Don't Be Afraid to Be Bad at Something

Welcome to The Academic Life! In this episode you’ll hear about:

• Our guest Eric Frans’ career path into, out of, and around higher education
• Key factors that influenced his decision to pursue employment outside the academy
• The transition from higher education to a different industry
• How he plans to use his doctorate in the future
• His advice to those inside higher ed considering switching to other industries

Our guest is: Eric Frans, a career development professional currently working as a Talent Acquisition Manager for PrimePay, a human resources software company. Eric holds a master’s degree in Higher Education Counseling/Student Affairs from West Chester University (WCU) and is pursuing a doctorate in Higher Education Policy, Planning, and Administration from WCU. Eric worked as a career development professional at SUNY Oswego and WCU before moving into his current role at PrimePay. Eric was born in Ghana and raised in Lehigh Valley Pennsylvania. As an undergraduate student, Eric studied psychology at WCU and was highly engaged in campus life; he was a member of the men’s basketball team, a resident assistant, and an orientation leader.

Our host is: Dr. Dana M. Malone, a higher education scholar and practitioner energized by facilitating meaningful conversations and educational experiences. She specializes in college student relationships, gender, sexuality, and religious identities as well as student success and assessment planning.

Listeners to this episode may also be interested in:

• Inside Higher Ed article: 7 Steps for Discerning Whether to Leave Higher Ed by Beth Godbee
• Chronicle article: Many Student Affairs Officials are Considering Leaving the Field
• Jenny Blake’s Book: Pivot: The Only Move That Matters is Your Next One (Portfolio/Penguin) - https://www.pivotmethod.com/
• Dawn Graham’s book: Switchers: How Smart Professionals Change Careers and Seize Success (Harper Collins Leadership)
• The Academic Life episode: The Self-Care Stuff: Considering Whether to Stay or Drop Out

You are smart and capable, but you aren’t an island, and neither are we. We reach across our mentor network to bring you podcasts on everything from how to finish that project to how to take care of your beautiful mind. Here on the Academic Life channel, we embrace a broad definition of what it means to be an academic and to lead an academic life. We view education as a transformative human endeavor and are inspired by today’s knowledge-producers working inside and outside the academy. Wish we’d bring on an expert about something? DMs us on Twitter: @AcademicLifeNBN.

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