Side of the Mic

The 30-Day Career Center Reset Week 1: Resume or LinkedIn review Week 2: Attend one employer event or workshop Week 3: Mock interview or career conversation Week 4: Reflect + update your resume with what you learned The 3-Question Career Check-In (use every semester) What skill did I build this term? Where did I apply it outside class? Who can validate or strengthen this skill? How to use your Car...

The Myth of "Winging It" We’ve all had those moments where we "wing it" and succeed. Maybe it’s an interview you didn't prepare for or a project you finished at the last second. While it feels great to win on pure talent, that’s just your baseline. If you want to drop your "time" (whether that’s in a race or in your professional climb) you have to move from accide...

Here's something we don't talk about enough: Your professors are walking career libraries, and most students only check out one book. Think about it. You show up to class, take notes, complete assignments, maybe ask a question about the exam. Then you leave. And somewhere in that building (or on that Zoom grid) is someone who has spent decades in your field, who knows people you want to me...

Career readiness works best when three players collaborate: students, faculty, and career centers. In this Commuter Chronicles episode I focus on the most important player, you. Students who treat career readiness like a course they own get better outcomes, faster. Below are clear, practical actions students can use immediately to build skills, evidence, and networks and to work seamlessly with fa...

Gratitude isn’t just a feeling; it’s a practice that compounds. In this Commuter Chronicles episode, I talk about reviewing old emails from students who circled back with updates after landing interviews or job offers. Those messages matter. They close the loop, strengthen relationships, and remind mentors why the work is worth it. Here’s the bigger takeaway: reach out to your network before you n...

Let’s say the quiet part out loud: Some of us actually work better when we’re running out of time. We call it procrastination, but in the heat of a deadline, it feels more like a superpower. You know the feeling, the hyper-focus kicks in, the world falls away, and you produce a "diamond" just as the clock hits zero. But here’s the "Strive & Develop" reality: Are you making...

We’re always scheduling for work, school, family, and the little fires that pop up but when do you get scheduled? In this Commute Chronicles episode I ask a simple but important question: what do you do for yourself, and when do you actually make time for it? I’m honest here: I’m great at making time for others. My self-time looks like adult softball and an ambition to run a 5K every other month....

Let’s say the quiet part out loud: We are all terrified of looking stupid. We stay in jobs we hate, avoid learning new tech, and pass on opportunities because we’re afraid the "Failure Monster" is waiting for us. Trying and failing aren’t opposite things, they’re partners. In this commuter chronicles episode, I talk about why trying matters more than being right the first time. Recorded...

Stop using the R.A.R. method (Responsibility, Action, Result). It implies you just followed orders. Introducing C.A.R.D. (Challenge, Action, Result, Deliverable/Distinction) This proves you are a change agent, not a seat filler. Challenge: There was a problem. Action: You did something about it. Result: Something got better. Deliverable/Distinction: You left a mark or did it uniquely well. Example...

The "24-Second Commercial": The Professional Summary The Objective Statement is dead. It’s selfish ("I want a job where I can learn..."). The Professional Summary is selfless ("I have these skills to solve your problems"). Sentence 1 (The Who): "Results-driven [Title] with [Number] years of experience in [Industry]." Sentence 2 (The How): "Expertise in...

This Commuter Chronicles brain dump is a reframe. I'm unpacking my most quoted mantra, "I can't complain" as an active, intentional, forward-moving strategy. Not toxic positivity. Not denial. Not performative gratitude. But a deliberate choice to stop allocating energy to things that don't grow you. When I say "I can't complain," I'm not saying "I have...

Welcome to Side of the Mic: Commuter Chronicles (Ep. 14) your brain-dump companion for turning insight into action. We’re kicking things off by tackling one of the most talked-about but misunderstood concepts: balance. Real balance isn’t a static state you achieve; it’s the dynamic, conscious act of adjusting, like a pilot constantly correcting course mid-flight. It’s about managing the mental and...

Welcome to Side of the Mic, Commuter Chronicles (Ep. 13). Today we’re talking about the unknown: the things we know , the things we don’t know , and the things we know we don’t know. I use hiring realities such as Applicant Tracking Systems, interview questions, and employer timelines, as a lens, but this episode is for anyone who’s trying to move forward while the path is fuzzy. Most job seekers...

Welcome to Side of the Mic: Commuter Chronicles (Ep. 12). Today we talk about creativity, not as a mythical gift, but as a practical muscle you can train in tiny, sustainable ways while you’re still figuring it out. If you’re a student juggling classes, a professional wearing many hats, or someone who wants to create without waiting for “inspiration day,” this episode gives you simple habits that...

In this Side of the Mic episode, I expand on my December 2024 LinkedIn piece Shaking the Tree and turn ideas into action. If you believe the status quo isn’t always right but you’re not sure how to push for change without burning bridges, this episode is for you. I share practical, low-risk ways to be a positive disruptor : how to spot what needs changing, make a tiny test, use simple data to make...

Episode 11 is where the "honeymoon phase" of a new project usually ends and the real work begins. I’m starting to hit that wall where "busy" becomes an excuse, and I shift toward Energy Management over Time Management. Today’s reflection centers on energy and the small choices that compound into progress. We all have the same 24 hours, but we don’t all have the same results. Why? Because we’re lea...

In this Commuter Chronicles episode of Side of the Mic: Strive & Develop , I unpack something I’ve been living lately: practice and repetition aren’t punishment, they’re the muscle memory of progress. Recorded between stops and chapters of my life (teaching, advising students, and writing my dissertation), this short brain dump explores why doing the work, again and again, changes how you show...

In this Commuter Chronicles episode of Side of the Mic: Strive & Develop , I reflect on a principle that shapes how I coach, teach, and communicate every day: The Platinum Rule - treat others the way they want to be treated. We grow up hearing the Golden Rule, but the reality is that not everyone wants what you want. Different personalities, communication styles, goals, and comfort levels mean...

Episode 8 of Side of the Mic (Commuter Chronicles) is a short mental upload about momentum, micro-wins, and the quiet proof that you’re moving in the right direction. I reflect on a pleasant 10-stream milestone, the relief and learning of cold-emailing and securing a dissertation chair and committee member, and how I balance my life as an instructor with the need for clear course boundaries. For e...

In this Commuter Chronicles episode of Side of the Mic: Striving & Developing , I share a busy weekend pivot, an urgent rewrite of Chapter 1 after a powerful conversation with my potential dissertation chair, and the lesson that followed: access matters. Today’s episode centers on two ideas: access : what level of availability you give people in relationships and work and the number one :  the...

What is success to you? Is it a title on a door? A number in a bank account? Or is it a goalpost that keeps moving every time you get close to it? In today’s Commuter Chronicle , I’m diving into the psychology of achievement. We often say we want to be "successful," but we rarely stop to define what that looks like in 24 hours, 240 hours, or 2,400 hours. In this Brain Dump, I discuss: Internal Pro...

I’m recording this outside a mechanic’s shop. I was inside, head-down in Chapter 1 of my dissertation, when I got "the news" about my car. We’ve all been there: the unexpected bill, the "Safety Tax" we have to pay just to keep moving. Instead of letting the frustration simmer, I took a "Cognitive Break," walked into the fresh air, and realized that this moment is a perfect metaphor for everything...

This episode of Side of the Mic: Striving & Developing is another Commuter Chronicles reflection, a real-time check-in from a very full day. And yes, the name fits: SoBizze… so busy. But this episode isn’t about glorifying busyness, it’s about understanding it. I talk about what “busy” actually looks like across different parts of life: academically, professionally, and personally. From doctor...

This episode of Side of the Mic: Striving & Developing comes straight from the driver’s seat. Another Commute Chronicles entry where I use the drive as thinking space, processing space, and sometimes, a verbal notebook. I talk about why these episodes are my go-to mental reset. When thoughts stack up, speaking them out loud helps turn noise into direction. It’s less about having answers and mo...

I’m heading home, and my brain is buzzing from the conversations I’ve had today. In this episode of the Commute Chronicles, I’m peeling back the curtain on the "Hidden Curriculum" of success, the things they don't always teach you in the classroom but are essential for the workplace. One of my appointments today was with a Psychology major looking toward grad school. We discussed a major pillar of...