The Uncommon Career Podcast: Job Search & Transformative Career Coaching
Patricia Ortega | Transformational Career Coach | Career Counselor
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/roadmapDownload 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"
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/roadmapDownload 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"
Episodes
Mentioned books
Apr 28, 2023 • 38min
32. Transform Your Life with Goal Setting Secrets from Kylee Robinson
"If you're feeling like your hard work and dedication towards your career goals isn't paying, then you are not alone!"
Today's guest, Kylee Robinson, paid off $44,000 in student loan debt in just 26 months and published a book within a year.
Today, she'll show you how you can reach goals like these too. In this episode, Kylee Robinson helps us formulate attainable goals that align with our core beliefs and future vision.
She shares how to:
• Focus on the most influential goals to stay motivated.
• Build a growth mindset and trust in your abilities.
• Break your objectives into smaller milestones.
• Remove mental and material distractions to optimize your progress.
Kylee Robinson is the founder of Compass Living and an expert in goal-setting. With years of experience in sales and executive coaching, she has worked with entrepreneurs and leaders in Fortune 500 companies to set and achieve their goals. Kylee's unique approach to goal-setting is based on personal values and vision, which she honed through her own life experiences, including being homeschooled. She has created a seven-week course to help others develop realistic, achievable goals that align with their priorities. Her expertise and personal achievements make her an invaluable resource for anyone seeking to set and accomplish meaningful goals! Key moments/timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction •
00:01:00 - Setting Effective Goals •
00:07:00 - The Power of Goal Setting •
00:09:00 - Overcoming Failure •
00:13:10 - Controllable Factors •
00:14:16 - Overcoming Barriers to Career Outcomes •
00:18:40 - Kylee's Course Overview and Key Concepts •
00:20:40 - Identifying Key Areas of Focus •
00:26:32 - What to do when goals don't align •
00:27:05 - The key to Achieve Greatness •
00:30:11 - Creating Space for Goals •
00:35:35 - Kylee's Business Ventures
Follow or connect with me on LinkedIn:
https://linkedin.com/in/pmortega
Get started:
• Download the Career Transition Checklist here
• 10 Easy Ways to Stand Out in a Crowded Market
Apr 17, 2023 • 19min
31. Create resume with Chat GPT - How artificial intelligence (AI) is making your career search faster -and what to watch out for!
ChatGPT is a great tool. Many are using this artificial intelligence in their job search and some are able to add keywords to their resume, beat the applicant tracking system (ATS), and secure the interview.
In today's episode, I cover a few theories about the future of using this not-so-secret weapon, pros and cons of Chat GPT, and a process you can use to make your resume faster while not loosing your professional brand in the process.
Learn:
Why Chat GPT may not be the answer we all think it is...yet
The step you CAN'T SKIP when creating your resume with ChatGPT
How to stand out for your future position - even if you have no experience in that field.
ChatGPT is pretty amazing! But it's still just a tool.
Let's learn how to use it together.
ChaT GPT: https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt
*This episode was published in April 2023. ChatGPT, artificial intelligence, and the response from the ATS and hiring entities can change at any time. All content in today's episode is based on information through April 2023.
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Get started:
The Career Transition Checklist
10 Easy Ways to Stand Out in a Crowded Market
Apr 11, 2023 • 48min
30. Erin Harrigan - Career pivots and getting into & out of corporate
Need to make a career change? Thinking of going into corporate or getting out of corporate? How do you know when it's time to move on?
In this episode, Erin Harrigan shares her personal journey of getting into corporate with a sociology major, moving up and succeeding in corporate, and transitioning from corporate to entrepreneurship.
She discusses:
The importance of recognizing when it's time to make a career change
Practical tips for avoiding burnout and achieving work-life balance.
Signs to watch out for to avoid getting into unfulfilling work
Advice for getting into corporate from education, non-profit work or small businesses.
Whether you're looking to pivot your career, start your own business, or take your existing business to the next level, this episode has something for everyone.
Erin covers a wide range of topics, including job satisfaction, self-care, goal-setting, time management, and skill-building. You'll leave this episode feeling inspired and empowered to pursue success on your own terms, without compromising your faith.
Mentioned in this episode:
Erin's website at https://erinharrigan.com
Redefining Hustle - Pursuing Success as a Christian Woman Podcast: https://womenschristianpodcast.com.
Special Bonus - Erin's 4 Keys to Redefine Hustle and Escape Overwhelm in Your Business: https://erinharrigan.com/4Keys.
About Erin Harrigan
Erin Harrigan is a Christian wife, empty nest mom, speaker, author, and business coach on a mission to help high-achieving Christian women level up their businesses without compromising their faith. With over 30 years of corporate work and 10+ years of network marketing experience, Erin brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her customized business coaching, speaking engagements, and award-winning podcast, Redefining Hustle: Pursuing Success as a Christian Woman.
Apr 6, 2023 • 24min
29. Quiet-quitting - Why I’m glad you did and what to do next
Quiet quitting is/was a popular term coming out of the pandemic. Burnout was a real thing, but no one seemed to acknowledge it. Professionals were stressed, overworked, and underpaid.
What's worse, the trend has always been to add more work to professionals who are sometimes absorbing the work of one or more other positions already, and to expect unrealistic, unhealthy work habits...all for tiny to non-existent raises.
Tune in today to learn:
Why you should not feel guilty about "quiet quitting"
How to assess the root of the issue
How to get clarity on your next move
You'll walk away with a sense of balance, knowing you were right all along...
A thank you gift to make your career search easier:
Career Transition Checklist
10 Easy Ways to Stand Out in a Crowded Job Market
Apr 2, 2023 • 19min
28. Career momentum + dealing with the highs and lows
Want to get motivated, get yourself out there, and find your new career?
This episode might just help inspire you, build your self confidence, and help you overcome self doubt, whether in your job search or in your career development.
I share Brandon's first career search experience and his commitment to action.
I also share some recent lows in my life, and what I learned from my counselor that helped me get back up and move forward. I hope it helps you too.
Listen in to learn about:
Brandon's first job search experience
How taking the right action always leads to success
What we can all do to get back up after a bad hour, day, or week.
This will be helpful for anyone who wants to stay motivated for their career search, wants to overcome feelings of failure, wants to build resilience in their career, or needs a coping strategy for work- (or non-work) related stress. Your mindset is everything, and this episode is a good blend of inspiration and encouragement to keep you going.
Resources mentioned in the episode:
Career Search Checklist
10 Ways to Stand Out On LinkedIn - Even in a Crowded Job Market
Want to support me and The Uncommon Career?
Click and scroll down to Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts.
Mar 15, 2023 • 35min
27. How Kate Speer’s marketing skills are leading to amazing career opportunities
Today we talk to Kate Speer, a marketing professional who took her career branding to another level.
She developed a professional marketing campaign including a website, podcast, video, and a wildly successful LinkedIn profile.
In the episode, we cover:
The power of an eclectic career
The reality of grieving the loss of your job
The opportunities that come with putting your name out there
Tips to instantly increase the value of your professional experience
Kate is an entrepreneurially-minded business and marketing executive with expertise in building brand identity, campaigns, and customer loyalty-building experiences among so, so much more!
Check out Kate's marketing materials to learn more about her work:
Kate's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-speer-sms-047b4656/
Kate's Website (watch the video!): https://www.katespeerconnect.com/
Kate's Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kate-speer-connect/id1671667013
Open to Amazing: https://www.katespeerconnect.com/green-banner/
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Grab your resource from today's episode here:
10 Easy Ways to Stand Out in a Crowded Job Market
Let's connect:
Download the Career Transition Checklist here
Learn about 1:1 coaching here
Mar 5, 2023 • 23min
26. Get Noticed and Get Hired on LinkedIn
What if instead of applying to 100 jobs with no answer, a recruiter would reach out to you?
Or
What if instead of being ignored by recruiters when you do apply, you actually get a call-back?
Today, I give you straight-to-the-point tips to get noticed and get selected by recruiters on LinkedIn.
You'll learn:
What the MOST important section of your LinkedIn profile is
How to come up on the recruiter's search engine
What to stop wasting your time on (and what to do instead)
Tune in to make your LinkedIn better in under 30 minutes!
Get started:
Download the Career Transition Checklist here
Feb 22, 2023 • 27min
25. A secret weapon & how to use it well: The cover letter
Cover letters are a powerful secret weapon.
Most candidates don't enjoy writing cover letters, and most recruiters and managers don't enjoy reading cover letters.
Why? Because most cover letters are boring.
In today's episode we'll chat about how to create an attention grabbing cover letter that gives you an opportunity to share your brand and connect - one human to another - before any candidate even schedules an interview.
This gives you a potential advantage and head start. In the episode, I'll share:
What to include in each paragraph
How the cover letter communicates more than you think
The steps you can take to make the cover letter writing process easy and stress-free
The MOST important part of the process to make a high-impact cover letter
Get started:
Download the Career Transition Checklist here
Feb 2, 2023 • 27min
23. Salary tips you didn’t know you needed
In this episode we talk about:
A quick recap of salary mindset and research
How to avoid unfulfilled employer promises
Why you have to look beyond the posted salary
Tune to prepare for your next negotiation.
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Get started:
Download the Career Transition Checklist here
Jan 24, 2023 • 44min
22. Money Mindset + Income Snowball with Jenn Trinidad
Where does my money go? How do I get more of it? Christians are to steward our finances well, but sometimes we need a little help.
If you're asking yourself the "where's my money?" question, this episode is for you! We'll cover:
Ways to stretch your finances while still enjoying your life
The fun, secret way to make side income
Mindsets that stop us from saving and making more money
Jenn also shares some great money management tips along the way.
Jenn Trinidad is the host of Budget Divas podcast and the founder of budget Divas. She specializes in helping women in her membership program to live on a sustainable budget, decrease their expenses and make more income. And, she walks the walk - Jenn and her husband paid off 90,000$ in debt in four years and 40,000 of that amount was paid off in ONE YEAR.
Budget Divas' Mystery Shopping Training:
https://www.budgetdivas.com/mysterytraining
Other links mentioned:
https://www.capitalone.com/bank/savings-accounts/online-performance-savings-account/
https://www.ally.com
Downloads:
Download the Career Transition Checklist here
