by Solange Lopes | Feb 21, 2014 | Career
Yesterday, we wrote about those things no one tells you about starting a new job, including being borderline romantically involved with IT…After your first day or week or so at your new job, and after all the welcoming smiles, luch invites, the warm-up period is officially over. Now it’s time to get in the flow of things, and actually…work! What? Whoever invented the concept…
When it comes to starting anything, be it a new job, new exercise program, or new habit, the two most common schools of thought are, either you start strong and learn to consistently pace yourself, or start slow and go for the marathon pace.
Well, I recently started taking kickboxing classes, and as with most high-intensity sports disciplines, you’ve got to pick the right approach for you. So I decided to start strong and fight from the start. Why? Well, why not…
Why not establish a competitive advantage from the start, in sports as well as in your career. Your professional reputation is your personal brand, and to build a great one, the best, you’ve got to start at the beginning…And you’ve got to start strong, at least I believe so:
Actively start building your network! Go around and introduce yourself, and respond positively to those who come to introduce themselves. Stop by the big wigs’ offices every now and then to say hi. And don’t forget to offer your help, and ask for them to keep you in mind when interesting projects come along.
Learn, learn, learn! Put on your learning cap and get to digest as much new information as you can. New processes, new people, new titles, new systems…While everything is new and can be quite overwhelming at first, use these first few days and weeks to get acquainted to all the new stuff. Ask as many questions as you can think of, and don’t be shy! The expectation is that you will have questions, so ask away…
Polish your work! Some may think that errors are more acceptable in the beginning, as you’re getting accustomed to the business, company and your department. While some level of learning curve is to be expected, I also believe that as you build your brand and reputation in a new company, showing your best work at first puts you a step ahead of the competition.
As my kickboxing trainer puts it so well: Ready….Fight!
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Feb 20, 2014 | Career |
Crosby Street Slim Leg Pants – $52.95- newyorkandcompany.com
For our lunch break today, we are looking at these Crosby Street slim leg polka dots pants from New York and Company. One of the big trends this Spring is polka dots, not that our work wardrobe should subscribe to trends, but this one is easy and fun to pull off at work… I like the unique design of these pants, and the much refreshing take on traditional pants they offer. The fit is also great, I favor slim leg pants for their elongating and slimming effect on just about anyone. Plus it doesn’t hurt that New York and Company is having it semi-annual pant event, with a buy one get one free offer currently going! And you get free shipping on all orders over $50! These pants are $52.95, and for the price and perks you get on this, they’re worth it! Seen a great, work-appropriate fashion piece you’d like to recommend? Please email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
The Corporate Sister
by Solange Lopes | Feb 20, 2014 | Career
achikeummuna.lawoffice.com
So you’ve gotten the job offer you were waiting for and accepted it! You’re anxious and excited at the same time, eager to start. And before you know it, day 1 arrives and there you are, the newbie! In the best case scenarios, you are welcomes with open arms and made to feel part of the team. In the worst case scenario, well, you are not…
Yet in any case, there are those infamous rites of passage that differ in magnitude from person to person, and that no one really tells you about…until you find out for yourself:
You will be nicer than you’ve ever thought you could be! ‘Tis the time to use those Crest whitestrips you’ve been eyeing for a while now…because you will be showing those pearly whites. Not only will you want to make the best first impression, but you will be so nervous you won’t be able to wipe that smile off your face…
You will be cured of your Internet addiction…at least temporarily! For once in a long time, you will discover what it means to be Internet-free at work! You will be so eager to show your impeccable professional side that your clicks will be far and few in between…Now you can take up that smoke cessation program, one addiction down, a thousand to go…
You will have a love-hate relationship with IT! Starting a new job is a process, and so is getting personally acquainted with the systems you’ll be using on the daily. You will find out that each IT department has its own communication protocols and codes, and that if you thought you would never run into grumpy Bob from IT again, well, you may have just met his twin…
Last but not least, you will learn to take things in stride! It’s a new job, and you ain’t going anywhere for a while. So no matter the temporary inconveniences, the questionable personalities, or the serious IT delays, you will learn that not everything happens on your timetable. And you will find patience and humility where your old self would not have tolerated less than excellence…And when it all comes down to it, you will come to cherish those first days on the job, except of course for grumpy Bill’s twin from IT…
What are those things that no one told you about when starting a new job?
The Corporate Sister
by Solange Lopes | Feb 19, 2014 | Career
visualphotos.com
One recurring question among some of our readers is around friendships at work. Is it healthy to have friendships at work, or does it give off the wrong impression, especially among corporate sisters who are also minorities?
I personally think that if you have to spend upwards of 8 hours at work, unless you’re totally anti-social, you will form acquaintances at the very least, if not friendships at work. The real question is: how do you manage these relationships at work? Are you friendly but quick to draw the line between work and pleasure? Are you more inclined to allow relationships to run their natural course, sometimes at the expense of your professional credibility?
Please chime in…
The Corporate Sister
by Solange Lopes | Feb 19, 2014 | Career
Striped one-button blazer – $108 – Thelimited.com
I keep saying it, spring may not be in the air just yet, but it’s on our minds…And why not start instilling it in our wardrobe too? That’s why I love the easy-breezy feel of this striped one-button blazer from The Limited, it smells like clean, fresh spring air, and wears like a casual, relaxed day at the office without all the stuffiness of a Monday morning board meeting…I love the decorative chest welt pockets, and the fact that you can rock this blazer from 9-to-5 and beyond, as it looks as good paired with structured slacks as with your favorite pair of skinny jeans and heels…
Pair it with a classic white button-down shirt for a clean look, or over a conservative dress for a twist on classic elegance. It’s $108 at the Limited!
Seen a great, work-appropriate fashion piece you’d like to share? Please email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Feb 19, 2014 | Career |
Corporate diversity
Diversity has now been hailed for years as being the catalyst for good business and governance. For promoting women to the top of the career ladder to fostering inclusiveness in companies when it comes to minorities of all kinds, be they race, gender, or sexual orientation-related, diversity has been on the corporate minds and media mouths of many a corporate pundit. As a corporate sister and a Black woman, I welcome the focus and emphasis on diversity because of course, it should have been a universal value for all since the beginning of times, but primarily because it benefits me. And in this era of profit and positively affecting the bottom line, let’s keep it real, who doesn’t want to work for their own benefit? Well, let’s keep it real, I know I do, and so do most, if not all, corporations around…
As an employee, a double-minority, and a voice in the community, I am not ashamed to say that I benefit from diversity initiatives, for all the right reasons, that is…Where the color of my skin and my gender stood in the way of success at first, now my work is recognized fairly, and my contribution appreciated. Where I feared standing out from the professional crowd and being noticed for who I really was, now my unique experience, perspectives and insights are viewed as advantageous to the business as a whole. And it doesn’t just work for myself, and so many others like me…
As a business-minded CEO of my life, family and career, I can also see how diversity is not just a winning value for employees like myself, but also and maybe even more so, for corporations themselves. One of the most important values I teach my own children is that in order to gain respect, one must give respect. And that when we respect and honor differences in all individuals, we are able to see the best in all of them. And when we can tap into the best, unique and ground-breaking potential in people, we actually, even more so than those whose strengths we were able to tap into, end up winners! It’s no wonder that the most effective leaders are not necessarily the smartest, but the ones who know how to hire and retain the smartest talent they can find!
In today’s era of keeping it profitable, corporations can certainly gain from keeping it real! By investing in diversity and being outspoken about it, corporations can tap into what is now the reality of business. They can unearth the incredible, many times unseen talent of this world, and put it to work for their own advantage. Not only can they, like CVS Caremark, do right and feel right about decisions such as foregoing billions of profit selling cigarettes for the sake of better health, but they can also so right by their bottom lines by effectively tapping into the diverse consciousness of their workforce and clientele!
Because we always knew diversity was a winning value for all, we just may not have realized how much of a winning value it can actually be, not just yet…
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Feb 18, 2014 | Career
Colorblock topper – Anntaylor.com – $198
Spring is not exactly in the air…but it’s in our dreams, and also in our plans as we prepare to turn the clocks forward in a couple of weeks…So for our lunch break today, we are swooning over this colorblock topper from Ann Taylor, which is not only an elegant, tailored alternative to the timeless trench coat, but a unique take on toppers. I love the band of neutrals at the bottom of the topper, which makes this topper go with basically everything you wear, and can go from work to play in a cinch…Plus the 3/4 sleeves really take us into string…
It’s $198 at Ann Taylor. Psst: Ann Taylor is still having 50% off on all sale styles, no code needed…
Seen a great, work-appropriate piece you’d like to share? Please email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
The Corporate Sister.
