by Solange Lopes | Jan 8, 2014 | Career
It’s January, first full week at work, and it feels like…there’s so much to do already! Our head is still on vacation, and frankly just looking at the state of our desks makes us want to run for the next exit! It’s the start of the new year, and for many of us corporate sisters (with the exception of our super-human, uber-organized counterparts), it may just feel like the start of an organizational headache…Yet it doesn’t have to be though…
- Please, Clean Your Desk! Nothing like a cluttered, paper-filled, disorganized desk to make you want to run for the hills first thing in the morning. As a self-proclaimed slightly moody person, and not much of a morning person (unless you unleash a barking dog at me first thing in the morning), I need MOTIVATION! And since I can’t afford just yet my own personal life coach on call, I need help! And getting to work in the morning to a clean, de-cluttered, even slightly pretty space gives me hope that somehow, some way, I can make it through the first week of the first month of this first month of this new year…So get your Starbucks fix (the new Caramel Flan latte is amaaazing), set an hour or so aside, and get to filing, organizing, maybe even dusting (you know those dust mites are staring at you)..And while you’re at it, why not add some funky, colorful inspirational accessories that make you smile as you go through your first 30 emails since you’ve been back…
- It’s time for Digital De-cluttering! What does that even mean? Well, get acquainted with the term because the whole concept may just keep you from throwing your computer out the 12th floor window…You know after an entire year of saving random files and documents, including your kids’ pictures, those random meeting minutes, etc…, your desktop looks like your grandma’s closet (no disrespect). And let’s not even start with the National State of your Email Inbox, with emails from two years ago that you’re holding on to just because…As to your browser, it desperately needs some saving grace from you opening about 40 tabs at once during your lunch hour (and forgetting to close them). So there goes another hour, and another Starbucks latte, that you may want to dedicate to clearing the digital air around your desk. Take advantage of services such as Dropbox in the cloud to save your extra files, or Evernote for all those reminders and digital sticky notes floating around. Install a cloud bookmarking system for your browser, and as for your inbox, just reload your Starbucks card and start letting go…
- Get a New To-Do List! Better yet, get a new to-do system! Instead of your old, scribbled over, updated-by-the-minute, long-as-hell-to-do-list, invest in an efficient system that will work for YOU. What does a great, productive, off-the-chain week look like for you? Close your eyes, picture it, open your eyes and….put it on paper, NOW! Make a calendar that fits your needs, priorities and deadlines, and once you’ve set up your professional to-do foundation, now in all your professional kindness, let everyone know how you can fit them in…Just sayin’…
Are you getting organized?
by Solange Lopes | Jan 7, 2014 | Career
2-tone grid cardigan – TheLimited.com
Today’s coffee break’s “coup de coeur” has our hearts melting for this two-tone grid cardigan from The Limited. It’s preppy, sophisticated, and work-friendly enough to make all of us corporate fashionistas swoon! I love love the grid pattern and 3/4 sleeves that make it refined enough to wear with dressy black slacks for work, yet casually sophisticated to rock with your boyfriend jeans (and a great pair of shoes) on week-ends!
It’s at The Limited, and is currently priced at $54.95. Hint: use the code FASHION online and you can save $10 off your $50 pre-tax purchase…can’t go wrong!
Seen a great, work-appropriate piece you’d like to share? Please email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Jan 7, 2014 | Career |
Sheer Dot Pantyhose – Nordstrom.com
As we are in the middle of the winter season (and a pretty harsh winter season at that, ugh), many of us corporate sisters tend to ask ourselves the “tights” question. Which tights are appropriate for the office? And for those of us corporate fashionistas who like to jazz up our corporate wardrobe every now and then, can we rock patterned tights to the office? And when it comes to patterned tights, how much pattern (if any) is appropriate?
I happen to think that patterned tights, unlike fishnets which are always an office no-no regardless of the type of work environment (better be safe than sorry), are “rockable” in our corporate sister jargon, at the office. To be on the safer side, and after polling a number of corporate sisters out there, it turns out that pinstripe, windowpane, and dot sheer tights take the lead! The only caveat to all this fun yet professional tight patterning business: let it be in neutral colors such as black, brown and navy blue. In general, you don’t want to steer too far away from neutrals when it comes to tights, as neutral tight colors will coordinate with any work ensemble and pull your look together.
My personal favorites are dot sheer tights, as I find they add just the right amount of jazzy sophistication without too much fuss! Subtle yet elegant, just like this sheer dot pantyhose from Nordstrom for $14.
Would you wear patterned tights to the office?
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Jan 7, 2014 | Career |
Corporate Sister – Photo: on.aol.com
Quevenzhane, Sheniqua, Lala, Nickesha…We’ve all heard the controversy, jokes and at times much spirited discussions around “non-traditional” names in the workplace. And by “non-traditional”, I mean pretty much anything that is not along the lines of your usual “Janes”, “Joes”, “Daves”…etc.
Especially in corporate environments where diversity is still very much a moving target, some sisters’ names still may represent somewhat of a silent, yet very much present, liability. I’ve met incredibly talented and competent sisters who’ve had to stand up to somewhat of an insidious pattern of discrimination simply on the basis of their names. And that is when the names on their resumes do not stand in their way of getting the job at all…How many times have we heard tales of minority applicants’ resumes not making the cut because the names on their resumes are too “ethnic-sounding” (what does that even mean)? And how many among us, honestly, have had even if a passing thought of using our more traditional middle names on our resumes to increase our chances of being even considered?
From getting our names desperately butchered, to the usually annoying questions the likes of “Are you from Africa”(the country or the continent?), or better yet, “Your name is so exotic!”, many are the ways society in general can turn some of our names into somewhat of professional liabilities, when they should never be…Being from West Africa myself, I’ve felt many times like I was supposed to justify the name my parents lovingly gave me….Like I had to constantly explain why I was named a certain way, what that meant, where I’m from, basically my entire life story just to make my own name sound more acceptable! And for a long time, despite degrees, credentials, and obvious achievements, despite it all, I kept on justifying myself, over and over again…until I finally understood that some values cannot be negotiated! Actually, the values that are our foundation, however foreign they may appear to some, not only should NOT be negotiated, but may even have to be imposed, in a gentle yet unequivocal fashion.
Our names are not professional liabilities to be justified, deciphered or explained. And as much as they may represent for many a minority yet another pay gap, it is partly up to us to teach others, and ourselves in the process, to be accepting of our differences. And how do we do that, as minority corporate sisters, in corporate spaces and structures in which there already are way too few of us?
My answer is to always strive for excellence, to not compromise on injustice, and to hold the truth above everything else. And while I understand that it may be a long and hard road, I also understand that it starts with a single step…so I’m stepping… Are you?
Do you think your name is a professional liability?
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Jan 6, 2014 | Career |
Ashton Blouse – www.thelimited.com
For our coffee chat today, I fell in love with the Ashton Blouse from the Limited. January is so grey and frankly depressing, so the last thing we need is to have our wardrobe be just as…grey and depressing! Well, this easy breezy, office-worthy basic blouse from The Limited in this bright orange hue may be just what we need.I particularly love the color which is a welcome change for all the winter darks! The pointed collar with split V-neck button down is a nice modern twist on the traditional button-down, and the full sleeves with buttoned roll-tab give us options…And don’t we just love options!
It’s currently priced at $49.95, but you can get 50% off your highest priced item and 30% off each additional item if you purchase more than one item. Can you say deal?
Seen a great, work-appropriate piece you’d like to recommend? Please email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
The Corporate Sister.
by Solange Lopes | Jan 6, 2014 | Career
Maybelline BB Cream – Photo: maybelline.com
For our beauty buy of the week, we are recommending the Maybelline BB Cream to wear under your daily make-up, or just alone for those blah days when you really don’t feel like bothering with “putting your face on”. I personally use the “Deep” shade, and have to say that I absolutely love it! The coverage is very natural and sheer, and it gives you this extra healthy glow that you need on grey January days! For an extra glow, I wear it under my regular foundation, and on those days when I’m extra tired or just have 5 minutes to get out the door, I slather it on, put on some mascara and fresh lipstick, and voila! Plus it’s SPF 20, so no need to bother with your regular sunscreen!
And at $7.99 at most drugstores, you can’t go wrong…
Seen a great product you’d like to recommend! Please email us at corporate@thecorporatesister.com!
by Solange Lopes | Jan 6, 2014 | Career
Mo’Money Mo’ Problems – Photo: drawception.com
In this New Year, many of us are seeking opportunities for advancement, whether it be in the form of promotions, salary increases or some other forms of increased compensation involving more often than not…money! With the cost of living rising, our own financial planning sometimes failing to deliver against heavy personal and societal expectations, money tends to be at times the compass with which we measure our professional success. The more money, the better, right? The higher the compensation, the better the financial perks, the more we tend to think we’ve arrived. Yet, we often omit the fact that with higher salaries may come unwelcome added pressure on many different fronts…As the popular saying goes, “mo’money, mo’problems”, right? So as you’re interviewing for this apparently stellar position with an equally stellar compensation package, or considering a change in careers based primarily (and at times solely) on dollar signs, or even just start allowing this insidious professional doubt to seep into your head as you’re eyeing your manager’s salary (and perks), you may want to think again….
- Go Into A Career that Makes YOU Happy! It sounds oh so cliche, but it is oh so true! Despite your mama’s convincing arguments about why you should definitely become a lawyer, you may want to ask YOURSELF the question as to what career path really makes YOU happy and fulfilled. And while this seemingly simple question may take you a few years (and a few careers) to answer, it will be well worth it in the end…And don’t bother asking lawyers around you if they are happy, as many will probably tell you they are (after all, we all have a vested interest in believing that we are happy)…
- Put a Value on Those Things that Do Not Appear to Have Any…like your time, or energy level, or motivation! Regardless of what is being said, a job, even the least desirable among jobs, is still a job! And it still requires a considerable investment in time, energy and motivation, and those may or may not have more value than the actual monetary compensation you are getting! So even if your current career is not paying you all the money you wish it did, consider the other stuff you’re getting, add it to the equation, and compare the total to that other job you’re eyeing just because it would allow you an extra vacation…Just sayin’…
- Last but not least, carefully consider the CONS: As attractive as a larger paycheck may appear, it may also make room for a larger money pit. Ever heard of the saying, “the more money you have, the more money you spend!”….Could not be truer in these times and in this economy! Between keeping up with the Joneses, keeping up with the economy, we may not even be able to keep up with our own bank accounts. And in between a higher salary for a job that does not motivate us, and a moderate yet livable pay for a career we are truly invested in, the cons are heavier on one side than the other…unless you want to be that middle age burnt out lawyer who ditches her high-paying job out of sheer unhappiness and exhaustion, with tons of debt to boot…Just Sayin’….
Does a higher salary mean more happiness to you?
The Corporate Sister,
It’s January, first full week at work, and it feels like…there’s so much to do already! Our head is still on vacation, and frankly just looking at the state of our desks makes us want to run for the next exit! It’s the start of the new year, and for many of us corporate sisters (with the exception of our super-human, uber-organized counterparts), it may just feel like the start of an organizational headache…Yet it doesn’t have to be though…
