by Solange Lopes | Jun 5, 2014 | Career
Happy lunch time! For our fashion interlude today, we are switching things up a bit, and offering 2 selections from a high and low budget points, instead of our usual one! We were on the lookout for printed tops, and happened to find two that we really liked at two very different price points; and since they are both oh so cute, we’d rather not commit the fashion crime of choosing.
Print Satin Top by Prabal Gurung – $540 – modaoperandi.com
Splurge, with this Print Satin Top from Prabal Gurung via modaoperandi.com: Loving this multicolored floral print short-sleeved top! While the round top and boxy shape are pretty classic and conventional, the modern pattern and satiny luxurious texture propel it high up on the list of contemporary corporate fashion must-haves! It simply spells pure elegance, and would look incredible paired with a neutral bottom in a distinctive gray or shiny black. Plus Prabal Gurun is one of our favorite designers for a reason! It’s $540 at modaoperandi.com, and is our splurge of the day, well, half-day so far, you never know where our fashion eyes will take us.
Printed top – $69.90 – zara.com
Save, with this floral top from one of our favorites as well, Zara! Same round neckline and boxy shape, yet the pattern is more deconstructed and definitely more along the artsy-contemporary lines! Loving the sophisticated yet modern statement of this top, coupled with the feminine patterns balanced with the seriousness of the darker colors. A great buy at $69.90!
Saving or splurging today?
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Jun 5, 2014 | Career
musingsofastrongblackwoman.com
Happy Thursday! Are you currently biting your nails, waiting to hear from your management about a long awaited promotion? Or did you just sit for a license or certification that will make all the difference between a successful or barely average career?Yet again, are you waiting to hear from a recruiter about a potential great job offer?
As many a corporate sister has experienced, there are those times in one’s career when you just have to wait it out! While these are times of grueling and painful uncertainty, they also may be some of the periods that teach us most about ourselves, our goals and objectives. So, while you anxiously wait:
1. Keep working! Oftentimes, the anxiety of the wait makes us feel paralyzed and unable to keep going until we find out the outcome. Yet, this waiting time is often crucial in sharpening the skills we’ll be using at the next level, to prepare for the next level, or even reflect on whether or not we even want that next level! One manager once confided in me that one of the criteria they rely on to finalize an employee’s promotion, is how this employee behaves once they know they are up for promotion! Are you working towards the next level? Are you keeping mentally and physically strong? It’s not how long you are waiting as much as how you are waiting…
2. Keep positive! Many a corporate sister has undertaken more or less challenging career transitions. Moving from one position to another, working to achieve a career or education milestone, waiting to start on a new career path: lots of opportunities to get lost in the shuffle of high-stress waiting periods! Your mental attitude is key here, keep positive, picture a positive outcome, and prepare for the best!
3. Last but not least, prepare your options! What’s a plan without options? While you prepare for the best, have options in case the worst strikes (because it may very well). If you don’t pass that license, plan to retake it as soon as possible! If the promotion does not come through, plan to expand your range of employment options, including lateral moves. If the job offer does not come through as expected, start sharpening your negotiation skills! While your options may not be definitive, they will be a source of assurance, and ultimately comfort, to you as you approach the situation’s outcome.
How are you waiting for your big career break?
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Jun 4, 2014 | Career
Kate Spade laptop sleeve – $60 – katespade.com
For our coffee break today, we are in the mood for…cake! Yess, and that’s why we went absolutely gaga over this Kate Spade laptop sleeve. For all the corporate gals out there who cherish their sweet tooth (right along with their professional style), this “Eat Cake For Breakfast” laptop sleeve is sure to make you smile…or reach for the next cupcake!
Love love the stand-out-in-the-crowd color which will not only make you noticed, but picks you up every time you open your laptop for work (or fun). This cheery and oh so delicious-looking laptop sleeve fits most 13″ laptops, and is $60 at katespade.com!
Did we say you can eat cake for breakfast, because really who needs rules?
Seen a great, office-friendly, smile-inducing accessory you’d like to share with our readers? Please post a comment, or email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Jun 4, 2014 | Career
Seersucker one-button jacket – $149 – anntaylor.com
For our lunch break today, we are ushering summer in with this seersucker one-button jacket and coordinated skirt from Ann Taylor. Loving the impeccable tailoring of this stretch jacket, the crisp 3/4 sleeves with the added buttons for style, and did we mention the front besom pockets?
This jacket is so versatile, as it offers many different layering and styling options. While you can layer under it your traditional shorter-sleeved button-down shirt, you can also add a novelty shirt to the mix for a twist on your summer suit! It’s $149 at Ann Taylor!
Psst! Summer suits and select perfect shirts are 30% off at Ann Taylor, use code POWER30!
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Jun 4, 2014 | Career
faithtruthandlovemag.com
Happy Wednesday! It is hump-day already, and a bit rainy on this side of the blogosphere…
And here you are at work, finalizing this big project, focused on your performance all year-round. Frankly, between being so busy at work and at home, there is not much time to focus on anything else. Right? Wrong!
As important as performance may be at work, your individual prospects for growth are the framework, and in many cases, part of the foundation of your career. Where both yourself and your organization see you in the next 3 or 5 years is paramount to steering you in the right career direction. And I would even argue that even without the support of your organization and or Human Resources, having your own individual development plan not only serves as a compass to your career, but also keeps you accountable to yourself and others to fulfill the goals and objectives you’ve set in your career.
Without the proper vision and framework, performance, even stellar performance, is left to chance. Could one still succeed without a development plan? Yes. Yet, how much more could you accomplish with a clear vision and action plan for your career? Infinitely more.
So how do we go about setting an individual development plan? While many a company offers pre-set templates for employees, others do not necessarily put much of an emphasis on it. Whether required by your organization or not, an individual development plan is a MUST, in life or at work! If it’s not currently part of your evaluation or review process, suggest it to your manager. If it is, pay special attention to it!
1. Identify your goals and objectives: whether you’re in a new job/position, need to improve your performance, or are eyeing a lateral position, clearly set your goals. Identify what you want to learn or achieve, in as much detail as you possibly can! Always keep in mind that while you may want to reach the sky, your goals still have to follow the SMART rule (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely)! And remember to write your Vision down!
2. Develop a plan! In life or at work, you need a plan. Goals and objectives are lifeless without a strong, effective plan! Eyeing that promotion? How are you planning on getting it? Are you going to sit for your CPA license, take additional credits or find a mentor to help you? What’s your road map like?
3. Last but not least, get to work! Rome wasn’t built in one day; neither are your objectives going to be achieved in record time. It’s going to take time, effort, and some level of adjusting and re-calibration. Somewhere along the way, your goals may change, become harder or discouragement may set in. However, the one constant should remain your hard, diligent work in the direction you’ve set!
In the case of formal individual development plans, make sure to discuss these carefully with your manager and use the resources around you (people, systems, etc) to make the best decision. Even when the process is less formal, finding an outlet through your peers and mentors can prove beneficial.
Do you have an individual development plan?
The Corporate Sister.
