Careers Without Connections

Gianna Linares
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The podcast for underrepresented professionals building their careers from scratch and navigating unfamiliar spaces.

Episodes

  1. 11h ago

    How to Leverage Your Failures and Shift Your Mindset to Achieve Any Goal

    Bill Vega, a CEO, entrepreneur, first-generation graduate, and prominent Latino leader in Georgia, details his approach to controlling your thoughts, shifting your mindset, and leveraging inevitable failures to propel you toward achieving your goals and ambitions. He also shared some exciting upcoming events through Association of Ecuadorians in Georgia (ASEG) and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, including World Cup watch parties as Atlanta prepares to host FIFA World Cup games starting July 15th, celebrations for 4th of July, and celebrations for Diez de Agosto and Nueve de Octubre. Follow Bill at @vegabillusa on Instagram and ASEG at @aseg.georgia for updates on all upcoming events! And you can reach me on TikTok/Instagram: @giannalinares Connect with me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gianna-linares☆-963097226/

    42 min

  2. May 31

    From Acting to Politics: Creating Space and Belonging in Any Workplace

    Matt Cárdenas shares his journey from a 10 year acting career in New York City to public service and politics. We discuss the power of embracing your identity, navigating career transitions, and creating space and belonging for yourself as an underrepresented professional in any workplace. If you’d like to connect with Matteo: @themattcardenasAnd You can also reach me on TikTok/Instagram: @giannalinares LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gianna-linares%E2%98%86-963097226/

    45 min

  3. May 24

    How First-Gen Students Navigate College Differently Than "Traditional" Students

    In this episode of Careers Without Connections, I chatted with Julie Volker Morris, Distinguished Teaching Professor and Graduate Career Services Director at the University of Oregon, to discuss the unique challenges first-generation students face while navigating college and career development. From financial pressure to networking, confidence, and mentorship, we unpack why first-gen students often have very different needs than traditional students—and what resources, practical tools, and mindset shifts can make a meaningful difference. We also discuss: The emotional and financial burden of balancing school, work, and family How networking can feel inaccessible when you weren’t raised around professional spaces Translating your lived experiences into career-ready skills Why belief, mentorship, and community matter so much How students can advocate for themselves and build careers from scratch If you’d like to connect with Julie, you can reach her at: jvoelker@uoregon.edu And you can find me here: TikTok: @giannalinares Instagram: @giannalinares LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gianna-linares%E2%98%86-963097226/

    43 min

  4. May 24

    Intro: How to Build a Career Without Connections

    In this episode of Careers Without Connections, I share the story behind why I created this podcast, stemming from my personal journey of being a first-generation student to becoming the first person in my family to earn a graduate degree. I also reflect on navigating financial hardship, mentorship, relocating cross country post grad, and breaking into professional spaces through cold emails, calls, and outreach (and delusion). This episode is about what happens when resilience, drive, and initiative enter the chat—and what it really takes to build a career from scratch without familial connections and minimal resources.You can find me here:TikTok: @giannalinares Instagram: @giannalinares LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gianna-linares%E2%98%86-963097226/

    25 min
  • 4 Episodes

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The podcast for underrepresented professionals building their careers from scratch and navigating unfamiliar spaces.

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