career

The Best Career Advice From Her Conference

- Sarah 3 Comments

Her Conference Career Advice

via Instagram

I spent this past weekend at Her Conference, an annual conference for college women and recent graduates who are interested in the journalism, marketing and journalism industries. While I may not be looking for my next internship or first job any more, it was still incredibly inspiring to hear industry leaders share their honest advice. Here are some of the gems.

On being a woman in the workplace…

Supporting women never goes out of style.”
, Director, No Ceilings: The Full Participation Project

You don’t deserve everything; you deserve to earn everything.”
, Vice President of Editorial Strategy, Refinery29

Nobody can take away your knowledge. Nobody can take away your hard work.”
, Correspondent, E! News

Being a woman means waking up earlier, going to bed later and working harder.”
, Founder and CEO, Faith Popcorn’s Brain Reserve

On asking for help…

We have to accept the idea that we are all going to fail a little.”
, Editor-in-Chief, Seventeen

It was years of me being defensive before I realized that asking for help is built into the system.”
, Editor, People StyleWatch

On standing out (in the best way possible)…

Nothing beats preparation.”

It’s ok to put yourself forward.”
, Special Projects Director, Cosmopolitan

The answer is always just do good work.”

Confidence is like a muscle; you have to work on it every day.”

Knowing how to write and communicate are the greatest skills you can have.”

On finding your place…

You don’t have to be where you want to end up on Day 1.”

You have to find something that makes you feel like you’re giving back to the world and using your talents.”

Choose an organization that is thoughtful about [work-life balance].”
, Deputy Chief of Staff to the Chairman, Bloomberg LP

What’s your favorite piece of career advice?

~ Sarah

June Budget

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June Shopping Budget
Merona Pineapple Button-down, Target, $17.00 (originally $22.99)
Old Navy Pixi Pants, $29.99 (originally $34.94, on sale)
Old Navy Ponte Dress, $12.00 (originally $34.94, similar pictured)
Old Navy Belt, $6.99 (originally $14.94, clearance)*
Old Navy Cardigan, $19.94*
Old Navy Skirt, $24.94*
Joe Fresh for JCP Blouse, $10.99 (originally $29.00, clearance)
Printed Blouse, Marshall’s, $16.99 ($32.00 MSRP)
Dollhouse Sandals, Ross, $12.99
Nine West Purse, Ross, $29.99 ($64.00 MSRP)
Elephant Ring, Farmer’s Market, $5.00

* “Super Cash” purchase; saved $20 off  with super cash for purchase of $50 or more (clocked in at $51.87)

Total: $181.82 – $20.00* = $166.82 out of pocket
$101.58 over my budget of $60.24 (24¢ carryover from May)
Retail Value ≈ $290.68
Savings ≈ $123.85 (Est. Retail – Out of Pocket)

Yeah…that was a lot of math, but there was a lot of shopping this month! (Obviously, my Polyvore set is not a complete representation of my purchases.) I had a good reason for it though: a new job! After being in a casual workplace for a year, and having interned at places where trendiness was appreciated, I was certainly looking for some more business casual pieces, with an emphasis on business for once. A new wardrobe and budgeting challenge for sure.

The silver lining? I added a few key pieces to my closet (professional-looking satchel, a light summer cardigan, blouses) and I still managed to save over $100. Sometimes I’m not able to avoid paying full-price if I’m on a time crunch, but “Super Cash” (something I usually avoid, since you still have to spend a minimum amount of money first) and shopping at retailers such as Ross and Marshall’s softens the blow.

Anyone else face similar struggles once starting a new job?

~ Sarah

Linking up with Fran and other budgeting bloggers.