Nationally Recognized Career Expert For Monster Vicki Salemi Says a Phone Call Can Supercharge Your Career

If you want to supercharge your career, talk to Vicki Salemi. She's a career expert for Monster, author, nationally syndicated columnist "Vicki on Careers" for Tribune, keynote speaker, HR people officer/talent consultant, corporate ghostwriter, and friend.

Vicki has previously worked in corporate HR and recruiting for 15 years.

In this episode, Vicki is loading you with advice like asking for more money, when is the perfect time to apply to a job, and how a simple phone call can level up your career today. 

Sh*t I Wish I Knew In My Twenties (SIWIKIMT) is a podcast dedicated to helping 20-somethings thrive in their twenties, not just survive.

Host Debra Alfarone knows how tough being in your twenties can be. As a high-school dropout turned-network-TV-correspondent, she learned most of life’s lessons the hard way. She overcame the odds and is now a national anchor and correspondent for Gray Television, after covering the White House for CBS News nationally. She’s also a confidence coach for young women in the TV news industry.

This episode is part of SIWIKIMT's star-studded Season 2. 

To learn more about Vicki, visit www.vickisalemi.com and follow her on Insta @vickisalemi and TikTok @vickisalemi.

Transcript

Debra Alfarone:

Thanks for listening to Sh*t I Wish I Knew In My 20s, a podcast hosted by me, a former high school dropout turned national TV correspondent who had no mentors, no big sister, nothing to show her the way. So now that I've got my life together (debatable) I want to pour into you to help you not just survive, but thrive in your 20s. Today's guest is a career baller, Vicki Salemi. You are incredible. You're a nationally recognized career expert for Monster, you're an author, you're a nationally syndicated columnist, Vicki On Careers for Tribune, keynote speaker, HR people officer, talent consultant, corporate ghostwriter, and my friend. Vicki, thanks for being on the podcast.

Vicki Salemi:

Thank you so much for having me. You're one of my favorite people. So I'm so excited to be here.

Debra Alfarone:

And by the way, people at home, if this woman sounds familiar, maybe you watched her on the Today Show, maybe you've seen her on your local TV, because you're always helping people with their career questions. I'm going to hit you up here. Okay. What's the one tip that you have that we could put into practice tomorrow to level up our career?

Vicki Salemi:

Reach out to someone that you haven't talked to in, let's say, the past year, and schedule time to speak with them in a real conversation, not text, not DMs, not email. Reach out to them with the intention because they may not get back to you tomorrow. So you stay in touch because relationships are key.

Debra Alfarone:  

They're everything. I'll tell you, the latest job that I got... Now, I didn't get it because of a relationship, but I got it because I applied for it. But really, the hiring person knew me. Knew my work. We have friends in common. The job I got before that, I knew someone and I kept in touch. 

So, okay, now don't go right. Now listen to the rest of the podcast. But when you're done with this podcast, go and email someone, call them up, and have... What should you do? Have coffee? Do a Zoom? What do you think?

Vicki Salemi:

Yeah, any and all the above. And it's not only just for a job, it's so you can help them as well. But it may be they can be a reference for you. So they may not open a door for you for your next job, but it's like, "Hey, can I put you on my next job application for my, you know, former colleague or client or boss?" Could be coffee, could be Zoom, it could be anything. It could be tele- like a phone call. 

Debra Alfarone: 

Phone call, what's that?

Vicki Salemi:

Exactly. So you actually see each other face-to-face, whether through a screen or in person.

Debra Alfarone:

What is the top mistake that people are making when they are looking for a job?

Vicki Salemi: 

Top one, Debra, is there are actually two. Number one is they give up. So it's something that's about being consistent and persistent. So it's something that you need to flex your muscles like going to the work, going to the gym, you're not going to just have a personal trainer and workout like once a month, you're going to sustain and build those muscles. But also, it's thinking about, well, setting up job alerts, for sure. So for instance, you set up a set of job alerts in Monster they land in your inbox. So don't talk yourself out of a job. That's a big mistake a lot of people make is they're just like, "Oh, I'm not qualified" or "No, I'll think about this later." No, throw your hat in the ring, apply within 24 hours, you can always withdraw your candidacy, you don't have to make any decisions. They're not offering you a job. The question is, do you want to interview with them? That's it. But they haven't called you yet. And they won't call you unless you apply? Right? Right.

Debra Alfarone: 

They're not they're not coming to your house, knocking on your door. So why why within 24 hours?

Vicki Salemi:

Well, that's just a rule of thumb, like my rule of thumb, because the job may not be there within the next day. A lot of times people assume... it's like going online to a sale and you're like excited, it's in my cart, I'll come back later. And then you go back and it's sold out. So that's what we're trying to avoid. I could say, you know, when I worked in corporate recruiting, there were so many times that I posted a job. And we had such an influx of candidates and, internal and external, that at some point, we just knew, "Okay, these are our 200 candidates," or our top 20 or whatever the number was. And we removed the listing because we didn't want to have false hopes for people who are applying. We wanted to focus on that candidate pool. So maybe 'going, going, gone' is what I'm trying to say.

Debra Alfarone  

Yeah, no, that makes sense. Imagine you get all of these resumes. At a certain point, you're like, "Well, I don't care if there's, like, you know, Oprah's in there at the last-" You know, she's in like the 300 to 400 range. No, we're gonna stop here at the first 200. Like, you'll never know. 

I actually looked at somebody's reel recently. And this, this TV reporter was so good and there was a typo on the slate and something was misspelled. Is that something that you see?

Vicki Salemi:

Yeah, yes, it is. And it did it make you cringe because that would make me cringe if I saw that typo?

Debra Alfarone:

Yeah, yeah, it did actually end. I know this woman and she is so smart. And she's really good at what she does. And actually, she told me, I said to her, "I hate to tell you this and I hate to be the person who said it." Because I felt bad, you know. Because everything was so good. I was like, "Yeah, you got a... you've left out a letter here." She's like, "I showed this to my boss. And even my boss missed that." So sometimes, you got to take some time away and look at things and come back.

Vicki Salemi: 

You do because here it sounds like she's got this stellar reel. And, unfortunately, it wasn't her work that really sparkled. It was this one typo that made you think, "Okay, that's not so good" because, you know, it reflects on being just... not being detail oriented. Even though it sounds like she was thorough when her boss didn't catch it. But still, you know, look at it, look at it again. And even if it's your resume, don't focus so much on the margins or things that really recruiters don't spend time on. But focus on the typos and don't rely on spellcheck. Because you know, the word job, you might type J O G, instead of job and jog is a word, of course. So spellcheck is not going to pick it up. Literally, it takes a couple minutes, just go through it line by line, word by word.

Debra Alfarone: 

Anyone who's listening to this, please let us know if this inspires you to look and then you were like, "Ooh, wait a second. I said this instead of that." 

So here's a question for you that I get all the time... because as you know, I coach people. They are always like, "How do I ask for more money?" And they want, like, literally the script. How do you ask for more money?

Vicki Salemi:

Yes, this is the million dollar question, especially for women who, you know, if I could just speak anecdotally real quickly before I get into it, which I love talking about since it can- people can hopefully take this podcast and make more money as a result of hearing it. Anecdotally, typically, nine times out of 10 men always ask for more money, more money, whereas maybe one out of 10 women did. So it's really important for everyone to heed this but especially women, who in my experience as a recruiter, did not ask as frequently as men. Anyway, just that puts it puts it...

Debra: 

WOW.

Vicki Salemi:

Yeah. So what you do is - there's no secret sauce. It's not like this hidden thing. You just say, "Is there a budget for a higher salary, can you pay me more? Is there a higher salary?" And I don't really care if you're... If you're listening, I don't really care if you stumbled through it. The point, it doesn't have to be eloquent or articulate, you just have to promise us that you'll get through the words, like is... you know, "Thank you for the offer. Can it be higher? Can it be more? I was hoping for, you know, based on my research externally, it looks like it was higher." You can go for a specific number. But of course, you don't want to limit yourself. If you go for 10, maybe it would have been 20. Or if you say five, maybe they'll come back at you and meet you halfway at 2,500. So you can do that, you can ask for a number. But just say it. Have the confidence and it will get easier, I promise you, to start speaking up for yourself more frequently. But just ask for more. And you could say, you know, "I, I need to ask for more." It can be awkward. And that's normal. Hiring managers are more surprised and shocked when you don't ask then when you do, especially... I'll give you an example. I had one instance where someone negotiated and part of her job, the job description, Deborah, said negotiate. And so I remember the hiring manager said "Did she negotiate?" And I said yes. And he said, "Good, because that's part of the job." So here's to everyone negotiating.

Debra Alfarone:

We just don't ask sometimes. Maybe we don't want to be - and this is what I hear all the time from my female clients, because I have predominantly female clients - "I don't want to be annoying." And that breaks my heart every time because we need to ask for what we want. How do you think you get what you want?

Vicki Salemi: 

You ask for it. You're not going to be annoying because they want to hire you. And oftentimes they actually need you more than you need them. And I could say that from my experience in recruiting. They don't want to have to go through the recruiting cycle again and it takes a lot of time. And then when they spot talent, they're super excited. You should be too, but ask the questions. You are most likely not going to be annoying. Being annoying is if the negotiation round goes back like five times, which I'm sure no one listening is going to do that. So you want to just ask, you know, ask also if there's a sign-on bonus or ask, this is a key one, is to ask when salary review takes place. So you'll know before you start your new job, is it the fiscal year? Does it begin on July 1? So if let's say you start your job in the spring, are you going to get a salary bump that July or is it going to be the next July? And, you know, do you get an annual bonus? If so, what are the metrics? So what is that bonus based on? Are their performance metrics because you don't want a year to go by and then realize, oh, you didn't get this bonus because you didn't meet XYZ deliverables that no one told you about. 

Debra Alfarone:  

On another note, can you hear my dog snoring? 

Vicki Salemi: 

I can't.

Debra Alfarone: 

Okay, good. He is like, he is out and I hear like *mimics snoring noise*. 

Let's say, Vicki, that you are not looking for a job, but maybe you fall in the range of either being totally uninspired with your job or just feeling a bit stagnant in your career. Like, you're just kind of going through the motions every day. You know, sometimes it's like, okay, well, I'm doing this thing and I'm getting paid. So why, you know, why rock the boat? Do you have any advice for someone who's in that kind of a range?

Vicki Salemi:  

Yes, I'm glad you mentioned that. That to me, my original thought was like the dreaded plateau. It's the comfort zone. 

Debra Alfarone:  

Yes. 

Vicki Salemi: 

Content? No. Here are a couple of things that come to mind. Number one is you don't need to look for a new job. The minute you realize, oh, my gosh, I should have looked 10 years or a year ago, and it's so toxic, I need to just I just want to resign today. Hopefully, it does not reach to that point of major toxicity where like, "I'm done, I'm checked out." Now, actually, for the people you described, Debra, it's an ideal time for them to look. Start exploring your options, set up job alerts, see, look at the job alerts, look at the job descriptions and see what are the responsibilities? What are the requirements? What am I missing here? This is a super fun one, get to know your worth, research salaries for that job, what do you want to get paid? And you're interviewing, you're applying and then interviewing from a stance of confidence, which goes back to your question about negotiation. Because you don't have to leave your job, you're not losing your job, you're not desperate for a new one, you're most likely not anxious or nervous. It's okay, for the time being. But my concern is for people like that, like a year, two years, five years can go by really fast. And then you're thinking, "Okay, I need to make more money. I'm really bored. Now, what's next for me?" So also, while you're looking externally, I would say ramp up things internally. Maybe volunteer for a project, learn new skills, update your resume, pursue online learning, maybe there's a certification, a class, something, actually several things. But I would absolutely 100% start looking today, get that resume updated. Because again, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. And if you interview, you don't like the employer, you don't like job, that's fine. Just keep interviewing. And, to that point, practice negotiating, because there's nothing on the table here.

Debra Alfarone:

I was at a job once. And, it's funny, I was there six years. I'd probably checked out at year four, but time is money. And also, if you're in a place where you're not growing, or maybe you're not respected. Like I'm not being treated right, but I'm getting so used to not being treated right. It's gonna just eat at you, it's gonna just keep eating at you and you're gonna leave, they're less of the person you walked in as.

Vicki Salemi: 

It's so true. And then to that point, Debra, you're not going to interview at your highest truest self in your best performance because you feel diminished on the job. And then the other point, too, is bosses leave. Like maybe throughout time your boss respected you. But now you've gotten a new boss, and your whole job has changed overnight. And then you're thinking, "Oh, wow, I need to update my resume." So your resume and your job search should hopefully just be an ongoing fluid part of someone's career path where they're not thinking- turn the light switch on, "Oh my gosh, I need to look for a new job today." No, it's they keep all their options open, they apply, they see what's out there, they know their worth, they can negotiate internally, you know, maybe make a lateral move internally, and then leave. So there are a lot of options for people.

Debra Alfarone:

You are just helping us all elevate. This is so so important, because I get a lot of questions about jobs and like, how do you... How do you show up every day, especially when you're dealing with a toxic place? And sometimes newsrooms can be toxic. There's a lot of talk about just, you know, there needs to be changed in the industry. People aren't getting paid as much, but they're doing two jobs. So how do you be the change? You know, if you're in a toxic newsroom and people are gossiping, or they're clicky, or they're just always complaining, like what do you do? How do you be the change?

Vicki Salemi: 

Yeah, I would say now a couple things. Number one, set boundaries. So if they're gossiping, you could say "No, I am here to work. I know... you have coffee, let's get coffee, but let's not talk about work while we're having coffee." And just set those boundaries that you're not going to get roped into those conversations which can easily morph into "Oh, did you see so and so?" or "Why did they get promoted? We didn't get promoted." But also, I think it also stems from how you take care of yourself outside of work. So, you know, are you well rested? Or maybe there's something that you could read about outside or having a mentor outside of your newsroom. So that mentor can hopefully help chart your path. What's next for you? And that might even be moving to another market. I know just for New York City or the bigger markets similar to New York, that's usually the goal for a lot of, you know, Newsies. But maybe you start locally, build your reel, like you said, maybe you are juggling multiple hats, taking photos, doing social media, and then maybe you realize, "Okay, I've done this." Give yourself a timeframe. You need to set boundaries with yourself as well as your money. The income, okay, I'm at this amount now because I need to learn these skills. But once I've owned them, I'm going to move on and start networking and start applying and do what you need to do.

Debra Alfarone: 

I think this is good advice for life, not just careers. I mean, boundaries. Man, I learned boundaries in 2022. I went to my therapist, and I was like, I'm having an issue with you know, and she's like, "I know, sounds like you're having a boundary issue." And I was like, you know, light bulb on. I was just trying to be nice and good to all people. But no, you don't have to be good to everyone and do everything - a people pleaser. And I was letting people kind of take advantage of me. Now, mind you, that was on me. It's not on them, you know, because they're asking me for more, but I was giving them more. So why wouldn't they think they could continue to ask for more. And this could be from clients to work to, you know, people in your family, and I'm thinking, "Oh, I haven't set boundaries." Click. Going back to self care. And, you know, I can't tell you how many workouts I have missed, because I've worked too hard that day. And I came home like, "Yeah, I'm not in the mood for it." I what I do need to do is take care of me and when I feel refreshed, I'm gonna have more patience to deal with someone stepping on my boundaries at work, right? And I'll be like, "Actually, I need to leave today at five" but I'll feel like I can say that because I'm taking care of myself. I may have had lunch, I slept, like you need eight hours of sleep or at least seven, okay.

Vicki Salemi:  

I'm glad you mentioned sleep because that's a huge one because I feel like if your sleep is off then the next day you might be slower. And this is also you know going back to work, you might be cranky, you might not be as productive. So it's really important for people to, you know, take care of themselves and also many employers have resources like mental health counselors available, and lunch-and-learns, and ways to enrich your life, because they realize like when you come to work, you also have a personal life and you may have many stressors. So a lot of companies, hopefully, you know, are providing resources to help support their people.

Debra Alfarone: 

Because how did you become a jewelry-aholic?

Vicki Salemi:  

Honestly, ever since I was little I have loved jewelry, like I'm wearing a lot right now. You can't see it, but you know... There was a birthday party picture of me at the age of two and I'm wearing clip-on earrings. So I think it was just like plastic jewelry, now this is Tiffany necklace. So I've upgraded over the years, but I am just... I don't want to say obsessed because that sound like over-the-top passionate... And I worked for a jewelry designer actually for years as a side hustle. I was going her jewelry show, Debra, and I loved her jewelry so much that her customers would come by, and it was at like these upscale craft fairs, and they would ask her about the pieces. She was busy, her husband was waiting, I'd be like, "Oh, that's ametrine with 14 karat gold clasp." Like, I started describing a product and then she hired me. So I was moonlighting on weekends. It was so much fun, but it's just... they're just... they make me happy.

Debra Alfarone: 

So if you wear an incredible piece of jewelry, you're kind of opening up the opportunity for someone to talk to you about it and connect with them.

Vicki Salemi:  

That's a great point. It could be a conversation starter for sure. And Italy's my other thing, like I am very passionate. And so, you know, if I talk and give a keynote speech... It's funny, a few months ago I talked about hiring and advice for companies and the main question everyone had was, "Where do you go when you go to Italy?" That connection with food, travel, but jewelry as well, of course, because it's visual.

Debra Alfarone:

So, okay, talk to us about Italy. I want to know more about - where should we go in Italy? Come on. Don't gatekeep.

Vicki Salemi: 

How much time do we have? So I am partial to Southern Italy. I love Southern Italy. My cousins live in Sicily. Sicily is amazing. I love the hidden gems of a little town with mom-and-pop pasta places and Apulia, it's my other favorite. Apulia is the heel of the boot. So it's essentially an island, but Apulia, it's just... The people, Debra. The people are so friendly and nice and I'm learning my Italian because it's hard. My cousins really don't speak it. I mean, only four of them speak English and there are more than 75 that don't speak it so I, just to converse, it's challenging, but I love them dearly. But um, yeah, but there's... I feel like there's no bad place to go and it's like, it's just my joy, my happy place. But for people to go, you know, my recommendation number one is go to, you have to go to Rome, Venice, Florence. You'd have to go to the Big Three.

Debra Alfarone:

You do, yeah.

Vicki Salemi: 

You do. And then on another trip, or maybe that trip, then you take a train to Luca, you take a train to Siena, and then you start exploring a little bit more. And then you peel, peel back the layers and see the locals and how they live. But the food alone is just amazing.

Debra Alfarone:  

I've been to Italy before, it was there twice. And like, I can still remember the specific dishes I had, because they were so good. And mind you, what you don't know is... behind the scenes, my husband, Josh, is actually making pasta downstairs. Now, you know, making pasta here is a little different. He's, you know, boiling some pasta that we got at Giant, but he's making sauce. And so I'm excited about that. You are the person I think of when I think of careers. So how did you become this career queen?

Vicki Salemi: 

Thank you for asking, you know, it's interesting. So I was working in recruiting. And I was feeling really frustrated because I could not tell candidates what they were doing wrong. I knew that there were, let's say a job offer was going to be... let's say I extended a job offer for 80. A hiring manager said, you know, on the side, like, we can go up to 90, but only they ask, but I extended at 80. And they would say, "When can I start?" And I'd be like, "Do you have any other questions? You sure you don't have any questions?" And I would try to prompt them without specifically saying "Please ask for more money." So I knew they were leaving money on the table. And during that time, you know, being so passionate about the media, I was writing for Media Bistro, I think I was writing for the New York Post, and I started booking myself on TV to do TV segments as I was in recruiting, because I just felt like it was very spiritual thinking, "My purpose, what's my purpose here?" It's not rejecting these candidates, because when you're extending a job offer, there's nothing more exciting for me when I was recruiting than to extend a job offer, you're changing someone's life.

Debra Alfarone:

You really are!

Vicki Salemi: 

Yes, and the same way when you're rejecting them. And it's, and I felt like I was becoming more robotic. And I didn't like that about myself when I was rejecting them. And just in the system, if there were 120 candidates I needed to reject at once, of course, you automate it. But you can't really automate, this is a people business. So it was, you know, then I just felt you know, my purpose in life is I know so much from the inside. And I have access to media outlets that I could speak to because I'm also an author and I also write about careers. And there's no shortage of topics, especially now between 'quiet hiring,' 'quiet quitting,' like, there's so much going on. And that's how it started. And I was just reading - I was branding myself, basically. And then I left recruiting because that was like, once I knew that this was something that I really loved to do, talking about things that I couldn't tell candidates before. And I was also ready for the next challenge. And I asked myself, "What is that next challenge?" And I love what I'm doing. I love what Monster does for jobseekers and employers, and how we help companies and people and all the information that we have on our website: templates for cover letters, resumes, we've got it all. And it's just an amazing feeling being able to do what my intention was originally.

Debra Alfarone:  

Oh, my gosh, and you must feel so fulfilled.

Vicki Salemi: 

I really, really do. The only thing that's interesting is like, I can't turn it off. So if I go, and someone's telling me, oh, they got a new job. I'm like, "How'd you get it? Like, tell me about your interview. Did you negotiate?" Like, I actually get into the weeds. And they're excited because no one really asked them those questions. 

Debra Alfarone:

I smell a podcast, I'm just saying. Tell me about your job. That could be your podcast. Tell me about your job. You can have that one for free. Okay? 

Vicki Salemi: 

Thank you. 

Debra Alfarone:

Yeah, I can't turn it off, either. Yeah, so I'm always asking people, "So tell me more" about their stories, you know, and then like, "I can do this story, make it, you know, shoot this with an RTV."

What was your worst date, job, or outfit in your 20s. And you can pick one, you don't have to give me all of them. But our 20s... it's an unusual time. And that's when we make some mistakes in life. And I've certainly made some fashion mistakes. So tell me about yours.

Vicki Salemi: 

Yes, I actually consistently overdressed. So I took myself very seriously. So I wore suits all the time, because I was right out of college and I was like, "This is my first job. I am a career woman. I'm in corporate now." And I was working in training and development at a big company, global company. And no one else wore suits. And so at the time, I thought it was appropriate. But I mean, I think it's always good when people dress up more so than whatever the dress code is because it does show seriousness and professionalism. But the issue was I wasn't comfortable in my suits. Like I was wearing pantyhose and I just didn't feel like me. So in hindsight, maybe I should have, or if I would redo it now I'd wear like maybe a cool professional-looking jacket, but maybe with, like, if you could wear jeans, maybe like really cool denim jeans or nice shoes or something that was mix and match, not 100% super formal. I would say be comfortable in what you're wearing. 

Debra Alfarone: 

Yeah, because you're in your 20s. So it's not really, you know, you're not really like wearing a suit all the time. But you might feel like you're wearing a uniform or something like that.

Vicki Salemi: 

That's what it felt like, I'm glad you mentioned that. That's what it felt like. And then, you know, beyond that, I would still get dressed up. And then I would go out at night to Fashion Week. And I used to say, it's like my corporate costume. And then I would change and into something that's like so much more me. But I wish I felt more comfortable at work. And it's not like my job was interfacing... it wasn't in recruiting, then then I could see if I wear suits every day. But I really wasn't. I was working in training, like shipping boxes to hotels. I remember like being on the floor, opening the boxes and counting the books or whatever and being like, "Okay, I'm wearing pantyhose." I'm like, I don't know, but I just kept doing it.

Debra Alfarone:

Ya know, it's tough, it's tough to know what to wear. And so you know, that's the thing about jobs is you really gotta look at what other people are wearing. But that doesn't mean that you have to wear that. You kind of find your own style, even a job versus being home versus going out. Like, you got to find your own thing. And so I'm having a lot of fun right now going to my closet and be like, "Who wants this? Because this is not working anymore." And people are like, "Oh, I'll take that." Or I've been going to my closet for four months now. Anyway, yeah. Have you ever seen on Instagram? It's like, okay, "Should I trashed this, or should I keep this?" And so yeah, this blazer I'm wearing, which you can't see if you're listening to the podcast, but you know, it's a floral blazer. And this people were saying "keep" so I'm wearing this.

Vicki Salemi: 

It looks great. But I agree. Like you should edit your closet over time and just see what... sometimes you just get sick of your clothes. But also I want to just back up. Sometimes you can't get away with certain things. Like a CEO can get away with maybe wearing flip flops and being super casual. But it doesn't mean that's how you should dress and you always want to dress for the level above you. But even still, it might be super casual. And the level above you might be casual, where you realize that maybe in your role, you should be more formal. So there's that give and take. And so it's just, it's something that can change over time as well.

Debra Alfarone:

What's the one thing you wish you knew in your 20s that you know now?

Vicki Salemi: 

That everything would work out. And it's hard when you're in your 20s and it's your first job or your second job or, you know, and then also I think going back to salary, that you should always ask... Actually, how much time do we have ha? And then the other thing to that is, move around, get a job, learn it, own it, move on. Don't stay at a job... for me, at least, if I was telling my younger self, I mean, I was at a company for 13 years. So I got promotions and I moved up but salary-wise, like you earn so much more when you leave. And it exposes you to different cultures and different people. And I mean, at least for me, I mean, I did enjoy it. And I, like I said, had several promotions. So I don't regret staying. But for someone listening in their 20s, just something like to realize that also now there are more options. So maybe you get a side hustle or two, you think about a plan B and then you know gain the skills for a full-time job if you're working part-time. So there are a lot more options now.

Debra Alfarone:  

I also like the first thing that you said that, I gotta go back to that, you know that everything would work out. And it always does. And it's not to say that everything's easy. It's not to say that everything is this like straight line up in your career. However, the stuff that happens, like the failures or the perceived failures, you know, is really educational. And it always does work out. It works out. I think I suffered way too much in my 20s worrying about dating and jobs and everything. And I didn't need to. Suffering is optional, right? 

Vicki Salemi: 

That's true. It's true. And also when you're out of your 20s, beyond that, then you look back, you're like, "Oh, that makes sense for these reasons," but you often don't see it at the time. Or maybe you were let go, but you didn't realize that job you had performed to your maximum ability anyway, so it was time to leave anyway. So at the time, there could be angst, frustration, anxiety. That's why it's important to always have your resume updated, always look for new job, think about the next plan, going back to your question earlier. Even if you feel like, "You know what, I'm in a good place right now. It's not great. I don't love it. I don't hate it." That's an ideal time, the sweet spot to start looking.

Debra Alfarone:  

This is all good stuff. Everybody should be checking you out. And it's very easy to remember because it's your name: Vickisalemi.com 

Instagram and Tiktok: @VickySalemi

If you do follow this woman, you will be smarter and you might be making more money. So I mean, come on. That's a great promise. Right? I just love you.

Vicki Salemi: 

Same, I love you too. And I'm so excited for this podcast and everyone listening, and everything that you're doing to help people. It's amazing.