The Bold PhD Podcast

A Career Podcast for PhDs, by a PhD. PhDs should NEVER feel stuck in the job market. On the Bold PhD Podcast, host Dr. Gertrude Nonterah discusses tools and resources to help PhDs and academics design and thrive in their careers.

About the Host

Dr. Gertrude Nonterah holds a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. She knows the journey of career design and reinvention because she’s lived it. As the Founder of The Bold PhD Consulting and host of The Bold PhD Podcast (streamed in over 50 countries), she helps fellow PhDs navigate life beyond the ivory tower. Her practical, story-driven advice through keynote talks and workshops on personal branding, networking, and career design has reached audiences at 30 universities and professional organizations. Her mission is simple: to empower PhDs to design and build careers without losing their identity and impact along the way.

Episodes

Feb 23, 2026

16 min

In this solo episode, I share reflections for the PhD who might be feel disillusioned with how life turned out...after you assumed your education would unlock your dream life.
 
Get Navigating the P.I.V.O.T.: https://theboldphd.com/navigate/
Join 3000+ on The Bold PhD Newsletter: https://theboldphd.com/newsletter/
Book recommendations for your career (Amazon affiliate link): https://theboldphd.com/bookrecs
 
 

Feb 23, 2026

16 min

Feb 16, 2026

34 min

A recent viral post by an AI CEO and investor called Matt Shumer, has ignited further discussion about the role of AI in our workforce and society. In this podcast episode, we will delve into Schumer's insights and explore what they mean the future of work, things I disagreed with as well as my opinions on what each of us should be doing to prepare. The post has 83 million views as I was recording this episode.
 
Original article by Matt Shumer: https://x.com/mattshumer_/status/2021256989876109403?s=20
 
Join 3000+ PhDs on the Bold PhD Newsletter: https://theboldphd.com/newsletter/
 

Feb 16, 2026

34 min

Jan 5, 2026

48 min

Looking to shine in your career in 2026? In this episode, Dr. Nonterah shares 25 CAREER STRATEGIES that could change EVERYTHING for you this year. Focus on 1-3 of these to level up your career this year.
I elaborate on a lot of the ideas in my most recent book Navigating the P.I.V.O.T.: https://theboldphd.com/navigate/
Here are all the ideas: 
1 - Study the job description.2 - All you’ve done is not all you can do.3- Separate your identity from your job.4 - Practice concise and clear communication.5 - Understand the impact your work creates. It's easy to get lost in the weeds.6 - Create optionality so no single job has power over you.7 - Build career-building relationships before you need them.8 - Treat LinkedIn like a long-term career asset, not just a job board.9 - Build a portfolio for the career you want. It's undeniable proof.10 - Don’t optimize for titles. Optimize for the skills and knowledge that will carry you to the next phase.11 - Practice how to explain your work to people outside your field.12 - Practice communicating the problems you solve, not just your research or the methods you used.13 - Learn to negotiate everything, not just salary. There’s always more.14 - Design a career that works with your life, not against it.15 - It’s hard, but treat rejection as data, not a verdict on your ability.16 - Don’t assume or expect people to understand the value you bring to their organization. Spell it out.17 - Document your thinking on how you solve problems. Not just your achievements.18 - Speaking of achievements, keep and update a “brag document” with your achievements—big or small—monthly. They can be shockingly easy to forget!19 - Say yes to rooms where you might feel under-qualified. Watch and learn everything in those rooms.20 - Choose work environments that pour back into you and build your confidence.21 - Ask for the informational interview.22 - Make at least 1–2 connections with recruiters or senior people within your field each week. Nurture those connections.23 - Invest in ONE skill this year that’s new to you. 24 - Publish your ideas. LinkedIn. A podcast. Instagram. Substack. There are many platforms. Pick ONE and publish ONE idea weekly.25 - Never leave an interview without asking this question: “What’s the number 1 thing you expect the person who fills this role to be able to accomplish in their first 90 days?”

Jan 5, 2026

48 min

Dec 29, 2025

20 min

Being laid off doesn’t just mess with your paycheck. It messes with your identity. Over the last ten years, I’ve been laid off twice.
And I won’t sugarcoat it: each time was humiliating and it made me seriously question my worth.
But those experiences taught me several life-changing lessons on how to survive and thrive mentally, financially, from a deep place internally so that so that no company ever again gets to decide how powerful or confident I feel.
If you’ve just been laid off, or you’re living with the fear that you might be, stay with me.
In this video, we’ll about surviving and rebuilding after a layoff in a way so you cannot be broken or shaken by a company’s decision ever again.
 
Get your copy of Navigating The P.I.V.O.T, a handbook for PhDs and academics looking for fulfilling careers outside academia: https://theboldphd.com/navigate/
Join 3000+ PhDs and academics on The Bold PhD Newsletter: https://theboldphd.com/careerslist
Invite Dr. Nonterah to speak: https://theboldphd.com/speaking/

Dec 29, 2025

20 min

Dec 21, 2025

27 min

In this solo episode, Dr. Nonterah reveals how she manages her money 10 years after graduating from her Ph.D.
 
Get Dr. Nonterah's book on landing high-paying jobs outside academia: https://theboldphd.com/navigate/
Invite Dr. Nonterah to speak to your audience:  https://theboldphd.com/speaker-main/
Join 3000+ PhDs on The Bold PhD Newsletter: https://theboldphd.com/podcast/
 

Dec 21, 2025

27 min

Dec 15, 2025

52 min

In this episode, Dr. Nonterah chats with Dr. Emily Roberts of the Personal Finance for PhDs Podcast. They discuss 9 money moves every PhD student and postdoc should be making right now and which they should consider as they progress in their career.
Get Dr. Nonterah's book, Navigating the PIVOT: https://theboldphd.com/navigate/
Invite Dr. Nonterah to speak: https://theboldphd.com/speaking/
Connect with Dr. Roberts: https://pfforphds.com/
 

Dec 15, 2025

52 min

Dec 4, 2025

43 min

In this episode, Dr. Nonterah chats with Dr. Irina Cozma about career change and why PhDs have more options available to them than they realize!
 
Grab your copy of my new book Navigating the P.I.V.O.T. by going to https://theboldphd.com/navigate/

Dec 4, 2025

43 min

Nov 16, 2025

38 min

Grab your copy of Dr. Nonterah's new book, Navigating The P.I.V.O.T.
In this episode, Dr. Nonterah chats with Dr. Jen Harrison of ReadWritePerfect.com about losing her job as an adjunct professor during COVID and figuring out that running her own business provided better job security that being a professor. 
Dr. Jen Harrison's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-harrison-rwp/
Dr. Jen Harrison's website: https://readwriteperfect.com/
 

Nov 16, 2025

38 min

Nov 7, 2025

35 min

Navigating the P.I.V.O.T. is live! Get your copy here: https://theboldphd.com/navigate/
In this episode, Dr. Nonterah interviews Dr. Bolu Oladini who is an AI Content Lead in the pharmaceutical industry. Apart from exploring that career path, Drs. Nonterah and Oladini talk about the reality of AI taking jobs and what you can do to prepare.
Dr. Oladini's website: https://www.boluoladini.com/
 

Nov 7, 2025

35 min

Oct 20, 2025

18 min

Pre-order Navigating The P.I.V.O.T: https://amzn.to/4qkMLKK
Invite me to speak: https://theboldphd.com/speaking/
Join 3000+ academics who receive my bi-weekly newsletter: https://theboldphd.com/careerslist
 
In this episode, I'm sharing details about how I got my recent book deal with University of California Press. 

Oct 20, 2025

18 min

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