What is in your bag today?

You carry it wherever you go. It almost never leaves your side. They say a woman’s handbook carries her world.

Let’s see what the working woman professional of today should have in her handbag, so that she will always be the future-ready professional she set out to be.

1. USB Flash Drive: It hardly takes up place. It helps transfer files. This little device is sure to come in handy at that one opportune moment when your colleague wants a huge folder urgently. Keep it handy!

2. Card Holder: Every working woman must-have her own visiting card holder. There are plenty of options available in stationery stores. A sleek one won’t take up too much place in your bag either! You should always have your visiting cards ready and easy-to-reach.

3. Note Book and Pen: Even though we are now in a digital world, having a Notebook and pen is indispensable. Useful for making quick notes or signing documents, if need be.

4. Headphone: Not only will your headphones come in handy when you need to take an urgent call while driving, it will be useful on those occasional days you feel like listening to music too.

5. Rough paper: You never know when you’re on a call and you need to quickly take down a number. It’s happened often enough to most professionals! Take a cue and keep some rough paper neatly folded and ready-to-use.

6. Extra cash / loose change: Find a safe, secure and hard-to-reach pocket somewhere within your purse. Tuck away some emergency cash / change. This is sure to come in handy on one of those rainy days!

7. Napkins / Tissue: The working woman of today is always on the go. Keep napkins and pocket size packs of tissue handy. It will especially be useful during those sudden business meetings, lunches, etc.

8. Safety pins: Well, we saw our mothers and their mothers keep safety pins handy. A safety pin can save you when you least expect it. This is a must for those working professionals who need to go on several business meetings.

9. Tampons: Never leave home without one. If you happen to face this emergency in the middle of a work-day, at least you are prepared!

10. Brush-up kit: Not make-up kit, but brush-up kit. Keep your bag light and include the basics that help you “brush-up” before a sudden meeting.

11. Relevant ID cards: Keep your wallet light. Keep your most-used atm / debit or credit card and relevant ID cards in your bag. For safety, keep cards you don’t often use locked away indoors.

12. Pepper spray: This is especially important for those women who travel a lot for business purposes. If you tend to travel by yourself at odd hours, pepper spray is one thing that should always be in your bag!

13. Planner / Organiser: Keep yours handy and in the handbag you use daily. It will be that much easier to jot down notes and points.

14. Health bars: Most working professionals get so busy in daily tasks that it gets tough to follow proper meal times. Keep some health bars (granola bars) handy in your bag to act as a supplement.

15. Universal charger: Don’t crowd your bag with different chargers for different devices but instead get a universal one that can charge multiple units.

16. Band-aids: A couple of bandaids should be tucked away in your bag for those dire emergencies.

"I never leave home without my debit card and at least one major credit card," says Mandi Woodruff, Personal Finance correspondent for Yahoo. "I carry a big wallet (not a fan of purses) so I have space for my Yahoo badge, metro card, insurance cards in case of an emergency" Source

Closer home, a chartered accountant from Mumbai says that she prefers keeping it light. She ensures she sticks to the basics - notebook, pen, laptop, lip balm and charger. “These are the things that I need most through the day after all!” she says.

So what are the essentials you carry in your hand bag?

By SHEROES and Madhu
Madhu is a Blogger & Youtuber, DenDiva.com

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