As I have shared in the past, I have been working really hard to make sure I am where I want to be financially. Saving, not shopping…as much, and I even started cooking in an effort to save more money. I made a budget that I am actually sticking to and I have been doing really well…or so I thought. I’d paid all of my bills. I had my allocated allowance for the 2 weeks until my next pay check and I was feeling G-O-O-D! I even had a trip scheduled to Ikea to pick up some stuff to do a lot of decorating in my apartment.

Little did I know there were other people who had other plans for my money. One by one little unexpected expenses started to creep in. I had to pay for plates for my car that I thought we already paid for.  My professional membership dues were up for renewal. My domain and hosting was up for renewal, and so on and so forth…And all of this happened on the same day!!! By the end of the day I was a little frustrated, but I was excited because I was going to my first yoga class that night and I could release some of the stress…but more stress was comin’ my way!

I get to the gym and let the lady at the front desk know that I had misplaced my ID but I would gladly show her my drivers license to verify that I was in fact a member to the gym. She responds with a “ma’am I cannot use your license, but I would be glad to give you a replacement card…for $10.73.” As soon as I heard $10.73, I lost it (and I laugh now as I am typing it, because I cannot believe $10.73 sent me over the edge). I let her know that I would not be paying anything for a new card that was printed off the computer and laminated and if she just gave me the information I could go back to my office and make myself a new membership card.  I promptly grabbed my yoga mat and stormed out of the gym. As I was leaving I heard her say “I can’t believe she is acting like this over $10.73,” and it took everything in me not to go back into the gym and tell her about all the things I had to pay for that were not in my budget!!!

When I left the gym, I called my younger sister to tell her the story and she laughed at me and was also shocked that $10.73 was enough to have me acting up. I did call the lady at the gym the next day to apologize for my behavior, but I think it brought up something that you should think about as you make your daily budget and set your long term goals. Stuff will always come up. It wasn’t even about the $10.73 because I had the money. It was more a general frustration that my plan was getting hit with a lot of curve balls that I had not factored into the plan. It’s possible that you’ll make a great plan and then out of nowhere something may break or someone may need your help. Allow yourself some room in your budget for unplanned expenses. When you make your budget carve out a little bit of money, even if it’s $25, so if something happens that is not planned, you have a little side money to use so that you don’t have to dip into your savings or go back to eating ramen noodles like you did in College :-)

Needless to say, my Ikea trip got postponed, but there is always next month! I do think that what happened at the gym is quite hilarious…now, and I am sure I am not the only person who has gone through a time where it was just too much, everyone runs into that. Yours may be you get a bill and it is way more than you anticipated, or something breaks and needs to be replaced. Whatever the “thing” is that causes you to have your “$10.73 moment”,  know that everyone everywhere has those moments, adding a little padding to your budget will cause you a lot less stress.

Sidenote: You do not want to be the one that people are talking about because you lost it over $10.73, that is not a good look…I need to do better, lol

So, everyone knows there are a million temp agencies out there that offer a lot of services. What I found out was that most major corporations have “In-House Temp Programs” and a lot of them only work with a specific temp agency. With that being said,  if there is a company that you want to work for, but cannot seem to get your foot in the door, find out if they have an in-house temp program and if so what temp agency they work with. When you go to the agency to register (you like how I said “when”  and not “if”, ha!), find out what it would take for you to be entered/submitted for the in-house temp program to the company you want to work for permanently. I know quiet a few who have converted temp positions into full time placement, so I think it is worth a shot.

Side Note: If you are part of an in-house temp program, please let us know any tips you may recommend for someone looking to get in!

Mom to the rescue! My mom came to town to visit at the right time (as moms always tend to do), and after she helped me get my life and apartment together, we had a talk bout life. After talking to her I took some time to think about all the unnecessary pressure we tend to put on ourselves. In our generation, we are a bunch of over achievers, which is not a bad thing, but it sometimes makes us miss the process of all that is going on around us. The more time I spent beating myself up about everything that was not happening, the less time I actually had to spend on constructive things that could potentially get me a step closer to my goals. So I have decided to stop trying to dictate my life and just live it, and wouldn’t you know I am finally starting to get things done? Who would have thunk it! I have been so much more productive and a lot less stressed. I have cut back on a lot of the extra things that I was doing just because I felt like I “should be doing something,” and have focused that energy on taking steps towards my goal. I am sooooo excited that it is coming together. So as I slow down to enjoy the process, I invite you to do the same. You are just beginning your journey and there will be lots and lots of challenges, but if you try to keep the journey in perspective as opposed to being so attached to the destination, amazing things will happen!

Remember: Give yourself space to enjoy the journey. There is a lot of pressure when you get out of school to pick a path, but leave room to let life happen, it may surprise you!

Silent Superhero

In talking to her and some of her friends, I learned that there is a general fear of asking questions in the work place out of concern of appearing young, naive, or unprepared. I completely understand, but I am here to tell you there is no need to fear. Everyone has questions and asking for feedback helps you become better at what you do.

For people who have been in the work place for a little bit of time, you know that at some point during the year you are given a review. This is the time when you discuss your progress with your supervisor and what things you want to develop over time. This is also when you may discuss a raise or things you could improve upon. What I want to suggest is about half way through the year, set up some time with your supervisor to check in. Kind of like a progress report of how you have done since your review. You can also use this time to talk about areas of your job that you enjoy that you would like to do more of. You can also discuss any challenges you are facing in your position. Not only will your midyear review make sure that your annual review is favorable, it will also demonstrate that you are proactive and not “young” or “naive”. If nothing else, it will give you confidence in what you are accomplishing in the work place.

So take the leap and  make sure your   midyear check in is part of your plan for success!!!!

Here are a few tips on what pieces are appropriate for dressing for work on a Summer Friday.

Do’s and Don’ts of Summer Fridays

Nothing too short – Skirts and shorts are nice and can be dressed up for summer Fridays. But like the previous post on Summer Fridays said, you don’t want to expose too much of your body. There is a fine line between casual and inappropriate. Make shore shorts and skirts are not too short!

Wear undergarments - Casual summer dresses are super cute and can be worn  on a summer Friday, but if the dress requires you to go bra-less, showing too much cleavage, save it for a different occasion.

Make Use of Denim – Some employers let employees where denim on Friday! Take advantage. There are plenty of ways to dress up (and dress down denim). Who wouldn’t want to wear their favorite pair of comfy jeans to work?

Nothing See Through – We know its hot outside and see through fabrics can be light and airy. If you are going to wear something see through consider wearing something under or over it.

No Flip Flops – Although some people may beg to differ, flip flops and slippers of any kind are inappropriate for work. There are many other cute alternatives, like sandals and flats that can be made work appropriate, and are great for casual days. Flip flops are for the beach…or the bathrooms in a college dorm.

Get some style ideas and then get shopping, you’re one step closer to building your ‘grown up’ wardrobe

What do you wear on your Summer Fridays? Send in your pictures/information and we’ll feature it in our fashion section!

Now I am not sure that I can put into words the level of awesomeness that is Summer Friday. What I can tell you is the IMMEDIATE onset  of the FML feeling in the office  the first Friday that people realize they have to work a FULL day EVERY Friday. This feeling tends to last every Friday until they are once again blessed with the sweet return of Summer Friday, I kid you not.

Another awesome component of Summer Fridays is that employees are typically allowed to dress down. So if you work at a company that is on the conservative end, you may be able to loosen your tie, not wear a suit jacket or if your company is really fashion forward and living on the edge, you may even be allowed to wear your dress or skirt without stockings!

Since I have made it my mission to always hook you up, I am here to give you the ins and outs Summer Fridays so that you are not the girl/guy who took the meaning of Summer Fridays WAY too far. Trust me, they will  be giggling at you in the bathroom.

Now expectations change from the time you were an intern to an actual full time employee. Just because you are allowed to dress down does not mean you get to wear whatever you want. Example, I was walking to a meeting today and I saw a young lady who had clearly woken up this morning and said to herself “Self, I wonder where my shortest pair of daisy dukes are?” She picked them up, cut off 2 more inches, put them on, looked in the mirror, decided they were still not short enough, cut off another inch and a half, said “perfect” and walked out of the door. Not OK!!!! Showing too much skin is still not appropriate for the work place. We know its hot…but not that hot.

You also don’t want to be that guy that shows up to the office in basketball shorts and adidas slippers because you’re “only going to be at the office for a few hours anyway.” Clearly, you are still at work and need to be presentable.

AND Just so we are clear there is NEVER an occasion where it is ok to wear your club dress, sweat pants or pajamas to the office.

When deciding how “down” you should dress I suggest you use a few scales of measurement:

1. Can people see your goodies (all/any of them!) at any point of action (sitting, standing, bending over) during the day?

2. Would you be comfortable in that outfit if you were stuck in an elevator with the president of your company?

3. Would you wear the exact same outfit to the club?

4. Would someone who didn’t know you call security if they saw you on the premises?

If you are able to answer 1 out of the 4 questions with a yes, you probably should reconsider your outfit. 2 or 3 yes answers…Just put the outfit back in the closet!  I’m not judging, just saying.

Sidenote: If you did not know that people talk about this kind of stuff in the bathroom, it’s probably because you are the person they are talking about, so now that you know better, do better!!!

In the beginning, people interviewing you know that you are just starting out, and while it’s nice to send a gift, it is not necessary. On the other hand, while a thank you email is nice, it does not always cut it. The one thing that has been consistent how much people love receiving hand written cards. So what I have adopted into practice is always having beautiful cards on hand that I can send out. Spend the money and get a box of cards that you feel represent you. After a meeting/informational/interview, send a thank you email, but then also follow-up with a thank you card. Few people send hand written cards anymore, so the card will set you apart for everyone else, but it can also serve as a reminder a few days after you meeting. Make sure the card is sent out within 3 days of your meeting, just so that the card is still relevant when it is received, and it is also the professional thing to do!