“If you want to be rich, be financially literate.” -Robert Kiyosaki.

A lack of financial literacy among women can affect their ability to accumulate and manage assets, and secure a promising financial future. The basic problem is, we don’t know what we don’t know, until we don’t know it. Learning the basics of saving, budgeting, and investing, will set you up for financial freedom and prevent disasters from occurring.  

Below are five simple steps that you can take to help lead you to financial success. As Warren Buffet states, “The most important investment you can make is in yourself.” The time is now. Put your needs first, and everything else can follow suit.

1. Put yourself first - A man is not a plan! Take the time to learn and educate yourself to become financially literate. Having basic financial knowledge will allow you to guide and plan for your OWN success.

2. Set SMART goals - Don’t be a dummy, be SMART by setting goals that are: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely. This will allow you to set the foundation for future success, both personally and financially.

3. Budget - Don’t live the rosé life, on a Miller Lite budget! Budgeting is a physical practice, not mental. Identify what you value most by creating a budget sheet. This will show you how much money is coming in, and how it is going out. Your budget sheet will give you the opportunity to evaluate your true needs and wants to ensure that your values are in line with your beliefs and your budget.

4. Pay off debt - Paying off debt can be very liberating. Pay off your most expensive debt first, the debt with the highest interest rate. Once you are debt free, you can shift and start saving even more for your future. 

5. Save…save…save! - Pay yourself first! If you want that Louis Vuitton tomorrow, you need to save today.  Start saving from day one: your first paycheck. This will allow you to learn to live without that income. You never saw it, therefore it is like it never existed. 

The sooner you start planning and saving, the better off you will be. However, it is never too late to take hold of your finances. In fact, it is better late than NEVER. Putting off until tomorrow, for what you should be doing today, is a recipe for disaster in all aspects of life. Stop the storm, and create the sunshine for your bright financial future today.

Over the last two months, we participated as facilitators for PA Women Work’s Job Club where we supported individuals experiencing a career transition through various professional development discussions. One of our most popular topics was centered on how a job-seeker can ensure their social media sites are more professional. 

Potential employers search for prospective employees and qualified job candidates using various means including LinkedIn and other social sites to find the best fit for their organization. In today’s world, the Internet has made it possible to share everything about our lives through social media channels. The ease of access and almost excessive sharing allows for personal information to be available for anyone to see, so it is very important for job-seekers to understand their online footprint and take the necessary steps to keep their pages or sites professional.
The following are our top four recommendations for maintaining a professional social media presence.

1. Privacy Setting – Review each of your social media sites and adjust your privacy settings as appropriate. Remember, any site listed as public is fair game for potential employers to review. Consider keeping personal sites private so that any content on these sites does not detract from your professional persona on public sites.

2. Housekeeping – Regularly monitor your social media accounts. Audit your sites for inappropriate photos and posts. Un-tag yourself and delete content that could be potentially misconstrued or present you in a negative light. When in doubt, err on the side of caution and delete. Also, it’s equally important to manage your members, followers and affiliations, as well as those whose content is captured on your main pages and news feeds.  

3. Personal Brand – For all public sites, ensure your bios and profile photos are consistent. Post profile images in which your attire is professional and shot from your shoulders up. Maintain consistent professional handles across your public sites. Leverage your profile page to provide a solid representative first impression.

4. Keep it Current – Especially while you are job searching, keep your public sites up-to-date. Use keywords in your profile to maximize hits from recruiters and peer professionals. Maintain relevant career-focused connections (individuals and groups). Do not forget to leverage the functionality of the sites, such as LinkedIn skill endorsements and work samples, and do not shy away from talking about your professional achievements.
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As a final note, ensure your contact information (such as email address and/or phone number) is clear and easy to see on your social media profiles; you want to make it as easy as possible for potential recruiters to get in touch with you. And remember to include your link(s) on your resume and email signature. 

When I was starting my professional career, I was a single mom, looking for a job, and trying to make ends meet. I wanted to be successful and worked hard to achieve my goals. I was determined to not accept help, but honestly, I didn’t even know there were resources available to me.
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Now, as the PA Women Work 3 Cups of Coffee program manager, I often reflect on that period of my life. I know that I could have benefited from a mentor – a professional taking me under her wing to help me define my goals, answer my questions and find a path to success. Being in the position I’m in now, I’m honored to have the opportunity to help women facing similar challenges by connecting them with individuals who can mentor and guide them.

If you’re looking for an opportunity to give back, consider being a career mentor to another professional or job-seeker. In my experience, here are the top four benefits to mentoring:

1. Give back – Mentoring someone is an incredible way to give back in a meaningful way. With 3 Cups of Coffee, it’s a small time commitment that can be worked around your schedule. It allows you to help others grow from your personal experiences, and you can make a real impact on someone’s life.

2. Develop professionally – When you open yourself up to meeting new people – whether that’s your mentee or other mentors – you will inevitably learn new ideas and skills. Not only that, skilled volunteerism helps you grow as a leader and offers a great opportunity to build your resume or LinkedIn profile.  

3. Build your network – Mentoring will build your mentee’s network – that’s a given. But what many don’t consider is how it can actually be a great networking opportunity for mentors as well. When you sign up to mentor with an organization, such as PA Women Work’s 3 Cups of Coffee program, you can be connected to other like-minded professionals, along with job-seeking mentees that could provide talent and diversity to help your company reach its hiring goals.

4. It feels good – When you mentor someone, you will help change their life. Your professional advice, positive encouragement and experience will provide your mentee with the support she needs to discover her goals, search for the right job, and ultimately get started on a new path to success. Not only that, when you invest your time and energy into someone’s life and see them succeed, it is an extremely gratifying experience.  

As a career mentor, you will make an impact. PA Women Work’s 3 Cups of Coffee is a short-term mentoring program, so the time commitment is minimal – just three one-hour meetings.
Whether you sign up as a mentor with our program, or you make the choice to mentor a professional at work, we hope you’ll choose to offer your skills and expertise to someone in our community who could benefit. We know you have so much to offer.