10 August 2026
From Setback to Success: How Joanna Rutyna-Tonesi Restarted Her Human Resources Career
Starting a career in a new country can be challenging, even for experienced professionals. When Joanna Rutyna-Tonesi arrived in San Diego, she brought years of international HR experience, advanced degrees, a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification and fluency in three languages. She had big ambitions.
But even with a stellar resume, landing the right HR position proved difficult. Her story shows that success often requires persistence, adaptability and strategic upskilling to gain the local expertise needed to succeed in the U.S. workforce.
Despite a strong career background in human resources, Joanna Rutyna-Tonesi’s transition into the U.S. workforce was not straightforward.
“I am a woman, an immigrant [and] a mother who came to San Diego four years ago with big dreams and with seven years of HR experience, with two master's degrees, with a green belt certificate and being trilingual.”
Rutyna-Tonesi found herself applying to countless job postings, keeping track of callbacks and interviews in a spreadsheet to help strategize her job search.
“Even though I was applying for jobs daily and I attended a lot of networking events, I was still not getting the results that I was looking for.”
Reflecting on that period, Rutyna-Tonesi said the experience ultimately reshaped how she approached her career.
“My journey made me realize that sometimes success doesn't follow the plan we want. Sometimes you just need to keep going, stay humble, and be willing to learn.”
Finding a Path Forward
Determined to keep moving forward, Rutyna-Tonesi began looking for ways to strengthen her professional profile in the United States. That search led her to the Human Resource Management certificate program at UC San Diego Extended Studies.
“So this is when I decided to take another step forward, and I enrolled for [the]] HR management certificate.”
The program quickly gave her renewed confidence in her job search.
“Once I enrolled, I put this program in my resume, and with this new confidence, I started applying for jobs.”
That step proved pivotal. Soon after enrolling, she secured a position as an HR coordinator at Road Runner Sports.
“I applied for my current position, and I got it, and I'm happy to share that as of July, I started working for Road Runner Sports.”
Bridging the Gap
Rutyna-Tonesi said the program helped address a key challenge she had encountered while applying for jobs: understanding HR practices in California.
“When I was applying previously for jobs, I could feel that there [was] something missing in my resume.”
Feedback from recruiters helped clarify what was holding her back.
“One of the recruiters said that actually I was missing that part of California HR, and this is when I decided that [the HR management] program will definitely change this.”
She chose UC San Diego Extended Studies because its fully online, web-based format fit her professional and family responsibilities.
She placed high value on the breadth of course offerings and the program’s reputation.
“I was also impressed by the wide course selection, and Extended Studies also stood out for its reputation and ideal program duration.”
Applying Knowledge on the Job
Today, Rutyna-Tonesi is applying what she learns directly in her workplace. The practical nature of the courses has made it easier to contribute to projects and build expertise.
“I am currently participating in a lot of exciting projects at work, and actually, I'm able to apply what I learned during my courses in the upcoming projects.”
She particularly appreciated that the instructors bring real-world expertise to the classroom.
“I really like the fact that the teachers are experts in the area, and that you get the knowledge that is ready to apply in the workplace.”
One class stood out for its perfect timing and relevance.
“It was the benefits class, and it was a perfect match.”
Because employee benefits systems in the United States differ significantly from those in Europe, the course helped her better understand an area that had previously been unfamiliar to her.
Completing the Fundamentals of Employee Benefits class just as her company entered its benefits enrollment period made the experience especially valuable.
“Once I completed the class, we had enrollment time here in the company for the benefits. So it was really perfect timing for me to know what actually was happening here at work.”
Balancing Work, Family and Study
Like many Extended Studies students, Rutyna-Tonesi balances professional development with work and family life. She credits the program’s flexibility with making that possible.
“What I like the most about the program is that it's fully online and it helps me to balance studies with my other responsibilities.”
She has also developed a routine that allows her to study while still protecting family time.
“Every day after school, we have half an hour of quiet time where my children are reading books, and this is when I find these 30 minutes to listen to the lectures.”
By staying consistent during the week, she keeps her weekends free.
“It’s actually possible to do the lectures and the homework before the weekend so I can spend the whole weekend with the family.”
Looking Ahead
Rutyna-Tonesi views continuous learning as essential in the HR profession, where regulations and best practices are constantly evolving.
“I think it's really important in an HR career to always upskill. Law changes. Labor law changes. And also, there are always new studies that show that things change…so it's really important that we stay on top, so that we have the most accurate information to apply at work.”
Reflecting on her experience, she says the program has helped bridge the gap between where she was and where she wanted to be.“In the long term, I would really like to become an HR expert.”
Her advice for others considering the program is straightforward.
“Just do it. Don't overthink it and enroll.”
Ready to level up your career in Human Resources? Enroll today in the Professional Certificate in Human Resource Management offered by UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies.