College Experiences That Helped A Senior Behavioral Designer At A Behavioral Design Firm Succeed
Marisa's undergraduate success stemmed from applying broadly, embracing unexpected opportunities ("a winding road of me applying to things"), and following genuine interests, even if the path wasn't initially clear; this strategy, involving numerous applications and rejections ("for every success, I've been rejected 10 times"), ultimately allowed for a career narrative to emerge organically.
Career Exploration, Job Search Strategies, Resilience, Overcoming Challenges, Passion-Driven Career Development
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Marisa Nowicki
Senior Behavioral Designer
Behavioral Design Firm
University of North Texas
Carnegie Mellon University: Masters in Public Policy and Management (MSPPM), 2019
Medical, Sciences & Related, Psychology
Climate, Environment, Sustainability & Waste Management, Nonprofit, Foundations & Grantmaking
Consulting
Honors Student, Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Greek Life Member, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Apply to many opportunities: Marisa emphasizes the importance of applying to numerous scholarships, fellowships, and jobs, highlighting that it's a numbers game. Success often comes from persistence and casting a wide net.
2. Follow your interests: Rather than sticking to a rigid plan, Marisa encourages following your passions. Her career path evolved organically as she pursued things that genuinely interested her, even if it meant changing course along the way.
3. Don't be afraid to take chances: Marisa's experiences, like unexpectedly ending up in Kenya through a job application with an unspecified location, show that embracing unexpected opportunities can lead to fulfilling career paths. It's okay to not have a perfectly defined plan from the beginning.
Transcript
What did you do in undergrad to set you up for success in your career?
The overarching theme is applying to many opportunities and making the best decision at that time. I applied to a ton of scholarships and fellowships. In many ways, it might seem like a straight path, but it was a winding road of applying to things I found interesting and letting my career adjust.
For example, I was initially going to a completely different school for undergrad to study neuroscience. Then, I received a great scholarship to a school that didn't offer neuroscience. I asked myself what I was truly interested in and what the core of my curiosity was. So, I studied applied behavior analysis and psychology.
Another instance is not initially knowing what the PPIA fellowship was. I kind of ended up there by luck because they needed additional people to help with a field day. I spoke with a recruiter and thought, "This is really interesting. Let me just apply and see what happens."
The same applies to ending up in Kenya. I applied for that job, and they didn't even have a posting listed for the country they would send you to. I just applied, thinking, "Why not? I don't need to decide right now."
I would advise following your interests and applying to as many things as you can. It's a numbers game. I have spreadsheets of everything I've applied to, but you only see my wins. For every success, I've been rejected ten times, been an alternate, or been on a waitlist.
Know that it's a numbers game, apply to things that are interesting, and you can eventually craft that into a narrative. Other people don't need to know that I moved to New Zealand for a month or two because I was sick of working on the Hill and needed a break.
The way I frame that in job interviews is by expressing my strong interest in agriculture, which is true. I ended up doing my master's thesis on preventing food waste because I care about that. But at that moment, I had no idea if that was where I was headed.
Ultimately, I think what sets you up for success is doing things you are genuinely passionate about and care about. You can make sense of it all as you progress further into your career.