Between employment and a personal project: How Yana Danko found balance and new meaning in her profession

Yana Danko, a 24-year-old Ukrainian from Kyiv, is a practical psychologist who overcame professional uncertainty, regained confidence, and discovered a new path of growth combining employment with launching her own initiative, thanks to her participation in the mentorship program of the Women For The Future initiative.

Before joining the program, Yana already had significant academic and practical experience. She has completed both a bachelor's and a master's degree and is currently pursuing a PhD in psychology. She also worked as a practicing psychologist.

Her achievements go beyond traditional academic work. Yana implemented a project as part of UNICEF’s UPSHIFT program aimed at combating psychological abuse in the workplace, and she served as the media unit coordinator of the National Psychological Association. Moreover, she continually expands her knowledge beyond classical psychological education: "I have a wide range of additional courses and certificates from psychological first aid and suicide prevention by leading institutions to training in HR, PR, and digital literacy."

Despite this solid background, job hunting proved challenging. For several months, Yana actively applied for jobs and attended interviews but was frequently rejected. “I often got turned down due to reasons like ‘not enough years of experience’ or because I’m still pursuing my PhD, and employers tend to choose candidates who are not students,” she recalls.

These experiences led to self-doubt and raised important questions: how to balance the need for financial stability with the desire to work on personal ideas and remain in an inspiring field.

This exact challenge led Yana to join the mentorship program to find a balance between employment and entrepreneurship, regain confidence, and create a realistic action plan.

Together with her mentor, Yana worked in a supportive atmosphere, analyzing her experience and planning her next steps: “At the beginning, my mentor and I outlined an individual work plan for the duration of the program. We adjusted and improved it as things changed. This allowed me to track progress and gain a clearer perspective.”

One key insight was the advice to tailor her resume for each job application: “Less general, dry information, and more specific portfolio cases. This helps people better understand me as a professional.”

Thanks to the program, Yana not only clarified her path but also took concrete steps: “I allowed myself to move in a direction that gives me a sense of stability, while still leaving room for creativity and freedom of action.”

While working with her mentor, she structured her professional ambitions into a clear development roadmap, completed tasks that helped her build new skills, and began implementing her development strategy. This led to an internship in a field that aligns with her professional interests.

At the same time, she is developing her own initiative: “My idea is to create a community of like-minded people focused on personal and professional growth and mental health care.”

The first steps have already been taken: Yana actively maintains her Instagram and LinkedIn accounts, shares useful content, and engages people in discussions.

The next step is creating a dedicated platform that combines personal development with community in a way that helps users avoid getting lost in the information noise. Instead of hundreds of courses and career challenges, the platform will offer personalized pathways, peer groups, and real feedback, eliminating unnecessary barriers and wasted time on “someday” goals.

“This journey has given me inner resources. I feel I have the energy to set ambitious goals and the persistence to achieve them,” she shares.

Yana’s plans include deepening her professional knowledge, earning certifications, improving public speaking skills, and expanding her network. But most importantly, she now clearly sees her path: employment that provides stability, and her own venture that offers space for growth and creativity. “I want to learn to confidently speak about my expertise and continue building my path in the field of psychology.”

Yana’s biggest discovery was the power of the Women For The Future community: “I joined the community and saw powerful women and their stories. I found a resource that unites and inspires.”

Her advice to women who are currently uncertain about their careers or doubting themselves: it's important to keep moving forward, even when it’s scary or you lack confidence. “You must trust yourself and be patient. Confidence doesn’t come instantly. It develops gradually through experience and practice. Change takes time, and that’s okay. The most important thing is to keep going, even with small steps.”

This publication has been created as part of the Women For The Future initiative, which is implemented by Happy Monday (NGO "Professionals of the Future") within the UN Women project titled "Transformational Approaches to Achieving Gender Equality in Ukraine." This project is funded by the Government of Sweden and is in collaboration with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration. Financial support for the initiative is also provided by the Government of France.