Interested in advancing your career? Read on for some key pointers from today’s ESSENCE Festival Empowerment Experience seminars.
Have a hobby outside of work. Work can be demanding, and your experience may be even more stressful if you don’t have a creative outlet outside of work. During a talk at the ESSENCE Festival’s Career Zone, transformational coach Lisa Nichols stressed this point. “Everything that makes you happy is not going to make you money,” Nichols said.
Find your passion. If you’ve found that your career is fulfilling you personally, make it a point to find out what does. “Don’t leave the earth not having done what you’re supposed to do,” Nichols said.
Embrace social media. During the Empowerment Experience panel, “Supersize Your Dream: Reinvent Your Life & Your Business,” Monique Greenwood, a former ESSENCE editor-in-chief and owner of several bed-and-breakfast inns across the country, mentioned how social media platforms have worked to her advantage. “Social media is a game-changer for businesses,” she said.
Know your strengths and weaknesses. Issa Rae, the genius behind The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl webseries, noted the importance of being open to working with others while building your career. “We underestimate the power of collaborating,” she said. “Find peers who ecel in areas you don’t.”
Be sure to visit the Career Zone at the Convention Center for more career pointers. Transformational coach Lisa Nichols will be speaking at 11 a.m. in the Career Zone on Sunday.