by Solange Lopes | Apr 16, 2015 | Career
Photo credit: https://40percentandrising.com
On the heels of Equal Pay Day this week, SheKnows Media hosted an important conversation with no other than President Obama himself around women’s issues, such as wage equality, women in tech, student loans and early childhood care. However, as much as most of us are talking the talk when it comes to equal pay at work, can we really talk about it at work? I mean, in between two sips of your morning coffee, can you just hit your boss up with a quick gender wage gap statistic, and ask how that applies to your office? Or casually take up a bet with your co-worker about how much more he makes than you, doing exactly the same job (except when he has to leave early for the department’s basketball team practice, oh wait, is that still considered work?)? Really, can you even utter the words “Equal Pay” further than your keyboard as you’re reading the announcement the co-worker you trained for months got your promotion?
My $0.05: We’ve come a long way when it comes to equal pay, and there are many ways you can help make it a reality. Yet, discussing it in direct terms with your boss or at the water cooler station may not be one of them (at least not if you want to keep your job). It’s like talking about politics, race, or how hard it is to be a woman working full-time and raising kids. It’s all true, relevant, and important, but no one (or at least very few) seem to believe it even exists.
What you can do though, is join women’s groups at your workplace, or your community, and talk about your own experiences with equal pay. It’s easier to come up with a plan of action as a group than fighting the status quo alone, well, unless you’re Superwoman…(which you kinda are…)
What do you think? Should you keep quiet about equal pay at work?
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Apr 16, 2015 | Career
Print Swing Hem Top – Photo credit: whistles.com
Ooh la la! This Bloomsbury print swing hem top from Whistles “reads” it like it is…It’s bold, springy/summery, attention-catching yet sophisticated. It’s perfect to jazz up any item in your wardrobe, from clean straight-cut slacks to a traditional pencil skirt. You can even take it for a spin on week-ends with your favorite jeans. It’s $180 at Whistles!
For a fashionably “jazzy” day at the office, I’d pair it with these leather two-tone high heel court shoes from Zara. And voila!
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Apr 16, 2015 | Career
Photo credit: bizjournals.com
President Obama met in Charlotte yesterday with working women to chat women’s salaries, women’s advancement and more, courtesy of media company She Knows and Blog Her. The town hall meeting with the President was moderated by Blog Her co-founder Lisa Stone (Blog Her became a part of She Knows back in November 2014). This intimate town hall was a great effort on the part of the White House to reach to women’s audiences through social media. The President took questions from the online community and from Blog Her contributors.
As I listened to parts of the town hall on You Tube, I was inspired to see the progress made in reaching various audiences through diversified platforms about women’s issues. Questions around the wage gap being caused by discrimination or just lifestyle choice, the failure of the Paycheck Fairness Act, women in tech, and early childhood care dominated this seemingly casual, but oh so important conversation. Here are 4 things we gathered from the discussion:
1. Equal Pay: Blog Her co-founder raised the question of pay equality, alluding to the fact the Paycheck Fairness Act has already failed four times. Arguing the Act has been blocked by the Republicans, President Obama insisted: “The whole point of equal pay is people doing the same job and getting paid less”.
2. Early childhood care: President Obama’s remarks on the need for early childhood care to be of “high quality” brought relief to all, as we’re seeing much needed (and much celebrated) improvements at the state level.
3. Women in Tech: In the words of the President, ““Because of the way we structure STEM education, girls get discouraged early from going into those fields. We know from experiments and data, some of it is just making little changes in the way this is taught.” All agreed companies should do more to hire women and girls, and encourage them to pursue these traditionally male-dominated fields in college.
4. College education and student loans: More funds are being distributed to students through Pell grants directly through the government, thus eliminating middlemen banks’ fees. The current administration has also worked to cap student loans’ interest rates, while also helping grads through a program called income-based repayment. Last but not least, Obama’s budget proposal also counts a measure to offer two years of free tuition at community colleges.
All in all, a great conversation between women, President Obama, and the public at large! Now that we’ve talked the talk, let’s walk it…
What did you think about the Obama/SheKnows Media town hall meeting?
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Apr 14, 2015 | Career
Photo credit: http://jobseekersptc.org
We’ve talked about changing careers, and how challenging, yet incredibly motivating that can be. Yet, while you’re planning on making a change in your current situation, would it help or hinder you to share your plans with your boss?
My $0.05: I’ve seen both sides of the coin on this one. I’ve witnessed on one hand, incredibly supportive managers who’ve helped their team members transition to a new career or area of the business. On the other hand, I’ve also seen bosses who did not exactly take the news well.
Know your boss, and know your office environment! At the end of the day, you don’t want to unnecessarily burn bridges (even if you may never cross them again). If your professional environment is one open to growth and supportive of alternative career endeavors, and you have a close relationship with your boss, seek his advice.
However, if your office is more conservative and you are not as comfortable discussing your future with your boss, seek support and mentorship elsewhere.
Would you agree?
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Apr 14, 2015 | Career
Printed Wrap Dress – Photo credit: the limited.com
This printed wrap dress from The Limited had me at “hello gorgeous”! Loving the romantic print of this dress, and most of all, the extra comfort! The elastic waist still cinches in your waist while still allowing you not to miss “Taco Tuesday”! It’s 98$ at The Limited!
I’d probably add a belt to this elegant dress, to up the oomph factor (and shave a few extra pounds too). I like this slimming black exotic leather embossed belt from Ann Taylor, or even this funky (and oh so inexpensive) braided belt from H&M.
Work It!
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Apr 14, 2015 | Find Your Purpose |
Photo credit: blackenterprise.com
My friend A. has officially set up a date to quit her corporate job to follow her dream of becoming a life coach. While many may envy her determination and the undeniable pep in her step and renewed gusto for life, I know she didn’t just jump from one career to the next without any pain. As a matter of fact, it was probably one of the most trying, even painful, although unbelievably rewarding, times of her life. She often says she going from corporate to called is “the best hell she’s ever been through”, and judging by the late phone calls and the plethora of mantras in her house, I believe her….
Transitioning to a new career is a challenging process. It will impact your life, your finances, and how you view yourself for a long time. It will require you to survive more than just a job change, but an entire mentality, and possibly lifestyle, overhaul. Here are 10 steps to transition from your corporate gig to your calling without losing your mind (at least not all of it):
1. Check within! The biggest changes in your life start within. Check in with yourself first, listen to that still small voice. It will tell you when it’s time to jump ship, or remind you to calm your engines…
2. Do your research! Research online, ask questions, shadow someone else in the field. Gather all the information you can about the field you’re going in before making any drastic decisions.
3. Adjust to the change! Learn to re-set your pre-conceptions and ideas about work when switching careers. See your skills and abilities in a new way, reframe your experience to adapt to your new professional experience, honestly address your strengths and experiences. In more practical terms, that includes re-writing your resume, adjusting your social media profiles, and even re-contextualizing your own professional image.
4.Ditch Plan A, B, and C too while you’re at it! Everyone will tell you you should have all kinds of backup plans, exit strategies and so on…Transitioning careers to what you believe is your vocation is not a horse racing bet. It’s your life, and you don’t want to go at it halfway. Having too many options is like having too many excuses, you end up hiding behind them. Make a choice and assume it!
5. Remember you CANNOT fail! Failure is your invention. As long as you’re learning something, pushing through something else, you cannot fail! Remember that when you have to start over in the mailroom of your dream company, or when your first, or second (or even third) business tanks. You’re not failing, you’re preparing for success…
6. Now go on and inspire someone else! I always say the best way to succeed is to help someone else make it too! Your experience serves a purpose. Be a mentor to someone who is seeking to transition careers. Document your experience in a blog or on social media. Encourage someone to pursue their dreams…
How did you go from Corporate to Called?
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Apr 12, 2015 | Career |
Happy Sunday beautiful people! It’s sunny and bright on this side on the blogosphere, Spring’s officially here, and I’ve got a pep in my step with all this good weather (yes, and my weekly news update is late too, I apologize)…So before I go ahead and jinx all this weather and mood goodness, here are the headlines that made my week, as I’m sipping on my Sunday morning afternoon coffee:
- Graduation time is coming fast, and Fortune lists the 6 most promising industries for the class of 2015;
- Speaking of college grads, Business Insider lists the 10 best cities for recent college grads to live in;
- Essence hosted a Black Women @ Work panel last week, featuring top executives in their fields, and the conversations were as enlightening as they were real;
- Levo League cites 5 reasons why travel is important for your career;
- Concerned about the wage gap? Forbes lists the top cities where women earn more than men;
- Romance happens everywhere, even at the office. Inc. gives us a few tips on how to manage romance in the workplace;
- Job hopping may have been frowned upon before, but nowadays Fortune reveals there’s such a thing as being in a job for too long;
- In inspiring news, NPR tells us about this 12-year old who took on the video game industry (and we’re so proud);
- Did you ever think your failures, bad references and non-skills could actually boost your resume? Fast Company tells us about the “relevant resume”, which offers job seekers a template through which to actually showcase their failures;
- Are you wondering if changing careers is worth the risk? Fortune tells us sometimes the wrong path leads to the right one;
- Last but not least, Fast Company presents a hilarious video about what your fashion choices say about you. Please see below:
Happy Sunday!
The Corporate Sis.
