EDITORS NOTE: NOVEMBER
Hi MOB ! I’ve been MIA this October. I was transitioning out of my last job and into a new role that I am hella excited about at Twitter! I have shared on social and with friends how difficult this year has been for me mentally and how I am still working through some things, but by the grace of God and the help of my therapist I do feel like I am turning a corner! So here’s to keeping that momentum. In the spirit of sharing knowledge, wanted to offer some learnings from this latest career move with you all in the hopes that it is helpful:
Even if speaking up feels scary, do it anyway. Time and time again I have had the courage to speak up when I saw something was messed up and or when I was being wronged by a manager or ‘superior’. I can say with confidence that I sleep well at night knowing I didn’t keep my mouth shut. This of course is not always easy to do and can have ramifications. In the past I have been fired from a job (I was 24 y/o at the time) in retaliation for coming with receipts to a leader about someone whom reporter into them. I was embarrassed and ashamed, and it lead to months of depression. Thankfully I had a village behind me full of loving family and friends who reminded me to walk on faith. I took those months while I was unemployed to apply for roles I was truly interested in, to get back into my fitness/reconnect with self and to think about who I wanted to be as a person. I don’t regret speaking my truth then and I don’t regret it now. People will take advantage if you don’t draw your line of boundary with a red marker.
Please PLEASE please, invest your time in your side hustle/passion. Your job CANNOT be the center of your identity, it will leave you feeling very exposed and frail if shit goes south. You don’t want that for yourself, I promise you that. It’s great if you love your job, but remember the world is bigger than that. When we are heads down in our work, we can forget this (thank you Crystal for always reminded me). I am here to remind YOU that diversifying your portfolio and passion projects is important. It leads to more exposure for other opportunities and hopefully a more fulfilling life that you can feel proud of.
Be authentic because people are watching. I never thought I’d be recruited by a company like Twitter. I was focused on the things I cared about and my community. I focused on showing up as myself and taking care of my spirit while showing empathy for those around me. And this new job, which literally sounds like it was specifically made for me, came to me. All roads lead to your purpose, pay attention and don’t be afraid to be you.
I love financial stability. I didn’t grow up with much of it, so it is very important for me. Not because I am materialistic (although I like nice things), but because I don’t want to worry about depending on people. I’ve been working since I was 14 years old. That’s nearly 20 years of my life. So I understand that it is hard to quit a job that you hate because you need the money. I am not saying to quit without a plan (unless your mental health is suffering and then I say, no money is worth your peace). What I AM saying is make that plan, expedite it if you need to, and then put your two weeks in. Your future self will thank you. Sometimes we stick around bad situations for the sake of idk what, and we end up suffering in silence.
Don’t burn any bridges (until you have so many routes it doesn’t even matter). When leaving companies, I have always left in good standing, even with the assholes like the one who got me fired for telling the truth. I know how to be cordial. I am now in a place in my career, where I know who I am and what I bring to a team. So there are folks whom I simply do not fuck with, and have no issues with cutting from my extended circle. Being kind to people costs you nothing, and you never know who might have the keys to your next opportunity. Remember that no matter the industry, relationships are everything.
Lastly, we are weeks away from this decade ending! That is just bananas to me. But theGIRLMOB is cooking up a few things. I am personally excited about making 2020 more dynamic for us! Many of you reach out asking how you can get involved. Below are some roles that I am looking to add to the team before the year ends. You can be remote, just know the team is based in NYC and meetings are held here :)
I am looking for the following positions to help us soar into new heights!
Social Media Manager: Someone who would be handling our social strategy and lead our instagram voice. They’d be working in tandem with the Editorial team and the Events Lead.
Editorial Manager: Someone who will work with our Associate Editor to plan the content calendar and own the editing of some of our contributors. Must think outside the box and be able to create for different identities as our readers are supa-dupa intersectional!
Partnerships Manager: Someone who can lead brand partnerships for TGM DAY 2020 as well as branded editorial content. This person would work closely with me.
If any of these roles interest you please email me at yarib@thegirlmob.com, subject: [job title] + Name. Please include a resume or website (or both) and any social channels where I can get a vibe for who you are! Also note that these roles are volunteer based (all roles on the team are), with the exception of the PM role which will be commission base. I can’t wait to work with you!
Wishing ya’ll a great November, and remember that mercury is going retrograde today— per the usual.
here’s a foto of Freddy Mercury (get it?)
xx
Yari