Work Like A Laker

Hosted by Work Like A Laker

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Episodes

108

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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About the show

GVSU Career Center staff address key career-related topics, offering guidance and strategies for exploring, preparing for, and pursuing career opportunities.

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60 recent

October 20, 2026Episode 428 min

S9 Ep4: Scary Phone Call Stories

In this EXTRA spooky episode, hosts Grace, Dani, and Megan share their most terrifying phone call stories! From navigating phone interviews to communicating with your boss or connecting with customers, they cover tips to help you feel more confident on the phone. In a world full of texts, emails, and DMs, a good old-fashioned phone call can still be a powerful way to communicate professionally! Sounds Effects Used in the Episode: Spooky Loop 128 BPM.wav by D3vilici0us -- https://freesound.org/s/471084/ -- License: Attribution NonCommercial 3.0 Vinyl Record Scratches (33 RPM) by MirandaNicolas2009 -- https://freesound.org/s/827865/ -- License: Attribution 4.0

October 6, 2026Episode 324 min

S9 Ep3: Employer Panel: Exploring Unexpected Career Paths

Host Megan Riksen sits down with Katie Born, Senior Director of Human Resources at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park, and Steve Smith, Regional Talent Acquisition Manager at University of Michigan Health-West, to discuss career opportunities students may not expect at their organizations through a variety of career paths beyond traditional roles, as well as how to stand out to employers. The episode delves into valuable ways to gain experience through volunteer programs, job shadowing, and ways to network, especially on LinkedIn! Find out more about these organizations! 👇 Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park University of Michigan Health-West

September 22, 2026Episode 242 min

S9 Ep2: Career Path: I Want to Work with Numbers

Do you love working with numbers? In this episode, hosts Megan and Grace sit down with Matt Boelkins, GVSU Math Professor and Department Chair, to talk about previous students' experiences and all the places their math degrees took them, from Disney to Silicon Valley. Alongside Matt, Parker Kuchulan, a 2024 GVSU graduate and Research and Technology Analyst with Betting Hero, talks about his Statistics undergraduate experience and how he navigated his career. Tune in to learn more about all the industries where you can work with numbers!

September 8, 2026Episode 132 min

S9 Ep1: Let's Get Organized!

Welcome to Season 9 of the Work Like a Laker podcast! To kick off the new season, Grace, Dani, and Megan sit down to share their tips and tricks for getting organized in your career search, school work, and beyond. The episode dives into how to manage your time, stay on top of tasks, reduce stress, and make progress toward your goals. Plus, the hosts put their organizational know-how to the test with a fun game featuring real-life scenarios.

April 21, 2026Episode 1439 min

S8 Ep14: The Power of Values in Work and Networking

Work is hard, but it shouldn’t be completely draining. The right career will feel energizing and exciting, because the right career will align with your core values — but what are your core values, and how do you know if a job aligns with them? In this episode of Work Like a Laker, hosts Megan Riksen and Dani Lauer dive into the process of identifying your values with special guest Renata Ellis, career coach and founder of The Life Room Connection. This episode covers it all, from common barriers that appear when identifying your values to strategies you can use if you find yourself in a career that doesn’t align with your values, so tune in! Resources: https://www.liferoomconnection.com/ #worklikealaker #careeradvice #values #careerexploration #GVSU

April 7, 2026Episode 1328 min

S8 Ep13: Exploring Outdoor Careers

Most people associate having a career with sitting at a desk from nine to five, but if that doesn’t sound appealing, a career working outside might be more your style. In this episode of Work Like a Laker, hosts Megan Riksen and Grace Joaquin dive into the realities of going into an outdoor career. From the benefits working outdoors can offer to the specific job titles and industries you should keep an eye out for, this episode will provide you with everything you need to know to avoid a future behind a desk. Later in the episode, Leah Wilson from the GVSU Robert B. Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI) joins the podcast to share more about what it’s really like to work outdoors. Resources: Internship Opportunities at AWRI

March 17, 2026Episode 1227 min

S8 Ep12: What Can You Do With a Psychology Degree?

So you have— or are about to have— a bachelor’s degree in psychology. What now? Maybe you’ve heard that you need a graduate degree to “do anything,” or that the only possible careers for your degree are therapists and counselors. If those aren’t your plans, don’t worry, because this episode of Work Like a Laker is here to debunk all of those rumors. From the skills you’ve gained to the jobs you qualify for, hosts Megan Riksen and Dani Lauer dive into the many positives of the psychology degree. Later, the episode is joined by Pine Rest Mental Health Services employees Cody Akers, Psychiatric Technician, and Amy Pierce-Danders, Workforce Development Manager, to discuss even more opportunities. Resources: Psychology Department Job Titles Pine Rest Careers Pine Rest Email: talentaquisition@pinerest.org , Pine Rest hosts Open Interviews every Tuesday virtually or in person from 10AM – 3PM.

March 3, 2026Episode 1124 min

S8 Ep11: Intern Takeover: Reality Check on Hot Jobs

It’s time for another Intern Takeover, hosted once again by the GVSU Career Center interns for the 2025-26 year: Shea Hannigan, Sofia Pratt, Denys Zamaraiev, Brody Zondervan, and Callie Zwart! In this special episode of Work Like a Laker, the interns take a closer look at the realities of jobs that are popular on social media. While it may seem like the perfect job in a thirty-second clip online, there are a lot of other factors to consider before you commit to one path. But what are these factors, and how can you know if a job is right for you without actually getting the job? Tune in and get your questions answered as the interns cover everything from understanding the job to understanding yourself. Read the full transcript. Resources: How and Why To Do an Informational Interview episode How to Network When You Have No Network episode Informational Interviews and Job Shadows website #careeradvice #worklikealaker #socialmedia #viraljobs #interntakeover

February 24, 2026Episode 101 hr 9 min

S8 Ep10: The 100th Episode Road Trip

Welcome to the 100th episode of the Work Like a Laker podcast! To celebrate this occasion, we’ve put together a very special episode for you that takes place in a very special location. That’s right— for the first time ever, this podcast is going on the road! Over the summer, hosts Megan Riksen, Grace Joaquin, and Dani Lauer travelled up north to beautiful Traverse City. With its stunning natural scenery and local restaurants, it’s known as a go-to vacation spot, but what about as a realistic place to live and work? To find out, this episode is joined by four Traverse City residents and employers: Rob Hanel, Director of People and Space at TentCraft; Madison Partak, Recruitment Manager at Cherry Republic; Shannon Owen, Director of Northern Michigan Programs at GVSU; and Abigail Baudry, Michigan’s Creative Coast Program Leader at Traverse Connect. This episode covers it all, from how to network with small businesses that don’t attend career fairs to what Traverse City breakfast spots you just need to check out. To get all your questions answered— along with some questions you didn’t even know you had— tune in to the long-awaited 100th episode! Read the full transcript here.

February 3, 2026Episode 937 min

S8 Ep9: Pivot! Rethinking Your Career Path

Passions change. Interests shift. Maybe you were set on a career and now you’re realizing that’s not what you want to do. Maybe you’re interested in a field that seems completely different from your current major. Maybe you’re feeling burned out. Change can be scary, but it can also be worth it. In today’s episode of Work Like a Laker, hosts Megan Riksen and Grace Joaquin are joined by Dave Bengry, Project Coordinator in the IT department at GVSU and former physical therapist, and Drew Tocco, Senior Operations Coordinator at Magic Cabinet and former teacher. Tune in as they unpack the process of pivoting careers and all the possibilities that come with it. Read the full transcript here. #careeradvice #burnout #education #healthcare #worklikealaker #GVSU

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