The Uncommon Career Podcast: Job Search & Transformative Career Coaching
If you’re a mid-career woman in the job search, you need less effort and more strategy.
Join me to catch your career blind spots, make internal shifts, and elevate your job search to make real progress.
🙋🏻♀️ Hey there! I’m Patricia.
I help mid-career women get to their ideal next role with more intention and less stress.
On the podcast, you’ll clarify your career direction, understand strategic branding, and experience the same insight-to-action approach I use in my start-to-finish 1:1 career coaching program.
.
This podcast is especially for you if you:
✔︎ are in a job search or about to start one
✔︎ know how to work hard but want a smarter strategy
✔︎ want momentum in the search, knowing you left nothing on the table
.
Here’s what we talk about:
🎙️ Job search strategy for mid-career professionals
🎙️ Career clarity, insights, and decision-making
🎙️ Professional branding (resume, LinkedIn, messaging)
🎙️ Interview preparation and interview strategy
🎙️ The thoughts, patterns and habits that accelerate (or stall) your search
🎙️ What’s working in today’s job market
.
🚫 This is not: a podcast about quick-fixes and career hacks.
🚫 It's also not empty "you can be anything" promises.
It’s instead a practical, insight-driven space where I help you slow down - just a bit - so you can:
✅ position yourself well in today's market
✅ leverage strategic communications to experience momentum, and
✅ feel the relief - and results - of an approach that truly connects
...all using the same approach I coach my 1:1 clients with in our start-to-finish career coaching program.
If you’re a mid-career woman in the job search and you're ready to "slow down to speed up", then you’re in the right place!
.
💡 Need a Tour Guide? Start Here: https://theuncommoncareer.com/roadmap
Download the Podcast Roadmap, for our best episodes to help you at every phase of your search.
Happy listening!
~Patricia Ortega, MS
2x Certified Career Coach (BCC/ICF) & Counselor since the 2010 job market downturn.
______________________________
John 5:12 | Love Jesus, love people.
"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you"
Listen on:
Episodes
Tuesday Aug 12, 2025
Tuesday Aug 12, 2025
In this episode, explore the concept of cognitive dissonance and its impact on decision-making and motivation. Understand how conflicting beliefs, values, and actions can lead to mental discomfort, procrastination, and inaction.
Learn why our brains often opt for the path of least resistance, and discover strategies for intentionally aligning actions with decisions to overcome internal conflicts.
We'll Talk About:
00:52 Understanding Cognitive Dissonance
03:52 Intentional Choices and Overcoming Procrastination
05:00 Real-Life Scenarios and Solutions
09:27 Moving Toward Desire, Not Away from Fear
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Tuesday Aug 05, 2025
Tuesday Aug 05, 2025
In this episode, founder and CEO of Mac's List, Mac Prichard, joins the show to discuss the importance of networking for career advancement. He emphasizes that job seekers should always maintain a strong professional network, even while employed, due to the likelihood of changing jobs several times throughout their careers.
Learn about the hidden job market, and how many positions are filled through referrals rather than job boards. Discover key strategies for effective networking, including joining professional associations, attending conferences, volunteering, and engaging on LinkedIn.
Timestamps
00:30 The Importance of Networking
02:03 Understanding the Hidden Job Market
03:25 Networking Strategies and Tips
09:48 The Power of Volunteering
13:21 Attending Conferences for Networking
15:20 Taking Charge of Your Career
About Mac Prichard
Mac is the Founder and CEO of Mac’s List, the Pacific Northwest’s go-to resource for job seekers who want meaningful, well-matched work. He’s dedicated to helping people find rewarding careers through practical advice, local job listings, and expert insights.
Connect with Mac
Mac's List
Connect with Mac on LinkedIn
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From Zero Responses to Multiple Offers: Download The 5 Essential Steps Checklist
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Episode Mentioned
FYDJ Podcast | Episode 439 | Why Do You Keep Taking the Wrong Job?
Tuesday Jul 29, 2025
Tuesday Jul 29, 2025
Explore the intricate link between work and personal identity in this segment, emphasizing how losing or changing a job can impact one's sense of self. Learn practical activities and reminders to help separate your identity from your job roles, equipping you with the confidence and tools needed to navigate job transitions.
Tune further to learn how to properly reflect on personal growth moments and internal validation, as well as leveraging freedom and agency during career transitions, and taking intentional time for self-reflection and skill development.
We'll Talk About:
01:04 Separating Work from Identity
02:17 Rebuilding and Recognizing Your Value Beyond the Job
03:10 The Toolkit: Taking Your Skills With You
06:27 Strengthening Self-Confidence and Identity
09:30 Learning and Growing During Transitions
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From Zero Responses to Multiple Offers: Download The 5 Essential Steps Checklist
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Tuesday Jul 22, 2025
Tuesday Jul 22, 2025
Struggling with leading with heart? Explore how leaders can maintain authority while leading with empathy in this episode. Learn the importance of striking a balance between being empathetic and making logical business decisions.
Key topics include understanding the emotional impact of business decisions, the role of trust and transparency, and practical strategies to incorporate empathy without compromising authority. Tune in further for real-life examples and actionable insights to help you navigate complex emotional dynamics in workplace settings as a leader.
We'll talk about:
01:07 Defining Authority and Balancing Empathy with Decision Making
04:26 Building Trust and Transparency
07:19 Navigating Emotional Challenges in Leadership
09:03 Practical Examples and Strategies
20:35 Planning for Emotional Impact
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Tuesday Jul 15, 2025
Tuesday Jul 15, 2025
This happens to every professional, but now's the time you can learn to overcome the career comparison trap. In this episode, learn the common pitfalls of comparison during a job search and discover practical advice on how to turn this potentially demoralizing habit into a source of motivation.
Understand here that comparison is a natural brain process, but one that needs to be managed intentionally. Three common scenarios are listed where comparison arise, as well as the importance of seeking knowledge, clarity, and guidance for each scenario. By the end of the episode, leave fully equipped with actionable tips on self-improvement, including utilizing coaches, mentors, or supportive friends, to enhance job search efforts.
We'll Talk About:
01:04 Understanding the Comparison Trap
03:23 Scenario 1: LinkedIn Job Announcements
05:16 Scenario 2: The Dream Job Dilemma
11:05 Scenario 3: Charismatic Interview Responses
15:41 Turning Comparison into Jet Fuel
These Podcasts Are Great Resources to Add to Your List:
Find Your Dream Job Podcast
The Career Change Maker Podcast
Happen to Your Career Podcast
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From Zero Responses to Multiple Offers: Download The 5 Essential Steps Checklist
Click here to learn about coaching
Tuesday Jul 08, 2025
Tuesday Jul 08, 2025
In this episode, learn the intricacies of the Hogan Assessment and its use in the hiring and selection process with guest Porschia Parker Griffin. Explore how it assesses personality, development aspects, and values, making it a vital tool used by 75% of Fortune 500 companies. Discover tips on preparing for the assessment, and emphasizing the importance of aligning personal and organizational values.
Timestamps
00:42 What is the Hogan Assessment?
02:01 Hogan in the Hiring Process & Development
05:38 Understanding the Hogan Assessment Components & Its Reliability
13:52 Navigating & Preparing for the Hogan Assessment
29:27 Using Hogan Results for Development
About Porschia Parker Griffin
Porschia is the CEO of Fly High Coaching, where she helps professionals and leaders achieve greater clarity, confidence, and career fulfillment. She’s passionate about guiding people through meaningful transitions and empowering them to define success on their own terms.
Connect with Porschia
https://www.fly-highcoaching.com/about/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/porschiaparker/
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From Zero Responses to Multiple Offers: Download The 5 Essential Steps Checklist
Click here to learn about coaching
Tuesday Jul 01, 2025
Tuesday Jul 01, 2025
In this episode, explore how to view job rejection and ghosting as opportunities rather than setbacks. Learn and emphasize the importance of seeing rejections as valuable data points and potential starting points for new professional relationships.
Process depersonalizing rejection, leveraging faith and emotional tools like the Kubler-Ross grief cycle, recognizing and interrupting negative thought spirals, and celebrating micro wins.
We'll Talk About:
01:11 Rejection as Data: Analyzing Feedback
02:57 Turning Rejection into Opportunity
05:12 Depersonalizing Rejection and Ghosting
07:09 Emotional Tools for Resilience
08:15 Change and Grief Cycle, The Spiral of Motivation and Action
15:11 Micro Wins: Turning Negatives into Positives
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From Zero Responses to Multiple Offers: Download The 5 Essential Steps Checklist
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Tuesday Jun 24, 2025
Tuesday Jun 24, 2025
Listen to today's episode featuring Matthew Pollard, bestselling author of 'The Introvert's Edge to Networking.'
Discover why introverts have a natural advantage in networking, and how even the most introverted can thrive without feeling fake or overwhelmed. Learn the importance of leveraging introverted strengths such as listening and empathy and introduces strategies to authentically network and advance in careers.
Timestamps
02:57 Key Skills for Introverted Networkers
05:23 Matthew Pollard's Personal Journey
10:14 Creating a Unique Professional Identity
16:07 Strategies for Career Advancement
25:14 Evolving Views on Introversion and Leadership
34:21 Final Thoughts and Advice
About Matthew Pollard
Known as the Rapid Growth guy, Matthew Pollard is responsible for five multimillion-dollar business success stories, all before the age of 30. His humble beginnings, the adversities he faced, and his epic rise to success show that anyone, with the right motivation and the right strategies, can achieve anything they set their mind to.
Today, Forbes calls him “the real deal,” Global Gurus lists him as a Top 30 Sales Professional, SellingPower Magazine just named him their 2023 Sales Kickoff Speaker of the Year, Sales World Magazine lists him as a Top 50 Speaker, and BigSpeak highlights him as an international Top 10 Sales Trainer.
He’s also the founder of Introvertu.com and the bestselling author of The Introvert’s Edge book series, which has sold over 100,000 copies and been translated into 15 languages.
Connect with Matthew:
https://matthewpollard.com/theintrovertsedge/book
https://matthewpollard.com/
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From Zero Responses to Multiple Offers: Download The 5 Essential Steps Checklist
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Tuesday Jun 17, 2025
Tuesday Jun 17, 2025
In this episode, discover how to effectively prepare for an interview in just 30 minutes using a simple five-step power prep method.
Learn to set the tone with a strong 'tell me about yourself' story, align your strengths with the job requirements, handle gaps confidently, and ask insightful questions to leave a lasting impression.
Know the importance of strategic preparation and offers further resources for a comprehensive job search and career transitions.
We'll Talk About:
00:56 Step-by-Step Power Prep Guide
01:43 Setting the Tone: Tell Me About Yourself
04:59 Identifying Strengths and Gaps
06:36 Aligning Strengths to Job Needs
08:42 Reframing Gaps 10:29 Asking Insightful Questions
14:45 Conclusion and Final Tips
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Episodes Mentioned
Read and Listen to Episode #108 Here
Read and Listen to Episode #110 Here
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From Zero Responses to Multiple Offers: Download The 5 Essential Steps Checklist
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Tuesday Jun 10, 2025
Tuesday Jun 10, 2025
Understand the depth of the challenges and strategies of leading small teams in this episode. Tune in with Patricia and Julianna as they discuss the importance of focusing on quality over quantity, prioritizing tasks, and maintaining morale when resources are limited.
Key topics include the strategic use of AI and outsourcing, renegotiating success criteria with upper management, and fostering a culture of trust, flexibility, and development within smaller teams. Get guidance on how to manage workloads effectively and maintain high team performance.
This episode is part of the Elevated Leadership Series, co-hosted by Julianna Yau Yorgan and Patricia Ortega.
We'll talk about:
01:43 Challenges of Shrinking Teams
02:15 Maintaining Morale and Prioritization
06:23 Effective Communication and Expectation Management
08:45 Delegation and Trust Building
12:33 Adapting Leadership Styles
23:29 Decision Making and Protocols
Elevated Leadership
Elevated Leadership is available on both The Uncommon Career Podcast and The Daring to Succeed Podcast.
Listen to the Daring to Succeed Podcast to get to know Julianna: https://www.jyycoaching.com/podcast/
Connect with Julianna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliannayauyorgan/
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Connect with Me
Connect with me on LinkedIn
From Zero Responses to Multiple Offers: Download The 5 Essential Steps Checklist
Click here to learn about coaching