Miss EmpowHer Blog

Advice for the Second Semester College Senior

Courtesy of Khloe on Pinterest It’s that time of year where college seniors begin to think about their lives outside of college and settle their post-graduation plans. As a current senior at UNC-Chapel Hill, graduation and my future career plans are constantly on my mind. I have also been feeling very nostalgic about all of my college memories; it’s such a bittersweet feeling to be ending my academic journey while also moving on to the “real world” which we’ve spent the past four years preparing for. As my time at UNC closes, I wanted to share some advice with my fellow college seniors. 1. It’s okay to be unsure of your next steps Some people may have already figured out their career plans, but I can almost guarantee you that most people are still undecided. The truth is, everyone has their own path and are going to be doing different things. I’ve been trying to remember not to compare myself to others and to instead focus on how I can further my own career goals. 2. Allow yourself to feel all the feelings I’ve found it somewhat sad to realize that at this time next year I won’t be in Chapel Hill surrounded by everything I’ve come to be so familiar with these past four years. I think about how I won’t experience another FDOC or walk the halls of the buildings I currently frequent. It’s scary to realize that what I currently know as my everyday routine is going to be upended after graduation, but it’s also exciting. It’s okay to be sad about your college career ending, and it’s also okay if you want it to be over. Allowing yourself to express all the emotions you’re feeling is essential to protecting your mental health and wellbeing. 3. Visit all of your favorite places in your college town Make the most of these last few months living in your college town. Go to all the places that you’ve grown to love over the past four years, and make more memories. In a few short months, you may not be within walking distance of all these places, so take advantage of it while you can. 4. Try to be fully present in all that you do from now until graduation One goal that I have from now until graduation is to be fully present in all that I do. I want to make sure I’m 100% engaged everytime I’m hanging out with friends, walking around campus, or even just sitting in class. Pretty soon, my life will look completely different, so I want to make sure I’m appreciating all the activities that encapsulate my life right now. 5. Document your memories After graduation, everyone will go down different paths and you may not be living with all of your best friends. Make the most of the time you have left together, and be sure to document it by taking all the pictures! It doesn’t matter if you think you look your best, years later you’ll want to have the memory. Congratulations to all the seniors, and be sure to savor these last few months!

Networking for Success: How to Build Powerful Connections as a Woman

@emmstell Networking is a crucial element in the journey towards personal and professional success. Whether you're aiming to delve into a specific career field, broaden your social circle, or uncover new opportunities, effective networking can be a game-changer. The key is to approach it as a genuine and mutually beneficial exchange rather than a mere transaction. Here's a beginner's guide to mastering the art of networking. 1. Leverage Online Platforms: Utilize resources like LinkedIn, Handshake, indeed, and even industry conferences. College students? Leverage LinkedIn to find alumni working in your dream industry – they can be valuable mentors! 2. Set Clear Goals: Prioritize quality over quantity when reaching out to individuals. Before making connections, ask yourself, "Who do I want to meet and why?" Having a clear goal in mind ensures meaningful and purposeful networking interactions. 3. Research is Key: Once you've initiated a conversation and scheduled a meeting, invest time in research. Familiarize yourself with the individual's professional background and take note of any personal interests. Did you notice interesting volunteer work on their profile? Mention it! It shows you're genuinely interested. 4. Craft a Compelling Elevator Pitch: Perfect your introduction by creating a concise and compelling elevator pitch. Include details about your current involvements, relevant work experiences, and your career aspirations. 5. Stay Connected: Networking doesn't end with the initial conversation. Keep the momentum going by staying in touch. Regularly check-in, share updates on your progress, or extend congratulations for their achievements. Building a lasting connection requires ongoing engagement and mutual support. Remember, networking is about building relationships, not just collecting contacts. By following these tips, you'll be well on your way to building a powerful network that fuels your success!

What to ask during that "Do you have any questions to ask?" portion of the job interview

@thefemale.accountant Coming out of school and hitting the job market can feel like we were thrown into the deep end when it comes to getting jobs. Writing cover letters, formatting resumes, making connections in the industry, and interviewing for jobs, are unavoidable aspects of life in your early twenties. There’s a science to each of them and getting them right is crucial to securing the future that you want. Specifically, when it comes to interviewing, there are many easy mistakes to make. Being poised, articulate, making eye contact, and speaking slowly are all important boxes to check, but there’s another part of the interview that’s important to stick the landing on. You get to the end of the interview, having been composed and collected, looking them in the eye, saying all of the right things, and conveying all kinds of enthusiasm for the job. You had answers for everything, hit every curve ball, and now all you have to do is sign off. That’s when they ask you if you have any questions for them. The world can stop if you’re unprepared. You say, “No… I don’t think so,” and just leave it at that. You might even throw in a chipper, “You answered all of my questions,” with a smile, but that isn’t as useful as coming up with a solid interview question to ask in return. Asking a few thoughtful questions at the end of your interview can go a long way toward conveying your interest and engagement and shows that you are considering them just as much as they are considering you. While it might seem like a good idea in theory to pretend that they explained everything so well that you don’t have any questions, coming up with one or two insightful things to say while you still have the chance is always a better option. So, what should you ask? Well, don’t overthink it. Come up with prepared questions to have in your back pocket about things that you are genuinely curious about. Ask any questions that you actually have, making sure that they weren’t answered already at any point during the interview or in the listing. If you had any follow up questions about something that was mentioned during the interview, now is the time to ask them. Any questions you may have about salary, hours, or orientation should be brought up then too. That said, having a few go-to questions, can’t hurt. Asking, “what does a typical workday look like in this role?” is a practical thing to ask for any position, as is “how do you measure success in this role?” “How is feedback provided?” is also useful. Be prepared, however, to explain any question you might have, should the interviewer be confused by it. Asking the interviewer about their experiences working there is usually also a safe bet. If you need more clarification on something, starting your sentences with “can you please elaborate on…” is a polite way of getting more information on a topic. All in all, those are the positive ways of asking questions at the end of a job interview. Once you’ve said your piece, you’re free to say, “thank you, that answered all of my questions,” and leave it at that. So, that said, I’ll ask you, “What are you going to ask at the end of your next job interview?”

Female Finances: Everything a Girl Should Know When It Comes to Her Money

@esteelalonde This is your sign to revamp your finances. If saving and making more money were two of your New Year’s resolutions, then this article is for you. We all tell ourselves that we want to be better with money, but actually doing the work of change is always much harder. Even if your income is not where you want it to be, being smart with your money can prove more important in the end, but there are a few things you should know going into discussions surrounding money and finances. For starters… Women make less money It is well-documented and a feminist sticking point that women are not paid nearly as much as their male counterparts for the same job, making a median sum of 83 cents for every dollar a man makes, less so if they are women of color. However, women oftentimes do not have as much time in the workforce as their male counterparts. Due to societal expectations of women as caregivers, women typically are out of the workforce more often than men due to raising kids, taking care of aging parents, and looking after an ailing spouse. Women are also more likely to outlive their husbands. This seriously impacts their income and presents problems later on in life since women will, therefore, have less money to put in 401Ks and their social security benefit is based on their 35 highest earning years. According to The Brookings Institute, “on average, a woman’s social security benefits are only 80% of those received by men.” Personal finance tips are gender-agnostic, with gender breakdowns not going much further than “women tend to do this” and “men tend to do that,” making most personal finance tips universally sound. With the deck already stacked against women when it comes to making money, it is therefore incumbent on women to take greater control of their finances. There is some good news. On average, women typically make better investments than men in large part because they are less likely to gamble or jump on a “hot investment tip” from a friend. Women make savvier investment choices due to being more cautious and being more likely to stick to a plan. As a result, women often make better long-term investors, incrementally making more money rather than making large-scale, sweeping investments. This is interesting when you consider the fact that women invest far less than men do. If women invested as often as men there would be an additional 3.22 trillion dollars in assets available today, according to a recent study by BNY Mellon Investment Management. Start saving and investing money right now You need to begin saving and investing now with an understanding that investments and savings are two very different things. Essentially, savings are short term and investments are long term. Your savings are for shorter term goals and as a safety net in case of emergencies, whereas your investments are long term for goals like funding your retirement. The idea here is simple: the younger you are when you start saving and investing, the more money you have to put towards retirement and the better off you will be. Women especially need to have more money placed in investments since they are projected to live further into old age and therefore need to be able to afford the cost of living for longer than their male counterparts. On average, 9 out of 10 women will be solely responsible for their finances at some point in their lives, according to Fidelity Investments. In the event of an emergency, which can and will happen at the least convenient time and when you least expect it, you need to have easily accessible money stored away to prevent the emergency from becoming a major life setback. If you are single, you should keep six months worth of expenses in your savings account, not to be touched unless a disaster strikes. Creating a savings account means putting money away, little by little, every month or week. If you work a forty hour work week at a minimum wage job, even storing away just five dollars a week at a time is one of the best ways to ensure that your savings will add up. The younger you are when you start investing and saving money, the more money you can put towards retirement and your own personal safety. Time is the biggest factor when it comes to your savings and investments due to the time value of money. Readdress Your Relationship With Your Credit Cards Since You’re Probably Using Them Wrong Credit cards are a necessary evil of modern life, with credit scores determining whether or not you are able to buy or rent a place to live, while also driving up consumerism, but people often mistake credit cards as being “free money.” There is nothing free about them. Most people are probably aware that irresponsible behavior with a credit card will result in serious long term problems, but few probably know that they are already acting irresponsibly with their credit cards. Your credit score is fluid, with a new score being created every month, but your credit score is not just comprised of your balance. 35% of your credit score is your payment history, comprised of the expediency with which you pay it off and how close you get to your credit limit. So if your credit card is perpetually at its limit because you rarely pay it off then you are severely limited when it comes to your living situation and your future credit cards. Many people don’t realize that their credit score determines the interest rate the bank will give you on any future cards and is a determining factor when it comes to buying or renting a place to live. Also, when a person purchases something with their credit card, they frequently end up paying double than what the price of the product was, because they get charged if they have not paid back the loan by the end of the month. So, before you buy something with your credit card, ask yourself, “would I spend twice as much on this product than I’m already paying?” If the answer is no, either don’t buy it, pay in cash, or be prepared to pay it off as quickly as you can. In conclusion, begin investing and saving now, by sticking to a cautious investment plan and actively saving enough for six months worth of expenses. Pay off your credit card on time before finance charges can rack up and always stay on top of your credit score. Once a woman has achieved all of this, she has come a long way towards securing a better future for herself and closing the gender wealth gap.

10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started College (as a Sophomore Computer Science Major)

@caandelarodriguez on Pinterest With the new academic year starting and millions of students arriving on campus - either returning or making their first visit - everyone wants to be as prepared as they can be for the chaotic college experience. After successfully making my way through my first year (more or less) and already making headway into my second, I’ve learned quite a bit about the college experience - though some lessons would’ve been better to know beforehand! Here are some of the main things I’ve learned and wished I knew about before I started college. 1. It’s a lot harder to get an A in college than in high school A lot of people told me that college classes would be harder than high school classes, and that the different grading scales would make achieving the top grade more difficult. I always brushed these kinds of comments away, thinking to myself, “how hard could it really be to get all A’s?”. The answer? Pretty hard. For one, an A is no longer anything 90 and above. Different classes have different grading scales, but the typical A (the one that counts as a 4.0 in your GPA) is a 95 and higher - a big difference from high school. Meaning, the same 90 that barely saved your GPA in high school could now be worth a 3.7 in college terms. Apart from the grading scale, college classes are also structured in a way that puts a lot more responsibility on you to get your work done. Teachers often assume students will regularly check the syllabus to stay up-to-date on required readings and coursework, making it very easy to let assignments pass you by and drop your grade. It’s important to stay on top of deadlines in whatever way works for you - using a planner, making sticky notes, setting reminders, or using an app. Anything to keep you organized helps! 2. Curves can save your grade - but they can also tank it Many classes - especially STEM classes - use curves on exams, homeworks, and even the final grade to create a more even distribution of scores across all students. In some cases, where the curve is algebraic or where the teacher adds a certain number of points to everyone, the curve can help you. In others, where the curve is rank-based and your grade is only as good as the students you do better than, it is much harder to get a good grade. If there is a curve for some portion of the class, be sure to figure out what it is early on! 3. Clubs are organized way differently In high school, clubs would meet once a week at most for a quick after-school meeting or a short before-school session. Unless you were competing or working on a project of sorts, high school clubs wouldn’t take up more than an hour or two a week. That’s not the case in college. For one, the variety of clubs available is much larger than in high school. There are hundreds of options from career-oriented to service-based to cultural to hobby-specific clubs to choose from. Some of these clubs might only meet once or twice a semester. Others might meet several times a week for a few hours each time, with additional things to complete outside of standard club meeting times. Speaking of which, college clubs don’t usually meet right at 3:30 like high school clubs since many students have variable class schedules that could go well into the evening. To accommodate, college clubs usually meet any time between 5pm and 9pm. This later time might take a little getting used to, but it does end up being pretty convenient with schedule planning! 4. Career fairs occur often - and they hire early You’ll hear about career fairs happening at least once a month at college. These are great ways to interact with potential hirers and practice interview techniques. Career fairs are also great opportunities for networking. You’ll meet countless people in your field at these kind of events - talk to them and build connections! As a freshman, I didn’t pay too much attention to career fairs until the middle of second semester when I started looking for summer internships. While there were still a few options available at this time, most of the ones I wanted had already filled their available spots for the summer and were focused on hiring for the next year. In fact, most of the summer positions I was looking at were filled during career fairs during first semester and the very first weeks of second semester. So pro tip: go to career fairs earlier rather than later! 5. You’ll have a crazy amount of homework in college A good estimate for how much homework you’ll have is to account for around 2-3 hours of homework for every one hour of class. So for example, if you have 2 hours of class one day, you can expect around 6 hours of homework. Now of course, this is not standardized in any way. In fact, some classes give much more than 3 hours of homework a night while others don’t give any at all. The x3 rule is just a general estimate. Typically, STEM classes will give a lot of homework involving problems requiring some form of calculations or analysis. Most science and even some math classes will also have labs that require you to do certain pre-lab and post-lab reports, readings, and computations to better understand the material. In contrast, humanities classes will have a lot of required readings and papers to write. For some, you might even need to perform some of your own research. Each is time-consuming in its own way, but the heavy workload from some classes will often be balanced out with a lighter workload from others, making daily homework more manageable. 6. You’ll have a crazy amount of free time in college I know, I know, I just said that you’ll be drowning in homework most nights, but trust me, you’ll also have a lot of free time. You go to class for a significantly shorter time in college than you do in high school. Even if you register for the max number of classes allowed (18 credits at my university, 19 with special permission), you’ll only be in class for around half the time you were in class in high school. There are many ways to organize classes for your schedule, but a typical schedule has 2-5 hours of class on any given day, whereas most high schools had 7-8 hour long days. Yes, a good chunk of your newfound free time will be filled with homework and maybe even extracurriculars like clubs or music or sports, but there are still going to be at least a couple of hours every day where you don’t have anything to do. Take this time to relax or hang out with friends or explore campus! As important as it is to stay on top of your schoolwork, it is equally important to take good breaks to decompress and return to your best state of mind. 7. There are lots of ways to play team sports - even if you’re not good at them When most people think of college athletes, they probably think of college football or basketball. They might picture highly talented individuals who excelled in their sport for years before being selected to a college team and continue to practice for hours a day. While there are certainly athletes like this at college (and if you’re one of them, congratulations! It’s very impressive to be good enough at a sport to play on a college team!), there are still plenty of opportunities for more casual players. Club sports is a great way to play and compete with people who are skilled, but don’t want the time commitment of playing directly for the university. Club athletes usually have more flexible practice schedules, but still get to play against clubs in other colleges and compete at the state and even national level. At the next level, there’s also intramural sports. You can either play on an intramural team comprised of your friends (for team sports) or play by yourself (for solo sports) and compete against other intramural players. Intramural sports are usually limited to the college itself and have a very small time commitment. Intramural is great for people who’d like to play sports for fun without a huge commitment to practice or events. Many residence halls on campus even rent out sports equipment for a couple hours at a time and you can play for fun whenever you’d like across the various courts and fields across campus. Many colleges also host competitions for casual players to play different sports against other students. Research the opportunities your college offers to learn more about the specifics! To conclude, college may seem daunting, but it’s really a great experience where you’ll learn a lot about things you’re passionate about and make amazing friends and memories. I hope this list helps you be more prepared for college, but I know it can’t prepare you for everything you’ll encounter at college. But don’t worry, you got this! Just remember that you have lots of resources available to you for nearly everything you might need while at college. Good luck and have a great year!

5 Tips to Improve Your Resume

You’ve put in the work to have some incredible things on your resume. Whether it be an internship, job, volunteering, or something else amazing, you deserve to get credit for the awesome things you’ve done. But, when it comes to actually writing your resume, you need to be sure you’re using the right words to convey the significance of your accomplishments. I’ve been lucky to have a lot of intelligent people give me resume advice over the years, so it only feels right to pass on what I’ve learned. Here are some tips to keep in mind when writing your resume to ensure it’s the best it can be. Keep it concise. The people reading your resume, just like all of us, have short attention spans. You don’t want your main points to get lost inside of long, wordy sentences. Be sure to explicitly state your accomplishments in as few words as possible. If possible, it’s best to have your resume only be one page long— any longer, people stop paying attention. List experiences in order from most to least recent. Your resume is meant to be a timeline of your experiences, so it will be most effective if you list them in chronological order, with your most recent experience first. This will make it easier for the resume reader to see a more clear picture of the things you’ve done. Use action verbs. Using strong action verbs helps to effectively convey the work you did. Start every bullet point listed below your experiences with an action verb that reflects your role. Don’t repeat verbs— if you get stuck, Google “strong action verbs” and search around for inspiration. Here is a helpful resource for action verbs for your resume. Provide quantifiable results. When listing the results of your work, try to include numerical values. This will give those reading your resume a better grasp on the direct effect you had. Quantifiable results can be anything from increasing website traffic by a certain percentage to generating a certain amount of profit. Even 100% completion rate or 0% error rate counts as quantifiable. Here is a useful resource for quantifying your results. Be descriptive as possible. Start by answering who, what, where, when, why, and how (if applicable) to provide depth to your experiences. Then, you can add in your quantifiable data and provide any other essential information. Be sure to identify who benefited from your work as well.

4 Women to Follow On TikTok for Career Advice

4 Women to Follow on TikTok Career Advice Looking for career advice but don’t know where to start? Well, you’re in luck! With the rise of TikTok, there are more resources available than ever to answer all the career and personal questions you may have. TikTok has provided a platform for successful women to share their knowledge with other aspiring female entrepreneurs. Follow these four incredible women on TikTok to find the answers to all your life questions. 1. Caitlyn Kumi (@caitlynkumi): Caitlyn is the founder of Miss EmpowHer, a women empowerment brand. She makes videos giving career advice, general lifestyle tips, and feedback on how to become your best self. Some of her folders include “money moves”, “career advice”, and “chit chats”. Follow Caitlyn if you’re looking to grow professionally and personally. 2. Christen Nino De Guzman (@chrristen): Christen is the founder of Clara, a community that empowers creators. Formerly, Christen worked at TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest, so a lot of her videos talk about the experiences she had when working for those companies. She has videos about topics such as salary transparency and interview tips. Follow Christen to gain insightful career advice. 3. Erin McGoff (@erinmcgoff): Erin is a director, editor, and documentary filmmaker. She has videos for almost everything you can think of career-related, especially for people just entering the job market. From resume tips to interview questions to career memes, you’ll definitely find some useful videos on Erin’s account. Follow Erin to get a laugh while learning great career tips. 4. Cynthia Huang (@cynthiamhuang): Cynthia is a senior global brand marketing manager at Eat Just, Inc. Cynthia has videos for women in many different stages of life, whether that be undergrad, graduate school, or a new graduate looking for a job. She also has a great series on how to find stylish work wear! Follow Cynthia for videos on how to navigate the corporate world with style.

How To Get An Internship or Entry-Level Job

@pinterest During college, I found the internship recruitment process and entry-level job recruitment process extremely overwhelming. Many of my friends and family members struggled to secure internships and their entry-level full-time roles. I am thankful that I have secured internships and full-time positions at top companies. I created this guide to share my best practices to help you secure your dream internships and jobs. Here is a recap of how to get an internship or entry-level job: 1. Write down all of your experiences (part-time jobs, class projects, volunteer initiatives internships) 2. Identify your strengths and weakness Reflect on what brings you joy and what drains you Ask friends, family, classmates, and former co-workers about yourself Take the Clifton StrengthsFinder Assessment 3. Identify 5-10 target companies that you want to work for 4. Update your Resume Review Harvard’s Resume Guide Use the XYZ resume formula when updating your resume 5. Update your LinkedIn Read this article to understand LinkedIn profile best practices. Build relationships/ network with people at your target companies (use LinkedIn and or the alumni network at your University) 6. Get referrals from individuals at your target companies to increase your chances of securing interviews 7. Prep for the interviews and get the job Commonly asked interview question video prep. You can also read this article for common interview questions prep. Learn the STAR Method Follow me on Tik Tok , LinkedIn, and Instagram . Subscribe to the Miss EmpowHer Newsletter *Please note that any career content and advice shared here are of general job search and not specifically related to careers in tech or for tech jobseekers* Disclaimer: The opinions of Caitlyn Kumi, Founder of Miss EmpowHer, and content creator are not those of her company or previous employers.

5 Tips for Crushing Your Next Interview

@driamurphy In order to land your dream job or get that promotion you’ve been working for, you have to approach your interviews and networking conversations with confidence as well as competence. Check out our tips for presenting your most confident, authentic, and capable self at your next interview. 1. Practice meditation Interviews can be nerve-wracking. Most everyone gets nervous before important interviews, but this can hinder your ability to put your best foot forward and utilize the preparation you’ve done. Practice relaxation and meditation techniques before your interview by focusing on your breathing and thinking positive thoughts. 2. Be in the moment In an interview setting, it can be easy to always be thinking ahead about the next question you might be asked or how the interview is going. However, worrying about the next part of the interview doesn't allow you to be present with the interviewer and enjoy the opportunity to learn more. Focus on staying present, and you will present yourself as a calm, collected individual. 3. Demonstrate enthusiasm Most of us don’t look forward to interviews. However, it is important to be positive and enthusiastic during the interview process, which makes you seem more approachable and eager about the role. Make sure to smile and be expressive when meeting an interviewer and telling them about your experiences. Make them realize how wonderful you are to be around in a workplace setting! 4. Practice confident body language A lot of what we communicate about ourselves in an interview doesn’t even have to do with our answers to interviewers’ questions. Our body language, tone, and gestures can signal confidence and assertiveness, or it can signal insecurity. Speaking loudly and clearly, making intentional gestures, and making eye contact throughout the interview can make you stand out as a candidate. 5. Ask great questions Great candidates stand out because they are truly engaged with the company they are interviewing with and are eager to learn more about it. Come prepared with specific and unique questions to ask your interviewer about their experiences, and connect their comments to why you would be a great addition to their team. Remember that you are getting the opportunity to interview because you deserve it! Enjoy the connections you make and be yourself, and your interviewers will appreciate the chance to get to know you. You got this!

UNC Graduate and Former Miss EmpowHer Intern's Journey to a Full-Time Role at Big 4 Consulting Firm

@nonso.philipikpo "My experience with Miss EmpowHer is something I will be forever grateful for. Changing my career path during the Fall semester of my senior year was a difficult decision to make, but Caitlyn’s efforts to improve my professional development made the transition a seamless one. Her one on one coaching included resume building and interview preparation. She taught me how to sell myself in the best way when I was applying to jobs. I am extremely grateful for the experience working at MissEmpowher and the skills I gained professionally. All this contributed to me landing a role as a People Advisory Services Staff Consultant at Ernst & Young." - Nonso Philip-Ikpo, Business Development Consultant at Miss EmpowHer

How to Become Your Most Confident Self

Many women who have all the skills, experience, and ambition to thrive in their jobs and personal lives find that they are not as confident as they would like to be and deserve to be. In your professional and personal life, we believe in growing your self-esteem and sense of self-worth. By growing into the most confident version of yourself, you can best utilize your strengths and personal experiences in interviews, in your entrepreneurial endeavors, and in your relationships. We’ve compiled some of our best tips for exuding confidence from the moment you wake up to the end of a long work day below. 1. Surround yourself with positivity Spend as much time as possible around friends and co-workers who support you, cheer you on, and encourage you to try new things. Be around those who celebrate your wins with you and remind you of your strengths when you fail. When others believe in you, you’ll start believing in yourself. 2. Take courses and seminars in skills you want to gain or improve. Gaining and practicing certain skills will make others value your contributions and give you confidence in your professional life. Practice and perfect the things that make you doubt yourself every once in a while. 3. Get involved! Join organizations that allow you to explore your professional and personal interests. Getting to know like-minded people can make you feel supported and valuable in all areas of your life. You can make social connections and embrace new interests while participating in productive volunteering, learning, or discussing. 4. Practice mindfulness and positive affirmations. Confidence is a mental game. Practice positive thinking, breathing techniques, or affirmations that will remind you of all that you bring to the table and help you keep your cool in stressful situations. Positive affirmations are a great way to start your day with positivity and clarity. 5. Step outside your comfort zone. Sometimes gaining confidence requires us realizing that we can do things we never thought we could. Trying new things and stepping outside of your comfort zone can help you discover new skills you never had and remind you that you are more capable than you can imagine! Most importantly, remind yourself everyday of how powerful and amazing you are. You bring your unique strengths and your personal experiences to the table, so don’t forget your value. You got this!

UNC Graduate and Former Miss EmpowHer Intern’s Journey to a Full-Time Role at Leading Media Company

@destinysanders “What I love about Miss EmpowHer is how mentorship and professional development are foundational to the program. You get to take ownership over your experience by taking on assignments catered to your interests. During my internship, I developed social initiatives, conducted market research, and made strategic marketing plans with a team that encouraged creative solutions because of my interests in corporate social responsibility and digital marketing. I truly appreciate the efforts Caitlyn made to center my personal development in every assignment and every coaching session. This individualized coaching came in the form of career and networking advice, interview prep, and specific skill building assignments. I am so grateful for the experiences and skills I’ve gained at Miss EmpowHer, which contributed to my current full-time placement at NBCUniversal.” - Destiny Sanders