Tag Archives: Career

Heroes are still human.

In a recent interview, Amanda Seales, actress and co-star of the series Insecure, recounted her experiences on set, particularly with other women in the cast. She made efforts to bond, like organizing icebreaker activities, which failed to pique interest from her colleagues. She spoke about an incident at a Black Emmys party where she wasContinue reading “Heroes are still human.”

5 lessons I learned from saying “No” to low-paying freelance work

When I first started freelance writing, I read every online resource I could find. There were countless articles about how to market yourself, how to write pitches, and most importantly, how to get paid.  Many of these resources warned that being paid (fairly) as a freelance writer is an uphill battle, and to be okayContinue reading “5 lessons I learned from saying “No” to low-paying freelance work”

Is it ever a good idea to work for free?

I once sat on a panel to speak about personal finance for freelancers and self-employed professionals. During the discussion, we got great questions from folks who attended. One in particular came from a freelancer who wanted to know if it’s ever okay to work for free. Like most of us, this person preferred to beContinue reading “Is it ever a good idea to work for free?”

How I increased my freelance income from $600 to $6K in a year

I’m working to get better at tracking my freelance income. I want to have everything I need for the next tax season (yay taxes!) and get an accurate picture of my progress. I tend to get laser focused on all that I need to improve on. When this happens, I sometimes miss out on seeingContinue reading “How I increased my freelance income from $600 to $6K in a year”

Why “invest in yourself” means more than money

“What does it mean to invest in yourself?” I asked myself after joining an online webinar. A well-known author and public speaker presented the webinar, with tips on how to secure lucrative speaking gigs. The author announced she was launching a new course. She then quoted an introductory cost of $1,200. This prompted a wideContinue reading “Why “invest in yourself” means more than money”

Yes, you should ask for a raise after a year – here’s HOW

I wrote a recent post about why I believe it’s reasonable to ask for a raise after less than a year on the job. In this post, I’ll share how to go about strategically positioning yourself for that raise. A lot of us break into a cold sweat at the mere thought of asking forContinue reading “Yes, you should ask for a raise after a year – here’s HOW”

Yes, you should ask for a raise after a year – here’s why

I was at my previous job for six months when I asked my boss what it would take to get a raise. His response was nervous laughter and assurance that I was “definitely on track” to a pay increase. Even when I pushed for specifics, all I learned was that raises were typically given outContinue reading “Yes, you should ask for a raise after a year – here’s why”

My reminder that job security is a fantasy

The last work week was a rough one. I made my second big snafu since starting the job over two months ago, but this one was worse because it involved money. Without divulging all the gory details, I’ll just say I used my company credit card to complete a task for who I thought wasContinue reading “My reminder that job security is a fantasy”