Tales from the Shift cover art

Tales from the Shift

Tales from the Shift

By: Shane Peterson
Listen for free

About this listen

New episodes every Wednesday 1PM CST -- Please subscribe!

This channel is like Dirty Jobs, without the dirt, the production value, the travel, or the charismatic host.

On TFTS, we dive into the real stories behind real jobs - from pilots to librarians, talent managers to DEA Agents. How do you actually break into these fields? What's the day-to-day really like? What don't they teach you in school? We're pulling back the curtain on careers, sharing insider secrets, and maybe inspiring someone to pursue a path they'd never considered.

Got an interesting job? I'd love to have you on the show! Email me at talesfromtheshiftpodcast@gmail.com !

Soffley LLC 2025
Career Success Economics
Episodes
  • Confessions of a Google Project Manager
    Nov 12 2025

    If you have an interesting job and would like to be a guest on the show, email me at talesfromtheshiftpodcast@gmail.com

    Dan Rogers shares his journey from computer science to project management at Microsoft and Google. He reveals the daily realities of managing complex technical projects, dealing with personalities, and why it's really about managing uncertainty rather than tasks.

    Like all TFTS episodes, the conversation also takes a deep dive into the world of being a project manager. What it's like, how to get into it, and what's the pay.

    Escape the Clock by Dan Rogers - https://www.danrogersauthor.com https://www.pmi.org - Project Management Institute

    0:00 Intro

    1:25 What is a Project Manager?

    4:22 Dan's Computer Science Background

    9:15 Career Path from Developer to Project Manager

    12:30 Working at Startups

    18:45 Transitioning to Microsoft

    24:20 Inside Microsoft Culture

    31:10 Moving to Google

    38:25 Google's Work Environment 4

    5:50 Differences Between Microsoft and Google

    52:30 Technical Project Manager vs Program Manager

    58:15 Managing Uncertainty and Chaos

    1:04:40 Dealing with Difficult Stakeholders

    1:11:20 Work-Life Balance in Tech

    1:20:20 Closing Thoughts

    Theme music thanks to https://www.youtube.com/@moodmode via Pixabay

    #ProjectManagement #TechCareers #Microsoft #Google #CareerAdvice #TechnicalProjectManager #ProgramManager #TechJobs #ProjectManager #TalesFromTheShift

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 22 mins
  • Confessions of a Career Nurse
    Nov 7 2025

    If you have an interesting job and would like to be a guest on the show, email me at talesfromtheshiftpodcast@gmail.com

    In this episode, Shane interviews Kathy Allen, a career nurse with decades of experience across every major hospital department. Kathy reveals shocking truths about how private equity companies are destroying healthcare by cutting nursing staff, leading to increased patient falls, infections, and adverse events. She discusses her journey through ICU, medical-surgical, pediatrics, emergency room, psychiatric units, and chemical dependency care, sharing heartbreaking and inspiring patient stories. Like all TFTS episodes, the conversation also takes a deep dive into the world of nursing. What it's like, how to get into it, and what's the pay.

    Kathy's Website: https://www.gutsynurses.com/

    Kathy's Email: info@gutsynurses.com

    Chapters

    0:00 Intro

    0:28 Career Nurse

    2:04 Getting Into Nursing - Education and Career Path

    5:25 Nursing Specialties and Salary Breakdown

    14:00 Nurse Relationships and Workplace Culture

    16:35 Journey Through Hospital Departments

    27:46 The Truth About Hospital Staffing

    29:17 Working in Psychiatric and Chemical Dependency Units

    40:02 Studying Somatic Experiencing and Trauma Healing

    41:13 "Gutsy Nurses Save Lives" Book and Program

    48:01 Traumatic Burnout vs Regular Burnout

    56:50 Closing Thoughts

    Theme music thanks to https://www.youtube.com/@moodmode via Pixabay

    Elevator Music: Thanks to Mykola Odnoroh via Pixabay

    #Nursing #Trauma #Healthcare #HospitalNurse #Burnout #PTSD #SomaticExperiencing #PrivateEquity #HealthcareWorkers #MedicalTrauma #NurseWellness #HospitalLife #TraumaHealing #NursingShortage #HealthcareReform #NurseBurnout #MedicalCare #HealthcareCrisis #NursingCareer #PatientCare #studynursing

    Show More Show Less
    58 mins
  • Confessions of a Horror Writer
    Nov 3 2025

    If you have an interesting job and would like to be a guest on the show, email me at talesfromtheshiftpodcast@gmail.com

    This episode features Nicole Wolverton, a horror writer and academic with a fascinating career journey. Nicole discusses her unique master's degree in storytelling and horror from the University of Pennsylvania. She reveals the lengthy publishing process, often taking 3-4 years from writing to publication. Nicole shares insights from her academic research on how consuming horror builds resilience and coping skills, drawing from studies at Denmark's Recreational Fear Lab. The conversation explores the business side of horror publishing, rejection rates, advance ranges from $1,000 to seven figures, and why horror writers are surprisingly some of the nicest people you'll meet. Nicole offers practical advice for aspiring writers and explains why she believes horror is a much broader genre than most people think.

    Books By Nicole: A Misfortune of Lake Monsters (2024) Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Misfortune-Lake-Monsters-Nicole-Wolverton/dp/0744309581 Bodies Full of Burning: An Anthology of Menopause-Themed Horror (2021) - Edited by Nicole Amazon Kindle link: https://www.amazon.com/Bodies-Full-Burning-Anthology-Menopause-Themed-ebook/dp/B099417CLV The Trajectory of Dreams (2013) Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/Trajectory-Dreams-Nicole-Wolverton/dp/1938463447 Pretend You Don't See Her (Kandisha Press, out September 27, 2025)-- her short story in this one is "In The Blood We Live" Additional Resources: Horror Writers Association: https://horror.org/ Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America (SFFWA): https://www.sfwa.org/ Recreational Fear Lab (Denmark): https://recreationalfearlab.com/ Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators: https://www.scbwi.org/ CamCat Publishing: https://www.camcatbooks.com/

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 6 mins
No reviews yet
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.