Why Women Leave STEM, How to Spot Burnout, and Advocate for Real Change- Beyond the Pipeline with Belinda Di Bartolo, Jessica Borger and Cassie Leonard

Beyond the Pipeline: Why Women Leave STEM, How to Spot Burnout, and Advocate for Real ChangeThis episode will put words on what many women in STEM feel but have not articulated. The podcast episode critiques performative International Women’s Day gestures and focuses on lived experiences behind why women leave STEM, featuring three co-authors of the collaborative book Beyond the Pipeline: Cassie Leonard, Associate Professor Jessica Borger, and Dr. Belinda Bartolo.The 3 authors represent 3 paths within the STEM sector, pivoting and staying to change the system from within. Host Angelique shares her own career pivots and ongoing struggles with high expectations and fatigue, while the guests describe identity shifts, loss of joy, and turning points that led them to stay and advocate within systems or pivot into new paths. They discuss systemic drivers of attrition—burnout, feeling undervalued/imposter syndrome, and bias—illustrating bias through examples tied to motherhood and career interruptions, as well as bias toward non-parents. The conversation covers boundaries, redefining success, portfolio careers, four types of burnout, and advocacy that is collective and non-performative, including allies’ roles and examples of media-driven national-level change during the pandemic.00:00 IWD Hype vs Reality01:16 Meet the Authors01:44 Host Story and Stakes03:22 Jess Finds Her Voice06:04 Filters and Advocacy07:30 Belinda Loses the Joy11:25 Cassie Pressured Out14:07 Boundaries and Glass Balls18:34 Portfolio Careers in STEM21:15 Why Women Leave STEM23:29 Bias Stories and Language29:03 Motherhood And Imposter Syndrome30:45 Fixing Parental Leave Systems32:34 Bias Against Childfree Workers34:21 Finding The Right Workplace Fit36:13 Career Visibility For Students37:20 Four Types Of Burnout42:01 Breaking The Busy Culture43:56 Advocacy Without Performative Gestures47:22 Allies Speaking Up Effectively50:16 Pandemic Anger To National Change52:38 How Media Advocacy Snowballed53:37 Final TakeawaysWant to craft a career story that opens doors?I help STEMM professionals speak with clarity, confidence, and purpose and show up as thought leaders —so the right opportunities find you.📬 Let’s connect: angeliquegreco.com.au | LinkedIn  ⭐️ Help More People Reinvent Their CareersIf you enjoyed this episode, please:✅ Leave a quick ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify 🙏♻️ Share it with a friend who's questioning their path in STEM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.