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>

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.