Download my speaking information packet here for all the details!

Speaking Topics:

My speaking topics are networking, social media for your job search, confidence, what to wear to work (for women), interview preparation, resume writing, career direction and how to navigate and succeed in your career.  I recently completed a year of the 4X4 networking challenge where each month I met with 4 people I didn’t know and 4 people that I did know and I would LOVE to share what I learned and help you audience knock down their networking barriers so that they can reach their goals and dreams.

Recent Speaking Engagements:

• Wake Forest University Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity
• Purdue University and Kranner School of Manager Doster Leadership Conference
• Girl’s Empowerment Conference
• Brazen Careerist’s Brazen University – Guest Speaker for “Network Your Way To a New Job” 
• Certified Booz Allen Hamilton Adjunct Instructor for quarterly online course: Take 5 to Navigate Your Career
• San Diego Downtown Public Library
• Poway Adult School
• And of course a few more that I am excited to announce but can’t share all the details just yet!!

Testimonials:

“Thank you so much for coming to speak for us at Wake!  Your blog has been (and continues to be) such an inspiration to me.  I look forward to staying touch in the future.  Thanks for everything you have done.” -Junior at Wake Forest University

“I attended the “NETWORK YOUR WAY TO A NEW JOB” at Brazen U. It was awesome. I learned a lot of things from you. Thank you very much!” -Attendee of Network Your Way To a New Job at Brazen U 

“Hi Anna, Thank you very much for the “Get Unstuck” webinar today.  It was full of great information, encouragement and gave good sources as well.” -Attendee of the Get Unstuck webinar and participant in the Get Unstuck and Find the Right Career For You course

Trainings Videos:

Get Unstuck and Find the Right Career For You Webinar

Network Your Way to A New Job (password is brazenjob)

Contact me today!

Email me: anna@classycareergirl.com

Or fill out the contact form below:

Contrary to popular belief, your alma mater won’t just push you out of the nest and expect you to fly on your own. In addition to preparing you for the professional world by arming you with a quality education, your alma mater can also provide you with the tools necessary to make this transition smoother and more successful. Finding a job as an individual can seem impossible with the current uninviting job market, but when you have a team of well-connected professionals to support you, the world truly is your oyster.

To find out how you can leverage your alma mater to help you find your dream job, consider the following helpful resources.



1. Utilize the Career Services Department

Most colleges have a career services department designed primarily to help students in their job search. Most career services departments are not limited to helping recent graduates, but in providing lifelong services to all alumni. Set up an appointment with a career development professional in this department to review current job listings, respond to your questions, and offer professional advice for your job search.



2. Reconnect with Professors and Peers

One of the more personal resources you can take advantage of is reconnecting to former professors and peers. Your former professors can provide you with excellent recommendations to improve your appeal in the job market and cam possibly help personally connect you with his or her professional peers who may be searching for new employees. Your peers who have already found work can also help you by providing personal recommendations and connections to other professionals in your industry.



3. Extend Your Education

You may have to focus on your own professional development to improve your appeal to potential employers. One of the most effective ways to accomplish this is by furthering your education. You can enroll in an advanced degree program or simply take a few classes to specialize in a certain aspect of your profession. No matter how committed you are, working toward extending your education is an effective, proactive way to surpass the competition. To accommodate your busy schedule, ask your guidance counselor about online education alternatives.



4. Enhance Your Resume

First impressions can make all the difference in the success of your job search, which is why having a resume that is polished and up to date is crucial for catching the attention of employers. Most institutions have a center available solely for helping students and alumni improve their resumes by reading it over for grammatical errors, evaluating for design appeal, and offering structural advice to increase general appeal.

As a general rule, you will want to focus on emphasizing the active role you played in your professional development. For example, if you received an award of some sort in college, talk about how you actively worked to achieve this award instead of passively describing how it was given to you. In addition to improving the style, structure, and content of your resume, your alma mater can also help market your resume to potential employers to ensure that it won’t simply be tossed to the bottom of the pile.

How have you used your alma mater in your career search?

Photo Source

What is an outfit idea for profesional work environments? How bare is too bare in the summer time for your arms, stomach and legs?

No tank tops…I recommend only wearing light blouses under a blazer or suit jacket.  Always be ready to take off your jacket in case you are hot but always have a professional looking shirt underneath your suit jacket.  Nothing is worse than being hot but not being able to take off your jacket because your shirt isn’t appropriate underneath for your conservative office!  You have to take yourself seriously because you want to be known for your brains, not for having the shortest skirt or most cleavage in the office.  Showing skin is NOT how you will get ahead, trust me. I have always had trouble finding lightweight shirts for under a suit jackets for the summer but there are so many cute options out these days! Never ever show stomach in any work environment unless you are a lifeguard.  In a conservative environment, always wear closed toed shoes even in the summer.  Dresses are definitely allowed just add a sweater or cardigan over the dress.  Always wear closed toed shoes to make it more professional looking for a conservative work environment. If you wear a dress or skirt, make sure it isn’t too short.  Your skirt should fall close to the knee and not above your knee in the office.

But, you do have a unique personal style and even if you are in a conservative work environment, you can definitely still let your personality out!  Try a scarf, jewelry, a watch, small earrings or a bracelet or a belt to personalize your outfit.  Even if you have to work in a conservative work environment, you don’t have to look drab, frumpy and boring or like everyone else that you may work with.  Be professional with class and definitely a little bit of personality and don’t be afraid to add a little color to your wardrobe. If you have a closet full of black, branch out and buy some greens, yellows, pinks and oranges for the summer to go with your black, gray and brown work staples and mix and match.  You can create a lot of outfits with just a few great staples.  Never wear spaghetti straps without a blazer or cardigan over.  And no skinny pants!  Also suits can be the easiest things to put on in the morning!

What is an outfit idea for creative work environments? 

Even in a creative field, a strapless dress is too informal without a cardigan over it; keep it for a weekend beach day.  Even in a creative field, blazers rock!  With a blazer you will immediately grab attention and look more professional.  But in a creative field you can dress up blazers into really fun and colorful outfits and still look very professional.  You do have more options in a creative field but be careful that you don’t get too loose and not care.  If you go in with jeans everyday, not only will you have a tendency to become more relaxed and maybe do a worse job at work but also you will get in the habit of dressing down.  Try mixing up your outfits and not wear jeans everyday but some days dress up as well.  Add a little bit of excitement over what you will wear everyday.  This way you are mixing it up and your co-workers won’t be surprised in whatever you end up with each day.

They key really is to look at the position in your company that you really want someday (or in another company) and find that person that has that job and is successful at it and highly respected.  Dress like she does.  Use Pinterest or Polyvore and find your own personal style of pieces or celebrities that dress how you love and use them as your model.  Look through magazines (like this one) and find what you like and don’t like and create a file or binder of all the looks you love.  Use that as inspiration before you head to the mall or shop online!  Don’t dress for the position you have, dress for the position that you want someday.  You never know who might be watching you or whom you might run into on the elevator.  Always always look professional, even on Casual Friday.  I find that some days I have to give important presentations on the spot or go to meetings that weren’t planned, that is why I always keep a blazer in my office and wear outfits everyday that would be acceptable with the boss.

What is an outfit idea for casual Fridays? 

I LOVE casual Fridays!  I love making casual outfits look professional.  I love dark jeans (still no really skinny jeans) with blazers and ballet flats.  Or instead of the dark colors, on Casual Friday you can add color. I love wearing brown and khaki pants and skirts into the wardrobe, which can be done more easily on Fridays.  But, refuse to roll out of bed and head straight to the office on Fridays.  Instead, have fun dressing up on Fridays.  I also like wearing my hair differently on Fridays and a little messier than normal.  And I add a little more jewelry than normal on Fridays.

What shoes are cute and appropriate for the summer?

I love peep toe pumps for the summer even in very corporate settings you can definitely get away with them.  Below pumps are from Nordstrom.

I am also a huge fan of a nude pointy toe shoe like this – it looks great with black, gray or brown pants!  Also from Nordstrom.

Are flip-flops ever okay in professional work environments?

Nope, never.

Are flip-flops ever okay in creative work environments?

You probably could get away with it but I would recommend more flats that have more of a sling back to dress it up the outfit a little bit.  Flip flops are too much like you are headed to the beach.

Are flats okay in professional work environments?

Ballet flats are perfectly acceptable as long as your pants are tailored for them and don’t drag on the floor!  But not loafers, boat shoes or any shoes that resemble slippers!

Are flats okay in creative work environments?

Definitely OK in a fashion forward office but in a creative environment you want to go for very bright and fun colors.

Are wedges okay in super corporate offices?

Depends on the wedge – Yes to leather wedges. I do love wedges because they last longer and are more durable on streets when you walk a lot than a skinny heel. No to wedges that are raffia heels.

Are espadrilles okay in super corporate offices?

Not in super corporate office.  Off limits.

What are the rules of wearing shoes to work?

You should go for comfort rather than fashion and NOT the highest heel you can find.  If you are, comfortable in your shoes you will be more confident and you will be able to stand and walk better and present yourself better.  You don’t want to be at an important networking event and have to sit down or take off your shoes because your feet hurt!  You have got to work the room instead!!  At work, you may be doing a lot of walking and presenting -You have lots of people to impress and there is no time for rest! You should think twice about wearing the same shoes to work that you would wear out dancing with your girlfriends.  Shoes are also a great way to let your personality show and bring a little color to your outfit.

Is it ever OK to wear shorts to work?

No, shorts aren’t acceptable.  Save it for the weekend!

Do you ever have to wear panty hose to work? If so, what are some of your favorites?

This is a question I get a lot on my blog! No, you don’t have to wear pantyhose to work these days.  But if you feel more comfortable with pantyhose, they are perfectly acceptable too.  But, don’t fee like you have to.  Also remember that the majority of your potential employers and hiring managers may not be your age and pantyhose may be a part of their life so you may want to do your best to join the crowd and fit in the best way you can even if that involves pantyhose.  When I entered the career world out of college, I thought that pantyhose were a must!  I wore them to interviews and on the job.  I even wore knee-highs with pants because I thought I would look more professional and mature.  I realized a few months in that not only were they terribly uncomfortable but most women (of all ages) I was working with were not wearing them.  Today, I very rarely see anyone wearing pantyhose so I never wear them.  I think times are changing and it isn’t looked down upon anymore to NOT wear pantyhose.

If you are a die-hard pantyhoser, try out Donna Karan hosiery.  Some of my favorite photos of great outfits with pantyhose are photos of Kate Middleton who is totally bringing sheer pantyhose back.

What kind of fabrics, colors and cuts do you like to wear in the summertime?

In the summertime, a button up long sleeve cotton shirt is the last thing that I want to put on.  Put those shirts in the back of your closet and break out the light weight blouses with barely there sleeves, there is so much of that available now.  It has to be breathable to handle the stress of the workday and the hot weather and it is great to wear from day to night and happy hour!  Pencil skirts are another great thing that I love to throw on because they are comfortable and cool.  Ruffle tank tops are also my favorite right now and they look great underneath jackets and cardigans.  I love polka dots as well and shirts that go up to the neck for work like this: http://www.thelimited.com/detail/polka-dot-halter/4263437

I also love summer work outfits that aren’t tight to the skin.  They need to breathe.  I really like loose clothing for work because I am usually sitting for so long and it has to be comfortable on the body.

What are some key pieces that belong in any summer work wardrobe? What makes them appropriate and what kind of things should you look out for (I.e. not too sheer, slouchy, etc.:

A blazer will help you be more credible and make a great impression, which is why it is a must for any work wardrobe.  Throw it over your favorite dress and you are out the door!  You should never wear a shirt that is see through or sheer to work.  Also make sure that you buy clothing that is easy to put on in the morning.  Know before you buy whether you are going to have to be ironing in the morning or if you are going to be at the dry cleaners each week. Better yet, plan your outfits ahead of time and do all your ironing on the weekend so you don’t have to iron every morning! I think another must outfit is a few shirts in the closet that you don’t have to iron but look great under a blazer that you can throw on quickly and head out the door.

What are some great outfit examples (head-to-toe looks + accessories) of something appropriate for casual summer Fridays?

Outfit #1 Casual Summer Look: A light tan, yellow or cream dress, a brown cardigan or blazer and a brown belt, big long necklace in a loud color like green or blue and open toed shoes with a bow just like this outfit:

Outfit #2 Casual Summer Look: Striped tee, green blazer, bright yellow belt and dark jeans with sparkle class pump heels and bangle bracelet and earrings

Outfit #3 Casual Summer Look:  I love a belt and pin on the sweater and bracelet to add a little personality to a boring work wardrobe…and messy hair is more acceptable on casual Fridays.

For photos all of these outfit ideas, make sure you check out my Pinterest page!

What’s a checklist of the top things to avoid wearing in the summer?

1) Always avoid showing cleavage, there is no excuse.

2) Tank tops and strapless shirts should only be worn with a cardigan or blazer over your shoulders.

3) Never wear a skirt that is too short and above the knees

4) Never wear tight skinny pants or jeans.

5) Don’t even think about wearing platform heels that you can’t walk or stand in.

Definitely keep your work wear separate from your weekend wear and don’t be afraid to invest a little more in your work outfits because not only will they last forever but you will end up wearing those favorite outfits everyday.  Your professionalism in the office can mean more promotions in the future which will end up with you being able to buy even more work clothes with that hard earned cash!

Overall, you are wearing your clothes at work for many, many hours per day, especially if you partake in happy hour and networking events after work (which I suggest you do! .  You want to look great but also be comfortable at the same time.  If you pants are too tight or if you are worried about how your skirt keeps riding up, you won’t do your best work because you will be worried and you will just want to go home as soon as possible.  I find that if I love my outfit, my day actually gets better AND I think I actually end up doing better in interviews and presentations. That is why I advise putting a little extra planning and money into work outfits because it will be worth it in the long run.  Also, I have enough to worry about in my work as a consultant than to worry also about what I am wearing.  I think a good thing to remember is that if you plan ahead and are comfortable with your work staple outfits, you shouldn’t have to worry each morning about what you are going to wear OR worry while you are at work about what you are wearing or what people will think of your outfit.  You are just confident because you know you look good.

What is your go-to work outfit for summer?

I have always dreamed of being in a magazine so this is a dream come true!  And hopefully the beginning of more opportunities in the future as well!  Since I have a lot more advice about the summer work wardrobe that wasn’t featured, I will be sharing it with you this week on the blog instead!

Also, after the success of the Get Unstuck course (which you can now take the self-paced course whenever you want-click here to learn more), I am gearing up for my next course and FREE webinar! If you haven’t yet, make sure you stop by and take this one question survey (click here) to have a say in what my next course and free seminar should be.  Here are the choices. A) Get What You Deserve: Salary Negotiation Intensive B) Get Networking: Relationship Bootcamp C) Get Organized: Unclutter Your Work and Life D) Other: YOU PICK!

Here are your career links to start your week off right:

• Turning 30: 30 Things Every Woman Should Have And Should Know by The Huffington Post
• Traveling (Even When You Have a Full-Time Job) by Grace Boyle
• 30 Financial Tips That Women Should Know By age 30 by Yahoo She
• A Review of the Performance Review by the New Professional Blog
• Be Fearless at Work: 3 Confidence-Boosting Tactics by The Daily Muse

Happy Monday and have a GREAT week!

Photo Credit: Gilad

Deciding whether or not to quit your job once you’ve given birth can be a tricky situation. If you do opt to spend time at home with your child, then, when it comes time to re-enter the workforce, many mothers end up feeling penalized because they took time off to spend time with their new baby.

How can you overcome the challenges of gaps in employment from motherhood duties?

• Highlight new skills you’ve acquired. As a mother, you’ve probably found yourself negotiating about sharing or bedtime and practicing a lot of patience, all while multi-tasking to ensure your bills are paid and the house is clean. These are skills that can be translated to the workplace and should be leveraged on your new resume or during the interview. In fact, they may be more valuable than you think. In a study by Salary.com, it was determined that the typical stay-at-home mother’s duties – roles including cook, daycare center teacher and psychologist — would equal out to about $140,000 a year for her 92-hour work weeks.
• Transition slowly. Look for a job that you can do from home or part-time in order to beef up the experience section in your resume before looking for a full-time gig. This can also help ease the guilt you might feel by going back to work by taking small steps.
• Optimize your resume. Gaps in employment can be difficult to explain on a one- or two-page resume. To take attention away from those gaps, highlight your relevant experience and skills. You can also include other experience, such as volunteering, freelancing, temping or consulting to fill in the gaps.
• Prepare for questions. Know exactly how you’ll address tough questions about your time off during a phone screen or interview. Don’t feel like you need to explain your reasoning for taking time off to raise your child? Then do explain enough so they aren’t left wondering if your time off was for negative reasons, such as forced unemployment from a previous job.

It can be tough to get back into the workforce, particularly in a job market that’s competitive. But remember that you bring something to the table that other younger professionals might not — maturity. This is something employers are looking for in job candidates and can certainly work to your advantage on the job hunt.

If you’ve taken time off to raise your child, how did you transition back into the workplace? Do you have any other tips to share? 

(photo above of my mom and I…Happy mother’s day mom!)

Cutting Edge Social Networks

In fact, as a classy new career girl, your knowledge and fresh outlook in these areas can impress employers, co-workers and just about anyone trying to juggle the 9-5 and learning new skills.  Sure, just about everyone has heard of Instagram or Pinterest, but often, there is not enough time in the day to actually research every relevant social media app.  If you can take a moment out of the day to learn how to use them to improve your online persona, you will be soaring ahead of the curve.

Cutting Edge Mobile Technology

Oh and, hate to break it to you, but if you’re one of those girls who’s stayed comfy with her beat up, jewel-studded flip phone that you’ve been using since 2007, then you’re very likely to miss out on shortcuts in the world of business networking. Cute, but the old school thing is killing your image as a cutting edge professional. Today, smartphones are of the utmost importance for anyone really, but for a business professional, this is a no-brainer.  The debate between Android, Blackberry and Iphone is mostly trite, as they all fulfill the functions of most business applications, so just pick one and learn it inside out!

Cutting Edge Apps

When you do decide on your smart phone weapon of choice, your next step is to personalize it.  Most mobile devices give you an easy walk through of all the options you have, but you could probably get your phone as customized as you’d like!  When you take it home, step two is to download any apps you need and sync everything with your social media profiles.  For example, if you chose a Blackberry, you may want to browse from their app page on their site, and go from there.  Otherwise, there are many resources you can quickly find that will rate different mobile apps.

Cutting Edge Blogs

People started blogging and most companies started their blogs also. Bloggers are motivated to put their thoughts and ideas out there for various reasons – to teach, to gain more traffic, to help, to stay connected, to make money and basically to just have fun expressing themselves.

When you finally have your arsenal of mobile web 3.0 goodies neatly packaged and personalized, now comes step 3- Take it with you into the jungle!  You’ll be pleased at how intuitive mobile networking is.  If you’re out at lunch and bump into a fellow co-worker, you may want to snag their number, friend them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter all at the same time! Maybe even “check in” at the restaurant you are at using Foursquare or Facebook. Well, now as a new confident business professional, you can do all of that in a matter of seconds.

What are some other technology must-haves for ladies who work hard and play hard?

Photo Source

In case you are reading this at work and can’t watch the video, you can read all of the great advice below instead!

1) What is the best way to prepare for an interview?

My advice is to look at the job posting and the job description. It’s like a piece of gold.  Read through that 3 times.  The first time for content. The third time for words.  The third time for read between the lines to figure out what are they looking for?  How can you solve a problem unless you know what the problem is. So look at what the company is looking for and pick out key things.  Read between the lines to figure out what they are really looking for which are key factors.  Later on when you get about 5-7 keywords, when you do that you will make stories or examples about those 5-7 words. We can’t prepare for questions because we don’t know what questions they are going to ask.  But we do know they are going to ask us about whether we have experience in those particular keyword areas.  This will make you feel more prepared. Also you should know what you bring to the position whether it is your education or experience or your expertise.  You should know who you are and your brand and what you have to offer.

2) How can we eliminate nervousness and stress before a big interview?

Stress is part of interviewing.  You always are going to get those butterflies and get a little nervous because it is a new situation.  The truth is that you have power over some things and you don’t have power of over things.  Control the things that you have power over.  What you can control is letting them know that you are the best person for the job.  You have to be prepared to tell them that and to sell yourself.  While you are selling yourself, they are watching you and saying this is how he or she is going to interact with our customers.  How does she come across?  Do we want her representing our team?

3) What are some things that we can do during an interview that will make us stand out from our competition?

By knowing what you bring to the position.  Sometimes you can have added value like maybe you speak a language or maybe you had an experience that is beyond what they are looking for.  Find what I call your ace which something that makes you stand out from the others.  You will be ahead of the others if you just have a good idea of who you are.  Know your branding and what your strengths are and know what others say about you.  Have an inventory of who you are and what you bring is really important.

4) What are some common mistakes that people make during interviews?

The biggest two mistakes are that you talk too much or not enough.  People ask me how long a story or an example should be.  A story is an answer to a question the says “Give me an example of” or “Tell me about a time when.” They want to hear about your past behavior.  The reason they do that is because you did it before, you can do it again.  People ask me how long should the story be.  I recommend thinking of an electric toothbrush.  The toothbrush will go off after about 2 minutes and that is when you should turn off too.  So 2 minutes is a long time and is a pretty long time to tell a story or answer a question.  If you go beyond two minutes, people’s eyes glaze over and you have lost them. If you don’t talk enough.  If someone asks you if you have a problem speaking in front of other people, don’t just say no.  Say, no in fact I have done it.  I have talked in front of as many as 300 people!  Expand a little on yes or no to make yourself look good so that they know why you are saying no.

5) What can we do after an interview so that we don’t get forgotten?

I believe in rating yourself.  After the interview, get a paper and pencil or notes in your laptop as soon as you can.  Write down everything you remember about the interview.  What did you think went well?  What would you do differently if you could do it again?  Start to keep a diary of your interviewing experiences so that you won’t make the same mistakes next time or you will do more of what went well.  Score your own interview and of course ask for feedback if you can but chances are you probably won’t get any.  If you do, take it as constructive and do not argue back.

6) What do you wish you would have known when you were a young professional woman just starting out in her career?

I wish I had known that I had more to offer than I realized.  Women under rate themselves.  I had a client this morning who didn’t feel like she was worthy but I said where are you coming from, you have done some remarkable things!  But we want to beat ourselves up.  Some men beat themselves up too.  Females are very self critical.  Believe in yourself.  If you don’t believe in yourself, why would anyone else believe in you?  Don’t say I am pretty good.  You are either pregnant or you aren’t.  You are either good at it or not.  Don’t use those kinds of words like pretty.  Say I am good at it and I am an expert at it.  Give yourself credit for knowing what you know.

7) If people want to learn more about you where can they find you online?

www.interviewcoach.com or my books are on amazon.  My website has information about products and packages with recordings and coaching.  I do a lot of coaching with federal law enforcement.  I am a subject matter expert on interviews.

8 ) What made you decide to become an interview coach?

I went back to school later in life because I wanted to help women in transition.  I ended up being the guru for the FBI interviews.  You set a goal and you let fate take its course.  You never know where you are going to end up.

What are your interview tips?

Kim just celebrated 2 years of blogging. She admits that she did not even know where Arkansas was until she flew over the Mississippi on her way there. On her blog, she wrote the journey of this damn yankee in Arkansas.  Kim has also taken the 4X4 networking challenge and you can read about her experiences networking here.

Why is this damn yankee in Arkansas anyway?

After being rejected by the only college she applied to (whoops!), Kim received a single page application to a small liberal arts college in Arkansas in the last few months of high school. Kim admits that she didn’t even know where Arkansas was until she flew over the Mississippi on her way there. Kim wasn’t happy with having to go to this particular college in a Southern state and escaped for a year abroad in Montpellier, France. She was really annoyingly Northern when she got to Arkansas, bless her heart. 

So why did she stay if she hated it so much?

Well, there’s this boy…

There’s always a boy, isn’t there?

Yeah. But he’s a special one. He convinced her that Arkansas was a wonderful place to live. It wasn’t easy to convince her but now she’s here to stay. We’re still trying to break her yankee ways, one sweet tea at a time. 

What is The Made Thing?

Whether from the land or from the mind, the South is a society based on what we can do, as both individuals and communities, with our skills. It’s about doing. Kim writes on her blog about living and doing things in Arkansas and being a damn yankee in the South.

With Mother’s Day fast approaching, I can’t help but think about how so much of my work ethic today is based upon the example my mom, Shirley, set for me growing up. For starters, she was a single mom raising my sister and me. She was working — and still is — at a physically demanding job. The kind of job that requires her to wake up before the sun and go in on weekends. She’s weathered mass layoffs, frequent changes in her job duties, and bosses that aren’t exactly appreciative of her extra efforts.

And while she does have her off days just like anyone else, I don’t know anyone else who’s as strong and committed to excellence in the workplace as she is. Here are a few things I’ve learned from my mom about how to be a classy career girl:

• If you want something, you have to work hard to get it. My mom has never had anything in her life handed to her. So she, no doubt, expected us girls to go after our own goals with vigor and purpose. Want to go to college? Get good grades and play a proactive role in your education. Want spending money for clothes, concerts and movies? Take on a part-time job that doesn’t interfere with your studies. She taught us that absolutely nothing was going to fall in our laps, and as a result, I’ve always strived to give 110% of my effort and dedication to each role I’m in.
• Take things one day at a time. Stress is something that we all experience. And as a single mom, she was constantly under financial pressure to provide for our basic needs, and also those not-so-essential items, like a new Lisa Frank Trapper Keeper for the start of the school year. She planned ahead for the big stuff, but also always liked to remind us to take things one day at a time. It’s a great mantra for me today in my professional career, as sometimes things are simply out of my control — I can stress about it till I’m blue in the face, or I can try to make peace with the fact that tomorrow’s a new day.
• Smile — even when you don’t feel like it. My mom’s co-workers love her (99% of the time), and I know it’s because she’s got a great sense of humor, and because, more often than not, you’ll find a smile on her face. It would be really easy for her to give into the demands of her job and act like a complete troll, but she chooses to brush most things off and approach life with a can-do attitude. I try to do the same in my own relationships at work, even though I will never be the morning person she so desperately wants me to be (sorry, Mom!) People respond to the energy you’re giving off, and choosing to come from a positive place makes all the difference.
• Be appreciative to others. My mom always goes out of her way to thank others for their generosity and tries to reciprocate the good deed. She’s the kind of person whose entire day can be made by a handwritten thank-you card, and she’s instilled in me a strong desire for those around me to know how appreciative I am of their efforts. Whether it’s a collaborative effort on a group project or something as simple as someone sending me a Word file, I always try to be mindful of the help and advice I receive in the workplace and respond accordingly.

This Mother’s Day, I’m thankful for her strong example, and strive every day to work as hard as she does.

Erica and Anna would love to hear from readers: What are some essential career skills you learned from your own mom?

Click below for the links to each resource to make your life easier!  Good luck!

Career Direction:

My next move: Find out what you want to do for a living.  Search careers with keywords and browse careers by industry to get ideas of the perfect career for you!

Interview:

Interview questions and sample answers: Always rehearse these answers before you go on an interview!

Informational Interview questions: I love these questions to ask during an informational interview!

Informational Interview email request template: Make sure you make a great first impression!

Classy Career Girl’s Interview Checklist: Make sure you check off all these items before you head out to the interview!

Resume:

Classy Career Girl’s Resume Checklist: Make sure you check off all these items before you hit submit!

Resunate: See how your resume ranks in the recruiting world.  Resunate is a web based software to build a resume and automatically evaluate & improve it for every job.  So much better than blindly hitting submit!

Networking:

Meetup.com: Find a meetup group near you or start one of your own!

Classy Career Girl’s Networking Checklist: Make sure you check all of these off before you head off to your next networking event.

JibberJobber: Your personal relationship manager that helps you organize and manage your job search.

Highrise CRM:Helps you manage your contacts. Save and organize notes and email conversations for up to 30,000 customers and contacts. Keep track of proposals and deals. Share status with your company, department, or team. Never forget to follow-up. Get a text message or email so you never forget to make the call.

Eventbrite: Create an event or go to an event.  Sell tickets online and register for events online.

Job Search:

Indeed: Sign up for job email alerts with keywords of the jobs you want.  Only apply for jobs that interest you instead of wasting your time searching endless job openings.

Salary.com: Know what to ask for.  Search for a job and find out how much it pays with the salary wizard.

JobKatch: Stay organized during your job search.  Track your job search tasks.  Utilize your network of contacts and track your progress.

Online Reputation:

Brand Yourself Google Grader: Control your Google search results.  When people google your name, make sure they find accurate, positive results.  Do-it yourself platform that makes it easy to improve your search results.

Online ID calculator: get advice on how to build a stellar online identity.  This is the first and leading tool that will help you make sense of your Google results and give you advice on how to build a stellar online identity that’s aligned with your real-world personal brand.

My Web Career: Find out what your online presence tells potential employers about you.  Discover, evaluate and monitor your online brand.  Get your career score, uncover your online footprint, explore your network and monitor your professional brand.

Google alerts: Sign up to monitor your name or interesting news articles in your industry.  Be the first to know!

Organization:

Egg timer: An online countdown calculator.  This always helps me focus on an important task.  Use it like a countdown timer.

Google reader: Allows you to get all of your news articles and blog posts in RSS feeds so you only have to look at one spot.  This helps me be efficient in my reading blog posts.

Dropbox: Save and access your files on any computer or phone.  This way you don’t have to worry if your hard drive crashes or if your computer gets stolen.  You can also travel anywhere without your computer and get your files from any location on any computer!

Wunderlist: Your free and easy task management tool. Such an easy want to track a to do list, especially if you need to share the to-do list with a group of people.  This would be great for a team project.

Evernote: How to remember everything.  This is my new favorite tool because you can access your files on your phone and on any computer you choose!

SugarSync: Secure cloud storage of all your files. Access, sync and share your files from any device.

WorkFlowy: Organize your brain.  WorkFlowy is an organizational tool that makes life easier. It can help you organize personal to-dos, collaborate on large team projects, take notes, write research papers, keep a journal, plan a wedding, and much more.

Starting your own business:

Bubbl.us: Brainstorm your ideas and mind map online.  If I have a big project and need to brainstorm, I use the egg timer (see above) and brainstorm for 20 minutes using this tool.  This tool is going to come in handy as I start writing my book!

Survey Monkey: Free online survey and questionnaire tool.  Discover the needs of your target market.

Basecamp: The leading online project management collaboration tool.  Project management software that keeps all of your projects together.

Jing: Screenshot and Screencast software.  So easy to save a screen shot and send the URL to someone who lives far away. I use this all the time with my web designer!

Skype: Talk to anyone on video for free with an internet connection from anywhere in the world!

Expensify: Import expenses right from a credit card or bank account.  Your online expense report.

Fashion:

Pinterest: Get inspired and create boards of photos and images that you love!  I love putting together work outfit boards and photos of offices that I love!

Shopittome: A free, trusted online personal shopper relied on my millions of men and women.  An effortless way to find sales on more than 700 brands.  You put in what’s important to you: specific brands, categories of clothing and accessories and your sizes – and they work as your free personal shopper, scouring the web to find the best prices on the items you love!

Polyvore: Put clothing and items together to see what they look like!

Personal Finances:

Mint.com:  Mint pulls all your financial accounts into one place. Set a budget, track your goals and do more with your money, for free!  I love mint!

Quicken: Quicken makes it easy to manage your business or personal spending, stay on top of day-to-day finances, and stick to a budget.

Social Media:

Twuffer: Schedule your tweets for the week!  This is what I use to manage my tweets while I am at my full-time job every day:)  OK, now my secret is out!!

Tweetdeck: I love using Tweetdeck.  You can use certain keywords and lists in columns so that you can see everything that you need at once. There is no much on Twitter that can waste your time. Use Tweetdeck to make sure that you are efficient with the tweets your read and that you don’t miss a thing!

Tweetchat: This is a super easy way to host or participate in a Twitter Chat so that you only focus on the chat and nothing else!

Mailchimp: Send out free job search and career update emails to your email list.  Add your emails for free or create a website to have people sign up  on their own.  Mailchimp has great templates that you can use to grab attention and look very professional!

Hootsuite: A Web-based social media dashboard.  Customize, automate and simplify.  Get a better view of your social campaigns with powerful analytics tools and customizable reports that will give you a complete and comprehensive picture of your participation in social spaces.

Aweber: Email signup forms and autoresponder services.

What other online tools do you use?