program at the University of Washington, and made possible in part with funding from SnoCap, a Venture Capital firm investing in early-stage, platforms that directly and indirectly solve the climate crisis.

On this episode, I speak with UW Foster Class of 2024 MBA Priyanka Natrajan about how she used Yoodli.ai to help her prepare for internship interviews. Yoodli is an AI powered speech coaching platform that will record and analyze your speech, transcribe it, provide objective metrics like speed, use of filler words or week words, and can even provide AI powered suggestions for rephrasing your speech. Yoodli has specific features for practicing interview questions (either from their own question bank, or questions you provide), and will analyze your answer and can ask follow up questions.

This episode was edited and engineered with support from Amelia Nguyen, a graduate student in the UW Communications Leadership Program.

 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 Jeremy Schifeling on LinkedIn. 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 Alexandra Samuel's newsletters. This one has some great advice for using ChatGPT to write cover letters.

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 Yoodli.ai for interview prep. Listen to my podcasts with Yoodli's co-founder Varun Puri, 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 Matt Westgate and his book, Go Prompt Yourself), 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:

1. 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].

2. 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.

3. I answered the 8 questions ChatGPT provided, which yielded the following prompt:

4. 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.

5. 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.

The video above was generated using HeyGen, after using Insight FaceSwap to swap my face onto a still image from MaxHeadroom.

On this episode, I cover the ABCs of professional communication, just as I teach them to my MBA students.

One of the simplest ways to elevate your professional communication—whether you're writing an email, pitching a strategy, or presenting to senior leaders—is to filter your message through three words: Active, Brief, and Clear.

They sound basic, almost obvious. But in practice, they create a powerful discipline that separates high-quality communicators from everyone else.

Active communication is energetic, direct, and accountable. It starts with the choice to use active voice—"We analyzed the data" instead of "The data was analyzed"—but it goes beyond grammar.

Being active signals leadership. It tells your audience who is responsible, what action is being taken, and why it matters.
It brings confidence to your tone, clarity to your reasoning, and momentum to your message.

Being brief isn't about cutting until your message feels hollow. It's about stripping away anything that dilutes the point.

In a world full of competing priorities and overloaded inboxes, brevity is a form of respect. Shorter sentences, concrete words, clear slide titles, and focused agendas make your message easier to absorb—and easier to act on.

Brevity doesn't mean simplicity of thought; it means simplicity of delivery. You're curating the signal, not broadcasting the whole noise.

Clarity is the culmination of the first two principles. When your message is active and brief, clarity emerges naturally—but it still needs intention.

Clear communication uses plain language, not jargon. It uses structure—beginning, middle, end—to guide your audience. It uses formatting and visual hierarchy to make information scannable. Above all, it ensures that your audience never wonders: What does this mean, and what should I do with it?

Clarity is not optional. It's the price of admission for influencing decisions.

When communication is active, brief, and clear, it's easier to trust—and harder to misunderstand.
Your audience feels more confident in you. They're more likely to remember your message. And they're far more likely to act.

Whether you're writing a memo, drafting a slide deck, or speaking in a meeting, the ABCs give you a repeatable way to refine your thinking and elevate your delivery.

Active shows ownership.
Brief shows respect.
Clear shows mastery.

Together, they define the core of effective business communication.

On this episode, I speak with Sean Dew, Foster MBA Class of 2024, about his experience as a ClimateCAP Fellow. ClimateCAP is an organization that focuses on sustainability in business and the MBA program experience across MBA programs. ClimateCAP also hosts an annual conference that brings together MBA students and alumni to discuss various topics related to climate change and business.

The fellowship provides support for sustainability projects and fosters a sense of community- among the fellows. Sean's project involves installing solar-powered refrigeration units in homes in the Hopi and Navajo Nation. The fellowship has helped Sean grow his network with other Fellows and by attending a related energy conference in Boulder, CO.

Applications for the next cohort of the ClimateCAP fellowship are open now through November 1st at 5PM EST. You can learn more about the ClimateCAP Fellowship and the ClimateCAP summit at ClimateCAP.org

Some other resources we mentioned during out conversation:

• MBA-Edge (and Fuqua's EDGE Center)
• Bloomberg Green
• Canary Media
• Book: Savages, by Joe Kane
• PNW Climate Week
• WorkOnClimate.org

Find more episodes on Careers in Sustainability and Impact.

Are you looking for a job in Climate Tech? Check out the ClimateTechList.

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.

I speak with Class of 2022 Foster MBA grad, Xiajin "XJ" Cai. XJ is originally from China, and started her MBA at Foster in the Fall of 2020, while classes and most activities were being conducted remotely.  I was impressed with the way she engaged not only in the Foster community, through clubs, and recruiting activities, but also participated in case competitions beyond Foster. I wanted to have her on the show to talk about her experiences as an international student, how she handled internship and full time recruiting, and the experience and skills she gained through case competitions.

• Learn SQL or other programming languages with online education sites like Coursera, EdX, or OpenCourseWare from MIT
• The After Hours podcast from the Ted Radio Collective
• Look for resources on mock interviews, case interviews, google mock interviews + consulting firm name, find videos about how they are conducted.
• AT&T She Counts case competition, read about XJ and her teammate on the Foster Blog
• MyVisaJobs.com and H1BGrader.com to find companies that have sponsored H1B Visas previously.

In late 2022, I had the opportunity to speak with four Foster School of Business MBA Alumni who are now on the other side of the interview table about what they are listening for from candidates in behavioral interviews. 

This episode features:

• Adam Schmidt at Accenture
• Sam Ead at Google
• Claire Herting at Walmart
• Skyler Brown at Goldman Sachs

I talked to each one separately, but as you will hear, in this compilation of their answers -- across industries and roles, there are some very clear trends: authenticity, enthusiasm, preparation. 

For more advice on preparing for internship interviews and job interviews, check out more episodes with interview tips.

On this episode, recorded in March of 2022, I spoke with two Foster MBA students, Connor Almon-Griffin (MBA 2023) and Doug Beach (MBA 2022) about their experience attending the ClimateCap -- The Global MBA Summit on Climate, Capital and Business in February of that year. ClimateCap, as you'll hear, brings together MBA students from around the world with corporate leaders in sustainability to discuss the 21st century's biggest business issue.

The past year has seen the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs act and the Inflation Reduction Act, two pieces of legislation that will pump billions of dollars into renewable energy, decarbonization and other solutions to the climate crisis. IN the last few months, as headlines have covered layoffs in big tech, other headlines have told a different story of hiring by companies focused on climate tech, and sustainability. The Foster School has also rolled out an ESG Concentration within the MBA program. Interest in climate jobs is hot inside and outside of business schools.

Connor and Doug shared so much great advice in this episode, but the thing I want to underscore the most is the importance of networking, both within the program -- as Connor said, find your people -- and as Doug said, even after you have secured your internship or job. The economy has changed since we recorded the episode a year ago, and having a strong professional network is critically important to personal and professional resilience in times of economic uncertainty.

• ClimateCapSummit.org
• MBA-Edge.com Insights on the most important issues for today's MBAs from Duke's Fuqua School of Business
• @Katie_Kross on Twitter and her Sustainability Jobs Twitter List

• WorkOnClimate.org an online community with over 16k members
• ClimateTechCareers.com Resources for learning about and finding climate jobs.
• Terra.do for information on climate jobs and education on climate issues

• Business Schools Must Do More To Address The Climate Crisis
• Full Time and Evening MBA Programs Introduce ESG Concentration (UW Foster Blog)
• Wind Power Eclipses Coal and Nuclear For First Time (NPR)

• Solar Power Podcast
• Clean Tech Talk
• ReCharge podcast
• At Scale
• Zero from Bloomberg
• How We Survive Podcast from Marketplace

On this episode, I speak with Gabriel Sheer, Director of Inovation and manager of the energy and mobility portfolios at Elemental Excelerator, a nonprofit startup accelerator about the current state of the climate tech/climate solutions startup space at the beginning of 2023. Gabriel is also a good friend. We first became acquainted through his work organizing Seattle Green Drinks in the bid '00s, we later worked together at a sustainability tech startup in Seattle.  Gabriel has had an interesting career leading up to where he is now, from the early days of car share working at Flex Car (and then Zip Car), independent consulting, product and strategy consulting, helping launch Lime Bike, and now working with Elemental Excelerator.

Gabriel shares advice for job seekers interested in working in climate solutions startups: build your network, do your research, find a team that you feel like you can trust. Working in a startup can be like riding a rollercoaster and you want to feel like everyone is all-in.

Gabriel shared some resources, and I've added a few more to the list below.

• ClimateTech VC - CTVC.Co
• WorkOnClimate.org Slack Community
• CanaryMedia.com for coverage of sustainability issues and businesses

I've compiled a list of job boards for sustainability and impact jobs and will keep adding to it.

Here are a few of my favorites, and I know Gabriel would endorse many of them because we have traded links and episodes from these sources:

• InsideClimateNews.org which also has a number of great newsletters
• CleanTechnica.com
• Grist.org
• Bloomberg Green
• Climate Forward from the NYT
• Spark from MIT Technology Review
• The Impact – Website, newsletter and podcasts about sustainability startups and VC
• Volts Podcast and newsletter with Dave Roberts
• Zero Podcast from Bloomberg

If you are looking for a few books to help you get up to speed on topics related to the climate crisis, solutions and decarbonization:

• Speed and Scale
• Regeneration
• Drawdown
• IPCC reports

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.

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.

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.

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?

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!

Leadership Coach Melissa Schneider graduated from the Sloan School of Management at MIT with her MBA during the Global Financial Crisis. On this episode, she talks about the power of her network in charting her career path from Product Manager to Marketing Executive at Intuit, LinkedIn and GoDaddy before changing careers into coaching. Learn more about Melissa Schneider and her coaching practice at https://melissaschneider.co/

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 hearing author Matt Walker talk about his book, Why We Sleep on a podcast (watch his TED Talk), 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, Professor Christopher Barnes.

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 Foster Business Magazine, Harvard Business Review, and a TEDx Talk

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 Blue-light filtering glasses, and we discussed one reputable supplier, Swanwick Sleep.
• 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 "happy light" 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 check out this three-part podcast. 

The gold standard is now Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, or CBT-I. You can even get apps and online programs to that deliver CBT-I therapy, some are actually FDA Approved. Chris mentioned Sleepio.  There is also a free email based program from Insomnia Coach 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, The Sleep Revolution (you can watch a talk she gave for Talks At Google, or read an interview with her), Dr. Nathaniel Watson (also at UW) and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

There is also a great recorded talk from the Whole U Speaker Series with Dr. Michael Vitiello on Getting a Good Night's Sleep.

In this episode of Conversations on Communication, I explore three timeless principles that sit at the heart of all persuasive communication: Logos, Ethos, and Pathos.

They come from Aristotle, but their power is as relevant today in an MBA classroom, a boardroom, or a client meeting as it was in ancient Athens. When you learn to apply these three deliberately, your messages become sharper, more credible, and more emotionally resonant.

Logos is the appeal to logic — the structure and reasoning that makes your audience think, "Yes, that makes sense."

It's not only about data; it's about connection. Logos ensures that every statement you make clearly links to the conclusion you want your audience to draw. Facts, analysis, and evidence give your message weight, but they need to form a coherent chain of reasoning.

In business, Logos often appears through charts, models, and financial analysis. But data alone doesn't persuade — logic does. The strongest communicators make the relationship between evidence and recommendation unmistakable.

"We recommend expanding into Austin because customer adoption is 25% higher and logistics costs are 30% lower than comparable markets."

That single "because" captures the essence of Logos.

A final note: too much data can obscure your message. Your job isn't to share everything you know; it's to make the most important facts impossible to ignore.

Ethos is the appeal to credibility and character. It answers the question, "Why should I trust you?"

Your Ethos comes from more than your credentials. It's built through tone, preparation, and consistency. It's how you show that you've done your homework, that you understand the audience's world, and that your insights come from care as well as competence.

You build Ethos when you say,

"We didn't have complete customer data for the past two quarters, so we supplemented it with qualitative interviews to strengthen our understanding."

That blend of honesty and diligence communicates credibility.

Ethos is also shaped by how you sound and carry yourself. A steady pace, deliberate pauses, and confident posture project competence. Silence, used well, communicates confidence. People decide whether to trust you long before they evaluate your argument — so make sure your delivery earns that trust.

Pathos is the emotional appeal — the part of communication that makes people care.

Logic makes people think, but emotion makes them act.

Pathos doesn't mean manipulation; it means connecting your message to human values, hopes, or fears. It's about showing why your recommendation matters beyond the numbers.

"This expansion could help 10,000 small businesses reach new customers and create jobs in underserved communities."

The data might stay the same, but the emotional frame transforms how people receive it.

Stories, metaphors, and anecdotes are natural vehicles for Pathos. Humans are wired for narrative — it's how we remember and share meaning. A story can make your data come alive, and it helps your audience see themselves in your message.

People may forget your exact words, but they'll remember how you made them feel.

The most persuasive communicators blend all three:

• Logos gives your message clarity and structure.

• Ethos builds credibility and trust.

• Pathos creates connection and motivation.

Together, they form the foundation of influence.

You can think of persuasion as an equation:

Influence = (Evidence + Economics + Emotion) ÷ Context

Your evidence is Logos.
Economics speaks to both logic and motivation — the bridge between head and heart.
Emotion is Pathos.
And Context — the audience, timing, and tone — determines whether your message lands.

Lead with logic. Reinforce with credibility. Connect with emotion.

Before your next big meeting or presentation, ask yourself:

• Is my argument logical? (Logos)

• Am I credible and authentic? (Ethos)

• Have I made my audience care? (Pathos)

If you can answer yes to all three, you're not just informing — you're persuading.
And that's the difference between being heard and being remembered.

• Aristotle, Rhetoric

• Nancy Duarte, Resonate, Slide:ology, HBR Guide to Persuasive Presentations

• Scott Berinato, Good Charts

• Steve J. Martin, Influence At Work

• HBR: "The Science of Strong Business Writing," by Bill Birchard

This episode features a conversation with Nivedita Kumar, Foster MBA '22. Prior to coming to Foster, Nivi worked at Philips as a technical sales manager and then in a variety of roles culminating in Program Manager at Swiggy, a local delivery startup in India.  Nivi interned in a Program Manager role at Amazon during the summer of 2021 and then recruited for full time roles throughout her second year in the MBA program landing a full time role at Microsoft as a Product Manager.

Nivi shared the importance of building a strong network with fellow classmates, Foster alumni and others, and how this network was instrumental to her getting interviews and the role she is in now.

Some of the resources we mentioned during the show include:

• Exponent: online courses and prep for product management
• Inspired: How TO Create Products Customers Love, by Marty Cagan
• The Lean Product Playbook, by Dan Olsen
• Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products, by Nir Eyal

Podcasts:

• Product Podcast from Product School
• Product Thinking with Melissa Perri
• The Product Experience from mind the PRODUCT

Jeff Perry, Foster Hybrid MBA '20, and founder of More Than Engineering, talks about his transition from engineer to coach of engineers and offers advice for how engineers can articulate their experience and value when switching careers. Visit ConversationsOnCareers.com for full episode show notes. Find additional resources at https://www.engineeringcareeraccelerator.com/uw

Portia Obeng is a social media strategist with over 10 years of experience in social media strategy and content management. Her current focus is supporting individuals and organizations in their use of LinkedIn and Instagram. Our conversation focuses on how anyone, but especially job seekers can use LinkedIn to build their person brand. This is episode complements last season's conversation with Jeremy Schifeling about his book Linked, and using LinkedIn for job search.

We talk about:

• Why you should pay attention to LinkedIn even if you are happy with the job you're in, and why companies should want their employees to be active on LinkedIn.
• How to get started with interacting and making content on LinkedIn from:
• Making comments that add value on other people's posts.
• Commenting on your own company's posts
• Writing LinkedIn articles
• Making images with Canva both for posts and for your profile banner image

Portia's top advice for updating your profile:

• Get a good profile photo and make sure it is set to visible to all people
• If you need a new photo, book a photo shoot with Shoott, or AirBNB Experience, or get a friend to help out. Be sure to smile. Don't be afraid to be bold and show your personality. Natural (and indirect) light is your friend. You can read an article I wrote with four tips for taking a LinkedIn Profile Photo.
• Update your headline and use key words for the role you want.
• Her formula for the about section:  What you do, how you do it, and why you're so good at it. Highlight your results.
• Update your LinkedIn Banners with and image made on Canva. The banner is a free billboard to advertise your value proposition

We also talk about getting recommendation from colleagues or clients for your LinkedIn Profile.

Portia recommended the Brown Ambition Podcast and an older show called Joblogues, and the following influencers on LinkedIn

• Cassey Ademola

• Lisa Orbé-Austin
• Tinu A and the Luxury Career Club

You can find and follow Portia on LinkedIn.

On this episode, I share advice from three members of the Foster MBA class of 2022 on the career search and interviewing. Hear from Elizabeth Daly, Tyson Colledge, and Christine Pham on the importance of knowing your story, and how they prepared for MBA interviews.

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On this episode, I share some advice from three members of the Foster MBA class of 2022 on how to have a successful internship. Hear from Tyson Colledge, Elizabeth Daly and Christine Pham on the importance of networking, asking questions, and trying new things. 

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Microsoft Program Manager and Foster Evening MBA alum Mikaela Winter talks about pursuing a career in energy and sustainability. Full show notes at https://conversationsoncareers.com/2022/06/01/mikaela-winter-on-her-path-to-a-career-in-sustainability-at-microsoft/

On this episode, I speak with Jeremy Schifeling. Jeremy is co-author of the book Linked: Conquer LinkedIn, Get Your dream job. Own your future with Omar Garriot.

Before getting his MBA from Michigan's Ross school of Business, Jeremy worked in education, including as a kindergarten teacher. After business school, he worked at LinkedIn, and is now director of consumer and product marketing at Khan Academy. he founded Break into Tech, a resource for anyone without a tech background to break into careers in tech, as he did, and regularly presents trainings on LinkedIn, including  to MBAs at the Foster School of Business.

The book is like the missing manual for the modern job seeker on how to leverage linkedIn to build your network, score referrals, do company research and get a job offer. Jeremy and Omar also provide the reader with insights into the experience and mindset of recruiters using LinkedIn's powerful recruiter tool.

We only scratch the surface of the advice in the book, but I think you'll come away from this conversation with some useful tips and actionable steps for using LinkedIn to level up your job search.

• We talk about what Jeremy thinks the most overlooked tool on LinkedIn is
• The importance of using keywords
• Why referrals are so important, and how to use LinkedIn to get them
• "Open to work" and how to think about when to use this picture frame on LinkedIn
• Why you should follow companies you are interested in
• How to find a direct email address for a recruiter or hiring manager
• and so much more!

You can find Jeremy and Omar's work, the book and additional resources at TheJobInsiders.com. Other resources mentioned during the episode include:

• https://www.breakinto.tech/ Jeremy's guide to breaking into tech industry jobs without prior tech experience
• https://courses.breakinto.tech/courses/linkedin Jeremy and Omar's online course on mastering LinkedIn

• 2-Hour Job Search, and my interview with the book's author Steve Dalton
• Two more of my episodes about informational interviewing with my colleagues, and with Foster Alum Asal Mirsalimi
• Lindsey Pollak  and her book Recalculating 
• Podcasts: Pivot with Kara Swisher & Scott Galloway, Sway with Kara Swisher, Prof G. Show with Scott Galloway
• Smart Passive Income podcast with Pat Flynn
• The Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship and their business plan competitions
• LinkedIn Career Explorer tool which you can find through the link on this page: https://www.thejobinsiders.com/explorer

UW Foster School of Business Assistant Professor of Management Kira Schabram joined me to talk about her research into callings, compassion and burnout.  Burnout has a clinical diagnostic framework. It is not just feeling exhausted. Burnout is when exhaustion is accompanied by feelings of inefficacy or cynicism.

Interventions that can help an individual experiencing burnout include small acts of compassion (and self-compassion) and self-care.  Self-care can help combat burnout that is characterized by exhaustion and cynicism, and acts of compassion can help combat burnout characterized by exhaustion and inefficacy. 

The Maslach Burnout Inventory(TM) can be used to diagnose burnout.

Programs designed to help pull people out of burnout often fail, and individuals experiencing burnout often find it hard to engage in such programs.  If you suspect someone is suffering from burnout, taking an action to help them, ie bring them a meal, or do something for them, but don't ask what they need, because that shifts the onus onto the person.

Kira also talked about the importance of having a hobby or interest outside of a career that is based on a calling, or passion as a way to avoid burnout. She also shared the danger of fixating on a single path toward a "dream job" associated with a call or passion, which can cause frustration and burnout.

You can read more about Kira's work in the Foster Business Magazine. 

Kira recommended the following authors and books:

• Adam Grant , Give and Take
• Jonathan Haidt, The Happiness Hypothesis
• Daily Rituals by Mason Curry

Have you ever wondered when you should follow up with someone who's give you an informational interview? I'll share three tips in under six minutes to answer this common job seeker question.  Visit https://conversationsoncareers.com/2022/02/15/some-quick-advice-on-following-up-after-informational-interviews/ for episode show notes.

On this episode, I have a conversation with Mack Hopen, Foster MBA Class of 2022. Mack is an active member of the NetImpact club and a leader of the Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Club at Foster. He came to Foster in pursuit of a career in the sustainability space and has some great advice for anyone else interested in such a career path.

Mack's three key points of advice for students:

1. Have a plan of how to approach your career search
2. Test out the careers through prototypes, conversations and job shadowing
3. Be valuable to those around you, be of service

During our conversation, Mack or I mentioned:

• Clean Energy Testbeds
• Foster Venture Fellows Program
• Foster's NetImpact Chapter
• The Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Club (EVCC)
• Clean Tech Alliance
• MBA Edge

Listen to more episodes with conversations on sustainability careers.

In this episode of Conversations on Careers and Professional Life, I explire one of the most powerful frameworks for structuring clear, persuasive business communication: the Minto Pyramid Principle.

The framework, created by Barbara Minto at McKinsey, is a simple but transformative way to organize ideas. Think of your communication as a pyramid:

• At the top is your main point — your recommendation, your answer, your "so what."

• Beneath that are the supporting arguments — the key reasons your audience should agree with or believe your main point.

• At the base are the evidence and details — the facts, data, and analysis that give those arguments weight.

The beauty of the Pyramid Principle is that it works at every level. Your entire presentation can follow it, each section within your presentation can follow it, and even each individual slide can follow it. Every idea should ladder up neatly to the one above it.

Why does this matter? Because most presentations and meetings fail not because the ideas are bad, but because the structure is confusing. When you cram multiple ideas into a single slide, include disconnected data, or bury the lead, your audience can't follow the story.

If everything is important, nothing is important.

The Pyramid Principle forces you to make choices. It asks: What's the single most important point I want my audience to remember if they leave after five minutes? That's the point that belongs at the top of the pyramid. Everything else exists to serve that idea—or it doesn't belong.

Here's how to apply it. Start with your answer—your key recommendation. Imagine that the most senior person in the room gets a phone call and leaves six minutes into your presentation. If they walk out then, will they know what you're recommending? Don't make your audience wait until slide 17 to find out your point. Put it right up front.

Then, support it with your major premises—ideally three. There's a reason consultants love the "rule of three." Research shows that once you go beyond three supporting points, credibility actually drops. Four or five reasons feel like overkill; three feels complete.

For example:

"We recommend launching the pilot in Austin—because customer adoption is highest, operational costs are lowest, and the competitive landscape is still open."

That single sentence is a mini pyramid: a clear main point supported by three reasons. Each reason could then become a section, a slide, or even a paragraph of an email—each with its own evidence and analysis.

Finally, check that every piece of content—every chart, bullet, and image—supports one of those reasons. If it doesn't, cut it. Anton Chekhov said, "If there's a gun on the wall in Act I, it must go off by Act III. If it's not going to be fired, take it down." The same is true for your slides: if it doesn't serve your main point, it shouldn't be there.

Common pitfalls?

• Starting with background or methodology. You want to show your process, but your audience doesn't care how you got there until they know where you're going. Start with the destination.

• Overloading slides. Each slide should have one key message, and the title should say it, not label it. Instead of "Customer Survey Results," say, "Customers are willing to pay 20% more for faster delivery."

• Forgetting your audience. The Pyramid Principle works best when grounded in AIM—Audience, Intent, Message. Who are you talking to? What do they care about? What action do you want them to take?

Before you build your next deck, don't start in PowerPoint. Start with a piece of paper. Write your main point at the top, your three strongest supporting arguments underneath, and then only the data or visuals that prove those points.

When you've done that, you've built a story pyramid that's clear, concise, and persuasive.

Remember—slides don't cost anything. Use as many as you need, but only one idea per slide.

Start with the answer. Support it with logic. End with confidence.

That's the Minto Pyramid Principle—and it's how you turn information into influence.

• Barbara Minto, The Pyramid Principle

• Nancy Duarte, Resonate and Slide:ology

• Scott Berinato, Good Charts

• HBR: "How to Give a Killer Presentation," by Chris Anderson

On this episode I speak with Rachel Hester, Foster MBA 2018. Rachel went to work for Nike in a finance manager role after graduating, and in a little less than a year moved into a role in sustainability Finance. Since we recorded this conversation during the summer of 2021, Rachel has moved on from Nike and joined VMWare to work on ESG strategy and finance.

Rachel shares some excellent advice for students who are interested in pursuing a career in sustainability.

I think there are three key takeaways from my conversation with Rachel:

• Be vocal about your passion. If you want to work in sustainability especially at big company, sustainability might not be in your first role or title. But when you get that job, let anyone and everyone know what your interests are, and you can start that even while you are at Foster.
• Get sustainability experiences during your time in the program, internships, case competitions, applied projects, and things of that nature.
• Identifying your north star, developing a framework to guide the decisions you'll make during the program and stay focused on what your goal is.  This is one of the reasons we take all of our students through some design thinking exercises based on the book and curriculum of Designing Your Life which comes out of the d.school at Stanford during our orientation programming.

Some links to resources we mentioned:

• My conversation with Austin Morton about his sustainability career path
• Sustainable World Radio
• Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Scientific Knowledge
• Doughnut Economics (Book) DoughnutEconomics.org
• Thinking In Systems (Book)
• SASB: Sustainability Accounting Standards Board
• Sustainable World Radio
• The Formula Botanica Podcast

And a few more that we didn't:

• MBA-Edge.com
• Sustainable Career Pathways
• http://edsjobslist.com/
• http://www.greenjobsearch.org/
• https://jobs.climatebase.org/

As I finished up production on this episode, I read in the September issue of Harvard Business Review that 57% of male and 74% of female Millennials anticipate taking a career break for childcare, eldercare or to support a partner in a job.  Career pauses are becoming more common, and smart companies are developing programs to keep their employees engaged and pave the way for their eventual return to the company when they are ready.

We covered a lot of territory in the conversation, so the episode is longer than most, but I think it is  worth the listen for anyone contemplating taking a break from work, or thinking about coming back from one.  Graduate students certainly fall into this category. The Foster MBA program takes students out of the workplace for 22 months (with a 3 month internship in the middle) and many of the lessons from the Swing Shift apply, especially around networking and mindset.

The authors share their recommendations about activating your networking, keeping your LinkedIn profile current, staying in touch with hiring managers regardless of the outcome of the interview process, handling rejections, identifying family friendly workplaces (look for women in leadership roles, parental leave policies, executives who have kids, even pictures of families on an office desk are good indicators.) We talked about the importance of making a childcare plan if you are thinking about starting a family, or returning from work after taking a break to start one.  Childcare (the difficulty finding it, and the cost of it) are some of the biggest obstacles to people returning to work.

On networking, my conversations with Asal Mirsalimi, and colleagues Stacy Duhon and Elaine Newtson may be interesting listens. I also had a good conversation with author Alexandra Samuel about networking during the pandemic when in-person interaction may not be a possibility.

On rejection, and reframing failure, something we cover in this episode, a conversation I had with my colleague Julie Boden may be a good supplement.

We also talked about the importance of reflection, and on this topic, I've talked with a number of guests about journaling and reflective practices, Andy Hafenbrack, Tabitha Kirkland and Ryan Fehr among them.

You can learn more about The Swing Shift and their programs at TheSwingShift.co, and follow the links from there to learn more about Back To Business.

Until October 9th, 2021, LinkedIn Learning is making 40 course on career changing available for free.

You can also watch Elaine Newtson's University Book Store book event with the authors on YouTube.

If you enjoy the podcast, please take a few moments to answer a short survey that will help me plan season 7, coming out in winter 2022.

Evan Gray, Andrew Wen -- both members of Foster MBA class of 2022 and participants in the Foster Venture Fellows program -- and Cameron Borumand, the Founding Partner of Fuse VC join me to talk about the Foster Venture Fellows Program and more broadly about careers in venture capital. 

Some of the resources we mentioned include:

• https://johngannonblog.com/
• https://www.strictlyvc.com/
• https://www.axios.com/authors/danprimack
• Acquired, the podcast from Pioneer Square Labs
• Venture Deals  (book)
• Geekwire.com
• Techcrunch.com

If you enjoyed this episode and are interested in venture capital, another you might like is my conversation with Austin Guyette.

Whether this is your first or 40th episode of Conversations On Careers and Professional Life, I'd love to get your feedback. Please take a short survey.

Style consultant Audrey Beaulac returns to discuss how the Covid-19 Pandemic, and Work From Home policies have impacted workplace fashions and style as many prepare to return to the office. We talk about online shopping, men's grooming, make-up, looking your best on Zoom (hint: it's about the lighting!) Trends in eyewear and finding great deals on clothing as the fashion retail industry continues to experience pandemic induced challenges.

You can listen to an earlier conversation with Audrey from March, 2019 on the podcast, but of the general advice still stands.

And if you have an extra minute, I'd appreciate your feedback on a short survey.