#1: Humble Beginnings

My journey from college graduation until now

I was a COVID graduate. I can even point to a YouTube graduation video to show for it. Instead of me walking across a stage, my full name in white text got to float vertically across a black screen. Hey at least I got a digital footprint right? 

The job search for my first job out of college was rough to say the least (although unfortunately it doesn’t seem like things are a whole lot better this year either…😢). Then on top of that, the first 2.5 years of my career after graduating were an absolute rollercoaster.

I’ve been through 3 job searches, I’ve been a contractor, I’ve been a full-time salaried employee, and I’ve been laid off.

I’ve gotten a 60% raise by changing jobs, but I’ve also taken a 25% pay cut for another job.

I’ve had the worst boss of my life, and I’ve also had the best boss of my life. 

I’ve gotten trauma from work, but I’ve also gotten awards from work.

I’ve had bosses that supported my brand on LinkedIn and another that talked behind my back about it. 

Through all the ups and downs, I’ve grown so much. I’m no expert yet, but if my friends come to me for career advice I’d like to think that’s a sign that I’m doing something right. 

I still have a long way to go, but it’d be fulfilling to lift up others around me at the same time and share practical knowledge that I’ve learned along the way. 

I also can’t wait to spill the juicy corporate stories that I haven’t even shared on my LinkedIn yet. 

But let’s be real, my career isn’t my whole personality (hence the “9 to Thrive” name of my newsletter - we out here thriving both inside and outside of work!) so I’ll be sharing my best tips for staying healthy & wealthy, as well as my current favorites each week! Today’s are more work-related, but I’ll be sharing more personal ones in the future.

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Health & Wealth 🧠

Make sure you’re taking advantage of your company’s fringe benefits!! 

You could be sleeping on some GREAT health benefits that your employer uniquely offers. For ex, one of my previous employers offered 3 free sessions with a Registered Dietician as well as a free personal finance session with a Financial Planner. I signed up for both and that’s how I learned about creating balanced meals as well as about investing in I-bonds months before everyone else was talking about it. 

From free therapy sessions to reimbursement for gym memberships, your company probably offers perks of some kind! I would highly recommend revisiting your company’s benefits guide or internal page to do a deep dive of everything you can take advantage of.

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My Current Favorites 👩🏻‍💻

You ever find yourself making a slide deck for work and wishing you had a cool icon for a particular slide? Insert Slidesgo (not sponsored, just sharing a tool that’s come in clutch for me!)

I remember using Slidesgo at one of my internships and all my coworkers copying me and using their templates too 😂. It’s that good, and works in both Microsoft PPT and Google Slides.

Plus, it’s free! You get to download 10 slide templates each month (and I highly doubt you’ll need more than that unless you’re an executive…which if you are then I’m pleasantly surprised that you’re reading this). 

The thing I love about it is that it’s super versatile - not only have I used Slidesgo’s templates when I tutored elementary school students, but I’ve also used them in presentations to directors and VP’s. 

How I use Slidesgo: 

1. Browse or search up a design you want 

2. Select a powerpoint and download it

3. Copy and paste the slides (or even just individual icons) you need into your company’s branded powerpoint template, hit “keep formatting” after the paste, and then the design will automatically transform into the colors of your company’s brand. Boom!

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Career Inbox

Got a career question you’d like me to answer in a future post? (Ex. How do I do salary research? How do I negotiate an offer? What questions do I ask at the end of an interview? ) Drop them in my inbox below!

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Thanks for reading! 😊

I hope you enjoyed my first edition of the newsletter! Thank you for coming along for the journey :) 

Give this post a like and comment below with your favorite corporate phrase or term! “Bottleneck” has been my favorite one as of late. It just perfectly describes the things that hold you up from doing your job.

Until next time, stay healthy, wealthy, and wise! 

Sincerely,

Sarena

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