Rachel Dungca is no stranger to change and evolution. In both her professional and personal life, Rachel has worn numerous hats. From German major to a strategic communications master’s degree graduate. From young professional to wife to mother of two. From MetroTransit Marketing Specialist to Revenue Operations Specialist to Performance Manager.
These evolutions did not just happen to Rachel. Through hard work, confidence and intentionality, Rachel worked to build and seize these opportunities. AMK sat down with Rachel to find out more about her story and how we can all confidently take actions to achieve our professional and personal goals.
AMK: Let’s get started. What is your educational background, Rachel?
Rachel: I grew up in North Saint Paul, a middle-class suburb in the Twin Cities. I was in a unique mentorship program in high school, where I wrote a paper about objects in teenagers’ bedrooms and how they were evidence of values of my generation. This independent study helped me to have the confidence to do something valuable without clear instructions. My mentor was an entrepreneur and a creative services and marketing person. She helped me work on this idea and said I should submit it to the Harvard Business Review, and I remember I laughed so hard. But she asked ‘why not?’ and it allowed me to think a bit bigger. I used that independent study to get a full-ride scholarship to the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. So, I went to business school and quickly figured out that the traditional and anticipated path (working in a large corporation or consulting wasn’t what I wanted and that was okay.
AMK: What did you do to change that?
Rachel: I decided to study German, so I could go to a different school for a year. During the first year of the Iraq War, I studied in Vienna at their economics and business university. I didn’t know anyone going over there and figured out that I had as much to learn about my own country as Austria.That was probably the most difficult year of my life, but I learned I could do things that had seemed impossible and that it was sometimes okay to be mediocre. I could take a class in a language that I wasn’t very good at and still get through it. Perfection and mastery aren’t the only markers of success.
AMK: So what was your next step after Austria and college?
Rachel: I came back to Minneapolis and needed a job. I got a job in production and events, at a small company with about 20 people. I worked there for four years, and as a major bonus met my husband. Part of my job was interviewing local business leaders for a local event hosted by Ernst and Young. I interviewed the CEO of Best Buy, Gander Mountain, Sleep Number, Buffalo Wild Wings, etc. – all of these people that I probably shouldn’t have access to at that point in my career. I was really influenced by the leadership at Buffalo Wild Wings. They were our client, and had a nearly 100 percent female C-Suite. Smart, dedicated and strategic women were extremely successful building a bold and loud sports bar concept that many considered a ‘male brand.’ Standing strong with an authentic personal brand is more important for success than attempting to adhere to an organizational brand that doesn’t ring true for you personally.
AMK: So why did you end up moving on from that company?
Rachel: I wasn’t getting paid well and there were lots of things that were not good about the job. It wasn’t an equitable environment, so I jumped at the opportunity when I saw an ad in the paper for an opening in marketing at Metro Transit. I was in the marketing department for four years and gained exposure to the departments.
AMK: So what was after marketing?
Rachel: I realized I loved the idea of growing with Metro Transit more than the marketing industry, because our agency’s work was so connected to making everyday life a bit better. But what forced me to make a change was I had two kids within two years and I was getting my Master’s degree. So I was at school full time, work full time and I had a newborn.
I remember telling my husband, ‘I’m feeling like I’m a horrible employee, a horrible mom and a horrible student. And I’m capable to do all of these things well.’ So, I scheduled a meeting with the head of revenue operations and pitched an idea for a role. I wrote up a part-time job description and eventually got the role which was the beginning of a happier time.
AMK: What did it take to make that happen – to switch from a marketing to a finance role?
Rachel: I was unafraid of trying new things, asking for what I needed to be successful and understood the value of strong and positive relationships in an organization. Curiosity and getting comfortable being uncomfortable also benefited me. I was open to learning from others and admitting I didn’t have all the skills yet.
AMK: Are you still in this position?
Rachel: No, I don’t work part time or in finance any longer. Now I lead a data team which is odd considering my Master’s degree is from the University of Minnesota’s journalism school, but I do know how to tell a story with data. My background helps me understand how to build productive cross-functional teams which is critical for impactful data work.
I think I’ve succeeded in my current department, strategic initiatives, because I could articulate the meaning of the work for others outside the department, build a positive team culture while gaining new technical skills and vocabulary. The experience has given me the confidence when someone says, ‘I can’t do that,’ to respond, ‘I did it, so I know you can do it.’
AMK: How have you gained the professional confidence to achieve your goals?
Rachel: I’ve gained confidence in knowing that, just as much as I respect the people who have technical skills that I don’t have, I realize that they respect me because I have a different set of skills. That’s how I got to be a leader at Metro Transit.
Also, I haven’t let a lack of title prevent me from sharing my opinions and ideas or prevent me from talking to people who were above me. I didn’t let that stop me and I still don’t. That can get me in trouble sometimes, but for the most part it’s been to my benefit.
AMK: Now, let’s talk a little bit about your passion. What is your passion?
Rachel: I care about developing people. I get so much joy seeing team members and coworkers develop, particularly when it’s benefiting both them as an individual and our agency. And that’s one thing that I think I’ve been helping people with, growing individual skills and making sure to recognize how that contributes to the organization. That way you’ll not just lift yourself, but you’ll lift your brand or your stature in the organization as well. And this leads to better teams and organizations!
AMK: You’ve worked in many different fields. What is your advice to young professionals in terms of keeping their career options open?
Rachel: Revenue operations was not my greatest passion, but I loved my time there. People think they must be super passionate about something to become interested, but if you’re a curious person you can become passionate about a lot of different things. A red flag for me in interviews is when someone says, ‘I want to work on this very narrow type of work.’ It’s great that you know what you love, but I also question if you are curious and open to learning new things. If you have such a narrow view of what you want to do, that can be limiting.
AMK: What other interview advice would you give to prospective employees?
Rachel: Where people really differentiate themselves isn’t necessarily in skill acquisition, but how they think about gaining new skills. Are they open to it? Have they demonstrated that in the past? Are they showing me that they’re cognizant that their work is not just interpreted through a technical lens, but also a personal lens?
If you can’t get along with people, that’s a hindrance in your ability to be effective and to enjoy work. I’m surprised how many people don’t breathe when they’re interviewing – they race to tell you all the things that they’ve learned in 35 minutes, and don’t take the time to connect with the interviewer or learn from them. One of the best follow-up questions is ‘why do you like working here?’ and reflect what you heard and what you learned from their answer. I want you to demonstrate you’re going to try to get info from others and learn from them; this communicates humility and flexibility.
AMK: What advice would you give your younger self?
Rachel: Be more fearless. When I’ve taken risks, sometimes they don’t work out but a lot of times they do. I would be less critical of myself and recognize that evolution takes time. It doesn’t always happen in a year. I would have given myself more patience.