Amanda Corse Ferreira
Talent Acquisition Specialst, Open to Opportunity
1. Do you remember a time when you were happiest as a child? Where were you, who were you with and what were you doing?
Growing up in Brazil, the warm weather always benefited me, a sun lover! My best childhood memories are of my grandparents taking my cousins and me to the beach on holidays and letting us play, run, swim, and have all the fun possible. The kind of things we know only grandparents do! We didn’t have devices or gadgets; that was us and the beach. Building sandcastles and collecting seashells were my two favourite activities that I could do with my granny. Or grab the best ice cream in the neighbourhood!
2. Who was your favourite teacher at school? What did you learn from that person?
To begin with, I enjoyed school. As a child, I enjoyed interacting with other children and teachers. Sandra (Silva), the history teacher, was my favourite. Sandra was a fantastic teacher and a kind, caring human being who always encouraged me and my classmates to achieve our best. Fortunately, she was our neighbour; whenever we needed help, she was there for my family. I still communicate with her sons who live close to my parents’ house.
3. What are the three books that you would unhesitatingly recommend to others? Why?
I love reading! Yet, three books have transformed my perspective on life, and I could talk about them for hours! So here we go:
– Blindness by Jose Saramago: The author shows differently that we, as humans, are adaptable to any surroundings and that being a part of a community always helps and strengthens us. Believe in the power of community!
– How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie: I’m halfway through the book and have already altered my point of view on building relationships. Yes, we can always be better!
– Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg: The name says everything. This is a fantastic book to learn how to communicate more effectively with anyone!
I can always share more details on books to read. Just drop me a message! 🙂
4. Name a well-known person you admire and explain why you hold them high esteem?
Viola Davis just for being VIOLA! I admire her courage, bravery, positive mindset, faith, and the way she overcomes adversity to get to where she is today. It’s difficult not to be inspired by her life story and accomplishments.
5. What is a Ted Talk that changed your life?
Own Your Behaviours, Master Your Communication, Determine Your Success by Louise Evans – Worth every second of it, honestly!
6. What is the number one thing you would recommend every person in the world to practice from now on in order to increase their happiness and well-being?
Short and sweet: therapy, investment in self-knowledge, and meditation.
7. What is that thing which is OK to ask you about, but which other people are wary to do so?
I believe it would be about my mental health. I am open and honest about my prior and current struggles. Last year, I was dealing with some personal issues, then to help the process, I chose to be honest with my friends and a few company leaders about the situation, asking for support. I am not sure other individuals would be as forthcoming about this subject. It seems that discussing mental health with coworkers and leaders is still stigmatised, but I opted to be open about what was bothering me.
8) When was the last time you felt like an outsider in a group? What/How did you learn?
Last January I got laid off from a company in a different country (Spain). It was tough to overcome the feeling of being an outsider in a country with no friends, support, or job. This experience taught me to speak more effectively with others and express my feelings as an outsider in order to find connections who may understand the issue. So far, so good!
9) What’s the last image on your camera roll? Care to explain?
Easy peasy: happy watching the Formula 1 classification in Catalunya, Spain.
10) What is the best purchase you’ve made recently? Why?
A new bicycle! I enjoy cycling, and since I live in a small city (Valencia, Spain), it is super convenient to cycle to get around. Save the environment while boosting your health!
11) If you were to own a bar, and you could design it how you wanted, what would it look like?
A comfy and pleasant bar with black and pink furniture targeted towards women. A place to encourage women and assist them in building connections while empowering each of the ladies that gather there!
12. If you were to survive the zombie apocalypse, what role would you play in the new society that would follow?
I would love to have two roles: a constructor of a new city and a kindness teacher!
13. What’s the best piece of professional advice you’ve ever received? Who gave it and when?
Make a good rapport with anyone you talk to by connecting with them and being open to listening to them. Real listening! Honestly, creating connections became more accessible and better after hearing this advice from a former teacher in my coaching course about four years ago. My life has changed after this little advice!
14. What's a skill that isn’t on your resume, but your former bosses would recognize as one of the reasons you are successful?
Dedication and Learning passion. I have heard those two things from former bosses, therapists, coaches, and family members. I always continued learning and working until I achieved my goals. And I’m proud of those abilities!
15. What’s the one bad quality you wouldn’t mind in a colleague? Why?
I believe that a lack of organisation is a bad quality that I can deal with. Working with a colleague who is the polar opposite of me on this point offers a balance to the relationship and enables us to learn from each other.
16. Have you ever been the weakest member of a team? How did you handle it?
Yes, and that hit hard on me! During this time, I took four actions to support myself: built a strong partnership with the leadership team, created a self-development plan to support myself, requested regular feedback from the team, and asked for support from colleagues to learn from them.
It’s not easy to be in this situation; your self-esteem is also affected, but I utilised it as a learning experience, taking advantage of the opportunities to help me overcome the issue and get back on track. It was tough, however, it gave me multiple chances to improve my job performance and work on some self analysis.
17. When it comes to our work and industry: what scares you most?
Artificial intelligence has been worrying me for some time, but I’m continuously learning and gathering more deets to better comprehend it and how it may affect recruitment. My concern is that the area becomes too mechanical, and we lose the human touch with one another. It’s quite crazy, I know, but also a good reason to study more the topic.
18. Do you have a secret tip, tool or trick that’s contributed to your success?
Study and learn, open yourself to feedback, rethink your career and processes if needed, and be flexible and adaptable.
19. If you could add a question for the next person to answer, what would it be?
What was your biggest failure and what did you learn from it?
20. Who would you recommend to do the next 20 Questions With … ?
Cliche, but I’d love to read my parents’ answers! They have worked with so many areas and dealing with a world not much connected to the internet, that could be interesting! Thanks! 😊
Thank you to Amanda Corse Ferreira for taking 20 Questions for The Brainfood Tribune. Make sure to follow Amanda on LinkedIn.