Whether you’re looking to change careers or boost your current one, it’s not easy making that move. Trust me, I’ve been there. I get it. And I know there’s many others out there in the same boat. SO, I teamed up with this cool program called Make a Power Move (MAPM) that I think you will all find inspirational, helpful and fun at the same time.
Make a Power Move is a partnership with Covergirl, Pantene and Olay, as well as the professional network Levo, and their goal is to help women along their professional journey with beauty, style and career advice. They’ve also teamed up with celebrities like E! News‘s Ali Fedotowsky, This That Beauty founder Felicia Walker Benson and stylist Irma Martinez…who are giving their own career advice as part of MAPM. So now that you get what it is, I wanted to take this to the next level. The two main reasons I started ChiCityFashion are to promote fashion in Chicago and to get people to understand that fashion is more than a materialistic thing — it really is the ultimate confidence booster. Make a Power Move has the same message with regards to confidence but in this case, with beauty (hence their partners).
Everyone wants to be the best version of themselves, right? You can get great tips from Ali, Felicia and Irma on the MAPM site, but I wanted to ask some successful Chicago women their career advice (everything from being a college grad in the real world to interview and beauty tips) to share exclusively with YOU.
Patrice Grell Yursik, creator of Afrobella
My best advice for a recent college graduate is: congrats on graduating! In many ways, your education is now beginning. The safe haven of campus life will come to an end, and the working world comes with unique challenges. If you stay open, eager, willing and ready to learn the ropes, you will excel in your new environment. Be strong of spirit and don’t be easily discouraged.
In terms of beauty and style in the workplace, I think the safest bet is to start conservative before you get a good read on what is acceptable in the office. I have big, fluffy natural hair and a love of colorful clothing. In my first month at my new job, I toned down my personal style initially and added a bunch of blazers to my wardrobe, until I realized my creative office allowed for jeans and cute tops and minimal restrictions in terms of hair or makeup. I think it’s wise to get an idea of what the rules are before pushing them to the limit and each office environment is different.
Nicole Pearl, founder of The Beauty Girl
It’s not about the name; it’s about the role. Sure, it sounds sexy to say you work at — insert name of a big, glossy magazine. But the biggest mistake you can make when job hunting is obsessing over the title. Focus on what you’ll be learning and who you’ll be learning from. You’ll have more responsibilities at a smaller place, which will ultimately give you the experience you need to move up the ranks faster and land your dream job. I went from answering the editor-in-chief’s phone at Us Weekly to creating the beauty department at Golf for Women (I don’t even golf!) But that ultimately got me to my next job as a beauty editor at Shop Etc. and the rest is history.
As far as interview tips, first impression matters. Always arrive 5 minutes early, always have a pen and stylish notebook handy to take notes and come prepared with one or two questions to ask about the position or work culture. Lastly, make sure your nail polish isn’t chipped. A potential boss wants to know you pay attention to details.
Monica Royer, founder and CEO of Monica + Andy
Working hard from day 1 and taking on extra projects is a great way to show that you take a job seriously. Never look to get by with the minimum…always go for the maximum.
As far as wardrobe for your new career, find the staple pieces you feel the most confident in and splurge on those. I found that a sheath dress was always my go-to and I have collected so many over the years. This paired with heels was my uniform. Of course it varies depending on what job you have but I think dressing the part has always helped to make me feel more confident.
Lastly, your career is always the hardest (and most exciting!) when you are just starting. If you are just out of college you will probably be starting from the most junior position where you are. Instead of seeing this as a difficulty, relish the time you have to learn as much as you can. You will work your way up and won’t always be the new person.
Nikia Jefferson, founder and editor of Chitown Fashionista
My advice to a recent college grad would be to know the difference between confidence and arrogance. Never walk into a meeting believing that you know everything. Be well-prepared but also open to hearing the perspective and feedback of others. Also, be aware that every social interaction (whether in person or via social media) could potentially impact employment and networking opportunities. In terms of appearance, keep in mind that people are paying very close attention to how you dress, even if it doesn’t seem like it. And if you’re looking to climb the corporate ladder, always dress similar to those in the positions you want to obtain.
Good stuff, right? I wanted to get a good mix of people…ones who blog full time or have corporate jobs on the side. Local lady entrepreneurs who have had various backgrounds. Although I mostly focus on fashion and beauty, I think this advice can be helpful for any industry. Just a few words of personal experience…
I’ve been working since I was 16 (I guess legally since 16…not counting when I would sell my Beanie Babies and lanyards at my parents’ office in the 90s). Not because I was forced to, because I wanted to. I enjoy working and keeping busy. I’ve been a hostess, I’ve worked in retail, I’ve had way too many unpaid internships (one of which, I actually had to dress business casual…or at least I attempted to!) but I always BUSTED my ass. No matter what the job or the pay. Many jobs or internships I got only because I followed up. Azeeza Khan shared some great career advice in Episode 2 of Fashion Friends and I mentioned one piece of advice I always give is to FOLLOW UP. Just because you send in your resume, doesn’t mean you’re going to get the job.
It’s very cool, and unfortunately not all that common, to have a job you truly love. That’s the reason I started Chi City Careers — to help YOU find a job or internship in Chicago…and hopefully you’ll love it! Over the years, I’ve received a lot of career of advice but no one ever seems to talk about confidence when it comes to your career. I’ve never had one specific talent I knew I was amazing at, and that I could potentially make a living off of. It’s not like I’m an incredible singer and I’m destined to record an album (fun fact: I’m a terrible singer) or I just kill it at numbers and I’d be a fantastic accountant or financial advisor (fun fact: I hate math). BUT getting older isn’t all about grey hairs and anti aging products, you actually get more confident as time goes on. Some how no one ever told me that. And you know what? It’s pretty awesome. When I got my first job out of college I had NO idea what I was doing (I was just thankful someone hired me and was actually willing to pay me). As time went on, I got more confident in what I was doing and it was a really great feeling. When I decided to quit my job and take ChiCityFashion full time (talk about making a power move!) I was terrified. I didn’t know anyone personally who blogged full time. It was like I had no idea what I was doing all over again. And now, although I’m still winging it, I feel like I have the hang of this now. If you know what it’s like to love your job and be good at it, you know it’s quite the wonderful feeling. If you don’t, maybe it’s time you make a power move?
With regards to the beauty aspect, I think Patrice, Nicole, Monica and Nikia summed it up really well. When you look good, you feel good. And you need both fashion and beauty to accomplish that. Starting off with clean, healthy hair is probably a good start (as you don’t want to show up looking all greasy to your interview or first day on the job!) That’s where Pantene Pro-V Smooth & Sleek Taming Shampoo + Conditioner comes in…
When it comes to your beauty routine, you have to start with the skin. Makeup is important too but having a fresh canvas to work with makes applying everything a lot easier. Cue Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream…
Okay now we can get to the makeup 🙂 To be honest, I don’t wear eyeliner that often (mostly just because I’m not all that great at applying it) BUT when it comes to important events (like a job interview) it’s nice to have a brighter-looking eye. Bonus? COVERGIRL Perfect Point Plus Eyeliner is actually easy to apply…even for me!
Mascara is my #1. To answer that “if you could only use one piece of makeup for the rest of your life, what would it be?” question — I will always respond with MASCARA. Again, going with the whole bright eye thing…nothing opens those eyes (and makes it look like you got a couple more hours of sleep) like COVERGIRL The Super Sizer Mascara by LashBlast.
To top it all off, what says I’M CONFIDENT better than a red lip? You can’t be self conscious with a red lip. You just can’t. So if you want to show your boss you can get the job done, try a little COVERGIRL Outlast Longwear Lipcolor. Plus, you won’t have to take a break every hour to reapply…and I think your boss will appreciate that 😉
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So now that I’ve rambled about confidence, jobs, beauty and so much more. I hope you can take at least one thing away from this. BUT if you can’t get enough, check out the Make a Power Move site and share your power move(s) in the comments!
Photos via Make a Power Move, courtesy of each entrepreneur & by Heather Talbert.
In partnership with Make A Power Move.
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