14 Reasons Why Being an Only Child Is the Best

1. You never had to share stuff. The dog in Monopoly? Always yours. What outfit to put your American Girl doll in next? Always your choice!

2. But because you were never forced into it, you actually liked sharing and are actually a better sharer than most people. Of course you can borrow that dress! Here, try half my cheesecake! 

3. You never had to compete for your parents' attention. 

4. You always had your own room. And it could be as messy or clean as you wanted it to be.

5. However, that also meant that having roommates in college (and their closets) was extra fun. It took some getting used to doing stuff by the light of your laptop when your roommate went to bed early, but it was such a fun experience to have a roommate that you didn't really mind.

6. You've always been good at talking to strangers and making friends. If you wanted playmates at the park/beach/pool as a child, you had to find them yourself, and you're still really good at this with grownup settings like work/a bar.

7. You're comfortable talking to people older than you, because you were always around so many adults growing up. You probably have a lot of friends who are older than you now too.

8. You're not spoiled at all because your parents went out of their way to avoid that stereotype. No Barbie Jeep for you. (But to be fair, even though you weren’t spoiled throughout most of the year, you still totally got a lot of stuff for Christmas and birthdays.)

9. Your best friend is your sister in all but blood. If your parents don't see her often enough, they start bugging you about how they miss her.

10. Family vacations are awesome. As a kid, your parents probably went on vacation with another family, so you'd have a playmate. As a teenager, you got to bring a friend with you on vacations so you had someone to hang out with. (It's like getting to choose your sibling!) As an adult, you get to take trips to fun/exotic/worldwide vacations with your parents, because it's a small group.

11. You're extra responsible, because you had no one to blame stuff on growing up. 

12. You never had to worry about anybody eating all of your favorite snack before you got any. Except maybe your dad, but thankfully you can guilt him with puppy-dog eyes.

13. You always had full control of the movie choice because you were the only one watching. Aladdin for the third time in a week? No problem!

14. You have all the best qualities of an introvert and an extrovert. While you're great at talking to people (see #6 and 7), you are also more than happy to spend a full day completely solo and quiet. 

Follow Alie on Twitter.

Related:
17 Problems Only Short People Understand
28 Reasons Why Girlfriends Are the Best Boyfriends
Why You Should Celebrate Your Friendiversary 

Photo credit: SplashNews

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The 10 Stages Of Being Naked, By Age

1. Age 1 – 4
What are toes?

2. Age 5 – 9
I love not having any clothes on! Why can’t I walk around naked outside? Why do I have to wear this dress? Yes, take a ton of embarrassing pictures of me prancing around the house butt-ass-naked! I’m the queeeeeEEEEEN.

3. Age 10 – 13
Every time I take my clothes off I see some new weird thing that has only vaguely been explained to me. I guess this is why my mom left that Your Body Is Changing, Girlfriend! Now Go Be A Woman! book on my bed and we never spoke of it again. Why do things have to change? Also STOP CALLING THEM BREAST BUDS. I’m confused.

4. Age 13 – 16
How can Jaime Goldberg just like, pirouette around the locker room naked when the rest of us are doing the patented teenage girl change-without-showing-any-private-body-parts shuffle? Is it because her name has an “I” in the wrong place? Her body isn’t weird and lumpy like mine. I think I’ve seen her boobs more than I’ve seen my own boobs.

5. Age 17 – 18
Mike has never seen me totally naked but he has been pawing at my bra for the last 40 minutes so I think it’s time to go for it. I am freeeeeaking outtttt. Here is my vagina! Being seen by a person who is not my mom. He is kind of looking at it the way you’d look at an alien, but an awesome alien that gives you free pizza. I can’t believe the effect my total nakedness has on him! I feel like Cleopatra or Courtney Stodden or something. I could get used to this.

6. Age 18 - 21
Wow, everyone at college is basically Jaime Goldberg. I guess boobs in the girls’ shower/bathroom area is no big thing. So I’ll just go do it and then walk back to my dorm room with my little waterproof basket of loofahs and stuff like a PIIIIIIMP. Also, about 17 guys have seen me naked since Welcome Week, and none of them have complained.

7. Age 22 - 23
He's gonna see the food baby. Why did I eat that burrito? Why couldn't I have gotten a salad made of air and tears?

8. Age 24
Oh, right, because burritos are delicious and I would like to enjoy my life.

9. Age 25 - 26
Dude. This is the best I’m probably ever going to look. Those communal dressing rooms at Loehmann’s don’t even bother me. **Flawless.

10. Age 27 - 30
Am I drooping? Oh, screw it, who cares.

Follow Anna on Twitter.

Photo Credit: Getty

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Why I Hate Being Labeled a Millennial

My name is Victoria, and I swear, I'm not an asshole. I'm not entitled, selfish, or lazy, either.

But, since I have been dubbed a #millennial, these are just some of the fun labels that have flown my way, and I'm sure other people my age can relate to my frustration.

I am of a generation that awkwardly straddles new media and old media. In grade school, I simultaneously learned how to write in cursive and code (very) basic HTML. My peers and I did not learn how to swipe a smartphone upon leaving the womb (a skill which I have seen toddlers do more adeptly than I), but we also spent our adolescence negotiating the crucial transition into Web 2.0.

We are millennials. Generation Y. Generation “I” (ha). We have our own Wikipedia page. We even have our own website. Our birthdays fall within the vague range of 1980 through the mid ‘90s. And we are both a source of fascination and malign to those generations older than us. The New York Times (which has featured a number of articles scrutinizing every millennial move) will happily sum up these sentiments in one fell swoop: “You know them when you see them. They are tapping on their smartphones, strolling into work late and amassing Instagram followers faster than a twerking cat. They complain. They “disrupt” stuff. They simultaneously (and somewhat improbably) like both Kanye West and Kenny Chesney.”

Now, I can’t speak for everyone, but I for one made it to work on time this morning. The number of people following me on Instagram is laughable, at best (or so I think, since I don’t think I’ve ever even seen that number). Okay, I complain, but I think this is just my inherent cynicism and it’s usually about things like the weather.  And I simultaneously could not give two shits about Kanye West or Kenny Chesney—respectfully, of course. They just aren’t my style.

Of course, the stereotypes aren’t all bad. The Times contends that we’re also optimistic, tolerant, self-confident, and have a certain joie de vivre. (They also say that these qualities quickly translate to entitlement, which apparently worries a lot of business supervisors, but I’m not going to touch that zinger.) But while I love knowing that so many people my age are making waves and doing what they want—the world is our oyster!—I personally think it’s just a sign of the times, not a sign of the people. For reasons I’m not even completely sure of, it’s never been easier to avoid career burnout, drop everything, do what you love, and/or go against the “norm”…no matter your age. Sure, Leandra Medine is of my generation and has built an amazing brand for herself. Her mother, however, is not, and just decided to start her own jewelry business.

I don’t think it would bother me so much if I didn’t hear such ugly word-association with “millennial” as “entitled,” “narcissistic,” or “lazy.” In the Times article, Jared Neumark (who is 31, by the way, and is therefore technically a millennial) remarks that there’s this god-awful emphasis among us young’uns about “enjoying” our work, leaving more boring career-paths in crisis (he cites lawyers as an example, but I'm pretty sure people who go into law don't all find it boring). You know, because, god forbid we actually like what we do. On the contrary, I’ve found that choosing a career that I absolutely love is the key to hard work, because I’m that much more motivated each day. And you know what? I worked really damn hard to get that job, and even though I lived and breathed it, I was all too aware that it still might not be enough to seal the deal. Long story short: I definitely didn't expect this to fall into my lap. And I know too many people who have worked just as hard, but haven't been so lucky.

But it’s a real problem, and a very real stigma. This “Millennials in the Workplace Training Video” was created in jest, but it underlines a prejudice that isn’t so funny. I’ve certainly met my share of jerks my age, and maybe (probably) there are people who feel the same way about me. But I’ve also met entitled jerks who are much older than me, and in many of these situations I consider them to be so pompous because they make assumptions about me because I am, by default, part of this stupid stereotype.

You know Hannah’s infamously revised line in the pilot episode of Girls (“I’m…at least a voice. Of a generation.”)? As much as quoting Lena Dunham is not helping my case stereotype-wise, it’s accurate. There are a lot of us. We have a lot to say. And we have a lot of different perspectives. The general connecting thread is that we have similar means to say it—social media and related technology—but when did a vehicle of expression come to define a generation? If that’s what defines us, then my dad is just as much as a millennial as I am—more, even, since I can’t get through a dinner with him without begging him to get off his damn phone.

My aforementioned father is a “Baby Boomer.” Now, as one of 10 kids with a WWII-vet father, there might be some justification to the term in his case. But my mom? She’s an only child. Sorry, but we really can’t blame her or her parents for any imminent issues with Social Security.

Putting a label on a generation is problematic in general, because it suggests that individuals are worth no more than their age and their environment. I’m not going to apologize for being born at a certain time, or that my young adulthood coincided with the boon of social media, and neither should any of my peers. If we really want to go that route, we can label Mark Zuckerberg, Evan Spiegel, Noah Glass, and David Karp—who gave us Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, and Tumblr, respectively—as the real millennials and call it a day.

This article originally appeared on Elle.com.

Photo Credit: Apatow Productions/ The Kobal Collection

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The 13 Best Things About Being a Lesbian

Whether you’re well-versed in lesbianhood, a total newbian, or just curious about the positive aspects of being gay-as-hell, this list is sure to help you understand exactly why being a lesbian is so goddamn wonderful.

1. You get to make out with girls.

Making out with girls is awesome for a hundred bajillion reasons. One being the increased potential for flavored lip gloss. Who doesn’t love strawberries with their make-out session?!

2. You can make-out in dressing rooms and public bathrooms and pretty much anywhere you ever want ever...

The world is your make-out oyster. Girls go to the bathroom together all the time, so like, oops you’re going to the bathroom together and now you’re making out against a wall and no one knows a single thing. Bar bathroom not your ideal setting for a boner? No worries, try dressing rooms! Insider tip: The dressing rooms at Old Navy are REALLY spacious.

3. Did we mention that you get to make out with girls?

Making out with girls also means you’ll be dealing with much less face-stubble. Now you can make out for hours on end and not damage that pretty face. Win-win.

4. No. Pregnancy. Scares.

Birth control?!?! NOT FOR YOU, MY FRIEND. No unexpected babies in your future, no matter how much you’re doin’ it.

5. You can take personal credit for Ellen’s success.

Ellen? Yea, she’s pretty lucky to have us. If it weren’t for all of us she’d be nothing. We (read: lesbians) found her on the streets, groomed her, gave her confidence, put her through comedy school, and packed her lunch every day for years. We done so good, y’all.

6. DOUBLE YOUR WARDROBE.

Sure, this one isn’t necessarily a guarantee, but there is a damn high probability that you’ll have double the chambray shirts, endless flannels, and lots of new t-shirts to steal wear. Bonus points for same shoe size!

7. DOUBLE YOUR TAMPON SUPPLY.

Let’s be real. Nothing is worse than starting your period in the middle of the night and having to shove toilet paper in your underwear. Now, your doin’-it partners are not only the objects of your love and affection, they are also reliable suppliers of necessary feminine products. Tampons for dayyyyyyyys!! (Plus: If there aren’t any tampons, you have someone to yell at.)

8. No facial hair in the bathroom sink!

What’s more more disgusting than tiny coarse hairs in the sink clogging things and accidentally getting on your toothbrush and -

9. You will never have to know what a prostate is.

What is a prostate, anyway?! Caveat: So many breast self-exams. Bonus: Someone to do your breast exams for you!

10. You get to make fun of The L Word

Some of us may love The L Word’s dramatic trajectory of lesbian life in sunny, wealthy California, and some of us just wish we could look away. But, guess what? It doesn’t matter. We all collectively come together in a sea of obligatory viewing to comment on topics such as Jenny Schecter’s ridiculous writing career, that time Shane gave up sex and the world almost ended, nooooo Dana, and OHMYGOD CARMEN IS SO HOT. It might be so bad but also, it’s kind of so good.

11. You’re can scream-sing to Melissa Etheridge anytime, any place, for any reason.

AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO WALKED ACROSS A FIRE FOR YOU?! YES, I AM THE ONLY ONE, AND THIS SONG RULES.

12. No blow jobs. None. Not-a-one.

13. You’ll never have to read an article on “How To Get Him to Please You” EVER AGAIN.

Everyone in the room understands how vaginas work! We’ve had them for years! We know what a G-spot is! We know where all the buttons and whistles are! Put the manuals away! (Sorry, Cosmo...)

Kristin Russo lives in New York City and holds a master's degree in gender studies. Dannielle Owens-Reid lives in Los Angeles where she rehearses stand-up comedy in front of her cat. Together they run the website everyoneisgay.com.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

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She's Just Being Miley! The "We Can't Stop" Star's Best Style Moments

July 23, 2013 at 4:06PM By Dara Adeeyo |
This week, SVS hosts Mike Cannon and Lyndsey Rodrigues join forces with Cosmo Radio's Taylor Strecker to discuss Miley Cyrus' style.

Check out the show above and click here to subscribe to Hello Style (it's free!), so you can get your Sexy vs. Skanky fix every week.

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Elizabeth Smart's Adolescent "Purity Classes" Made Her Ashamed of Being Raped

It's hard to forget Elizabeth Smart's infamous kidnapping — I was exactly her age, 14, when she was abducted in 2002 by a polygamous rapist, and remember it freaking out my mom on the news. Now in her late twenties, Smart's currently working on a memoir and speaking out publicly about the experience, specifically the religious teachings that left her conflicted after she was raped repeatedly by her captor. Raised in a Mormon household, Smart was taught by the Church of Latter Day Saints and her parents to practice abstinence. One teacher even held up a piece of chewed gum and compared it to an unmarried girl who had lost her virginity.

Images like these, combined with your standard Stockholm Syndrome, are what kept Smart from fleeing down the Salt Lake City street in which she was eventually discovered. Frustratingly, no exception in this form of abstinence education was made for young women who had been sexually assaulted, and shamed Smart into staying with her captor, she said at a speaking engagement at Johns Hopkins University.

“I thought, ‘Oh, my gosh, I’m that chewed up piece of gum, nobody re-chews a piece of gum, you throw it away.’ And that’s how easy it is to feel like you no longer have worth, you no longer have value,” Smart said. “Why would it even be worth screaming out? Why would it even make a difference if you are rescued? Your life still has no value.”

Ughhh, so sad. Blogger Joanna Brooks of Religion Dispatches recalls hers and other similar "purity lessons" given to Mormon girls. "The rose damaged by being passed around the circle, its petals browned and limp. [Or] mangled cupcakes and donuts. Who, after all, would want to actually eat the donut that had been passed around?"

Oh, jeez. This only highlights the continued necessity for adequate sex ed, even in religious communities. Things need to change.

Follow Anna on Twitter: @annabreslaw

Image via PacificCoastNews.com

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Facepalm: Women Are Being Sexually Harassed at Work Because They're Feminists

April 24, 2013 at 3:10PM By Anna Breslaw | Although self-proclaimed feminists like Amy Poehler, the meteoric rise of Lena Dunham as well as books like Caitlin Moran's How To Be a Woman have gone a long way to change the dialogue about feminism (e.g. feminism and "Feminazis" aren't the same thing, if you're a woman who votes, you're inherently a feminist, etc.). Unfortunately, the word still has an intensely negative, intimidating connotation for, say, that creep Vlad from the marketing team who has entire conversations with your tits at the office party. In other words: Ass clowns at work.

A new study in Psychology of Women Quarterly, reprinted by Buzzfeed, cites that women who self-identify as feminist activists face more sexual harassment in the workplace. (Note: Not feminist identity, but activists, which the study defines as "a variable measured by how many items participants checked on a list of potential "activist" activities, like signing a petition, donating money to a feminist cause, or writing a letter to a member of Congress." Feminist identity, meanwhile, is associating yourself with the values of female equality and feminism without taking this sort of next step.) This constitutes over 58% of women.

The study's authors attribute two possible reasons for this link between workplace harassment and feminism: For one thing, men are more inclined to be threatened by feminists who are attempting to put a dent in the workplace patriarchy, and subsequently feel the impulse to somehow tear them down. And secondly, feminists are more likely to report such incidents to upper-management, as well as more likely to correctly identify these incidents as "sexual harassment" in the first place, rather than just some Good Clean Office Fun that makes you silently uncomfortable.

But whether a working woman identifies as a feminist activist or just has a feminist identity, any association she has with feminism corresponds with a "greater decrease in job satisfaction, and a higher rate of intended turnover, than those women who did not."

In short, it's kinda hard to lean in when you feel like someone's going to slap your a*s from behind.

Follow Anna on Twitter: @annabreslaw

Image via iStockphoto

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"Stop Being A Goddamn C*ck Block For Our Chapter:" The Most Amazing Sorority Email Of All Time

Greek life lost me when, as a freshman, I heard a rumor about sorority pledges having to sort Froot Loops for their pledgemasters all night long. In the dark. (I've also heard wayyy worse, but I don't want to scar anyone.) It's always seemed to me, like Scientology or Burning Man, a cult for the lost, the lonely or the drunk. On the other hand, a good friend of mine swears by the friends she made at her school's chapter of DPhiE.

Regardless of where you stand on sororities, we've all heard the nightmarish stories of Pledge Week. And this email from a chair of a "lower tier, very awkard" sorority (now disclosed as Delta Gamma's Beta Sigma chapter) at the University of Maryland, paired with Sigma Nu, "a pretty good frat," during Greek Week, confirms all of our worst suspicions. Below, a young woman leading the sorority Hulks out on her compatriots with the wrath of a million snakes in a mouse hole and the language of a character in a Tarantino movie. I'd be impressed if I wasn't so busy peeing myself with fear. Deadspin got their hands on the email in its entirety. Here are the most important points.

1) She loves her sisters like family.

I do not give a flying f*ck, and Sigma Nu does not give a flying f*ck, about how much you f*cking love to talk to your sisters. You have 361 days out of the f*cking year to talk to sisters, and this week is NOT, I f*cking repeat NOT ONE OF THEM. This week is about fostering relationships in the Greek community, and that's not f*cking possible if you're going to stand around and talk to each other and not our matchup. Newsflash you stupid c*cks: FRATS DON'T LIKE BORING SORORITIES. Oh wait, DOUBLE F*CKING NEWSFLASH: SIGMA NU IS NOT GOING TO WANT TO HANG OUT WITH US IF WE F*CKING SUCK, which by the way in case you're an idiot and need it spelled out for you, WE F*CKING SUCK SO FAR.

If you're reading this right now and saying to yourself "But oh em gee [first name redacted], I've been having so much fun with my sisters this week!", then punch yourself in the face right now so that I don't have to f*cking find you on campus to do it myself.

2) She'd like her sisters to show more interests in sporting events.

"But [first name redacted]!", you say in a whiny little b*tch voice to your computer screen as you read this email, "I've been cheering on our teams at all the sports, doesn't that count for something?" NO YOU STUPID F*CKING ASS HATS, IT F*CKING DOESN'T. DO YOU WANNA KNOW F*CKING WHY?!! IT DOESN'T COUNT BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN F*CKING UP AT SOBER F*CKING EVENTS TOO.

Or are you just so fucking dense about what it means to make people like you that you think being a good little supporter of the Greek community is going to make our matchup happy? Well it's time someone told you, NO ONE F*CKING LIKES THAT, ESPECIALLY OUR F*CKING MATCHUP. I will fucking c*nt punt the next person I hear about doing something like that, and I don't give a f*ck if you SOR me, I WILL F*CKING ASSAULT YOU.

3) She would appreciate it if you'd mingle with Sigma Nu more, please. :DDDD

I would rather have 40 girls that are fun, talk to boys, and not f*cking awkward than 80 that are f*cking f*ggots. If you are one of the people that have told me "Oh nooo boo hoo I can't talk to boys I'm too sober", then I pity you because I don't know how you got this far in life, and with that in mind don't f*cking show up unless you're going to stop being a goddamn c*ck block for our chapter.

Here are my thoughts on the matter in their entirety.

UPDATE: From the Delta Gamma Facebook page: Delta Gamma Executive Offices is aware of the email allegedly written by a member of our Beta Sigma chapter that has gone viral... Right now the office staff is investigating the legitimacy of this letter, the alleged author and will take appropriate actions as necessary. EO staff is already in contact with the Beta Sigma chapter.

Follow Anna on Twitter: @annabreslaw

Image via Getty Images

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Three Men Deported From Saudi Arabia For Being "Too Handsome"

Korin Miller
Korin is the site director for Cosmopolitan.com. She loves uncovering cool new research and learning more about what makes guys tick. Outside the Cosmo office, you can find her running with her dog, trying to convince friends to go to karaoke bars, and watching as much reality TV as humanly possible. Hit her up on Twitter: @korinmiller
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Michelle Ruiz
Michelle is the news editor for Cosmopolitan.com. She's obsessed with interviewing celebrities and spotting the latest pop culture trends. Her life highlights include chatting with Ryan Gosling about sex dolls, dancing on stage at the Oprah show, and shopping with her mom on Long Island. Tweet her: @michelleruiz
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Dara Adeeyo
Dara is the associate web editor for Cosmopolitan.com. She's intrigued by all things digital. Dara loves playing with html and discovering new studies. When she's not reading up on the latest cocktail recipes (for work, of course), she can be found breaking it down on the dance floor or watching the Investigative Discovery channel. She also has a sick obsession with nail polish, elephants, and most importantly, Nutella. Dara basically lives on Twitter, so tweet at her and say hey: @dadeeyo.
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Elisa Benson
Elisa Benson is the senior editor of social media for @Cosmopolitan?so, yes, she tweets about sex for a living. Elisa grew up in Ohio, attended Colgate University, and wrote love and relationship advice for Seventeen before graduating to Cosmo. She lives for girly things (weddings and eyelash extensions and Pretty Little Liars?) and frequently tweets about all of the above: @elisabenson.
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How Get Your Crush to See You As a Sexual Being

moving cross country, finding a great partner... or lobbing off all your hair a la Karlie Kloss). But don't fret: It's not an impossible task. It just takes some thought—and great advice.

"A lot of times people don't like what they're doing in their current job, but they haven't defined what they want to be doing in their potential new job," Nicole Williams, career expert and author of Girl On Top, tells Cosmopolitan.com.

She says nabbing your dream job starts with doing some soul-searching: "I ask people to assess components of their current working life, and match them against the career they are looking to get into."

Try asking yourself these questions...

Time: How many hours do you want to work and in what kind of environment? Big company, small, telecommute, work-from-home flexibility (you know, the kind banned at Yahoo!)

Challenge Level: How important is growth potential and being challenged to you? Are you ambitious and ready to lean in, or just looking for a 9 to 5 to fill your time?

Work Environment: Define your best possible scenario in terms of work relationships. Who are you working with and for? What kind of boss would be ideal? Do you have dreams of becoming a boss?

Passion: How important is passion to you? For example, a woman we know races triathlons and feels like she doesn't need to be passionate about her job; her passion is attached to her sport.

6. Money: How much do you need to make? How much money do you want to make?

Steps To Making A Career Change

Stop Delaying

"The longer you are in the job you are thinking of leaving, the further away you are from new opportunity," says Williams. "It doesn't get any easier. Doing it earlier is emotionally, mentally and professionally better."

Be Willing To Sacrifice Something

You may have to start from the bottom (or the middle) and work your way to the top; Either way, be ready to drop a few rungs on the corporate ladder.

"Internships can be a good idea—or be willing to take a pay cut," says Williams. "If this internship, for example, introduces you to influential people and helps develop a skill-set, you'll be able to take these things to leverage them into a bigger position."

Start Saving

"Have a solid idea of the risk and savings in the bank," advises Williams. Even if it means cutting back on luxuries. "If you know the internship is going to last for six months at a minimum, that's the number you need to have in savings, and I normally advise 10 to 20 percent in savings as a risk buffer."

Network

"People love to talk about themselves," says Williams. "Find them on LinkedIn and through people you know, and consult with them."

Williams suggests asking those in similar fields questions like, "I wonder if you'd speak to me about your day-to-day life; What do you love most about the work that you do; What do you wish you would have known going into this career?"

"Those kind of questions are going to give you the information you need and will help you know the people you are going to need to know," she adds.

Now that you are armed with more than just your resume and a fresh manicure, it's time to start hitting the pavement. Happy hunting, gals.

Want more stories from Carson? Follow her on Twitter.

Photo Credit: Getty Images">

moving cross country, finding a great partner... or lobbing off all your hair a la Karlie Kloss). But don't fret: It's not an impossible task. It just takes some thought—and great advice.

"A lot of times people don't like what they're doing in their current job, but they haven't defined what they want to be doing in their potential new job," Nicole Williams, career expert and author of Girl On Top, tells Cosmopolitan.com.

She says nabbing your dream job starts with doing some soul-searching: "I ask people to assess components of their current working life, and match them against the career they are looking to get into."

Try asking yourself these questions...

Time: How many hours do you want to work and in what kind of environment? Big company, small, telecommute, work-from-home flexibility (you know, the kind banned at Yahoo!)

Challenge Level: How important is growth potential and being challenged to you? Are you ambitious and ready to lean in, or just looking for a 9 to 5 to fill your time?

Work Environment: Define your best possible scenario in terms of work relationships. Who are you working with and for? What kind of boss would be ideal? Do you have dreams of becoming a boss?

Passion: How important is passion to you? For example, a woman we know races triathlons and feels like she doesn't need to be passionate about her job; her passion is attached to her sport.

6. Money: How much do you need to make? How much money do you want to make?

Steps To Making A Career Change

Stop Delaying

"The longer you are in the job you are thinking of leaving, the further away you are from new opportunity," says Williams. "It doesn't get any easier. Doing it earlier is emotionally, mentally and professionally better."

Be Willing To Sacrifice Something

You may have to start from the bottom (or the middle) and work your way to the top; Either way, be ready to drop a few rungs on the corporate ladder.

"Internships can be a good idea—or be willing to take a pay cut," says Williams. "If this internship, for example, introduces you to influential people and helps develop a skill-set, you'll be able to take these things to leverage them into a bigger position."

Start Saving

"Have a solid idea of the risk and savings in the bank," advises Williams. Even if it means cutting back on luxuries. "If you know the internship is going to last for six months at a minimum, that's the number you need to have in savings, and I normally advise 10 to 20 percent in savings as a risk buffer."

Network

"People love to talk about themselves," says Williams. "Find them on LinkedIn and through people you know, and consult with them."

Williams suggests asking those in similar fields questions like, "I wonder if you'd speak to me about your day-to-day life; What do you love most about the work that you do; What do you wish you would have known going into this career?"

"Those kind of questions are going to give you the information you need and will help you know the people you are going to need to know," she adds.

Now that you are armed with more than just your resume and a fresh manicure, it's time to start hitting the pavement. Happy hunting, gals.

Want more stories from Carson? Follow her on Twitter.

Photo Credit: Getty Images">Whether you're a doctor who dreams of doing hair, or a hairdresser dreaming of climbing the corporate ladder, career expert Nicole Williams has pro tips on how to get started.

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