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| “Don’t take ‘no’ as an answer. You’re going to fail. Failing is very natural, and it’s all part of getting a decent job,” Williams said. “Don’t stop doing it. If you work hard and you’re really nice to people, it’ll happen.” |
These
talented young women were recognized by the iconic magazine for their
outstanding achievements and goals at Barnard College in New York City.
In
addition to the awards ceremony hosted by Editor-in-Chief Cindi Leive, a panel
discussion took place examining the topic of “How to Build Your Personal Brand
and Land Your Dream Job.” Moderated by MSNBC’s Alex Wagner, Chief Digital
Officer for the City of New York Rachel Sterne Haot, the panelists included
“Veep” actress Anna Chlumsky, Teach For America founder Wendy Kopp, “Covert
Affairs” star Piper Perabo and the hilarious “Daily Show” correspondent Jessica
Williams.
These
empowering ladies spilled their secrets to success and shared some of the best
lessons they learned along the way. Check out the seven most inspiring pieces
of advice we took away from the panel — and prepare to feel ready to take on
the world.
1. Take a Risk.
Before
she snagged the leading role in the hit USA show “Covert Affairs,”
Piper Perabo got her big break when she crashed her
boyfriend’s audition. While waiting for him, a casting director approached her
and said, “You look like one of the parts.” She asked Perabo if she could be
ready to audition in 10 minutes. Perabo grabbed her boyfriend, went into a
stairwell and quickly learned her lines. Although she didn’t nab the part that
day, she did find a manager, proving that sometimes taking a leap of faith is
worth it.
For Grace Young, a budding engineer and award recipient, she lives
by Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer’s mantra: “Do something that you’re not ready to
do. Worst case, you’ll discover your limitations.” Young said, “That advice
that I read has really encouraged me to do a lot of the things that I thought
I’d never have the courage to do, like drop out of high school to go to MIT or
work alone in Geneva one summer programming.” Next on Young’s list? Running a
marathon in May.
2. Don’t take Things Personally.
As
an actor, rejection can become an all too familiar feeling — but that doesn’t
mean you’re not good at what you do. Anna Chlumsky said, “You could be a great
actor, but not right for the role.” She recalled a time where she went to an
audition and wasn’t sure if she wanted to work with the director. “I’m
auditioning them as much as they’re auditioning for me. Not every project is
going to be exactly right.” In the meantime, try not to sweat the small stuff —
better opportunities will come along.
3. You Only Need One “Yes.”
For
Wendy Kopp, founder of Teach For America, the idea of recruiting recent college
graduates to teach in low-income areas across the country came in the form of
her senior thesis proposal at Princeton University. “I was obsessed with this
idea. I was convinced that this had to happen,” Kopp said. The problem was
finding someone to fund it. After drafting dozens of letters to CEOs, Mobil
Corporation agreed to give her$26,000 as
a seed grant towards Teach For America.
“I
tell people all the time. there are lots and lots of ‘no’s,’” said Kopp. “Keep
on asking. You only need one or two ‘yeses.’ It’s just about the search for
allies.”
4. Believe in Yourself.
Even
at a young age, Jessica Williams always knew she wanted to be a comedian. She
convinced her parents to let her go to Upright Citizens Brigade
Theatre if she took part-time classes. Throughout college, she balanced
doing schoolwork, commuting to L.A. to take Citizens classes and then trying to
be seen by as many people as possible. Williams was on the quad meeting her
best friend at Panda Express when she got a call from her manager to audition
for “The Daily Show.” Wearing a T.J. Maxx suit for her big day, she left
knowing she got the gig. “I walked into the audition and I could feel that they
weren’t trying to intimidate me. I knew I got it when I left. I knew it was
mine.” Lesson learned: Hard work pays off.
5. Own It.
Confidence
is key in getting what you want. Perabo shared the story of being on the set on
her second movie with the legendary Robert DeNiro and how his words inspired
her. “We’d have coffee and talk and stuff. I was like, ‘I’m so nervous,’”
remembered Parabo. “And he [DeNiro] said, ‘I love auditioning. When I would go
in, this is my 10 minutes to show them. If I was gonna do it, this is
what you’d get.’ It was a revelation.”
6. It’s OK to Fail.
Even
when we’re excited about something, we all know that little voice that pops up
in our head and asks, “WHAT are you doing?” Williams says, “Acknowledge that
voice, but do it anyway.”
“Don’t
take ‘no’ as an answer. You’re going to fail. Failing is very natural, and it’s
all part of getting a decent job,” Williams said. “Don’t stop doing it. If you
work hard and you’re really nice to people, it’ll happen.”
As
you make your way to the top, Williams advises to remember to appreciate those
who have helped you along the way. “I try to thank people and look them in the
eye and remember who helped me,” said Williams. “It is making sure that it’s
clear because no matter what, people aren’t going to like you. You just have to
know that you are true to yourself. You have to know what you are and what that
means to you.”
7. Trust Yourself.
“Trust
yourself. I remember as a teen, you worry about everything. ‘My hair doesn’t
look right’ and ‘I wish I had that thing.’” remembered Perabo. “Or
‘he didn’t talk to me, maybe he doesn’t like me.’ Or ‘if I fail this class, my
grade point average is gonna be this’ and you’re worried about all this crazy
sh*t. Trust yourself that you are doing the right thing to become who you want
to be. And keep listening to your own inner-voice about who you are and what
you feel and try and make decisions from that place. Teenagers worry so much
and it’s all OK. You can take a deep breath. I didn’t know that then, and I was
so worried.”
Say
it with us: Inhale. Exhale. You’ve got this.
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