Case Study: After 12 Years in HR, Małgorzata Questioned Her Career—And Gained a 15% Raise at a Company That Matches Her Values
Please introduce yourself. What’s your name and what type of work do you do?
My name is Małgorzata Miętkiewicz, I am a linguist, trainer and HR leader with 12+ years of professional experience. I mostly train around topics related to cross-cultural communication & cooperation in business settings.
2. What was going on in your career and your life when you started working with Anita?
I started working with Anita when I left my former company as a result of reorganization. I was at a stage which I called “professional crossroads” and I used Anita’s services to figure out my career mission and to understand how I could build a career that would be aligned not only with my talents but also with my lifestyle and personal values.
3. What were your main thoughts and feelings around those problems/challenges?
The main challenge was that I spent my entire professional life building a career in HR. I wanted to reassess whether that path would still be relevant for me after 12 years. Another thing is that I have a vast skill set and many ideas around shaping my professional life. I wanted to work with someone who could help me explore and then narrow down my options, so I could achieve a clear focus.
4. How did those problems/challenges affect your life beyond your career?
It was the first time in my life that my position was affected by reorganization. There was a moment when I started doubting my judgment as to previous career choices and some colleagues I associated myself with. This experience took a temporary toll on my sense of agency and made me somewhat cynical towards the dynamics of a corporate environment. I lost a sense of psychological safety and became aware that “stable employment” in a corporate environment is in fact an illusion, even for accomplished, high-performing employees. I was disappointed that the legacy I built over a period of 7 years did not make me more immune to layoff and that employees of big companies are often quite easily replaceable.
5. Did you have any concerns about working with Anita? If so, what were you hesitant about?
I did not have any doubts or concerns, I dove deep into the experience. It was something I felt 100% ready and committed to at that point in time. I was also very hopeful towards the program. I understood that the outcome would rely heavily on the quality and quantity of the input that I would provide not only during sessions but also when working on related projects and homeworks.
6. What did you like most about working with Anita?
I genuinely appreciated Anita’s care and dedication. She would always show up to the sessions punctually, prepared and 100% present. She would meticulously assess my assignments and build a link to them during our conversations. I call her a “no fluff coach”, as she generously shares her knowledge and wisdom. She doesn’t offer vague statements or quick fixes. Anita didn’t shy away from challenging me, especially when the conversation would bring up topics that made me feel uncomfortable. She was great at spotting my assumptions, biases and defense mechanisms. She would point them out to make me more aware of the distinction between reality and my interpretations of it.
Anita was very invested in the whole process - she was responsive to my messages and most importantly to my needs. She made a couple of great suggestions to shape the structure of the program in a way that would benefit me the most. She provided structure but did not hold on to it by all means. On the contrary, Anita was very flexible and proactively addressed the needs that would come up in our interactions. She was very calm, patient and always willing to share her knowledge. Her insightful questions gave me many insights and inspired me to think deeply (e.g. “Is this really what I want? How would I define a measure of success or failure in this particular situation? How can I prepare for the worst case scenario?”).
7. What results have you gotten from working together?
Things started progressing very quickly once I started working with Anita. I became bolder in experimenting and started using my voice more loudly and clearly to set standards and boundaries. I quickly noticed a mindset shift in myself. I became more aware of my non-negotiable standards at work and knew what kind of behaviours I would not allow anymore, which led me to being more selective during job search. Speaking my truth resulted in me finding a new job within 6 weeks, at a workplace that is culturally much more aligned with my personal and ethical values. Becoming more aware of my moral compass and naming my values made it easier for me to identify the right kind of opportunity and working environment for me. A cherry on top of the cake is a salary increase of ca. 15% compared to my previous job, and an office located a walking distance from my apartment, which favors my work-life balance.
8. How is your life different now because of those results?
I now feel much more peaceful and empowered, working in a place that respects my values, such as trust, honesty and authenticity.
9. What do you think would have happened if you hadn't worked with Anita?
If I hadn’t started working with Anita, my job search would have probably been longer and less systematic. It would have been so much harder to find what I was looking for without properly taking the time to answer some vital life and career questions that we addressed in our sessions with. I would have had less clarity in terms of what I want and do not want out of my career, so the odds of taking a suboptimal decision would have been much greater.
10. Final message to someone who's on the fence about working with Anita.
I would especially recommend Anita’s program to people who are facing a career transition or are at the “career crossroads” which can be a very confusing but also a defining and turning point in one’s professional life. If you don’t know what you want out of your job, or you have a vague idea but struggle translating it into something more tangible - chances are pretty high that working with Anita can provide more focus and clarity. It’s a shame wasting your energy by channeling it into too many places, investing it in low-impact activities or sending it into too many directions at once. If you’re on the fence, I suggest you read Anita’s posts on Linkedin and reach out to her to see if there’s chemistry and if she’s someone who could support you. Because - let’s be honest - if you’re wondering whether you would benefit from having a career coach in your life, it means you probably would ;).
Work with me 1:1
Unfulfilled in your business or career? Redesign your work so that it lights your fire — with my 6-week intensive 1:1 program.
