When it comes to enhancing your professional skills at the start of your career and navigating your way throughout the workplace, who better to get game-changing advice from than other women with experience in human resources?
We spoke to five different Black women at various companies and they shared their top tips on resume building, enrolling in benefits and how to navigate in the work place.
With more than four decades of experience collectively, here’s what they had to say:
1. Stop downplaying your success!
“The most frequent mistake I see with candidates is leaving out details of their success. As Black women, we do a fantastic job of taking on critical responsibilities, multi-tasking, and collaborating on projects. Keep your resume up to date with your successes that you can refer back to. ” – Emilee Christopher, H.R. for 6 years
2. Your resume is still your first impression!
“The first thing I notice is your format; your margins are off, or fonts are not consistent. It appears sloppy at first glance. This plays a major part in showing what kind of worker you will be.” – Phyillicia Bishop, H.R. 4 years in HR
3. Relationships do matter!
“Early on, find a mentor and sponsor. Success leaves clues so find those who have come before you to not only understand how they succeeded but also how they overcame failure.” – Trier- Lynn Bryant, 7 years in HR
4. Taking your time when you enroll in work benefits!
“One of the biggest mistakes that some people make when signing up for benefits is that they make not take the time to find out if there doctors are participating in the carrier’s network. It’s important to try to use in-network doctors whenever you can because you are reimbursed at a higher level than when you use an out-of-network doctor.” – Andrea Vernon, 20 years in HR
5. Stand out from the rest!
“One thing that Black women can do to make them stand out from their counterparts is to study abroad, which is a great experience. It definitely sets you apart from the crowd and shows diversity and adaptability.” – Shamari Hewan, 5 years in HR