But Now What

One of the things I have learned since being out of school is that something ALWAYS seems to come up. Now for those of you who have been paying bills since you were in undergrad, this may come as no surprise to you, but it seems like even when you have the best, most logical plan, life will throw you a curve ball! This is never more clear than when finances are involved. This post is motivated by an experience I had last week. Looking back on it now the experience is a hot mess, but at the time no one could have told me my reaction was not justified. Ha!

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Even with the economy on an upswing, we  still hear people talking about how competitive the workforce is. Now don’t let this deter you, because there are still a lot of people hiring.  I mean just because the economy is bad does not stop the need to get work done, and done well. Even if full time employment is a little harder to obtain, there are a lot of companies who are looking for temporary help, until they have the approval to fill positions permanently.  I ran across a great tip today and I wanted to share it with you all. Maybe I’m late finding this out, but hey, better late than never, right?  :-)

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!

If you are anything like me, you want a blueprint to life that tells you what is supposed to happen, when it will happen and how quickly it will happen. Even worse if you already have an idea of what it is that you think you want to do with your life, figuring out the “how” of it all can be very frustrating. I know I have always had huge goals, and I think in the last few months I have been so hard on myself to get things going that I did not give myself the space to do the things that I needed to be doing. I was so down because things weren’t happening the way that I thought they should be and I was not taking the action steps needed to  make things happen. It was a crazy cycle that really had me exhausted, and I know that I am not the only person who has gone through this. If I am though, at least pretend you know what I’m talking about, Ha!

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But Now What is so honored to have our founder featured in the “Silent Superhero” series on Madame Noire. Check out the post and please leave comments!!!!

Silent Superhero

This post is especially for my readers out there who are in their first or second year of work. Not to say it won’t help others, but this post is a special hook up. I was talking to a young lady about how she was doing in her current position and she responded with “Ummm, I dunno. Ok I guess.” Now if you know me you know that “I don’t know” is never enough for me, because I feel like you always  know. Now, instead of being my typical Type A self and going in, I simply asked her “well why don’t you ask your supervisor how she thinks you are doing?” And I kid you not,the look of horror that came over her face was nothing to be messed with.  To say that I was confused by this look would be a major understatement.

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Today’s post about Summer Fridays fit so well with my fashion world that I couldn’t help but do a post on it! While there is no “Summer Friday” where I work now, when I interned at Glamour everyday was like Summer Friday…except we didn’t get to work half days everyday…Anywhoo, the fashion rules do change a little bit with Summer Fridays and you are allowed to be a little more casual with your work outfit. As you have probably have read in the previous post, Summer Friday attire cannot be used as an excuse to go buck wild and crazy…Just because it’s half-day means nothing. It only takes about 5 minutes to fire someone .

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

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In my many years of working, one of the perks that I have come to enjoy and look forward to is Summer Fridays. Now for those of you unfamiliar with, or not fortunate enough to get Summer Fridays *coughs* my friends in finance *coughs,* I will gladly explain the concept to you! Summer Fridays usually begin around Memorial Day and end around Labor Day. For all the Fridays during this time period, you either work a half day, get out of work early, or for some of us VIPs (not really VIP, but a girl can dream) you work an entire Friday and the following Friday you are off completely.

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.

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According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average U.S. worker changes careers 3-5 times during their lifetime!

I am not sure if it is because of my age of where I am currently in life, but it seems that I know a lot of people who are interviewing for career changes, new jobs or leaving their current positions to pursue their dreams. I am often joking that there is something in the air, but I really do believe that. People in my inner circle are adopting the motto “No better time than the present” and I am really excited about all the new developments that are have come to the forefront. Most of these things have been accomplished through interviewing and business introductions. One of the things that I know a lot of them have struggled with is how to follow up after their interviews or meeting. In our technology driven society does an email do the trick or do you send an Edible Arrangement. When this was something I began to struggle with, and couldn’t come to a consistent answer, I began to ask people who have been in the workforce for a while what their general practices were and I am excited to share the news with you!

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!