I get by with a little help from my friends… and by friends, I mean other people’s blogs.
As I move forward in optimizing myself and making potentially big moves in regards to my career, I’ve been looking far and wide for new opportunities to learn and grow. A few resources have been in my back pocket for a while, but just in the past three months, a few new platforms have joined the roster! Take a look at some of the places I go (when I’m not here):
1. Byrdie. Remember my “Glam Girl” manifesto? That was inspired almost entirely by this website! I think Byrdie is a hidden gem for anyone looking for beauty and wellness. While this one isn’t necessarily targeted for my career goals, it’s a great resource for me when considering ways to get healthier! Plus, you can often find direct-from-the-source tips on your favorite influencer’s beauty routine.
2. Elpha. No, not Alpha! It might as well be, though: this forum is geared towards guiding women looking for career changes, confidence tips, and taking their ambitions to the next level. It’s by and far one of the most supportive online communities I’ve ever seen. Women can seek advice about their careers, stocks and investing, to even family planning! Altogether it’s a great place for any working girl to get any question asked and answered. Considering you actually get tangible points for replying (though, to be fair, I don’t know what rewards come with the points!), I’d say that’s as encouraging as anything!
3. The Skinny Confidential. I will gawk with an open mouth at Lauryn Evarts-Bosstick possibly every day for the rest of my life. A simple blog turned into an entire lifestyle venture with podcasts, brand deals, and a place in the “#bossbabe” lexicon. At the center of it all is Evarts-Bosstick, who started the blog between working as a bartender and a fitness trainer. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen someone with such a clear brand. When you hear “Skinny Confidential,” you think power in pink. If you’re looking for a place to find advice on any aspect of reaching your potential, be it finding the right career or the right color treatment for your hair, Skinny Confidential is where to go. I will note that the brand is not without controversy, but hopefully it’s just a bump in the road for this ultimately alpha-gal resource.
4. Career Contessa. How’s this: I discovered Career Contessa THROUGH The Skinny Confidential Him + Her podcast! Founded by Lauren McGoodwin as part of a Master’s Thesis, Lauren noticed a glaring gap in career resources for women in the early 2010s. From there, she began amassing a series of tips on getting the job, the promotion, the leadership opportunity, and everything in between, as part of becoming a recruiter for Hulu! Similarly to Elpha, Career Contessa acts as part job-board, part blog, on every aspect of your career, be it work-life balance or entrepreneurship. Career Contessa also has a great initiative called “The Salary Project,” where people in any field can share their duties, experience, and pay grade. The goal: make sure that your paycheck matches the average, if not higher! As someone who worries about being underpaid (or just flat-out undervalued), this is an absolute necessity for any person wondering if they’re worth more. Spoiler alert: you are.
5. Instagram. World’s biggest plot twist, right? How is social media’s biggest time suck on this list? Well it turns out, if you tailor your Instagram feed to cater to your goals, great things can happen. I’ve followed multiple programmers, developers, and coding accounts that I’ve dedicated an entire “Saved” collection JUST for my career ambitions. People are ready and willing to share their experience, advice, and insight on every aspect of what it means to work in web and software development. For someone just starting out, that’s everything!
I am certainly never afraid to ask questions. I’m never afraid to learn. These resources help get me there. For everything I can’t find here, there’s Google. Google never fails. This is not an ad for Google.