5 Pieces of Career Girl Advice.
Here are 5 pieces of advice I would have given myself, way back when, and which I’m sure I will look back on in another five years and be annoyed I didn’t heed now. That’s how time travel works, y’all.
1. Don’t always email right back.
If you’re playing a game of email tag, don’t be the eager one who is always writing back T-minus 3 minutes after their reply is in your inbox. My friend Jack, an aspiring blogger and all around wonderful human,(find him: http://livingnimbly.com/) and I have had many a Facebook call about this-- the “waiting” game. Remain politely engaged, show your enthusiasm/interest but do not at any cost bust out the color coding highlighters for how you’re going to make this person/brand become your best friend. Easy, Tiger. Good things come to those who read a reply, draft a response and then maybe get a cup of coffee before editing said response and setting up the perfect meeting. Patience!
2. Follow any lead-- but be smart!
My best friend’s little sister is attempting to find an internship in publishing/fashion in a HUGE U.S. city, currently. She went on an interview for an internship, and got the internship. Then she went to coffee with the other interns* and realized that the boss was a total skeeze. She was smart. She got herself out of that situation. Unfortunately, this fate may befall more than your average dozen or so women. My piece of advice? When you’re getting started, follow any lead you can-- but always keep your logic or wits about you.
* I guess piece of advice 2a would be befriend the other interns etc. You have no idea how helpful they’re going to be when it comes to running every day ideas/vacation buddies. Do it.
3. Keep Your Resume/Linkedin Fresh.
I did an internship when I was seventeen with a magazine that -- let’s just say-- doesn’t align with my personal/political beliefs. Yet, I did it. Because I had been recommended for the position but also because I was looking at the time to get into publishing. It’s been almost six years and I’ve recently come to the conclusion that I can scrap this from my resume. No one needs to or wants to know this part of my professional developmental pathway. Just like they don’t need to know what clubs you were on in high school (or, GASP....your GPA from college-- if they want to know it, they can ask). Also, use discretion when sharing your references. I like to keep my list short, sweet and significant. Though they know they’re on your reference list, drop Mary, Jane and Joe an email when you apply to something new so they remember your best features-- and in some high profile cases, who you are-- before that future Boss comes knocking.
4. Don’t Make It Public. Ever.
I do not want to see that you’ve applied for a job on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram. I do want to see that you’ve gotten the job and are moving to [ENTER STATE/COUNTRY/PLANET] here. This falls under the same umbrella as not posting about a new relationship a few days in-- wait until you’re sure. I had a classmate in undergrad who was infamous for posting where they’d submitted internship applications and never actually getting those internships. It makes for awkward discussion on your end. Contain your excitement and the pay off will be much, much better.
5. Go forth and work your ass off.
Recently, I went to a professional development lecture in my field. The woman speaking talked about how at her last job before this one, she had done the work of three people and only after leaving that situation did it affect her how stressed out she had been. But, it also taught her she could handle basically anything. And that’s what your twenties are for, beautiful darling. Go out there and work a night job and an internship and a volunteer position. Pad your resume. Learn to always carry your phone charger and deodorant in your purse for emergency scenarios. Collect everything now so that in five-ten-fifteen years you can look back and say you did it all for something worthwhile.
