Beauty experts often talk about what women should carry in their purses, but for the working woman, it takes more than a tube of lipstick to make it through the day. Apart from one's wallet, identification cards, and beauty essentials, there are seven things that every working woman should have in their purse.
Mini sewing kit
Avoid having a wardrobe malfunction at work by carrying a mini sewing kit in your purse. The kit should ideally contain two needles, a pair of mini scissors, thread in white, black, navy, and brown, buttons, and safety pins. Singer makes a great travel sewing kit for quick and easy repairs, and it's available for only $3.99 on Amazon.
USB Drive
A USB drive or flash drive is a must-have in every working woman's purse, as it can be used to store work-related or personal files. It's also useful to have on hand just in case you need to view or print files outside the office. To avoid accidentally switching USB drives with a co-worker, opt for one in a unique shape or color, such as the violin-shaped, 16GB gold flash drive ($11.09) from Amazon.
Portable mobile phone charger or external power bank
This device is incredibly useful for the woman who's always on the go. Give your battery an additional hour of life with this, and you can even find slim portable chargers so you don't have to worry about lugging around extra weight in your bag. Home Comforts makes a slim, 500mAh external battery priced at $39.99.
Whistle and mini flashlight
These two items are very useful in case of emergencies. OEM has a device which combines a portable flashlight, whistle, and compass in one and costs about $6.85.
Small notebook and pen
We may be living in the smartphone age, but when it comes to making lists or jotting down thoughts and ideas, nothing beats writing things down on real paper. Working women shouldn't go for generic, spiral bound notepads and plastic ballpoint pens--upgrade to a Moleskine mini notebook ($7.00) or a leather-covered version by LandFox ($4.98). Pair your notebook with a Parker Jotter Standard CT Ball Pen ($5.81).
Business card case
Nothing says rookie than pulling out a business card from its original box. Get your act together and get a business card holder for your calling cards. A leather version can be had for $9.99, while a stainless steel card holder costs about $6.99 on Amazon.
A snack
Busy women know that there will come a time when a snack will come in handy, especially while completing a particularly difficult task. Good snacks that will give you an energy boost and won't make a mess in your purse include energy bars, a pack of almonds, or some dried fruit.
For more, check out Jobs & Hire's tips on decoding your office dress code.
