Alpha Amirah

Trying to keep up with Gen Z- on TikTok now!

I am @alpha_amirah on TikTok. To download the app and watch more videos, tap: https://m.tiktok.com/invitef/download?username=muser&platform=facebook TikTok

Well, what are you waiting for?

✅ 87% of employers conduct reference checks. Who should you list for references to potential employers?

✅ If you see the theme above, “someone who loves you” means those who understand your limitless potential and are enthusiastic about your career growth. Your cheerleaders, mentors, bosses, professors, coaches, etc. Anyone who can speak to your ability to be amazing at the potential job and be able to address how you overcame challenges (unfortunately can’t be your mom/relatives).

✅ Quality over quantity is crucial. Find two solid references (that are not related to you) who will be able to answer questions like:
- How did Phoebe deal with overlapping priorities?
- Tell me something about Phoebe that isn’t on her resume?
- How does Phoebe handle conflict?

✅ You need to be able to trust that your reference will give the employer another reason to hire you- nothing less than a glowing recommendation is the key here. Sadly, several instances have occurred where the references did not feel comfortable answering questions about a candidate because they only worked with them for a short period of time. Be prepared! Find your people.

💸 Salary negotiation can be challenging. Most women in fact have not negotiated their salary at all (60%!). This is one of those growing pains that is an oh-so-necessary skill as you embark deeper into your career journey.

💸 Our relationship with money can be shaped by our parents, friends, religion etc, and likely all three combined. Whatever that may be- it’s time to reframe any negativity associated with “asking for money”.

💸 Money is a tool to live the life you want. Negotiating a salary for your position, will only allow you to get closer to your goals, whether it be a trip with your family to Jamaica or a retirement home in Hawaii. You aren’t collecting $ for the sake of $. Money allows you to provide, support causes you believe in, and most importantly: make memories with your loved ones. Show up for yourself by welcoming these conversations.

🧮 In 2019, many articles were published on how talented employees weren’t leaving companies, but instead leaving “bad bosses”. Now, both companies and bosses at those companies are evaluating how they can retain talent since the “great resignation” began.

🧮The pandemic has done a number on all of us. Thankfully many of us are here to tell the tale. We have restored an importance on our mental and physical health and many are not going to compromise that again.

🧮If you feel anxiety going to work or feel terrible dealing with a manager who isn’t meeting your needs- I urge you to start updating your resume, keeping track of your accomplishments, setting alerts on LinkedIn or indeed on the job titles you’re searching for and doing research on the salary and benefits you want to see in your next employer.

💻 You'd be surprised at the interviewing faux-pas lately: hats, bathing suits, sunglasses. Applying lipgloss again and again while we interview. It's been a wild ride! Try not to make those mistakes. First impressions via zoom still matter.

💻 Dressing up as if you were going for an in person interview will help you get into the right mindset and keep the professional atmosphere alive!

💻 WiFi is amazing as long as it works. Double check all is running smoothly and open the zoom link (while the camera is off) to check if there are any issues logging in 10 minutes beforehand.

💻 Finally and most importantly, do not sit with your back facing a window. The shadow will make you look like you're in a witness protection program. Ensure the lighting works well. Remember, you must prepare for greatness.

💻 You'd be surprised at the interviewing faux-pas lately: hats, bathing suits, sunglasses. Applying lipgloss again and again while we interview. It's been a wild ride! Try not to make those mistakes. First impressions via zoom still matter. 💻 Dressing up as if you were going for an in person interview will help you get into the right mindset and keep the professional atmosphere alive! 💻 WiFi is amazing as long as it works. Double check all is running smoothly and open the zoom link (while the camera is off) to check if there are any issues logging in 10 minutes beforehand. 💻 Finally and most importantly, do not sit with your back facing a window. The shadow will make you look like you're in a witness protection program. Ensure the lighting works well. Remember, you must prepare for greatness.

What is a candidate driven market anyways?

👏 It means that companies are now enticing candidates by pitching their worth instead of the other way around. Benefits, pay, additional perks are all being evaluated and companies are leveling up.

👏Want remote work? Want unlimited PTO? Want a 401k match and education funds? Companies are leveling up across the board - it's a great time to be on the hunt!

👏 If you're getting back or making a switch, find quality over quantity and apply for the companies that accommodate your requirements. You may be pleasantly surprised at how the candidate experience has changed!

What is a candidate driven market anyways? 👏 It means that companies are now enticing candidates by pitching their worth instead of the other way around. Benefits, pay, additional perks are all being evaluated and companies are leveling up. 👏Want remote work? Want unlimited PTO? Want a 401k match and education funds? Companies are leveling up across the board - it's a great time to be on the hunt! 👏 If you're getting back or making a switch, find quality over quantity and apply for the companies that accommodate your requirements. You may be pleasantly surprised at how the candidate experience has changed!

Better late than never right? Alpha Amirah is back from hiatus to bring you more career content and advice to help you level up!

Better late than never right? Alpha Amirah is back from hiatus to bring you more career content and advice to help you level up!

🙌🏽 Ready to step up your career game? DM me!

Portfolio? Or not to portfolio, that is the question.

♦️Resumes are achievement snapshots but portfolios can be whatever you want them to be, details of your work in any capacity. Typically copywriters, art directors, visual designers, and anyone in the creative realm will know this is a must♦️

♦️Portfolios can provide visual and detailed examples on how you’ve solved problems. This can show your value directly in terms of how you helped other organizations and in turn, how you can help the next one. Not to forget, what you may have learned, succeeded, failed etc! This is a great way to remind yourself in the classic “tell me about a time when…” interview questions♦️

♦️ Taking pride in your work can seem underrated but if you’re able to include a portfolio link with your “latest and greatest” on your resume, this will impress recruiters and hiring managers! This will also help you continuously market yourself which is the life skill we all need to re-learn every few years♦️

When the reviews come in 🥰🥰 🥰

Helping people market themselves, build confidence in their own abilities, and witness career transformations is why I’m here! I truly love what I do! Reach out to learn more about my services on how you can continuously level up in your career journey!

🌅 Pre-gaming Monday motivation!

Even in the hustle, we have to remind ourselves to take a deep look at our definitions of both success and our values. Do they align? How much more fulfilled would you be if they did?

🌾 Are you making these three interview mistakes?

🌾 Not doing research on the role and the company is a big no-no! Dive deep into a google search to learn about the history of the organization along with the history of the team members + hiring managers through LinkedIn.

🌾 Enthusiasm is key to expressing to the manager that you are in it to win it! Many employers are looking someone to be a “culture fit” with passion for the organization. The enthusiasm can come off through a person’s posture, tone, and body language.

🌾 There are standard questions like “how is success measured in this role” and those questions serve their purpose however if you want to make a lasting impression- It has to be specific to the team/company based on some research. “I read an article in Xyz magazine about how company leadership is aiming to reduce emissions and apply for B Corp status, how has your team specially incorporated this into your annual goals?”

✂️ Ever heard of Job Crafting ?

✂️ This theory suggests that if you change your ideas around the tasks, relationships, and the mindset you have, you can craft a better work experience including increased engagement and overall happiness.

✂️ Adjusting your tasks could mean to add or remove tasks to optimize your work experience.

✂️ Adjusting your relationships could mean reaching out to your team members and deepening your understanding of their job to better work with them in the future.

✂️ Last on this list but my number one adjustment is the cognitive adjustment aka switching up your mindset. Learn the larger impact that your position may afford others. Do you simply work as a customer service rep or do you provide optimal problem solving advice to people needing guidance in your expertise? Think about how this can benefit you!

📑 Reasons to have a cover letter (besides being a mandatory step in some application processes).

📑 Cover letters are considered unnecessary by 74% of recruiters and honestly- many recruiters and hiring managers go straight to the resume and bypass the cover letter. However, the higher you move in the interview process, you will have someone who has done a deep dive into your cover letter or resume- be ready for it!

📑 Don’t miss an opportunity to explain your gap year (if absolutely necessary- nowadays this is a nonissue with many companies), your desire to switch careers by detailing your transferable skills, and last but not least, showing your excitement to join the company because of their growth, your personal connection, etc!

📑 A no brainer but show enthusiasm for the company! Sounds simple but this can be difficult to express. Look into the company, their mission, the culture, something specific that really clicks with who you are and how you want to partner with the company. Sincerity works best so truly investigate to make that connection shine through!

🗳 Today marks another Women’s Equality Day in honor of the 19th amendment signed in 1920. This did not give rights for Native American women, Black women, or any other race of women aside from white to vote.

🗳 In 1965, the Voting rights act passed to give rights to all women regardless of race however until now, there have been discriminatory practices which prohibit some women (POC) from voting.

🗳 Why does this matter to women in business or on their career journey? Giving Voting rights to all women, giving equal pay for equal work, advancing women to be the best they can is all related and gives us ways to unlearn the discriminatory practices that plague our culture. It also gives the next generation the opportunity to excel in their life, in whatever way that may be, with fewer obstacles in their path.

🗳 Bottom line: advancement towards an equal playing field across all areas of life will mean a more harmonious future for all!

☕️ Heard of the Great Resignation of 2021? Why are so many people quitting their jobs? After a traumatic pandemic year (still ongoing), many have come to the conclusion that life may be too short to be in an environment that they don’t want to be in and choices are being made!

☕️ Toxic culture which includes bad bosses is going out the window. There are options out there for top talent and they’re taking their time to find the right “fit”, not just anything to pay the bills.

☕️ Career paths for rising talent can be a great motivator. Without a proper path or incentive to keep moving, there is going to be opportunity outside the organization that gets these ambitious cats 🐱 out the door.

☕️ A huge shift from the pandemic in many organizations has been realizing that remote work, works! Top talent are capable of self management which is why remote and flex options are going to take the lead. Companies that don’t keep up will suffer from even larger gaps in top labor shortages.

🔸Have you heard of the terms Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion popping up everywhere?

🔸Why is it so important? Are these just buzzwords? The short answer: no. The numerous studies have shown that the more diverse, inclusive and equitable an organization, the benefits are endless! Let’s go through some.

🔶 Money moves. Companies that implement and execute more diverse policies have reported revenue growth far more than less diverse companies.

🔶 The people! Inclusiveness makes employees happier to work and to stay at a workplace longer. Retaining top talent is always a struggle for companies and inclusiveness helps keep talent for longer.

🔶 Ideas 💡 New ideas are difficult to come by, but include a mix of various life experiences and voila! You will find innovative ideas left and right amongst a diverse workforce! Companies have reported increase in revenue from innovation specially.

🔶 The bottom line: diversity, inclusion, and equity is not just better for the bottom line (doesn’t hurt though) but creates a happier work culture.

👥I’m a big advocate for taking constructive feedback, howeverrrr, occasionally, you’ve just got yourself some haters! Brush em off baby and keep it moving, you got better things to worry about! Most of the time people hate, it comes from their own insecurities and has nothing to do with you.

📄 The Resume Format

📄 Many of you have heard of PAR or STAR, or CAR, or SOAR…there are a million different ways to say that your resume bullet points should focus on the problem/situation, task, action done by you, and lastly what was the result.
Ex: I wrote a monthly e-newsletter for 40,000 customers with a large following

📄 Use a power verb when editing the basic structure of what you did.
Ex. Authored monthly e-newsletter for 40,000 subscribers

📄 Quantifying results can be impactful when discussing your accomplishments.
Ex. Authored monthly e-newsletter for 40,000 subscribes with above industry click through rate at 25%

📄 The resume is not a list of everything you’ve done, just cream of the crop accomplishments. 3-4 bullets per job is sufficient! This is to get you the interview to discuss live🤓

Things to say and not say when discussing salary.

💵 The Don’ts: Expenses are wild for many, specifying you can’t afford your lifestyle with the salary offered isn’t a convincing argument. Same with comparing yourself to someone else who may have confirmed they get paid a higher amount. There is just not enough negotiating power in those statements. Lastly, recruiters/hiring managers understand that it is illegal to ask previous salary in most states- so even sharing at your own free will can limit you- don’t do it!

💵 Do: Always know the market value when interviewing for a role so that when this question comes up (either expectations or the offer) you are ready! Check out salary.com or payscale.com.

💵 Do: Address the problems you will be solving as a potential employee, is a nice reminder that they have a problem & you and only you, can fix!

💵 Lastly, do feel free to say no thank you to a low offer. Get creative and ask for other ways to make up for the salary if it’s a stellar company with a fair offer. Ask for additional PTO, a sign on bonus, education funds, cell phone stipend- it doesn’t have to end there!

How to get more interviews? Focus on these tips:

✏️ Applying with a resume that reflects the job description is gold! Go through the most important tools and skills listed in the job description and make sure you can include the ones that match your experience at the top half of your resume.

✏️ Applying through an internal referral increases your change of hire by 14x!!! (So that means Networking is key to long term success!)

✏️ Applying directly to a recruiter/hiring manager gets your resume to fresh eyes 👀 and not into an ATS system which could filter your resume to the bottom.

✏️ Applying quickly is a part of the struggle. 1/4 of Jobs are filled with those who apply within 2 days. Updating a resume will take some time but set up job alerts through Google, LinkedIn, Indeed and you can stay on top of the time crunch!

⭐️ In other words, the value you give yourself, is the value others will see in you
⭐️ You are worthy of your own admiration
⭐️ You have much to give and gain
⭐️ No one can place a value on you, except you, know your worth and then add tax

🧠 Remember no one is perfect, but that’s what makes you awesome. Everyone’s uniqueness and ability to acknowledge that there are going to be ways you can improve/evolve is what makes us human. In an interview or work setting, the “what is your greatest weakness” question can be difficult, but the hiring manager is trying to know if you possess the self awareness to acknowledge your weakness and have a plan to evolve!

🧠 If you don’t have a regular check in with your manager or peers on their feedback, start! This is a way to work on blindspots and take feedback. Your ability to take feedback at work (with ease) will show that you are resilient which is a top quality many hiring managers desperately are looking for.

🧠 After collecting some difficult feedback don’t toss it out the window. Document it, assess it: is there validity to their feedback? How can you work on it? The next steps of how to properly handle feedback and make changes based on it- will be crucial to success in any stage of your career.

🔅How important is mindset when you’re working through your career, salary negotiation, and even your personal life? Well to say it in the least dramatic way::: it’s everything!!!

🔅Do you feel as though you have a limited capacity for your intelligence and talent? You could be stuck in a fixed mindset. This mindset causes you to take less risks, avoid situations where you are challenged & for career advancement- this will leave you unfulfilled and underpaid.

🔅Psychologists have studied this and learned that a growth mindset (one in which learning and evolving is possible and encouraged) leads to more career success and overall happiness.

🔅Now the question is: How do you want to live? Focusing on building a growth mindset means: Positive self talk, taking regular feedback and making necessary changes based on it, & making the asks: for a promotion, a raise, remote working environment. You. Can. Do. It!!!

🔗LinkedIn- If you’re underestimating this career tool- don’t! There are 756 million users worldwide! 🌎

🔗87% of recruiters use LinkedIn! That means you need to optimise your LinkedIn profile to have your name pop up for recruiters.

🔗 Keep your profile updated in all the fields- especially skills and your picture. You will get 21x more profile views and 9x as many contact requests!!! This is significant so relax, smile 😊 and add your lovely picture so you can get the most out of this platform.

Phone interviews! They may sound easier than in person but having everything organized and ready to go is 🔑! My top points elaborated below:::

📱 If you are a quick talker who hates awkward silences (like me), you need to practice how to talk slower and take pauses even when it’s out of your comfort zone. Rambling and speaking quickly shows the interviewer you’re nervous and possibly not able to handle the role you would be fulfilling 😬

📱 Less is more when it comes to speaking, especially for a phone interview. If an interviewer speaks more in an interview, they get the impression the interview went really well. If you are being interviewed, try not to interrupt/interject your comments until they are done speaking 🤫

📱 The phone round is to vet out your communication skills and ultimately your question skills! Ask relevant and well researched questions; about the company, hiring manager, future of the goals/struggles the company may have faced due to Covid or other note worthy events. Find out any articles the manager may have written on LinkedIn- the more you dig the more impressive your question and YOU will look! Be mindful of the interviewers time since phone interviews can be 30 mins, so have a strong collection of questions in your Arsenal for future interviews! 🤓

👋🏽When is the last time you said thank you? How about wrote out a thank you card? Or email? In hiring this is essential, I would say this actually impacts 99% of hiring decisions but let’s stick with the 68% for now.

⭕️ Always send a thank you email/note after an interview. Not just after the first round, after every single round! This may seem like too many “thank yous”, but this will show you are super courteous of the hiring teams time!

⭕️ Do not send a generic thank you note. Thank them for their time and bring up an interesting point they made. Take notes while you interview (virtually, by phone, and even in person if it’s not disruptive) to avoid forgetting follow up points.

⭕️ Add a finisher to reiterate your interest! Here’s a sampler.

“Hi Jessica, thank you for chatting with me about the Project Manager position at Amex. I enjoyed learning about your team and found it fascinating that the team will double in size within the next few months due to the nature of growth under your leadership. As I mentioned before, I thrive in a fast pace environment while managing complex projects so this could be a wonderful fit! Hope to hear from you soon on next steps! Thanks again!”

Today is
✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼

What does that mean? Black women are paid a sad $0.63 cents for every dollar a white man makes. Equal pay for equal work is the goal for all women, so as advocates for one another we must be vocal supporters for our black sisters!

How to help?

🗯Do not share your previous salary when interviewing for a new role, it is illegal in most states and advise other women to do the same. Always share your salary expectations in line with market valuations (check salary.com)

🗯Offer your salary or raise information with your black coworkers when they are going in for annual reviews in order to level the playing field

🗯Do not pretend this doesn’t exist and share this info with your friends! Understanding another person’s reality that is different than your own is a sign of heightened emotional intelligence. Up your EQ and don’t live in ignorance.

👥 Note: This can be the Networking or Elevator pitch, whatever floats your boat 🚤 Every circumstance will call for a slightly different intro but when you’re networking it’s great to get straight to the point and be enthusiastic of who you are and where you want to go!

👥 The Who: This is a quick sentence of the essentials: a polite greeting, your name, your title and the company you’re at. If you are out of work, or someone re-entering the workforce.
- Ex. “Hi, great to meet you! I’m Sara, a copywriter and former stay at home mom, looking to make my way back into the workforce.”

👥 The Impressive Fact: what is something you’ve done in your career that’s easy to understand and a humble brag? Bonus points if you can relate it to person you’re meeting.
- Ex. “I was responsible for copywriting and a head editor for the entire advertising team at LaDiDa Inc. which I know you’re familiar with as the Managing Editor of Mo&Co.”

👥 The Compliment & Ask: human beings need compliments to feel appreciated, it’s science 🧬. Disarm and ask!

- Ex. “I read Mo&Co. has doubled their e-commerce revenue since you’ve been the Managing Editor! That’s incredibly impressive and why I would love to learn how you increased sales while managing a large team. Do you have time for coffee tomorrow morning to chat so I can learn more?” (Or zoom)
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