"Always have your sense of intrinsic worth separated from whatever is happening to you so that even in a storm, you can be a steady ship." -Mariana Pavia  Mariana Pavia, Product Marketing Expert, shares her experience of reclaiming her career self-confidence to embrace her intrinsic worth during a difficult career phase, which took place during a difficult, bizarre phase of the job market.  First Mariana shares her biggest lessons that began with her courageous leap into an Ivy League business school for her MBA, then her mismatched job experiences and management styles. All of which led to self-doubt and application rejections that shook her confidence.  We discuss the process of managing dips in self-confidence when negative, external factors seem relentless, particularly during a tough job market in the tech industry. Mariana shares her insightful strategies, including therapy, reframing her experiences positively, and recognizing her value beyond external validations, coaching, and building specific career skills.  We also explore the impact of class differences, opportunity gaps, and cultural differences that impact access, growth, and professional development.  This episode underscores the importance of trusting your own brave career journey, even when the job market or specific positions don't, as well as the power of getting support to craft your own narrative.  To all the courageous listeners striving in their careers: remember, your worth is intrinsic and unconnected to your professional phase.  Hot topics from this episode: Mariana's career advice on maintaining awareness of one's value during tough timesThe Struggle With Negative Thoughts and techniques to live through them The difficulty of seeking external recognition with the importance of recognizing and valuing one's intrinsic worthThe process of moving away from brand-name identification, while acknowledging the power of brands to visibility and opportunities Societal Biases and Personal Anecdotes: class differences, privilege, affirmative action, white supremacy, misogyny and patriarchy in career growth ResourcesConnect with Mariana Pavia on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariana-pavia/Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life https://billderesiewicz.com/books/excellent-sheep/Paper that details the tenants of White Supremacy https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/inclusive-teaching/wp-content/uploads/sites/853/2021/12/Identifying-and-Addressing-Characteristics-of-White-Supremacy-Culture.pdf Overview of the US Supreme Court and 2023 Ruling about Affirmative Action https://www.npr.org/2023/06/29/1176715957/why-the-supreme-court-decision-on-affirmative-action-matters  For more information on how you can build your brave:Check out my websiteJoin my mailing list for more insights, opportunities, and inspirationConnection with me on LinkedIn If you are an established woman in tech who is creating results and making an impact at work so your workload and stress just keep growing but promotions and salary bumps remain a distant dream, it is time for change.  Listen, we all know the tech industry has dramatically changed. It's time your career approach did too.  You don't need cookie-cutter programs or dusty advice from outdated playbooks, because what works for tech bros, won't work for you. You need individualized, bespoke support to build your brave career. One that reflects who you are as a woman in tech.  I invite you to explore career coaching with me. Get all the details, including prices and client results, at TrickSteinbach.com. You can stress less, work less, and earn more. You've already earned it. Let's make it happen.