I'm a career coach with over 20 years of experience at companies like KPMG and Deloitte. Here's the career advice I give my own daughters.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Patrice Williams-Lindo, a 52-year-old career coach in the Bronx, New York. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I'm the CEO of Career Nomad, a career pivot coaching consultancy. After watching too many brilliant professionals — especially Black women — be underutilized or erased, I started Career Nomad to help people rebrand, get visible, and walk into rooms that truly recognize their worth.
I spent over 20 years in management consulting, workforce transformation, and leadership development at firms like Deloitte and KPMG.
I remember when I was in college, I'd get the Sunday newspaper and mark all the jobs I wanted to apply for. Then I'd type up my résumé on a computer and mail it off, hoping for a callback. Times have changed, and so have the measures we have to take to land our next role.
I have three college-aged daughters who will soon be looking for work
One of my daughters graduated last year.
My daughter Jordanne just graduated with a bachelor's in business administration, specializing in healthcare administration. My youngest daughter, Natalya, also graduated this year with a BA in religion and philosophy, specializing in social change and gender studies.
When it comes to finding jobs and building their careers, here's the advice I give them and would give any job seeker.
1. Write an impactful résumé
To be competitive for a job, your résumé must clearly state what you've done and what you can do. The hiring manager should think, she is a tastemaker, a changemaker, and results-driven after reading your résumé.
When looking at my daughters' résumés, I make sure they have an impact. Even though their jobs may have been work-study or as RAs, there's still a way for them to quantify what they're doing. They shouldn't just talk about the tasks they performed but also about the results and outcomes they drove.
This strengthens your internal voice. If you're part of a team and accomplished something together, you can still say that. For example, "I was part of a team that created a training that impacted 80,000 people" is much better than "I created a course." I always have my daughters thinking, what's the so what about anything they put on their résumés.
I also tell them to think of their résumés as prime real estate. What's the highlight of what you've done so far? What different skills do you have that won't necessarily jump out? If you're an RA, you might be well-versed in conflict resolution. Say that. If you're having conversations between leadership and students, you might be a good mediator.
2. Be intentional with your reputation
When it comes to your reputation, it's not just how you show up at work or how you dress — it's what you're talking about and how you show up both virtually and in person.
What are you reacting to? What are you speaking about? What networks are you in? You want to make sure your reputation, whether you're building it or maintaining it, is intentional.
For example, I tell my graduating daughters: Yes, use LinkedIn, TikTok, and X — do your thing, but be cautious about how you're showing up. If you're suited and booted on LinkedIn but a social media search shows you lying on the beach, drunk (God forbid), that can leave an impression.
You don't want to miss out on an opportunity simply because a snap judgment was made. And it's not just appearance — people might look up where you live, who you're connected to, or even your beliefs.
3. Be a go-to person
In all my roles over the years, I've often been an early adopter. When I worked in a hospital setting, anytime there were tech upgrades, I'd raise my hand to learn them and then bring that information back to the team.
That positioned me as someone with a finger on the pulse. I found that by getting information early, I had time to understand it, share it, and even shape how it was used. It's a great way to set yourself apart — not just as someone who consumes information but as someone who contributes to it.
My advice is to position yourself as a go-to person and a thought leader. By showing up early, you can help shape the direction and impact you want to have.
4. Find what works for you
I was recently listening to a conversation about how Gen Z likes to watch TV or have music playing in the background while working. The rhetoric was that they were distracted. I remember thinking, no, it depends. You can have the TV playing, be doing your work, and be fully focused at the same time.
I listen to binaural beats or different frequencies that help me concentrate. I'm still productive, streamlining my thinking, and staying on task. This is a departure from the way I grew up when TV was seen as a distraction.
If you've found a work style that helps you thrive — like wearing headphones, taking focused blocks of time, or adjusting your workflow — don't be afraid to speak up, but lead the conversation with results. You might say to your manager: "I've noticed I produce stronger outcomes when I can eliminate background distractions. Would you be open to me using music to support that?"
It's not about special treatment — it's about showing self-awareness and advocating from a place of excellence. That's leadership, not rebellion.
I tell my girls: do whatever you need to be in the zone to get what you need to do done. Of course, at work, you may not be able to pull up your big screen, or your Spotify, but you can play it on your phone, stick your earbuds in your ears, and just do your work.
Be unapologetic.
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For Sherman, the importance of Indigenous solidarity expands past even this continent. 'I just want to go beyond because we're creating these really strong connections in South America, west and south Africa, and Australia, and New Zealand. There's a lot of opportunity to grow internationally in the future.' Related Brunch, Decolonized The biggest challenge, Sherman reiterates, is solidifying funding to grow their staff and start project rollouts. 'We're so close. I was trying to raise six million just to launch this space [for Šhotá], and I still have about one million left, which is not bad for starting in January. But I still have some ways to go.' Sherman's dreams are sky-high even in the best of climates, but it's hard to ignore that the Trump administration's budget cuts to DEI initiatives at universities, environmental programs, projects aimed at reducing racial inequities, and tribal programs might make Sherman's plans difficult, even though NATIFS doesn't rely too much on government funds. Still, Sherman has hope in NATIFS and its partners' abilities to weather the storm and keep creating transformative projects. 'It's not a friendly environment for people of color under this administration. But regardless of who is in office, the work remains the same, and we're going to keep doing it.' Šhotá Indigenous BBQ by Owamni is headed to 2601 Franklin Avenue, planned for a late 2025 or early 2026 opening. Sign up for our newsletter.
