High School Hamster Wheel

In this episode, I am joined by Nicole Precourt. Nicole is a Career and Educational Counselor and the owner of Waves of Change Careers. Nicole and I met in an online group for career coaches and counselors and immediately connected. We share a passion for helping teens and young adults explore and prepare for future careers. It’s become unfortunately clear to both of us that many students are graduating college without the career readiness skills that they need. During our conversation, Nicole and I talk about what students can be doing to develop the skills and strategies they need to be prepared for post-college employment and how they can stand out against all of the other recent graduates applying to the same jobs. This episode is packed full of valuable tips for networking, skills-building, and career exploration, so invite your college students and recent grads to listen along with you. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page Betsy Jewell Career Counseling Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I am super excited to welcome Erin Lewber to the podcast. I met Erin recently on LinkedIn. I had been following Erin for a while and knew I had to reach out to her. Erin brings a wealth of knowledge and insight to the show gained through her years of experience in staffing, recruiting, leadership and career coaching. During our conversation, we discuss today’s job search trends and the future of work. Erin shares valuable advice on knowing how to tell your story, how to ask good questions and why it’s important to learn to embrace the discomfort of being wrong. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page Betsy Jewell Career Counseling Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode, I am thrilled to welcome Leah Jewell back to the podcast. You might remember Leah from episode 30 when we talked about the future of work for teens and young adults. It’s hard to believe that our conversation was THREE years ago. The future of work has changed dramatically in that short time and I’m delighted that Leah agreed to come back to talk more about this important topic. Since we last spoke, Leah has co-founded an amazing new company called Work Simplr that you will want to share with your teens and young adults. The company’s mission is to connect students to paid work and from what I’ve seen, they are succeeding. Leah shares all the details about Work Simplr and how students can get started. And you’ll want to stay tuned till the end when Leah and I talk about AI and how it will likely impact the future of work for teens, young adults, and well, all of us. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page Betsy Jewell Career Counseling Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode, I am thrilled to welcome Deepali Vyas to the podcast. After spending a good part of her career in executive recruiting, Deepali has her finger on the pulse of the career landscape and what employers are looking for, and she has made it her mission to bring valuable advice and an amazing digital platform to help young people on their journey. During our discussion, Deepali shares how and when she got her first taste of entrepreneurship and how it actually helped prepare her for her future career. We talk about helping teens and young adults focus on what they are good at and why it’s more important to follow your strengths rather than your passion. You won’t want to miss learning about Fearless+, the positive online experience that Deepali and her team built to inspire and motivate teens. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page Betsy Jewell Career Coaching Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode, I am thrilled to welcome Devon Turcotte to the podcast. Devon is a career advisor and the owner of Careerified. She has worked with thousands of teens, parents, and educators throughout her career and she is a wealth of information and insight related to helping young people build meaningful careers. During our conversation, Devon and I discuss the importance of career exploration in high school and how it can be a valuable tool when choosing a post-high school path. We also talk about the harm that social media is having on our kids' mental health. You won’t want to miss Devon’s advice regarding the value of gap year experiences for teens that are feeling stuck about what to do after high school. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page Betsy Jewell Career Counseling Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I am thrilled to welcome Beth Probst to the show. Beth is the founder and CEO of At The Core. She has inspired parents of college-bound students to think strategically about how to select the best-fit college, major, and career so they don’t end up wasting precious time, energy, and money. In today’s episode, we’re focused on middle schoolers and why it’s not too early to be talking to them about careers. No, we’re not talking about helping them choose a career in middle school and stick with it. What we are talking about is starting to plant the seeds and open up the window to exploration and awareness. Students in middle school and even younger are exposed to careers every day, whether it’s through television, on the internet, or in real life. They see people working in education, medicine, retail, and other fields. And that’s helpful but what’s even more helpful is helping them learn more about themselves - what they enjoy, what they are good at, what they don’t enjoy, and what they can’t see themselves doing. During our conversation, Beth shares lots of helpful tips for parents to help get teenagers talking about careers. She also believes, as do I, that self-assessment is a huge part of the process. What about passion? Do teens need to have a passion in order to find a successful career? Stay tuned to hear Beth’s perspective on that. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page Betsy Jewell Career Counseling Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I’m super excited to bring you this episode. It is timely and relevant and provides amazing tips and advice for anyone who is interested in learning more about how to optimize their career search journey. My guest today is Jeremy Schifeling. Jeremy has devoted his career to helping others succeed in theirs. From teaching kindergarten in Brooklyn to recruiting top students at Teach For America to leading education marketing at LinkedIn, he’s touched the lives of millions of people at every stage of their journeys. Along the way, he’s published the best-selling LinkedIn book on Amazon, served as a career coach for military veterans at Shift.org and MBA students at the University of Michigan, and produced the most-viewed video in LinkedIn’s history. He currently leads marketing at Khan Academy and shares his thoughts on Break into Tech, a site for anyone who wants to launch a tech career. If you are interested in learning about AI chat models like ChatGPT and how they can help you in your job search, or if you have no idea what ChatGPT is and you are now sort of curious, you are definitely going to want to listen to my conversation with Jeremy. And if you want to learn how to start using or improve your skills using LinkedIn, again, you definitely want to listen to this conversation. Our world continues to evolve and like it or not, technology continues to play an important role in just about everything we do. The job market is becoming more competitive than ever. Wouldn’t it be great if we knew how to tap into tools and tech that would give us an advantage when seeking a new job or career? I’m happy to report that my conversation with Jeremy will provide just that. In the next 30 or so minutes you’ll hear it straight from an expert regarding the power of LinkedIn and how to use AI to simplify and improve your career search process. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page Betsy Jewell Career Counseling Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am joined today by Jean Eddy. Jean is the President and CEO of American Student Assistance (ASA), where she develops and drives the overall strategic direction of the organization. During Jean’s tenure, ASA has pivoted to a new focus on helping students discover potential career paths earlier in their education journey. As you’ll hear during this episode, Jean is someone who has unlimited passion and commitment to helping kids, as early as middle school to know themselves, know their options, and make informed choices about their education and career goals. During our conversation, we discuss why middle school (or earlier) is the right time for students to “test and try” and why relevance is so important to students when learning subjects in school. Jean discusses several tools that ASA has brilliantly developed for cell phones - meet them where they are, right? - that make exploration fun. Jean shares a number of amazing resources and websites that you’ll want to check out too, so be sure to check out the show notes where all links will be included. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page Betsy Jewell Career Counseling Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you know or you are a current college student or a student preparing for college, this is a conversation you will not want to miss. And if you are a parent who has helped your teen through the college application process then today’s guest likely needs no introduction. I am beyond thrilled to welcome Jeff Selingo to the podcast. For those who may not know, Jeff is a well-known journalist and respected thought leader in the areas of higher education and the future of work. Through his newsletter, best-selling books, including his recent “Who Gets In and Why”, and his weekly podcast, Jeff continues to share important insights and experiences with his audience. And today that includes my audience, too. During our conversation, Jeff and I discuss the future of education and work and where change needs to occur. He also shares why skills are so important in addition to a college degree. And be sure to stick around to hear Jeff’s advice for finding career-based active learning opportunities as great alternatives to internships. This interview is chock-full of valuable advice and many actionable tips for current and soon-to-be college students. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page Betsy Jewell Career Counseling Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I am thrilled to welcome Jacki Ducci back to the podcast. You might remember Jackie from my conversation with her early on in the podcast, episode 18. When Jackie first joined me just about three years ago, she was running her own business, a talent acquisition agency with an astounding 90 percent success rate placing candidates in long-term positions. By all accounts, Jackie was crushing it in her career. But despite all of her success, Jackie felt pulled in another direction. So last year, she left her career in recruiting and founded the Human-Animal Alliance, whose mission is to transform lives nationwide through the power and value of the human-animal bond. During our conversation, Jackie and I talk about helping young people find a career that matters, how one adult’s words can shatter a teenager’s dreams, and why it’s never too late to pivot in a career. Jackie’s passion for animals is evident in the work that she does. If you know a teen or young adult who wants to work with animals but doesn’t want to pursue a career in veterinary medicine, this is a conversation you will want to hear. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page No Degree Required Facebook Group Betsy Jewell Career Coaching Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode is relevant to anyone who drives a car, flips on a light switch, or flushes their toilet. That’s pretty much every single one of us, isn’t it? Today’s conversation is all about the trades. And no matter what you think about blue-collar careers, they are critically important for the future of our society. My guest today is Aaron Witt, self-proclaimed "Chief Dirt Nerd" and CEO of BuildWitt, a marketing and software business focused on helping the Dirt World (infrastructure and natural resources) solve its workforce challenge. During our conversation, Aaron shares his journey from high school, through college, to starting his own very successful business. We talk about the continuing need for trade workers and how parents can help their kids explore and pursue a lucrative career in the trades. Be sure to stay tuned to learn more about how a college degree might be helpful in the trade industry and why the “dirt world” is a cool place to work. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page No Degree Required Facebook Group Betsy Jewell Career Coaching Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s conversation is one that really resonated with me. As a teenager, I had no idea what I wanted for my life. I didn’t know where I was going and more importantly, I don’t think I really knew what mattered to me. Today I am joined by Mike Marriner of Roadtrip Nation. If you aren’t familiar with Mike or his mission, this is your lucky day. Mike is the founder and president of Roadtrip Nation, a mission-driven nonprofit in storytelling and education. Right after college, Mike and his friends hit the road in their bright green RV to capture empowering stories that would provide young people with the confidence and tools to find a career that matters to them. During our conversation, Mike talks about the origin of Roadtrip Nation and he shares some of the stories they collected along the way. After listening to our conversation, I highly recommend checking out the RoadTrip Nation YouTube channel and sharing it with the young people in your life. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page No Degree Required Facebook Group Betsy Jewell Career Coaching Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode is one that is near and dear to my heart. It’s all about career exploration and planning in the K-12 years. My guest today is Karin Smith. Karin is an Educational Consultant for the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction specializing in Academic and Career Planning, Dual Enrollment, and Career Pathways. I wish every school district in America had a Karin leading their career planning efforts. The work that Karin and her team are doing is making an enormous difference in the lives of students, giving meaning and relevance to their learning. Whether you are a parent, teacher, or administrator, this is an episode you won’t want to miss. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page No Degree Required Facebook Group Betsy Jewell Career Coaching Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you have been listening for a while, you might remember Michael Horn from episode 15 of the podcast. Last time we talked about his book, Choosing College, and how students and parents go about selecting a college. If you haven’t listened to that episode or read that book, I highly recommend it! Today, we’re talking about Michael’s newest book, Reopen to Reinvent: (Re)Creating School for Every Child. If you are like me, frustrated with the broken system of public education, this is a conversation you will want to hear. Michael has issued a call to action for educators to reinvent and reimagine education as we know it. We all need to be asking one very important question: “What do we want kids to be able to do when they leave high school?” and then deliver that in our schools. There’s a lot to unpack here, including how parents can play an active role and be part of the solution. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page No Degree Required Facebook Group Betsy Jewell Career Coaching Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I am thrilled to welcome Lisa Sosnowski to the podcast. Lisa is one of the most passionate, dedicated, big-hearted people I’ve met in my life. Her mission is to create a better world for people with autism through high-quality training and community. When Lisa’s young son was diagnosed with autism, she left her career in accounting to care for her son and to make sure that he was getting the best education and care possible. What she found over the years was that there were a lot of gaps in the services offered and that the services they did encounter weren’t providing what her son needed. Rather than sit back and complain about it, Lisa took matters into her own hands and spent years educating herself and connecting with people and resources who could make a difference. The result of all of her time and dedication led Lisa to her vision: creating a world in which people with autism can live and learn and become more independent. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page No Degree Required Facebook Group Betsy Jewell Career Coaching Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today’s episode is very special to me. My firstborn son graduated from high school this week and it’s been a rollercoaster of emotion as we prepare to send him off to college in the fall. In addition to that big adjustment, my family is making a huge move from Florida to New Jersey this summer. Needless to say that I am up to my elbows in packing material and tissues as I burst into spontaneous tears more frequently as the days go on. Twelve years ago, we moved to our Florida home, and almost immediately, our boys made friends in the neighborhood. Little did we know back then that these would be friendships that would last a lifetime. It started out as six boys (who I lovingly refer to as the “six-pack”) and then over the past twelve years, the group grew to include several more. I’ve watched these kids grow up together through elementary school, then middle school, and finally high school. Some will be headed in the same direction this fall (Go Knights! Charge On!) and others will take a different path. As a gift to me, I asked this gang of high school grads to join me for this episode. We talk about their high school experience, what they wish was different about the past four years, and the stress they endured. Be sure to listen to the end as they offer their advice to incoming freshman and their parents. Just a quick note for my listeners… this will be my last podcast episode until Fall. I will be packing up my microphone along with the contents of our home and moving it all to NJ this summer and I will return in September. I'll be on social media here and there but not much. I am actually looking forward to a bit of a disconnect for a while. Please know I will still be available by email. It might just take me a little bit to reply. So feel free to reach out. I'd love to hear how things are going with you and your teens. All that said, please enjoy this conversation with my favorite high school graduates. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page No Degree Required Facebook Group Betsy Jewell Career Coaching Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In today’s episode, I am joined by Jill and Dave Henry, authors of “The Greatest College Health Guide You Never Knew You Needed.” Not only are they published authors, but they are also parents and high school athletic coaches. In researching their book, Jill and Dave talked to hundreds of students as they developed this amazing “how-to manual” about how to manage food, booze, stress, sex, sleep, and exercise on campus. During our conversation, Dave and Jill explain why students struggle so much after high school and how parents can best support their children during the college years. They also share valuable tips for parents when talking to teens about alcohol and why it’s so important that our kids know their limits. Some of the topics that we discuss might make some listeners uncomfortable, but I truly believe that it is important that we have these conversations with our teens now, to prepare them for what lies ahead. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page No Degree Required Facebook Group Betsy Jewell Career Coaching Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, I am joined by Stephanie Haynes. Stephanie is an Education Coach and Consultant providing custom educational consulting and coaching for high school students, educators, and schools that equips all stakeholders to build a pathway to a successful future that teens are excited to pursue. She is also the author of “College Is Not Mandatory: A Parent’s Guide to Navigating All the Options Available to Our Kids After High School”. During our conversation, Stephanie provides insight as to why teens seem to be lacking in motivation right now and why parents need to abandon their fear of missing out (FOMO) mindset. You won’t want to miss Stephanie’s valuable advice on how to get your teens talking about their life after high school. This episode is packed full of helpful tips and actionable steps for parents of teens. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page No Degree Required Facebook Group Betsy Jewell Career Coaching Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If I asked you to walk into your kitchen pantry and tell me what was on your shelves, what would be the first three items you would list? I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that we have way too many carbs on our pantry shelves and more processed food than we should. Most of the time, I can walk on by and avoid eating those unhealthy foods but my teenagers are another story. Chips, cookies, and the "can't live without it" mac and cheese are probably our biggest culprits. I try to limit those snacks within our home but if I'm being honest, I could definitely do better. But even if I do clean up our pantry, how do I encourage my teens to eat better outside the home? And when they head off to college or career or wherever they go, then what? My guest today is here to help! I’m thrilled to welcome Renata Cambria to the podcast. Renata is a board-certified health coach and the founder of Create Health Coaching. During our conversation, Renata shares the benefits of healthy eating starting at a young age. She also explains the importance of the gut-brain connection and why some hormonal imbalances may be nutrition-related. Be sure to stick around till the end when Renata offers actionable tips and strategies for parents to guide their children to become healthy eaters. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page No Degree Required Facebook Group Betsy Jewell Career Coaching Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Get ready for a conversation that will make you rethink the traditional ways of post-high school education. My guest today is Abby Brody. Abby is a mother on a mission to bring education to meet the needs of the modern student and the knowledge-based economy. She is also a co-founder of The MYX, a personalized outcome-based approach to higher education that puts purpose and experience first. During our conversation, Abby explains why The MYX was created and how it works. We also discuss the importance of creating flexible learning ecosystems and why we need to give the power back to students. Abby shares why meaning in learning is critical for success and how to ensure that learning is “sticky”. There’s a lot to unpack here so be sure to listen all the way to the end. One more special note about today’s episode - I am joined in this episode by my new friend and podcast apprentice, Carson Greenberg. Carson reached out to me recently to ask if I would consider having him as an apprentice for the podcast. Of course, I said yes! Carson has been involved in the researching, planning, producing, and editing of this episode, and spoiler alert - he also participates in the interview! Carson is one of the sharpest (and funniest!) teenagers I’ve had the pleasure to work with and I’m grateful for his expertise and perspective. I wouldn’t be surprised if Carson ends up with his own podcast one day soon. So without further ado, please enjoy our conversation with Abby Brody. Please visit the show notes page for more information and links mentioned during this episode. Connect with Me! High School Hamster Wheel Facebook Page No Degree Required Facebook Group Betsy Jewell Career Coaching Instagram LinkedIn Subscribe to the podcast so you don't miss a single episode! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices