In this episode of Promoted, Welen Wang shares his journey from 10 years in Supply Chain Logistics to starting a new career. Welen opens up about the challenges of navigating hundreds of job applications, facing rejection, and rebuilding his confidence after years away from interviews. He discusses how using AI, hands-on projects, and company-specific research helped him stand out and prepare for the opportunity that finally came his way. Welen also reflects on the impact of his career change on his family, his vision of the American Dream, and what he hopes to achieve next.

Learn more about Merit America here

CREDITS:
Host: Rob Kairuz
Guest: Welen Wang
Creative Directors: Brittany Davis-Green, Anne Keenan
Executive Producer: Deshani Semaan
Created by Merit America


This is a Maed in India production
Head of Production: Mae Mariyam Thomas
Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome
Producer: Rachna Sukuru
Junior Producer: Aditi Sutar
Director and Video Producer: Jishnu Guha
Sound Editor & Mix Engineer: Nihar Temkar, Kartik Kulkarni


Support Merit America here

In this episode of Promoted, Welen Wang shares his journey from 10 years in Supply Chain Logistics to starting a new career. Welen opens up about the challenges of navigating hundreds of job applications, facing rejection, and rebuilding his confidence after years away from interviews. He discusses how using AI, hands-on projects, and company-specific research helped him stand out and prepare for the opportunity that finally came his way. Welen also reflects on the impact of his career change on his family, his vision of the American Dream, and what he hopes to achieve next.
Learn more about Merit America <a href="https://meritamerica.org/promoted-podcast/">here</a>
CREDITS: Host: Rob Kairuz Guest: Welen Wang Creative Directors: Brittany Davis-Green, Anne Keenan Executive Producer: Deshani Semaan Created by Merit America
 This is a <a href="https://www.maedinindia.in/">Maed in India</a> production Head of Production: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/maemariyam/?hl=en">Mae Mariyam Thomas</a> Project Manager: <a href="http://www.instagram.com/sfanthome">Shaun Fanthome</a> Producer: Rachna Sukuru Junior Producer: Aditi Sutar Director and Video Producer: Jishnu Guha Sound Editor &amp; Mix Engineer: Nihar Temkar, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kartik.kulkarni/?hl=en">Kartik Kulkarni</a>
 Support Merit America <a href="https://meritamerica.org/our-supporters/">here</a>

Promoted is a podcast about how to leave low-wage work for good, produced by Merit America, a national workforce development nonprofit that creates fast, flexible pathways to family-sustaining  careers for Americans stuck in low-wage jobs. In this season, Merit America’s career coaches chat with their former learners about their new roles—and how they used AI as a tool to build skills, navigate career transitions, prepare for job interviews, and move toward careers they love. Along the way, you’ll learn how you can leave low-wage work for good, too.

Promoted is a podcast about how to leave low-wage work for good, produced by Merit America, a national workforce development nonprofit that creates fast, flexible pathways to family-sustaining &nbsp;careers for Americans stuck in low-wage jobs. In this season, Merit America&rsquo;s career coaches chat with their former learners about their new roles&mdash;and how they used AI as a tool to build skills, navigate career transitions, prepare for job interviews, and move toward careers they love. Along the way, you&rsquo;ll learn how you can leave low-wage work for good, too.

Promoted

From Ghosting to Getting the Offer: How Welen Landed His Next Role 

What do you do when your career takes an unexpected turn—and the job search takes longer than you expected? Jason Prater shares how he used a period of transition to build new skills, rethink his career direction, and land a new role. In conversation with his former Merit America coach, Patricia Harris, Jason explains how AI became a practical interview-prep partner, helping him practice his answers, uncover stories from his experience, and walk into interviews with greater confidence. His story is a reminder that a career doesn’t have to follow a straight line—and sometimes the best way forward is to prepare for possibilities you can’t yet see.

Learn more about Merit America here

 

CREDITS:

Host: Patricia Harris

Guest: Jason Prater

Creative Directors: Brittany Davis-Green, Anne Keenan

Executive Producer: Deshani Semaan

Created by Merit America

 

This is a Maed in India production

Head of Production: Mae Mariyam Thomas

Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome

Producer: Rachna Sukuru

Junior Producer: Karan Solanki

Director and Video Producer: Jishnu Guha

Sound Editor & Mix Engineer: Nihar Temkar, Kartik Kulkarni

 

Support Merit America here

What do you do when your career takes an unexpected turn&mdash;and the job search takes longer than you expected? Jason Prater shares how he used a period of transition to build new skills, rethink his career direction, and land a new role. In conversation with his former Merit America coach, Patricia Harris, Jason explains how AI became a practical interview-prep partner, helping him practice his answers, uncover stories from his experience, and walk into interviews with greater confidence. His story is a reminder that a career doesn&rsquo;t have to follow a straight line&mdash;and sometimes the best way forward is to prepare for possibilities you can&rsquo;t yet see.
Learn more about Merit America <a href="https://meritamerica.org/promoted-podcast/">here</a>
&nbsp;
CREDITS:
Host: Patricia Harris
Guest: Jason Prater
Creative Directors: Brittany Davis-Green, Anne Keenan
Executive Producer: Deshani Semaan
Created by Merit America
&nbsp;
This is a <a href="https://www.maedinindia.in/">Maed in India</a> production
Head of Production: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/maemariyam/?hl=en">Mae Mariyam Thomas</a>
Project Manager: <a href="http://www.instagram.com/sfanthome">Shaun Fanthome</a>
Producer: Rachna Sukuru
Junior Producer: Karan Solanki
Director and Video Producer: Jishnu Guha
Sound Editor &amp; Mix Engineer: Nihar Temkar, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kartik.kulkarni/?hl=en">Kartik Kulkarni</a>
&nbsp;
Support Merit America <a href="https://meritamerica.org/our-supporters/">here</a>

He Used AI to Interview Himself — And Got the Job: Jason’s Story

In this episode of Promoted, Merit America career coach Sabrina Louissaint breaks down how to optimize your resume by using AI as an editor, not a ghostwriter, in your job search. She focuses on a simple editing technique that helps your real, authentic experience shine through so that you can land the role (and the career) you deserve.

Learn more about Merit America here

CREDITS:
Host: Sabrina Louissaint
Creative Directors: Brittany Davis-Green, Anne Keenan
Executive Producer: Deshani Semaan
Created by Merit America


This is a Maed in India production
Head of Production: Mae Mariyam Thomas
Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome
Producer: Rachna Sukuru
Junior Producer: Aditi Sutar
Director and Video Producer: Jishnu Guha
Sound Editor & Mix Engineer: Nihar Temkar, Kartik Kulkarni


Support Merit America here

In this episode of Promoted, Merit America career coach Sabrina Louissaint breaks down how to optimize your resume by using AI as an editor, not a ghostwriter, in your job search. She focuses on a simple editing technique that helps your real, authentic experience shine through so that you can land the role (and the career) you deserve.
Learn more about Merit America <a href="https://meritamerica.org/promoted-podcast/">here</a>
CREDITS: Host: Sabrina Louissaint Creative Directors: Brittany Davis-Green, Anne Keenan Executive Producer: Deshani Semaan Created by Merit America
 This is a <a href="https://www.maedinindia.in/">Maed in India</a> production Head of Production: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/maemariyam/?hl=en">Mae Mariyam Thomas</a> Project Manager: <a href="http://www.instagram.com/sfanthome">Shaun Fanthome</a> Producer: Rachna Sukuru Junior Producer: Aditi Sutar Director and Video Producer: Jishnu Guha Sound Editor &amp; Mix Engineer: Nihar Temkar, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kartik.kulkarni/?hl=en">Kartik Kulkarni</a>
 Support Merit America <a href="https://meritamerica.org/our-supporters/">here</a>

From Job Sourcing to Job Offers: Using AI to Optimize your Resume

Kelsy Rodriguez started her career on the manufacturing floor at a major electric vehicle company, but she knew she wanted to build something more. In this episode of Promoted, Kelsy talks with her former Merit America coach, Sabrina Louissaint, about how she used upskilling, persistence, and a strategic approach to move into a more technical role within the same company. From balancing full-time work with her Merit America program to navigating a lengthy internal hiring process, Kelsy shares how staying committed to herself and her goals helped her turn an opportunity into a new career path. She also talks about why she’s continuing to learn, pursue her degree, and look ahead to what’s next.

Learn more about Merit America here

CREDITS:
Host: Sabrina Louissaint
Guest: Kelsy Rodriguez
Creative Directors: Brittany Davis-Green, Anne Keenan
Executive Producer: Deshani Semaan
Created by Merit America

This is a Maed in India production
Head of Production: Mae Mariyam Thomas
Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome
Producer: Rachna Sukuru
Junior Producer: Aditi Sutar
Director and Video Producer: Jishnu Guha
Sound Editor & Mix Engineer: Nihar Temkar, Kartik Kulkarni

Support Merit America here

Kelsy Rodriguez started her career on the manufacturing floor at a major electric vehicle company, but she knew she wanted to build something more. In this episode of Promoted, Kelsy talks with her former Merit America coach, Sabrina Louissaint, about how she used upskilling, persistence, and a strategic approach to move into a more technical role within the same company. From balancing full-time work with her Merit America program to navigating a lengthy internal hiring process, Kelsy shares how staying committed to herself and her goals helped her turn an opportunity into a new career path. She also talks about why she&rsquo;s continuing to learn, pursue her degree, and look ahead to what&rsquo;s next.
Learn more about Merit America <a href="https://meritamerica.org/promoted-podcast/">here</a>
CREDITS: Host: Sabrina Louissaint Guest: Kelsy Rodriguez Creative Directors: Brittany Davis-Green, Anne Keenan Executive Producer: Deshani Semaan Created by Merit America
This is a <a href="https://www.maedinindia.in/">Maed in India</a> production Head of Production: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/maemariyam/?hl=en">Mae Mariyam Thomas</a> Project Manager: <a href="http://www.instagram.com/sfanthome">Shaun Fanthome</a> Producer: Rachna Sukuru Junior Producer: Aditi Sutar Director and Video Producer: Jishnu Guha Sound Editor &amp; Mix Engineer: Nihar Temkar, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kartik.kulkarni/?hl=en">Kartik Kulkarni</a>
Support Merit America <a href="https://meritamerica.org/our-supporters/">here</a>

From Ghosting to Getting the Offer: How Welen Landed His Next Role

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