3 Things To Do If You Are Serious About Your Career from Top Millennial Money + Career + Lifestyle Blog, She Makes Cents

3 Things To Do To Advance Your Career

Published on July 26, 2018August 1, 2018 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

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Have you ever noticed that people often refer to the journey of career mobility in the linear sense? Think career path and/or the illustrious career ladder. They both direct you to go forward which is interesting because sometimes the best moves for one’s career advancement is lateral and then upward? Melissa Kirsch, author of the book The Girl’s Guide: Getting the Hang of Your Whole Complicated, Unpredictable, Impossibly Amazing Life (a must read for 20-something women) explains it in one of the most realist descriptions I’ve heard. According to Kirsch, “Your career path isn’t a one-way paved highway that you whiz down on cruise control; it’s more like a windy trail through a brambly thicket for which you might even have to buy new shoes”. Regardless of what symbol you use to represent the odyssey of your career, there are some things and people who make trekking through the brambly thicket of vocational exploration a more intentional experience.

Find A Mentor

A mentor is a trusted and experienced advisor that is personally invested in your success. The operative words here are trusted and experienced. Many people assign these roles to public figures and online influencers, but the best mentor-mentee relationships are often formed through an established relationship between two people. Forbes contributor and General Counsel for Paypal, Louise Pentland agrees, stating, “the common thread through all of my most successful mentorships have been that my mentor and I had a friendship first. It’s difficult to ask someone to be your mentor if they don’t know who you are because a mentorship needs to be about connection, chemistry, and trust”. When choosing a prospective mentor, be intentional, selective, and concise.

Very few successful people got to the top alone because they were smart enough to find someone to guide and advise them along the way. But finding a mentor is only 1/3 of your to-do list here today. You also need someone to advocate on your behalf. This person, ladies and gentlemen, is known as a sponsor and his or her role and responsibility is very different from that of a mentor.

Identify Those Who Act As Your Sponsor & Nurture That Relationship

I remember suggesting to a mentee of mine who was about to graduate college that she should identify someone who could be a sponsor for her, and she took that to mean that she needed to find a Sugar Daddy. Ugh…no sis, that is NOT what I meant. In fact, many women, in particular, do not know what a sponsor is and those that have some understanding often think that a mentor and a sponsor are one in the same. {Sigh} Let’s add this to another bullet point of things that widen the gender pay gap when compared to our male counterparts. According to Sylvia Ann Hewlett in her book, Forget a Mentor, Find a Sponsor, she argues that “women on average have three times as many mentors as men — but men have twice as many sponsors”. In fact, the Harvard Business Review went so far as to say “women are over-mentored and under-sponsored.” So why is this a problem? It is because third-party credibility is always more powerful than anything you can ever say on your own behalf. That’s why people check Yelp and Google reviews before making a decision. Sponsorship often times leads to the influence of a decision that will affect you in a positive way.

To get ahead, you need to pay close attention to those around you who pour into your career both in your presence and when you are working away in your office. Someone who speaks on your behalf during closed-door meetings. Someone who puts their own skin in the game and name on the line by using their connections to help advance you. Financially speaking, a sponsor can help influence decisions that help you get considered for raises, promotions, opportunities and garner career success because unlike mentors, they work at the same organization as you and understand the culture of your company and industry.

My very first sponsor was someone who was advocating for me for months before I even found out. When I found out about how often she spoke to the higher-ups about my accomplishments and contributions, I knew it was time to nurture that relationship a bit more. I started sharing my career goals because if she knows where I want to go, she can help me gain access to the right people. While we no longer work together, our interactions have progressed to a symbiotic relationship where I am now in a position to scratch her back like she scratched mine.

Take Control Of Your Online Presence

What pops up when you Google yourself? (don’t worry, I’ll wait while you check that out). Did something pop up that you would be embarrassed if your boss saw it? How about your bosses’ boss? Is there information on the web that no longer reflects your interests? Are there spring break photos from Cabo that you would DIE if your co-workers saw? Hello, itty bitty teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini. I think you get the point.

Security Settings

Before we talk strategy, you must first accept that anything you put on the internet can be seen by anyone, despite your security settings. It’s true. If someone really wants to find out what you are posting, they can. But let’s not make it easy for them. Unless you are trying to get Insta-famous, you are your own personal brand or the content that you post is industry-friendly, then you may want to consider making your page private.

Delete, Delete, Delete

Most people will tell you it is time to clean up your online presence and I agree with “most people” in this instance. It’s time to archive your old photos that are unflattering and frankly embarrassing, especially if you leave your social media public. I personally do a clean sweep of my social media about 3 times a year.

In addition to a little sprucing up of your social media, I will add that it is past time to take control of your online presence. This is important because people will naturally Google you when that want to know more about you. It is exactly what your bosses’ boss will do when your sponsor talks about you and it is imperative that your online presence matches what your sponsor says about you.

Personal Branding

So how do you do this? Well, the easiest way is to build a professional resume website or personal branding for yourself, assuming this does not violate any social media policies from your employer. Think of it as a mix of a professional brag book, resume, blog, and portfolio all in one that serves as a career introduction. Here is a snippet of what is out on the web about me.

How to Start a Blog for Personal Branding

Pick A Domain. Start with this domain name checker to see if YOUR NAME is available to use on your new site. If your name is taken, try adding in a location to your domain name. For example, Topher Mack is tophermackatl.com because he is located in Atlanta. By doing this, it will be one of the first things that pops up when someone searches for you on the web.
Pick a Web Host. A web host is a type of internet hosting service that allows individuals and organizations to make their website accessible on the web. In my 9 to 5 life, I help creatives and busy business owners fuse style and strategy to develop a clear brand identity and visual presence. That often means I create websites that reflect their personal brand and I use SMC affiliate, Bluehost for my web hosting. I like it because it works so well with WordPress and it is easy to use.
WordPress. I am biased when it comes to publishing platforms because She Makes Cents is run on WordPress. It is an easy to use platform that is SEO friendly, which means that you are likely to have the content you produce to rank higher in search engines. When anyone searches for you, they are likely to see the good content that you put out on the first page instead of page 5 of Google. Seriously, nobody has the time or the attention span to scroll through 5 pages to see who and what you are about.
Content. CONTENT! CONTENT! CONTENT! If you have made it this far into this post, I know you are serious about ways to gain career success. The content that you create for your professional brag site, should include recommendations from clients & colleagues, excerpts from your portfolio, accolades, ways people can get in touch with you, awards, your resume, and a small mix of your personal interests. You can even use this site to repost from influencers in your industry that you respect which shows that you go above the status quo to immerse yourself in your industry. Want to take it a step up, link it to your LinkedIn page.

When you are feeling stuck in your career, you can use some of these tips to breathe life and inspiration back into what you do. Get a mentor or two. Identify your professional allies and advocates. Take control of your presences and personal branding visuals. If anything, revisit your personal branding website when you need a reminder all of the great things you are doing in your career, big or small.

Cliff Notes: A sponsor advocates on your behalf to help you get a seat at the table. A mentor’s guidance and advisement teaches what to do to keep that seat. That’s why it is important to have BOTH. Being the smart woman who you are, I know that you know that you can’t leave your career in everybody else’s hand. That is why taking control and creating a personal brand through a professional website is the third component of attracting positive and professional success in your career.

Career Advice for Millennial Women from She Makes Cents

Career Advice: How To Toot Your Own Horn With Confidence

Published on April 19, 2017March 21, 2018 by Danielle YB Vason1 Comment

When I was a little girl, my mom explained to me that my job as a child was to be great in school. The operative word in that sentence is JOB! I got up every day and went to school the same way my parents got up every day and went to work. So when review time came, or in my case report card time, my parents would allow me to post my latest report card on the refrigerator. I was a straight-A student who was proud of my hard work and my parents created a physical and mental space for me to express pride in accomplishments. The refrigerator was a space in the home where everyone who visited could see what I have been up to. My parents were proud of me and I was proud of myself. That’s a nice memory, but why does that matter now? It was important to my development because it gave me the ok to toot my own horn and the space to do so. In that space that my parents created, I learned how to share my success without realizing that that very practice could someday have negative repercussions.

Why Women Mute Their Accomplishments In The Workplace

I’m sure many of you can relate to that childhood memory….but how many of you can relate to the transition that many women experience. Somewhere along the way, women are taught that sharing our own accomplishments often comes with declines in popularity and other professional ramifications. In her book Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg recalls, “Jocelyn Goldfein, one of the engineering directors at Facebook held a meeting at Facebook where female engineers were encouraged to share the progress they had made on the products they were building. SILENCE. No one wanted to toot her own horn. Who would want to speak up when self-promoting women are disliked? Jocelyn changed her approach. Instead of asking women to talk about themselves, she asked them to tell one another’s stories. The exercise was communal, which put everyone at ease”. Why can’t we be at ease talking about our own success? Are we more at ease in our silence? These are the questions that we rarely think about but we must address.

How to Toot Your Horn at Work with confidence

It’s funny, we get fed conflicting messages all the time with regard to the topic. On one hand, we are told to “work in silence and let success make the noise”. Again, why is there such an emphasis of to silence talk of one’s own accomplishments? On the other hand, we are told that “closed mouths don’t get fed”. I’m not promoting cockiness in the workplace, but I am inviting women to be more confident in their achievements and ok sharing them. I have experienced something very similar to the example of the quiet female engineers. Women in the predominately female office were always shy to tell stories of success when asked for. Again silence. Below are a few examples of how to take the eek out of self-promotion.

Change Your Mind Set. If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? The same question can go for you and your career. You can do beautiful work in your prospective industry. You can make strides in your field, but if no one knows about your successes that can leave the door open for others to take credit for your work, it keeps your reputation pigeon-holed, and often leaves money on the table. If you can’t clearly, comfortably, and confidently share your career achievements in a professional setting you are also diminishing the worth of your work. I once advised the owner of a design firm in Atlanta on the disadvantages of this very concept. “You do beautiful work”, I said, “but it means nothing for you and the development of your brand if not one knows about it”.

Shoot A Brief Email. In theory, your boss wants the best for you because you succeeding makes them look good. Try sending them an email to shine a light on a recent accomplishment. For example, if you hit your sales goal for the month a little early, let them know. If you found a more efficient way to do something in your industry, shoot your boss a brief email sharing your discovery. Insider Tip: If you work on a team, make sure that you include EVERYONE who impacted the outcome. You can break out what each person’s contribution was or you can group the win. Whatever you do, do not take sole credit for a group effort.

Buy Your Name. Purchase your name as a domain and create a website or even a static page that works as a digital portfolio of your work. For example, at one point, my name was Danielle Boler, so my corresponding website should have been DanielleBoler.com. In this space, which I recommend you update quarterly, you can allow your clients to post testimonials, you can share press that you have received, and post pictures of WOW projects that you developed. Obviously, the specifics of what you feature will depend on your industry and skill set.

Lean In. Do you remember that example of the Facebook meeting when the female engineers were asked questions about their progress on the products they were building? Well instead of echoing their silence, you should “lean in” and answer the call. In fact, try to be the first person to answer this type of question. In many instances, it is rare when bosses give you their undivided attention for you to share your achievements, so don’t waste their time and your opportunity with silence. Going first presents you as a leader and I’m sure that once you begin sharing your success story, others will follow suit.

The Biggest Mistake Women Make During Career Introductions

Published on February 15, 2017July 30, 2018 by Danielle YB Vason1 Comment

As an avid reader of the Cosmo, I have been a fan of Joanna Coles, former Editor-In-Chief, since her early days of at the magazine. She expanded the content to career advice, finances, and other less traditional “Cosmo” topics making it my all around go to along with Forbes and Inc. That’s right, I am a Cosmo girl. My fan girl experience, with regards to Joanna, went to a level 10 when she liked and retweeted something I wrote back in 2014 about rock star women in business. I felt like that was a small example of how supportive she is of women and their careers. She is one of my celebrity mentors (in my mind) that I actually have never met but learn so much from.

Career Advice from Joanna Coles

While watching episode 1 of So Cosmo, Joanna imparted her wisdom on a group of unsuspecting millennials visiting the Cosmo office. During an introduction exchange between Joanna and the group, one woman introduced herself by her first name only. Joanna explains, “First rule of Joanne Coles, women in particular should always say both names [when introducing their selves]. Women always go, hi, I’m Julie. You have to go hi, I’m Julie Thompson. Men never ever worry about doing that.” She further goes on to explain her rationale behind the “first rule of Joanna Coles” to relationship expert, Matthew Hussey, who overheard the exchange between Coles and the millennials. “It is very important. It’s my signature thing. Cause you think of yourself as Matthew Hussey, but if you were a girl you would just think of yourself as Matthew.”

Hello, I am….

In that moment, I replayed several instances when I introduced myself to clients as simply Danielle when my male counterpart would introduce himself first name last name. While doing a little research about introductions, I found that when people properly introduce themselves by first name last name, the other people is more likely to rememer you and your name. Remember my whole, Hi nice to meet you, I forgot your name already phase?? Perhaps this would have helped everyone back then. What I like about the “first rule of Joanna Coles”, is the expression of assertiveness and dominance in the first introduction. It’s like “leaning in” before anyone has even had time to make any judgements, good, bad, or indifferent, and letting them know you are a boss chick in the room. If this is the first rule of Joanna Coles, I can’t wait to see what else I learn from my celebrity mentor.

{Monday Motivation} Attract What You Expect

Published on March 14, 2016September 4, 2017 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

Happy Monday Lovelies! I hope it has been was a good one. I thought I would send you a little inspiration as you start your week off. This #MondayMotivation can be applied to your career, finances, love life, and friendships. It’s never too late the be the person you want to be.

Attract What You Expect

I take this quote to be a suggestion to be selective on who you bring into your inner circle. You can’t move forward if you surround yourself with stagnate people. Surround yourself with people who motivate you to keep moving not those who want you comfortable where you are. Another interpretation could simply be the Law of Attraction. For example, people who believe in doing affirmations to help them reach their goals. “I am a money magnet; therefore, money flows into my life abundantly”.

Reflect What You Desire

I desire to be credit card free by June 1, 2016. I have to continue to be diligent about paying extra over the minimum payment and not making any more purchases that can’t be paid off in full before the billing cycle. To do that, my actions must reflect my desires.

Inspirational Quotes

Become What You Respect

Be the type of person that you want surrounding you. For example, if you desire to deal with people who respect your time, don’t be the woman to show up late for anyone else. This is the ultimate, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.

Mirror What You Admire

Use the best qualities of those you admire, put your own twist on it, and you will not only reflect admirable qualities, you will be the woman you want to be.

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SMC Book Club: Leave Your Mark

Published on December 29, 2015September 7, 2017 by Danielle YB VasonLeave a comment

Feed your mind or it will starve… – Danielle YB Vason

Back in college my roommate/future doctor, Safiya, diagnosed me with what we now refer to as “Shiny Penny Syndrome”. Shiny Penny Syndrome is when you are focused on one thing and something else steals your attention. It’s exactly what happens when I see pretty shiny things or when dogs see squirrels. Well, let just say that the shemakescents January book selection was my latest shiny penny. I was walking through my favorite book store on the hunt for a Christmas gift when I saw the cutest book cover. Mint green, coffee cup, and red lipstick stains immediately caught my eye! Then I realized the author was Aliza Licht aka @DKNYPRGirl, solidifying the book “Leave Your Mark” as the first shemakescents book selection of the year.

Leave Your Mark This Year

Drawing invaluable lessons from her experience, Licht shares advice and inspiration with a particular emphasis on communicating and building your personal brand. Join #teamSMC as we dive into this sassy, relatable, and knowledgeable guide to the contemporary working world, where personal and professional lines are blurred and the most important thing you can have is a strong sense of self.

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{Business Cents} How Your Memory Can Help You Stand Out

Published on June 25, 2014September 7, 2014 by Danielle YB Vason1 Comment

Photo Credit: Professional Women’s Business Network

I say that first impressions are everything but I would also like to add that the little things matter too. Let’s try a little experiment. Raise your hand if you have experienced this statement:

Nice to meet you. I’ve already forgotten your name.

Did YOU forget the name or was YOUR name the one forgotten? I experience both sides of this example on what seems like a daily basis when meeting with new clients. I’m embarrassed to admit that; however, I have made the ability to recall names or better yet face/name recognition on my priority list of things to work on. Remembering someone’s name makes them feel important, shows you are engaged, and makes you more likeable. Todd Smith, in a blog post entitled The Value of Remembering Names sums it up nicely in a series of questions that hits close to home. “Have you ever met someone for the first time who hardly looked you in your eyes, said the standard nice to meet you greeting without any authenticity behind their words and couldn’t remember your name five seconds later? What impression did this person make on you?

How Your Memory Can Help You Stand Out

Apparently, you tend to hear your own name instead of others when you are introduced to a new person. It takes a conscious effort to hear the other person’s name and in the world of shortening attention spans, people who actually make the effort to learn the name of another person, stand out. I am working on it and one thing that helps is using the person’s name when speaking about them. Remember, you want to stand out in a positive way and doesn’t it feel great when people remember you? Check out these 10 Simple Tricks to Remembering Names that can help you make your first impression be a lasting one…. you know, the good kind.

What are your tricks for remembering someone’s name?

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What Salary Are You Looking For?

Published on May 21, 2014April 7, 2017 by Danielle YB Vason1 Comment

I talk about money every day and while the subject can be uncomfortable for some, I find it proactive and therefore worth the temporary discomfort. To me, it is better to have “the talk” early with yourself, your family, and within your relationship because you are more likely to be successful when everyone is on the same page. However, in my current job, I have found the subject of salary negotiations to be the hardest subject to bring up. I kick myself every day for not engaging in salary negotiations BEFORE accepting the job, which is a mistake that research has shown is most made by women.

In an article for Reader’s Digest, an unnamed HR professional from New York admitted, “If we ask ‘What salary are looking for?’ say you’re flexible, or say it depends on the responsibilities of the job. Try not to name a salary unless we really push you, because that gives us a leg up in negotiation”. I think this is excellent information because once you sign on the dotted lines, there is little room for renegotiating.

What is your approach to salary negotiations?

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{Business Cents} Public Resignations- Bad Business Move Or Branding Opportunity

Published on October 2, 2013October 2, 2013 by Danielle YB Vason7 Comments

If you haven’t heard of Marina Shifrin yet, you won’t be able to forget her after seeing her video that has gone viral since it was posted last week. Forget the two weeks notice, Shifrin, 25, quit her job while “dancing” to the song Gone by Kanye West. “For almost two years I’ve sacrificed my relationships, time and energy for this job, in which my bosses only cared about the quantity and views of the videos they made,” explains Shifrin, former employee of a New Media Animation. Some may consider it a bad business move to make a major career decision so publicly, but believe it or not, she has received several job offers based off her creativity. In some ways, the video will help to “brand” her. Her chances of being hired are greater if she choses an innovative career path like social media, but for the more traditional of companies, this could signal what many people refer to as “Millennial Entitlement”. I would never have the guts to do something like this, but I she is on my rock star list at the moment. Life is too short to waste doing something that makes you want to quit your job at 4:30am…alone in the office… via youtube. Time is the only form of currency that you can’t get back, so spend your time doing something that makes you feel awesome!

…. and of course her former bosses have a responded with… another video.

Do You Think This Was A Bad Business Move?

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{Business Cents} Habits of Successful Business Women

Published on May 6, 2013April 7, 2014 by Danielle YB Vason1 Comment

I was going through some old papers when I came across my notes from the Spring 2006 Career Night hosted by my alma mater, Spelman College. The theme for the evening was “To, Work, To Live, To Love: A Conversation about Finding Passion and Balance in a Chaotic World”. In the midst of my note taking style, which looks like a cool info graph, was valuable information. Then I was absorbing information with the mindset that I would be an attorney in a large firm. Now, I can see how the advice from panelist Yolanda Bivens, Andrea Brown, and the ever inspiring Allegra Lawrence can apply to most industries.

Check out their tips!

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{Business Cents} Every Woman Should Have a Professional Mentor

Published on February 14, 2013April 23, 2017 by Danielle YB Vason4 Comments

I know that everyone can benefit from a mentor-mentee relationship; however, I believe it’s even more imperative that every woman has a professional mentor…and a good one at that! While I know it is easy to assign that “role” to a public figure like Oprah, it is likely more beneficial to you and your career if you find someone who is actually willing to spend time with you. It was about four years ago when I realized for myself how important this type of mentorship can be. As I was transitioning careers, I decided to form a “dream team” of coincidentally women mentors. My theory was that alone, each of them had an ability or network that the other did not, but together they formed a diverse and complete dream team.

Things to Consider When Finding Your Mentor

Does your mentor have the time to spend with you? This, in my opinion, is the most important. I had a great dream team of movers and shakers, but it was also so very hard for some of them to squeeze me into their schedules. Although the intentions are good, you aren’t gaining anything from this relationship if you aren’t even spending time with them.
Is this someone who will hold you accountable? For you to truly succeed, you need to have someone who is so concerned about your goals and career path, that they aren’t afraid to be bluntly honest, call you on your “stuff” and maybe even kick your butt, if needed.
Are you learning tools that will help you get to where you want to be? The lessons may not always be explicit or intentional, but you have to be able to decipher how you can use what you are learning to thrive without compromising your character or integrity.
Are they respected in their field/company/community? I learned the importance of this when I was conducting a cattle call of interviews on a panel with other choreographers in Atlanta. A number of the young dancers assumed that their relationships with their mentors would help give them the extra edge. So dancer after dancer took the “opportunity” to name drop not truly understanding the reputation of their mentors in the industry. The lesson I learned: Just because your mentor is known, doesn’t mean that they are respected.