We’re part of an elite club of career-drive women and we deserve some resources built specifically for us. From magazines like Cherry Bomb to dating apps like Bumble to Career Contessa’s own Hire a Mentor platform, ladypreneurs are increasingly introducing resources tailored to women like them. You know, whipsmart, snarky, and just plain cool. Here are seven platforms I’m currently using (and celebrating).
1. Vina
It’s 2016 and online dating’s begun to feel hollow at best, soul-crushing at worst. If your OKCupid dates may seem chronically disappointing, it’s tricky to not blame the technology. But consider what it could be like if, instead of another flaky date, the person on the other end was another woman as reliable and interesting as you. Welcome Vina, a new social app that The Huffington Post recently described as a Tinder for making cool-girl-to-cool-girl connections, where “grown ass lady friends” are a swipe away. Buh-bye coffee dates with dudes who are “uhh…sort of between jobs at the moment,” hello thought-provoking conversations with like-minded feminists.
It’s not a secret that a wage gap exists, which is why I’m so thankful to have found Ladies Get Paid, a site dedicated to helping you get paid what you deserve. Their online webinars are a great place to start, and their Instagram account is on fire.
3. Fairygodboss
At Career Contessa we talked recently about the wonders of using Glassdoor to your advantage, particularly when it comes to determining your ideal salary or checking up on a company’s culture. Fairygodboss takes it one step further, asking women to share their particular experiences at companies ranging from Google to Goldman Sachs. These reviews include details about specific situations that often reveal gender biases within companies, such as how coworkers and managers reacted to their maternity leave. Women can also anonymously contribute their incomes to an extensive, searchable salary database, ensuring that we all have a better idea of just how much we should be making in our industries.
I mean, correct me if I’m wrong, but when you’re looking for a podcast about how people build successful careers, you’re not necessarily interested in hearing about how some dude who went to Harvard got a job at a prestigious financial firm that’s known for hiring “Harvard men.” You’d rather hear about people like you—with your values and interests—doing great things. That’s the reason why we started our Contessa interview series, and it’s also the reason why you should listen to The Broad Experience, a series specifically dedicated to women and their careers. As Dayna Evans (formerly of Gawker, now The Cut) puts it: “The Broad Experience provides a great wealth of women’s successes, failures, and advice on how to navigate the workplace and its constraints.” Good thing we’ve got each other.
Obvious bias here, but I couldn’t make this list without including my own company. Career Contessa is an all-encompassing online career resouce for women. Careers are…complicated to say the least, but you shouldn’t haven’t to visit 76846 websites to get answers to your biggest career challenges. At Career Contessa, we offer interviews and expert advice, personalized career coaching, and a growing list of webinar replays and job opportunties. Like I said, a one-stop-shop for your career advancement.
6. OKREAL
As nerve-racking as attending live events might feel, they’re huge opportunities for women starting out. OKREAL hosts events across the country featuring aspirational women who share their stories to help you. Simply put, OKREAL’s mission is to uplift and further the development of women through stories of leadership, confidence, and purpose. Where do I sign-up?
This selection goes out to all you lovers of creative endeavors and side hustles out there. If you’ve got an eye for aesthetics, you’re probably familiar with Grace Bonney and her wildly popular website, Design*Sponge. After the Jump is her radio show dedicated to interviews with creatives and “makers” about the challenges they face in their non-traditional career paths. The show seems to be be (temporarily, we hope) on hiatus, but fortunately there are 100 episodes in the archive at your disposal. If you’re not sure where to start, here’s a list of some of 2014’s most popular episodes.
