Amanda Gorman in her bright yellow coat lit a fire in us.
Only 22 years old, she stole the show at Joe Biden’s inauguration while animatedly reciting her creative work “The Hill We Climb.”
And of course, Kamala Harris uplifted our hearts with joy in her bright purple suit, sworn in as Vice President of the United States and full of “firsts.” It’s a great time to be a woman!
That’s why I wrote my new book, Yes! You Can Do It! A Young Woman’s Guide to Starting a Fulfilling Career. I find fulfillment in sharing my decades of experience in hiring, working with, and mentoring young women. This book is a natural extension of my joy in helping young women succeed.
The pandemic offered me a chance to finish this project begun over 20 years ago. Just published, Yes! is now available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and IndieBound.org online and your favorite booksellers in print and ebook versions. I hope that you will order and enjoy it.
Written for soon-to-be and recent college graduates, Yes! helps them:
- Find the right career fit in any economy by following their passion.
- Learn from the real-world experiences of successful women who tell the really important lessons that kept them moving forward.
- Separate themselves from other applicants to start a career path that is fulfilling, adventurous and fun!
It contains tools and worksheets, as well as advice and good stories.
When I look back, I can pinpoint its source of inspiration – Colby Dailey. She came to us just out of college to work in our marketing communications firm with no business background.
Young and smart, I was sure that Colby would do well. We were paying her to connect with people every day while managing the front desk, and she needed a mentor…fast! By sharing the stories of my work experiences I found that I could teach in a colorful way that would stick. As you will learn from Colby’s profile, one of several profiles of women I admire that are featured in the book, the learning stuck. Today, she is a leader in social justice.
I recently asked a graduate student what she is seeking in life. Her three letter response, “joy,” sums it all up. Work is the piece that most of us do every day yet how many of us start mindlessly on our search, listening to what our parents and “Aunt Karen” have told us instead of trusting ourselves?
Getting the right starting job, one that ignites your passion, is the important first step. It launches you into the right doorway at the start. Learning how to work and navigating the speed bumps are other important steps.
- Media executive Lynda Keeler talks of inserting herself as a young woman in the right industry at the right time and riding the rocket of digital media to success.
- PR firm CEO Tiana Webb Evans lets us know how she landed a huge job by starting as an intern in a field that she loved that had nothing to do with her graduate studies in science…to which she never returned.
- Roz Savage, ocean rower and National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, shows us that if you’ve gotten yourself into the wrong place, it’s never too late to correct your course…in business as well as on the ocean. Roz started in finance and realized money would not make her happy. Her process of self-discovery and her tools, shared in the book, helped her make the switch.
These are just some of the inspiring stories in Yes!
It also includes tips on how to:
- prepare for your job search and get to the right people and places
- live a smart lifestyle in order to grow as a person
- enjoy your life while working
- build a future for lifelong success.
If you are just starting or about to start a career or know someone who is, I hope that you will order my book. If could be your gift to yourself or a perfect graduation present.
What a great time to be a woman!
With light and peace,
Nancy
Nancy’s List
I like to introduce resources that may be valuable to you. I have not been paid to mention them and there are no affiliate links.
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One of the best ways to build your career is to remain informed. The Skimm is a daily newsletter started by two female network journalists that provides summarized news and lifestyle information by subscription ($2.95/month basic). Start your day with coffee and The Skimm and watch how much faster you’ll go!
Free tools, tips, and worksheets for job seekers, as well as “Ask Nancy”
It’s all on my website and it’s all free! AskNancy
Your Turn: What are you reading?
- I’m just finishing World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil. Combining reverence for the living wonders of the natural world – the peacock, the firefly, the narwhal – with the lessons they teach and beautiful illustrations, the book is a wonder in itself. What a nice joy to curl up with and escape from the everyday and the news!
- What are you reading? Tell me a little bit about it at nancy@nancywilhelms.com