by Solange Lopes | Jul 27, 2016 | Career
The middle of the year is always a good time to re-evaluate where you stand career-wise. Although it happens in the midst of summer activities, vacation time, and general work slump, when you’d rather be laying on the beach sipping on that margarita, it’s also a good point to stop and re-consider where you are career-wise.
From my own experience, as well as from speaking with fellow corporate sisters (and brothers), there are a lot of questions we can ask ourselves when getting to that mid-point, and starting the second half of the year. There may also be many changes, both in our personal and professional environments, that prompt us to re-consider the goals we set at the onset of the year. And all of this can be quite the complex process…
Yet, despite how busy the summer can get, and how demanding it can be for us to actually sit down and get into the mid-year review process frame of mind, it may be more rewarding than we think in the end.
While I can certainly go on and on about what to check for and think about as you embark on the second half of the year, I’ve tried for my own sake (and sanity) to boil down the process to three basic questions:
Am I On Track?
This is question numero uno to ask yourself at mid-year review time. Where do you stand as related to the goals you had at the beginning of the year? Have you shown improvement, or are you still struggling in some areas?
This question may be a challenging one to face. After all, things happen, plans get changed, and life gets in the mix. After, there’s only so much you can do in about 6 months. Yet, it’s important to stop, take a breather, and assess where you are in your career before getting back up and running again…
If I’m Not On Track, What Do I Need to Stay on Track?
Whether you want it or not, there are areas in your career where you may not be on track. Or areas where you may be doing ok, but you’re suspecting you may not be able to keep up for long. In this case, rather than blaming yourself for what you didn’t get to do, why not proactively ask yourself what you need to do to make it better?
I used to get down on myself at mid-year review time for not being able to reach this or that milestone. In turn, my attitude would affect the rest of my year, and hinder the performance I could have had for the next six months. Don’t make this mistake! Your mid-year career assessment is a tool to finish the year successfully, so use it to your advantage!
Do you need more support to stay or get back on track? Do you need more time? Or do you need to re-allocate some resources to allow you to reach your objectives? Take an honest assessment of where you stand, and what you really require to move ahead.
You may find that you must re-adjust your strategy, change your thinking, or correct some past mistakes. Yet all in all, assessing what you (and others) need to do to allow you to cross that finish line at year-end is a priority.
Do your goals need some adjusting?
Do you need to adjust some of your goals? Or do you feel comfortable with your current progress? Do you need to aim higher, or dial down your ambitions a bit? Is your goal even still relevant?
Your department, or even company at large, may have shifted strategies in the course of the year. For you, this may mean that the goals you started out with need to be re-evaluated along the way. Or it could be that a new opportunity presents itself, and you may have to re-align your goals not to let it pass you by. Remember to be flexible when necessary!
How do you assess your progress at mid-year?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Jul 26, 2016 | Career
Photo credit: shop style.com
My daily Corporate Catwalk presents one piece of professional attire (and some alternatives too), to make your work day as elegant as it is productive.
The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is still going on! Hence today’s Corporate Catwalk pick, this fun Vince Camuto print scuba shift dress perfect for the office and after-hours. Loving the painterly stripes on this colorful scuba-knit dress which creates a lean, chic silhouette. It’s $128 at Nordstrom!
In other fun print shift dresses, I also like this floral number, as well as this bateau-neck Eliza J version. Oh and this Adriana Papell belted stunner too…
Which one is your fave?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Jul 22, 2016 | Career
Photo credit: shop style.com
What best to rock on a Casual Friday than a funky, but stylish tie-front chambray skirt? Hence my Corporate Catwalk pick today. Loving the casual-meets-couture look of this skirt, with its oversize side tie and wrap style, for a fresh take on the denim skirt. This beauty’s on sale for $68 at Nordstrom.
Other fresh alternatives to this original denim skirt include this A-line button front version from Last Call, as well as this Akris Punto flounce hem stunner.
Would you sport a denim skirt to work?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Jul 22, 2016 | Career
This is our weekly career and lifestyle news update, where we round up exciting news of the last week and we let you have it…ahem, news-wise that is…
Think of it as your career gossiping section on steroids…
And while you’re at it, follow us on Facebook, Twitter,IG, and Pinterest!
Here we go…
- In recent news, the Internet was buzzing with “plagiarism this” and “plagiarism that” after Melania Trump’s speech at the RNC convention. Let’s look at how it can affect your career;
- Finally taking that summer vacation? Ellevate Network confirms taking time off helps you thrive at work;
- Wanna double your salary? Read this…now!
- Uncomfortable networking event alert? Business Insider suggests 17 icebreakers to ahem…
break smash the networking ice;
- if you’re a note-taking freak like myself, you must check out Corporette’s busy woman’s guide to Evernote (my absolute fave) and other note-taking apps;
- No time to hit the gym? These 15 jobs can keep you in shape;
- Ever wondered what the difference is between sick days and personal days? The Muse tells you everything you need to know about personal days;
- So you made a bad career move? Here are 5 moves to help you recover;
- This linen jacket is your new summer go-to.
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Jul 21, 2016 | Career
Photo credit: shop style.com
Today’s Corporate Catwalk pick is a simple, classic one with a twist. This short sleeve pintuck pleat top is the epitome of elegant comfort. The straight cut silhouette emphasizes the intricate pleated design of this gorgeous top, that can be paired with pretty much anything, from a classic pencil skirt to straight cut trousers. What’s even better? It’s on sale for $93.98 at Nordstrom.
I also like this crisp popped collar Akris Punto version, this twisted pleat detail beauty, or this easy tie-back blouse.
Which one’s your fave?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Jul 21, 2016 | Career
Unless you’re hiding under a rock, or are avoiding media at all costs (which no one will blame you for lately), you’ve heard about the now infamous speech Melania Trump gave at the Republican National Convention last week. As the Internet overflowed that day with side-by-side comparisons of current First Lady Michelle Obama’s 2008 speech and Mrs. Trump’s rendition, stronger and stronger allegations of plagiarism started to emerge.
Plagiarism is defined as the “the practice of taking someone else’s work or ideas and passing them off as one’s own.”As we’ve seen in the news recently, apart from the political noise it has created/amplified, the very concept of plagiarism raises serious ethical questions; as it also makes us wonder how to avoid the same type of scandal in our own lines of work and careers.
In the corporate world as well as in the business and political world, plagiarism can lead to disastrous consequence, including but not limited to lawsuits, financial repercussions, and destruction of careers and businesses. The thing is, you may not even know you’re plagiarizing as you’re doing it, which makes it even more concerning…and more dangerous.
As a blogger, I’ve had to research and look at the many facers of plagiarism in my work; which in turn has made me scrutinize how it can affect us all. Here are 3 easy ways you can avoid plagiarizing at work, without adding extra stress to your already busy life:
Think before cutting and pasting
It’s so easy to just “cut and paste” someone else’s work into your own. You may mentally want to revisit it later, and change it to accommodate your own style. And you may just forget to do so…
According to Harvard’s Guide of Using Sources, you should keep track of your sources in a separate file or folder. That makes it easier to acknowledge your sources later on. It could be as easy as maintaining a separate Word or Excel document listing your sources for each project you work on. What I also do is maintain my written work in Google Docs where I can link to any Internet-based sources.
At the end of the day, use whatever system works best for you to keep track of any sources you may use as part of your work. The bottom line is: never claim someone else’s work as your own!
Use citations and quotation marks
The Harvard’s Guide of Using Sources recommends using “quotation marks for directly quoted material, even for short phrases and key terms.” You can quote away, as long as you’re giving credit where credit is due.
In the same token, add citations every time you paraphrase or quote a source.
Plan Out Your Content
Preparing content at the last minute is the reason many people inadvertently commit plagiarism. With limited time and last-minute revisions, it’s easy to forget adding a source here, or inserting quotation marks there…
If your work requires research, make sure to budget enough time for it. It’s not just about finding the right information in a rush, but also keeping track of where you found that information in order to attribute credit later on…
When in doubt, attribute!
Not sure about the whole thing? Just do like my 4-year old and say it like it is! If you’ve borrowed some content from someone else, say it openly. It’s as straightforward as inserting a self-explanatory phrase like this one: “This paragraph has been extracted from…..”
There’s no right or wrong way to attribute work to its legitimate creator. Although we could be getting very technical here, the main point is to always disclose where your information is coming from (if it hasn’t originally been created by your truly).
Bonus: Use this Software to Check Your Work
Still in doubt? You can use the Turn It In software, also a favorite of many academic institutions and companies, to detect plagiarism.
Have you experienced plagiarism at work? How else do you avoid?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
by Solange Lopes | Jul 20, 2016 | Career
Photo credit: skimlinks.com
I love an easy yet elegant jacket I can wear throughout the year, even when temperatures skyrocket (and your cubicle feels like the Antarctic in the middle of Summer). Hence today’s Corporate Catwalk pick, this Theory “Braneve B” linen-blend peplum jacket. Everything about this jacket spells “head turner”, from the breathable fabric to the collarless style, not to mention the ultra-flattering peplum silhouette. This jacket’s on sale for $236.98 at Nordstrom (psst…the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale officially starts on July 22nd!).
Other alternatives include this original sleeveless linen blend blazer, this sleeveless cotton option, or this more traditional, yet vibrant Classiques collarless piece.
Yay or Nay?
To Your Success,
The Corporate Sis.
