Building resiliency through challenge with guest Brittany Onufrak

03/31/24 • 31 min

In this episode, my guest is Brittany Onufrak, a healthcare client operations professional with a passion for helping others. Our conversation focuses on ways to maintain a positive mindset and push through rejection to build resiliency within your job search. Whether you are a student trying to land your first job or a seasoned professional looking for your next opportunity hearing "no" or hearing nothing at all over and over again can be incredibly discouraging.

Brittany is an advocate for career development and is passionate about helping others reach places where they can thrive. But she has also encountered rejection and experienced feelings of self-doubt along her career path. During our conversation, she shared the practices that she uses to maintain a positive mindset, not take rejection personally, and create opportunities for action. Start with focusing on the things that are within your control. Your mindset has a strong influence on how you feel and also how you show up in the process. Seek and use feedback to reframe how you are interpreting the rejection. Use the challenge to build your resilience.

If you are feeling defeated by the current job search environment, know that you are not alone. Keep going, keep shining. Thanks for listening.

If you are feeling defeated by the current job search environment, know that you are not alone. Keep going, keep shining. Thanks for listening.

Previous Episode

Career Launch 105: Be ready for interviewing

This is another installment of what I have come to think of as my Career Launch series of episodes. The need to record and publish this content is usually driven by trending coaching needs. When I find myself offering a particular theme of advice a lot, then I record. This episode addresses preparing to interview.

Actually being ready to interview can sneak up on you and might feel like something that is out of your control. But with some strategic preparation you can be ready for interviews and feel confident about how you will perform.

I recommend practicing answers to these commonly asked general questions:
Why are you interested in this position at this company?
What is driving your interest in this career path or line of work?
What led you to pursue a degree in XX?

Then take an inventory of situations to use as examples to answer behavioral questions and craft the story that sets the context for each situation:
Tell me about a time you had to make a decision without having as much information as you would like?
Tell me about a time when you had to share difficult news with a stakeholder about a project or deliverable?
Tell me about a time when you had to switch directions midway through a project or assignment?

You'll be able to match the situation that best fits the interview question. But also, be prepared to answer follow up questions that are designed to assess your learning agility like:
What other approaches did you consider but not take?
What did you takeaway or learn from that situation?
Tell me about time when you had to apply this learning to another situation?

And finally, practice, practice, and practice until you feel like you can consistently nail the interviews you have so diligently pursued. Ask for help from others to practice your answers and listen to the feedback you get along the way. Tap into your career services center on campus for assistance, that is what they are there for!

I hope this gives you a solid plan for preparing to interview. Good luck!

Next Episode

Exploring alternative career prep options with guest Tiffany Scheel

In this episode Tiffany Scheel and I explore a topic that is informed by her family's experience. For many high schoolers, there is a lack of visibility to options for students who would prefer a 1 or 2 year program over a traditional four-year degree. We talk about identifying training resources and career paths that appeal to those who want a lucrative vocation without obtaining a bachelors degree. Tiffany has been supporting her younger daughter through this journey, and I am grateful she brought her insights to share with the Career Chat Room.

Student debt is a rising concern for both students and parents. Alternatives exist for college-aged students who want hands-on practical learning for an in-demand skill that puts them to work faster and with less debt. As Tiffany discovered, getting access to the alternative options can be challenging and are typically not presented as an equal alternative to going to university.

We hope that with research and diligence you can find the right alternative for you (or your student). To accelerate this process for you, Tiffany has shared a few of the links we referenced within the episode.

Tiffany is a talent and transformation professional who spent 25+ years building her career at IBM and 2 years at Chubb. She specializes in talent management, skills strategy, learning & development, and change management projects and is available for consulting engagements.

Mike Rowe Works: https://mikeroweworks.org/about/

Wall Street Journal: https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/gen-z-trades-jobs-plumbing-welding-a76b5e43

North Florida Worlds of Work: https://www.northfloridaworldsofwork.com/