Need some insight on how you can power through the dog days of your career? Sophia’s got you covered. Plus, tips on how to deal with an all-dude team and deciding whether college is the right path for you.
The Girlboss founder and CEO is back for another session of answering your toughest work, life and money questions. This go-round, she’s getting frank about what to do when your career path seems to be straying from your hopes and dreams, and why it’s up to you to correct the course.
Have a question you *need* her to answer? Drop us a line HERE, and keep your eyes on this space each month to see if she’s got a response for you.
Work
What is your advice for staying motivated in your current job setting (when you’re practically starving and suffering from burnout because you work too much, but can’t stop, because you’re also broke)? And then on top of that, how can I take that next step in my career? Help!—Bummed ‘N Burnt
Take a weekend to write a solid cover letter and resume and start spraying out that resume online. Target companies you want to work for because you love their brand, admire their culture, or jive with their mission—ideally, all three.
Look at the LinkedIn profiles of others who have the job you want someday, and then scroll, girl. See what she did before that dream job and go find that job. You can always take a few hours or leave a bit early every few weeks to go to a “doctor’s appointment” (ahem—job interview)—and if your employer won’t allow that, well, that’s illegal.
Life
Hi, Sophia! I’ve been in college for two semesters now, but I feel like this is not where I’m supposed to be. What advice would you give to someone who plans to leave college to pursue their dreams?—Real-World Ready
Leave! I hated college, but today I dream every day of going back. When it feels like it’s what you’re “supposed” to be doing, it’s not the place for you. If you believe in academics and what you can get out of sticking it out, and feeling the sense of accomplishment that comes with finishing something, stay.
If not, travel, get lost, fall in love, change your mind, get comfortable being naked, bleach your armpit hair, and read some radical texts. Then, get an internship or a job or both and stay curious as you go deeper into the rabbit hole of what this world has to offer.
Work
I work with a group of all guys at my robotics job, and because of this, I usually feel like an outsider in the group. How can I break through?—Lone Woman Standing
That’s a tough one, but bravo to you for choosing a career that will always be in demand, and for using your giant brain for the betterment of us all.
My advice to you: Be yourself! Let your personality shine. Don’t think of yourself as the only woman in the room, even though you are—it can be distracting. Assume you’re worth liking, going to lunch with, shooting the shit with, because you already are.
Confidence is such a trickster; quiet that annoying voice in your head through meditation and mindfulness, or just remind yourself that voice is not you and kick it out of your head as fast as you’d kick out some jerk on the street who was telling you you are an outsider. Would you tolerate that?
