Aggie Branczyk dives into conversation with Emily Petroff, a former Astrophysics postdoc who is now the Associate Director for Strategic Partnerships, Grants, and Awards at Perimeter Institute. Emily gives us a glimpse into her typical workweek: a dynamic mix of internal collaborations and external interactions, and describes the essential skills for success in her role. She offers genuine advice to current Ph.D. students, emphasizing the power of authentic networking and dispelling the myth that leaving academia equates to failure. Emily's path from research in radio astronomy to finding fulfillment in a non-academic career is relatable and inspiring, underscoring the rewarding discovery of new career avenues. Aggie Branczyk on LinkedIn Emily Petroff on LinkedIn Podcast video on YouTube Opening music by Alexey Ivanov from Pixabay. --- Aggie works at IBM as a Senior Research Scientist on the Quantum Computational Science team, and the opinions shared in this podcast are her own and are not in any way endorsed by IBM.