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Jumpstart Your Job Hunt In 2021 By Following These Tips
We can all agree that 2020 was a challenging year, with the pandemic coming at us full force, civil and human rights in danger, a landmark presidential election that had all of our nerves shot, and a job market on the brink of disaster. Despite these challenges, there is a bright side: Companies are indeed still hiring right now.
If you're looking for a fresh start, want to transition into a better position within your industry, or are just getting your foot in the door as a recent graduate, try these job hunting tips to kick-start a great 2021:
1. Create or update your LinkedIn profile.
If you don't already have a LinkedIn page, sis, what are you waiting on? This is the perfect place to showcase your skills and talents, and it's where many recruiters go to look for top new employees. More than 50% of Americans with a college degree use the platform, and 4 out of 5 users "drive business decisions," according to a Hootsuite report. Be sure your photo is professional, your work experience is recent and relevant to your dream job, and you've listed organizations and passions accurately. You also want to be sure you're networking in a way that puts service and ability ahead of a needy vibe, and that you're tapping into connections strategically. Experts recommend offering insights that are relevant to your industry, writing about your own experiences and expertise, and reconnecting with people you may have lost touch with.
2. Be deliberate in creating a schedule for job-seeking.
It's a good idea to etch out specific times of the day or week to send out resumes, emails or other inquiries related to a job search. When you commit to a time of day, you'll be more likely to be consistent and put forth deliberate effort to get the job you want. You can try this 10-hour plan by The Muse or get into these calendar-blocking methods to map out how you'll attack researching companies, professionals you'd like to work with or qualifications that various jobs require.
3. Build and follow systems for keeping up with the process.
With so many job search sites, resources, and opportunities out there, it can seem a bit overwhelming keeping up with it all. A great way to remain organized is to set up a system using technology. It can be as simple as setting calendar reminders for things like following up with someone you interviewed with to send a Thank You note or to inquire about next steps or email templates for submitting your cover letter and resume. Set up shortcuts for replies or special actions to file all your job search-related emails so that you can easily access them. You can also set up spreadsheets in Google or Microsoft Excel to categorize and organize information by job, company, date applied and more. If you want a quick shortcut to do this, try your state's employment commission websites which have resources for tracking your job search. Apps like those offered by CareerBuilder and Monster are also great for keeping track of your search progress.
4. Volunteer with an organization that your dream professional or company supports.
Even in these social-distancing streets, networking is still important, and what better way to connect with someone who works at your dream company or someone you'd like to collaborate with than to volunteer at an org they support? Again, LinkedIn is a great place to find out what causes your mentor or prospective coworker are into. Just be sure it's something you authentically connect with and that you're willing to give of the time and effort. If you can't volunteer in person, offer your talents, services or time doing something virtually, whether it's assisting to coordinate an online event, creating social media graphics or messaging for a campaign, or building creative fundraising initiatives.
5. Map out a 1- 5- or 10-year plan via a vision board.
Manifestation through writing down goals is real, and many successful professionals attest to it. Take the time to write down what your next boss move will be or at least where you'd like to go in the next few years. If thinking that far down is overwhelming, experts recommend thinking about it in monthly goals that will build up to reach the overall yearly goal. Vision boards are a great way to visualize your plan, and you don't have the go the usual posterboard-and-collage route. Use apps like Canva or PicMonkey to make one digitally.
Experts recommend asking yourself questions like, "Where do I want to be next year?" "What tasks bring me the most joy?" "What are the daily duties of my dream job?" "Who am I impacting with the work that I do?" "What salary would I like to be earning?" and "What does my quality of life look like?" Be honest with yourself about your current skills, where you could improve, and what steps it will take to get to the job and lifestyle of your dreams. Bookmark resources, books, articles and other related information that will help you reach your goal (whether it's in the form of clicking via your laptop, organizing via an app, or tearing out pages or pasting covers to a board.)
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This article is sponsored by Hulu.
UnPrisonedhas returned for its highly anticipated second season, delving deeper into the complex dynamics of the Alexander family.
The series premiere comes a year after its debut season garnered rave reviews from fans and critics and earned record-breaking ratings for Hulu's Onyx Collective brand. UnPrisoned's success can be attributed to its raw, relatable themes and comedic appeal.
Inspired by creator Tracy McMillan's life, the show follows Paige (Kerry Washington), a therapist and single mother whose life takes an unexpected turn when her father, Edwin (Delroy Lindo) --who was released from prison-- moves in with her and her teenage son, Finn (Faly Rakotohavana).
Throughout UnPrisoned's first season, viewers witnessed how Edwin's incarceration deeply affected Paige's life and relationships. In the series, Paige unpacks her trauma through interactions with her inner child and her online followers. Meanwhile, Edwin is overcoming specific struggles with his own past that led to his life of crime, including a dysfunctional upbringing and his mother's arrest. As the Alexanders attempt to reconcile, new challenges arise.
This new season promises to further explore their unconventional family dynamic. Here are several compelling reasons why season two of UnPrisoned should be on everyone's watchlist.
The Alexander Family Life Is Still In Shambles
UnPrisoned's second season resumes where the series left off, with Paige grappling with the fallout from her troubled therapy practice and Edwin navigating life independently after moving out. Meanwhile, Finn faces his own challenges. The teenager is battling anxiety and seeking information about his father—a topic Paige avoids discussing.
The Alexander Family Are Attending Therapy To Resolve Their Underlying Issues
Amid the chaos in their lives, the Alexander family decides to mend their bond by confronting their past traumas. They seek professional help and attend therapy sessions with a “family radical healing coach,” played by John Stamos, a new cast member. This collective effort aims to unravel the complexities of their shared history and strengthen their relationships.
The process of unraveling each character's internal conflicts and their potential impact on future relationships may clash with Paige's textbook therapy approach. While Paige is used to being in the therapist's seat in both career and family, this forces her into the unfamiliar role of a patient during therapy sessions. This shift would compel her to look in the mirror and try a radically different approach.
The Alexander Family Learned A Big Lesson During A Therapy Session
In therapy, the Alexanders are tasked with addressing their individual traumas to salvage their remaining relationships. One of the family therapist’s eccentric suggestions was an exercise involving a family wrestling match. During this session, Paige faces tough questions about her refusal to share information about Finn's father.
While it's unclear whether this scene is reality or fantasy, the image of the family duking it out in the ring certainly makes for hilarious yet compelling television.
Paige Tries Dating Again Following Failed Relationships
Amid her life's chaos, Paige decides to step back into the dating field. However, her many attempts have left her with mixed results. The dating apps have turned out to be a fail, and an outing with her ex Mal (Marque Richardson), who is also her father's parole officer, doesn’t go quite as expected after he brings an unexpected guest – his new girlfriend.
The situation takes an awkward turn when Mal's new partner learns why the former couple split, partly due to Paige's self-sabotage.
UnPrisoned Is A Perfect Balance Of Comedy And Drama
As a dramedy, UnPrisoned takes a comedic approach to its heavy subjects. The show takes us on a ride with Paige's dating misadventures and navigating a friendship with her ex.
Other lighthearted moments include Edwin's attempts at CPR based on online videos and, of course, the antics of the Alexander family's unconventional new healing coach.
The second season of UnPrisoned is now available on Hulu.
UnPrisoned | Season 2 Trailer | Hulu
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Mariee Revere On Her History-Making Million-Dollar Sales And The Future Of MoonXCosmetics
If the name Mariee Revere sounds familiar, it's probably because you heard of her beauty and skincare brand, MoonXCosmetics, or you may have heard about her history-making achievement of making $1.8 million in less than eight minutes. But before starting her million-dollar brand, Mariee was just a teenager trying to cure her acne.
While she grew up in the skincare capital of the world, South Korea, Mariee didn't really experience breakouts until her senior year of high school. Like many people who get their first breakout, she didn't know what to do, and there weren't many products out there at that time. So she decided to experiment. What she didn't know was that what she came up with would ultimately be her ticket to success.
"When I graduated high school, I moved back to America, Georgia, and I ended up making, like, the oil, the Rose Galore oil, which is like the staple product of my brand. I don't know what made me make it, but I did, and it literally cleared my face up," she tells xoNecole in an exclusive interview.
"I end up selling it as a body oil first because, obviously, I'm 17, [and] don't have any background as an esthetician or anything like that. I just made a product that worked for me, but people bought it and was using it, and I reformulated it, and then it just stuck like with me."
While MoonXCosmetics is known for its facial products, it wants to expand to body care and home. It just released its new product, Moon-Gel body wash, and it's only up from there. As Mariee continues to grow the brand, it's more than likely that she will see more history-making moments. And so far she has.
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When asked if she feels pressure to obtain more of those milestones, she says yes and no. "I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more," she says.
"I want to say more reach than more like fast-paced sales. I do want that. Obviously, every girl wants that, but I do want to have a better overall reach for my brand because I did take two years off so I was able to learn, [and] study a lot of different things. See how things have changed from 2020 to now."
"I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more."
Another part of expanding for any company is hiring people. Finding the right person to help you can be a hassle, especially for business owners who are used to doing all the work themselves. Mariee can relate to this, and she touched on this topic in her documentaryThe Million Dollar Story. She recommends having someone be your "right-hand man" who you trust to handle the ins and outs of the company.
"I could say, definitely get, like a right-hand man to help you within the process because that really was what helped me. I never had a job. I literally was 18 now, being like, you know, the boss of over 30+ employees at one point in time, and I didn't know anything. I didn't know anything about no W-2s, no taxes, no clock in, clock out because all I [have] ever known was my brand," she explains.
"So I definitely partner with people who are very skewed and versed in those areas, and they helped me get through it. Even to this day, I still have my same person helping me with hiring, firing, [and] doing everything that I can right now because I'm still learning. But obviously people get jobs young, so they have way more experience than me, but still learning."
And though she is still learning, one thing she makes sure to stay on top of is being consistent. Consistency is what trips many people up when it comes to achieving goals, but Mariee says it's all about scheduling. Whether it's when to post on social media or email marketing, scheduling it out can make a world of difference. That same practice also works when planning out her future goals for the company.
"Right now, future goals would be to drop at least five more products before the end of the year. We always do outreach, where we do drives and all that, but definitely do way more this year, she says. "Then really dive into body [care], and then hopefully open up MoonXBody underneath MoonXCosmetics to let that branch out and be open and definitely get back consistent."
For more information, visit moonxco.com.
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