In the last few years, women have traded competition for collaboration and our efforts are starting to pay off.
We are launching businesses en masse, climbing the corporate ladder at break neck speeds and making strides in industries that were once dominated by men.
A byproduct of this “working girls” movement are the businesses and organizations that are being created to educate, inform, mentor and inspire the next generation of career-driven women.
I just finished Pamela Ryckman‘s awesome new book Stiletto Network: Inside the Women’s Power Circles that Are Changing the Face of Business, which provides a great peek into what happens behind the scenes when women decide to come together and hold each other down (and up).
Before reading the book, I had already begun drafting this post to share my thoughts on this trend and some of the resources that I rely on daily, and now thanks to Ryckman, I have a name for it: Stiletto Networks.
So if you’re in a stiletto network or you just have a few industry BFFs that you trade secrets with, you should consider adding these 10 resources to your career toolkit.
LearnVest
LearnVest is an online platform designed to help women gain control of their finances. Alexa von Tobel launched the company after graduating from college with little personal finance knowledge and discovered a lack of resources that spoke directly to her.
If you want to have a successful career, learning how to manage the money you make is extremely important.
ColorComm
The ColorComm mission is to personally connect women with other like-minded individuals to build a strong network of leaders by creating mentors/mentees, business relationships and friendships.
ColorComm offers a unique opportunity for women to share experiences and learn from one another to enhance their personal and professional development.
Levo League
Levo is a growing community of professional women seeking advice, inspiration, and the tools needed to succeed.
“Levo League is your career cockpit for the first phase of your professional journey. During these years, you decide what you want to do, who you want to be, and how you’re going to get there. Success means something different to each of us. We hope the support from Levo’s community of like-minded women will be invaluable in helping our members achieve their career goals.” – LL Co-Founders
Marie Claire @Work
In November 2011, the American edition of Marie Claire introduced a supplement called Marie Claire @Work devoted to working women.
The supplement which has earned a permanent place in the book every month is described as a “get ahead guide for career, style, and success.”
The Daily Muse
The Muse is a rapidly growing community of millions of inspired professionals who believe that kicking ass and taking names is all part of the job. Whether you’re actively looking for jobs, focused on getting ahead in your current role, or still asking yourself, “what do I want to do with my life,” The Muse is here to help you optimize your career.
Cosmo Careers
Joanna Coles, the new EIC at Cosmopolitan launched the Cosmo Careers supplement earlier this year with Sheryl Sandberg as the first guest editor.
When Coles left Marie Claire (which I’m still sad about), I was hoping she would do something to enhance Cosmo’s content and I think this was a great start.
MAKERS Women
MAKERS is a dynamic digital platform showcasing thousands of compelling stories – both known and unknown – from trailblazing women of today and tomorrow. [This platform] is an ongoing initiative that aims to be the largest and most dynamic collection of women’s stories ever assembled.
Forbes Woman
Forbes Woman examines and validates the ambitions and achievements of this influential and creative group. Through the lens of the world’s most interesting women, Forbes Woman explores a range of topics from leadership and personal finance to health/wellness, family, politics and pop culture.
The Grindstone
The oddities and inanities of office life don’t stop after you move beyond your first job. But there aren’t many publications available today that tackle workplace issues beyond the entry level. And the options become even scarcer when you search for a publication aimed at women.
As women move up in their careers, begin to find success and make traction in the workplace, they still need a place to go to vent their frustrations, share their amusements and learn how to survive as they move up the ladder. And that’s where The Grindstone comes in.
Under30CEO
Under30CEO is the leading media property for entrepreneurs, inspiring the world’s next generation of business leaders. Under30CEO features direct interviews with the most successful young people on the planet, profiles twenty-something startups, provides advice from those who have done it before, and publishes cutting edge news for the young entrepreneur.
This is a great list of resources, but I may have missed some. If you have additional recommendations, leave it in the comments!