She’s at it again folks…kicking ass!

As one of those “Senior” GenXers I can share some thoughts on this one that I hope help out my sisters:

1. If the suck ass lame company you currently work for has any sort of matching on a 401k program; consider allocating a few before tax dollars on that little old check. Here’s where I blew it; I ASSUMED hubby and I would be together forevah and only focused on his retirement funds. I ended up starting my retirement funds at 45. Starting those funds in your twenties or thirties makes them grow exponentially faster. Married or not…starting your retirement fund is like building your “fuck ‘em all forever” fund…none of us can be sure that social security (or hubby) will be there when we are old and crotchety so a very small investment every paycheck can pay big dividends in the end. It may take longer for your “fuck off fund” to grow but you will be securing your long term future self as well. Plus, in hardship conditions like the boyfriend using your face for a punching bag…you can borrow off these funds to get the hell out fast.
2. Certification programs like LEED, PMP, and Six Sigma lend legitimacy to your skills without huge costs. A colleague of mine in his early thirties used some of his internship program towards his project management hours requirements to be able to sit for the PMP his first year out of college. Pay can increases by about 10% with these certifications. Job postings say they prefer them so you can be sure that the resumes with certifications will get looked at first. PMP has tons of free or nearly free course to take and tech firms will offer LEAN training toward Six Sigma certification on a pretty regular basis. LEED certification is pretty standard to advance to senior positions in the construction industry and it provides tools to shape work that is more sustainable for your community. Companies often help defray costs because it legitimizes their work force. That in turn gives them a leg up on the competition. Less expensive than masters programs and some don’t even require a degree; certification programs really give you a leg up on your counterparts out there.
3. Build the hell out of your networking skills. Yes, be that woman who goes to those Saturday free seminars or rubber chicken lunches at the Hilton. Such groups aren’t necessarily boring. A Diversity group will have cool documentary nights where you can meet all kinds of interesting smart people that love helping young women to step up to their future. You can connect with successful women at leadership events and find a mentor. A fantastic mentor is like an older sister who will want you to grow, tell it like it is, and probably foot the bill for drinks cause she’s been there. So go ahead and attend some free cheesy events to see what you don’t like about networking and polish your approach. When a promising event comes along that leads to good connections you will feel at ease and ready to ask for and get what you want.

Love what you’re working on Paulette! There is advice here for any woman…you have a disciple in me sister!