I’m so excited to be able to work for my dream company–Clique Media Group! Today is actually the end of my first month as an editorial intern for WhoWhatWear. For those who don’t know what it is, it’s actually a very popular shoppable fashion website! Clique Media also owns and operates MyDomain (a life style site that provides home decor and living) as well as Byrdie which features insight into the world of beauty secrets. The CEOs of our company, Hillary Kerr and Katherine Power recently published their third book The Career Code. The previous ones are Who What Wear: Celebrity and Runway Style for Real Life and What to Wear, Where: The How-to Handbook for Any Style Situation. As the top fan of our company and loyal follower of my inspirational CEOs, I finished reading this book within two days! I have to say, this book provides very practical advices on how to land a job in the industry you love and build a successful career. I highly recommend anyone who wants to get paid for the job you love and is curious about the secrets of Hillary and Katherine’s success to read this book!

When I read the book, I’d love to write down the notes so that I can process the information better. I decided to summarize all the main points in this book and share it with you guys! If you don’t have time for the entire book, at least you can learn something from my article :))))

Code #1 Find something you love to do, and then figure out a way to get paid for it.

Even though nowadays, there’s another voice saying that finding your passion is actually a dangerous advice (from Cal Newport’s So Good They Can’t Ignore You), I still believe if you enjoy doing what you are doing, chances are bigger that you can make a real impact in the industry. So I am a true believer for the passion theory. So here’s the question, now that I know I want to do something about fashion, what’s the next step? Well, Hillary and Katherine suggest that you should first make a list of the top 25 companies that you would like to work in, or the company that employ people who truly inspire you. Then research each company deeply. Learn about the work environment and culture, and be familiar with the news in the company and the industry. Also, make a list of pros and cons of each company. Once you’ve done that, go back to each company’s website and find out their hiring cycle. Try to connect with the HR and get in touch with the people working in that company.

Code #2 Your resume speaks before you do, so make sure it’s articulate.

Once you’ve identified the companies you want to work for, you need to prepare a killer resume and cover letter. The key tip here is that your resume should be presented perfectly, be concise, personalized and thoughtful, and customized for the position and features relevant work experience. That is to say, you have to have different focus for different companies.

Code #3 Interview like a boss.

There are actually 4 steps to crack your interview! First, do a deep dive on the company again. Second, practice your interviewing skills. Third, bring you resume just in case the interviewer needs it. And last, dress appropriately. I will come up with a post to teach you how to dress for interview very soon!

Code #4 Social media should help you, not hurt you.

Now that basically everyone is on social media, it can be a tricky thing to handle sometimes. The line between private life and public life is getting blurry. Your colleagues and even your boss might follow you on Instagram, Snapchat and whatever other platforms. Therefore, it won’t hurt to have a polished social media persona.

Code #5 Dress for the job you want, not the job you have.

Again, we just can’t emphasize more the importance of dressing appropriately in the office setting. Even though work newbies like me have a tight budget for building a chic wardrobe for my workdays, I invest on basic items with high quality. Topshop is my personal favorite brand to shop for workday outfits! Continue reading it, we have 5 more to go!

(Btw, I went to Hillary’s office yesterday and she signed the book for me! She is so nice!!!!!! <3)

Code #6 When in doubt, err on the side of formality and professionalism.

Even though e-mail is more and more informal, it’s nice that you can maintain your formality and professionalism at all times. After all, you don’t want to get into trouble when your emails are disclosed to the public right.

Code #7 The most proactive people win.

By proactive, it means you have to think before everyone else, communicate so your boss and colleagues don’t have to, and identify undervalued areas in your company and value them. In a nutshell, you need to identify a problem and then solve it, which will lead to accelerated promotions and more responsibilities.

Code #8 Resourcefulness is next to godliness.

No matter you’re just in entry level, mid-level or senior-level, you need to be resourceful. Don’t take no for an answer and try to come up with other ways to solve the problem. Trust me, your resourcefulness is gonna take you far in your career.

Code #9 Avoid death by (mis)communication.

At some point of your life, you’ll have to work with the people you don’t like. Sometimes they can be very difficult to deal with. Katherine and Hillary share their dos and don’ts on this one!

Do: Talk about your feelings from your point of view.

Don’t: Argue just to argue

Do: Put yourself in their shoes when listening

Don’t: Be rude!

Do: Make your colleague feel heard

Don’t: Overdramatize the situation.

Code #10 Never present a problem without a solution.

A must-known fact: problem solvers > problem creators. If you unfortunately cause any trouble, three simple steps to deal with it is own it, apologize and then fix it.

Well that’s so much for today! I want to share the first half with you guys and the latter half in my upcoming post! If you love these ideas and find them useful, you can purchase it here.

Thank you so much for reading this post! If you love it, please leave your lovely comments below! I’d love to hear from you! Enjoy your weekend and happy 4th of July everyone! See you next time 🙂

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