As you know spring has finally sprung, (I am honestly so paranoid at this point, like I worry that just writing about it is going to jinx it somehow, so please shhh… we don’t want to attract any attention), so the plan for the blog in April is to talk you through a bit of spring cleaning. Basically, I will release two articles a week (Monday and Thursday) that help you de-clutter one aspect of your life. Last Monday, I spoke about starting the de-cluttering process with you, your mind, your body and everything in between. Then I moved on to speak to nurturing mature, adult relationships and building your tribe organically.
This week is all about making money moves. I am an original member of Cardi B’s fan club, ok? I’ve had a VIP seat on the bandwagon for a couple of years, so yeah I’m not one of you new, fair weather friends. I feel like making money moves can be broken down into two. Making money moves can be interpreted to mean making connections and taking steps to secure your place in a field, which we will be discussing in today’s article. Making money moves can also be interpreted to mean literally racking up a good amount of money in your bank account, which we will be discussing in Thursday’s article. So, it is important to learn how to leverage every career opportunity in order to drip in finesse basically. No matter how good you think your life is, every couple of months or so, it is good for you to take stock of where you are financially/career-wise and make the necessary adjustments.
I currently write for my personal lifestyle blog and Schick Magazine but I am also in the process of looking for permanent, full-time employment, so I am definitely not judging you. To get a clear picture of where you are right now and where you want to be and how to bridge the two, you need to make space. You need to clear out everything on your path that isn’t adding value and you need to make a few tough decisions and sacrifices to prove that you are serious and willing to attract the right people.
So, here’s what I have learned along the way and continue to learn because like I say, I am still on the journey. The first thing to do when spring cleaning your career is to update your resumé. It is such a simple task but it can make such a difference and is so often overlooked. If you have worked the same job for a couple of years, chances are that you haven’t been looking at other opportunities so you have the same resumé you applied to your job with. Well, it goes without saying that the resumé that worked great a couple of years ago is unlikely to be just as effective right now. If you are like me and still looking for a long-term opportunity, then there is a high chance you have several updated versions of your resumé, which is great. However, little details like grammar and tense are incredibly powerful. You also want to try your best to keep your resumé to about a page long and focus on the tasks you spearheaded and the results you achieved in each role and the information that is relevant to the specific role you are applying for.
Once you have updated your resumé, it is much easier to update your LinkedIn. It is important for your resumé and your LinkedIn to be in sync, if not you run the risk of confusing potential employers. The fact that you sometimes forget that you have a LinkedIn profile is no excuse because employers definitely remember, I’ll tell you that much. Speaking of social media, most times, I bet your social media accounts can use a little clean up too. I started getting social media accounts when I was about thirteen years old, and I am currently twenty-three, needless to say that a few things are different and I have put out some things that I would like to forget, unfortunately, the internet does not forget. So, it is important to take things into your own hands and delete/deactivate all social media accounts that you no longer care for.
If you have read my blog for a little while, then you know that I am probably the most awkward girl in the room. Thus, I find that working on my elevator pitch as often as possible, especially before any networking or work-related event, really does help. An elevator pitch is essentially a thirty-second breakdown of your skills and experience adapted to the person you are presenting it to. Sounds easy enough but you never know how much work your elevator pitch does or does not need until you practice. A great elevator pitch at a networking event can get you a contact that will literally change the course of your career permanently. I used to think that people who are gainfully employed didn’t need to make time for networking events and follow up after because they just didn’t need it, you know? Well, no. At networking events, there are significantly more people with jobs than without. Apparently, unless you are Richard Branson and you own your own private island or you have Beyoncé/Jay Z money… and even then, there are still opportunities at every level and people who have access to resources you could do with. Thus, learning and mastering the art of working a room is incredibly essential to success. You need to be able to identify potential collaborators and opportunities and articulate to the people what value you can add in as little time and with as little risk for them as possible.
Working a room and scouting collaborators is no longer limited to your 9 to 5, because no one wants to be a struggling artist anymore. At networking events, I find that more and more people are boldly discussing their passions and investing their time in interests and hobbies that do not directly serve their 9 to 5. People who possess true talent in an artistic field, now leverage those skills in the marketplace. Skills that were totally ignored and put on the back burner to be attended to at an unspecified time, are now taking centre stage because at the end of the day, you decide how the world views the value you can add. Sometimes passions only have hobby potential and no real financial viability but people are more willing and courageous enough to take the small chance that therein lies their true success and real happiness. After all no one is asking you to quit your day job and there is no real reason why you can’t do a few different things at once.
Do some reflection. As my girl, musician and inspirational woman Alicia Keys says “destroy the idea that you have to be constantly working or grinding to be successful, embrace the concept that rest, recovery and reflection are essential parts of the progress towards a successful and ultimately happy life.” I think this is particularly important because there is this notion that somehow following your dreams and gaining any sort of success has to be incredibly stressful and everyone seems to be so obsessed with the idea of looking busy. I am fully aware that chasing your dreams CAN be stressful but it doesn’t have to be. Being stretched thin or having no time to do relaxing things should not be a trophy or a thing to hold over other people or a thing to be ashamed of either, it should be something to work on. I want to reach a place in my career where I am proud of what I have accomplished but I never want to reach a place where my career is the only thing I am proud of.
I love women like Solange and Alicia Keys because they inspire authenticity and living your truth. These gorgeous, Black women have created their own lane and stuck to pursuing their own individual definitions of success, no matter how many time society and popular culture have tried to dictate to them what they should aspire to. I mean Solange does not have to look far at all, she is Beyoncé’s younger sister. However, she has managed to do her own thing! She has managed to be her own person and live her life the way she deems fit. There is really something to be said for making your own rules and no one knows that better than my girl, Cardi B. Before her, female rap’s reigning champ, Nicki Minaj had no real competition. And I mean, Cardi B is the first one to address her haters but even her haters know that she is winning and you absolutely cannot knock her hustle. So, I hope you get your current accolades in order and get more accolades. As you know, I am rooting for you and me both.
No comments:
Post a Comment