In this piece, Pearl, the Head of PR at Pearl Lemon Group and offers her advice on advancing your career as a young female professional.Don’t wait until you’re wearing that cap and gown to start planning for your career. That’s quite possibly one of the worst decisions you could make for yourself in your early twenties. The job market is rough and career advancement is complex if you do not prepare adequately.
So, how do you start planning?
Start by taking advantage of those career services opportunities that most college students ignore. Attend the workshops, learn how to build a resume, engage in networking, and be engaged in those programs because you’ll gain valuable skills from there.
When I was 20, I took career courses and attended those workshops. I learned so much that helped me have a good foundation for my career even before graduation. Some of the things that were covered were LinkedIn optimization, personal branding, resume writing, networking and interview skills. Having all of this information in my back pocket years before graduation was integral in launching my career.
These programs will open you up to a whole new world of opportunities that could lead to internships, valuable work experience, and a greater professional network. When you start building your network early, working on your personal branding and getting relevant experience, you won’t have to start from absolute scratch once you graduate.
And that can make a world of difference!
By following this blueprint, I already had a job lined up while I was walking across that platform to receive my degree. I’d been preparing for life after university for two years so I could step into the real world with confidence and minimal anxiety.
You’ve probably heard this countless times…but I’ll say it again – become a lifelong learner. This means that you should never reach a point in your career where you feel comfortable. There’s always more for you to learn about and improve on. There’s an endless amount of information at your disposal and it’s in your best interest to learn as much as you can.
Here’s what happens when you do…
You’ll stand out from the rest of your colleagues. Instead of simply being good at your job, you’ll be exceptional. You need to learn about other aspects that could transform the way that you approach your role. For example, I’m the Head of PR at Pearl Lemon PR, but I have skills in content writing, market research, digital marketing, search engine optimization, link building, and website design.
That didn’t just happen.
I made the effort to learn more things that could make my overall role better. This is one of the reasons why I manage a team of international PR specialists when I’m only 23 years old. It’s not because of nepotism or favouritism, but because of the knowledge and skills I’ve acquired over the years. I use that to teach others and I am trusted to lead teams to do what I can do.
That’s how you elevate in your career…you keep learning, upskilling, and never ever get comfortable.
Instead of sitting there and waiting for your manifestations to become reality, take a more proactive role in improving your career opportunities.
If you see a need that you can solve, then fix it.
If you see a gap that needs to filled, then fill it.
Be proactive and your bosses will notice.
Become the person that is difficult to replace. You can do this by being proactive, providing solutions instead of problems, being reliable, and being very productive. When the PR department was struggling and I heard the boss speak about it, I offered to help. I filled in a gap that needed to be filled and I ended up being so good at it that I was given the opportunity of running the PR department.
If I hadn’t offered to help when I saw a need, then I’d probably still be making 70% less than what I make right now and I wouldn’t be in such a fulfilling position. When you see an opportunity for yourself to take leadership, then take it. Don’t be shy about it! Women are taught to shrink themselves, but this is not something you partake in. Your career is your ticket to financial independence, so stop being passive.
You should start building it as soon as you get your first internship. Use LinkedIn for this and share milestones and insights you gain from your internship experiences. Write and publish short articles on LinkedIn to share your knowledge about particular topics and that will help you learn how to write strong articles that can build your personal brand.
Building a personal brand is a complicated thing to do since it needs to be carefully curated to suit the career path you’re in. For some, a nice looking Instagram feed is the most important aspect for them (like models and people in entertainment). Do your research and find out which platforms you need to be on and start your journey of building an online network.
As you learn more about how to be better in your industry, share that knowledge by getting featured in publications and sharing your insights. You’ll help others with similar questions and you’ll gain a good reputation for being knowledgeable in your field.
The common denominator in all this is being intentional, proactive, and strategic. If you can do that, you’ll advance your career much faster than your peers.
