democratizing career literacy with Dr. Hoda Kilani

*** About Dr. Hoda Kilani | Career literacy expert, podcaster, educator, momDr Hoda Kilani is a Certified Professional Career Coach and the President of Right Career Fit, a career coaching practice that focuses on education and career guidance. Hoda’s continued lifelong learning, career, research and volunteer involvements provide her with up-to-date expertise in career and educational project design. She holds a Master of Education and a Doctor of Education with a focus on youth learning. Hoda strives to be a spokesperson for the importance of career education and works tirelessly to create awareness of its value including career conversations on YouTube and two podcasts, Hoda’s Musings and Hoda’s Career Info as well as a radio show, Career Buzz.Learn more at https://www.rightcareerfit.com/*** Key moments in our conversation include…Knows herself as a human who:Pushes others to know themselves so that we can find our best-fitting careersKeeps happy by focusing on gratitude in which mindfulness is baked inShe tries to name 5-10 things she’s grateful for each morningHelps her give back more to her community and familyMakes a podcast and has a YouTube channelLoves to travelSpeaks Arabic and SpanishHas a mission of worldwide career literacyShe’s all up in:Trying to take her career literacy work into other languages and the challenges of interpreting rather than translating the messagesShe committed, right here in the conversation, to publishing in either Spanish or Arabic in January 2024She feels that part of gratitude is stretching outside of our comfort zoneDad would say, “If you think the grass is greener on the other side, you’d better go check it out. You can always come back.”Hoda described an uncomfortable moment of awareness of cultural differences when presenting in Dubai and how it’s reinforced her concerns about moving into another languageShe also fears that it would sound like she’s less of an expert in career literacy than she isThat she was born and raised in Lebanon made the cultural gaff stir in the inner critic all the more: “I should have known that!”The tools she’s using to move through this time include:Planning though she understands they are flexible and meant to not always workDaily language practice including reading books about careers in Arabic and SpanishReminding herself that it’s okay to failHer value of democratizing info and skills of teachingFor her non-profit spotlight, Hoda suggested local food banks. As she said, we think of ourselves of living in the land of plenty and yet there are so many people experiencing food insecurity.