Jillian Snyder, MS, CRC, CPRW

I would say my success is most attributed to my positive attitude and the enthusiasm to keep trying. It's about not getting deterred by my path changing and just saying, 'okay, well, let's try this.' I take something from every opportunity I've had, and I recognize that I'm growing and developing still. I'm in my thirties, but I feel like I'm still very youthful - I'm still learning things every single day. I approach every challenge as an opportunity for growth rather than letting setbacks stop me.

Early in my career, I was blessed to work with a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor for the New York State Commission for the Blind named Darla Miller. She saw my potential and encouraged me to develop my skills. Her encouragement in me led me to pursue my graduate degree and advance my career. She supported me in the way I now support others. Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors have the ability to help people turn their dreams into plans and achieve their goals. It is such a beautiful and fulfilling occupation. We have the opportunity to bring people hope and purpose in their personal lives, which inspires them to achieve greatness.

The best advice I share with people, which has become central to my own philosophy, is that there's no such thing as failure; you're going to learn something and you're gonna take something away from every single opportunity. Even if it's something that doesn't work out or something you don't enjoy, you're going to take something away from that opportunity. You're going to grow in some sort of way, and that's going to help develop you. As long as you keep a positive attitude and as long as you see it as an opportunity for growth and development, there's literally no such thing as failure. This perspective has shaped how I approach my own career and how I help others navigate theirs.

A perfect example is how I began my career. In 2004, I began volunteering at a summer camp for adults with developmental disabilities called Camp Duffield. I had no idea how influential that experience would be on my entire life. I spent my summers helping people with disabilities make tie dye shirts, boondoggle, learn camp songs, and it never occurred to me that I was doing work because I loved it so much. Later, those experiences shaped me as a person and set a foundation for ethics that I built my career on. I have tried so many other jobs in my life but I could never imagine a career that didn't involve helping people in some way. I encourage everyone to experience helping people in a direct care sort of way at least once. It is the best way to develop a strong sense of empathy, patience and compassion.

I would definitely tell them that there's no such thing as failure. You're going to receive growth and development out of every single opportunity that you face, regardless of if it's a long-term opportunity or a short-term opportunity. Approach every single opportunity as 'I'm going to grow and develop from this in some way, shape, or form." Don't be afraid when your path changes or when things don't go as planned. Take something valuable from each experience and keep that enthusiasm to keep trying. The key is maintaining a positive attitude and seeing every challenge as a chance to learn and become better at what you do. When faced with a task that is new, it can be scary or intimidating at first. I like to shift my perspective and view it as one more thing I will know how to do.

The greatest opportunity in my field right now is continuing to grow into senior-level roles—something my master’s degree has already helped me accomplish. I’ve progressed from entry-level positions into senior-level career coaching, operating at a much higher professional capacity than before. The next step would likely be becoming a senior-level career counselor within a state agency, which would involve increased leadership responsibilities, including managing and supervising other counselors.

While that advancement is appealing, it also presents a personal challenge. Those roles tend to focus more on oversight and administration than on direct client work. My true passion lies in working one-on-one with individuals—that’s where I feel most effective and fulfilled. I would value the opportunity to mentor emerging counselors and help shape strong, capable professionals, but I know I would deeply miss the meaningful connection that comes from supporting clients directly.

Ultimately, the challenge is finding the right balance between pursuing career advancement and staying connected to the hands-on work that inspires me most. I remain open to future growth opportunities, including remote Vocational Case Management roles that would allow me to support clients nationwide while continuing to engage directly in the work I care about most.

My values are most deeply rooted in honoring people's autonomy. It's extremely important to me to recognize someone's autonomy, empower their autonomy, and respect their autonomy. What I mean by that is when someone works with me, I want to give them the strength and motivation to pursue their dreams. I show them the realistic and achievable steps to get there, and I encourage them to not give up on themselves and to actually follow through with it. Helping people realize their potential and encouraging their autonomy is a very strong value for me. I believe in empowering people to make their own choices and supporting them in achieving what they truly want, not what others think they should want. My methodology is a blend of Strength-Based interventions and Person-Centered approaches to vocational counseling. It is important to me to take the time to get to know each client as an individual and develop plans that are realistic and achievable based on their individualized needs.