Whether you’re looking to learn, network, or just have a good time, one of these upcoming events is sure to be right up your alley.
When I was in law school, my girlfriends and I had a favorite non-scientific experiment. We would go out to bars in Boston, meet a group of friendly guys, and tell them one of two things.
1) We were yoga instructors, dental hygienists or kindergarten teachers.
2) We were in our last year at Harvard Law School, headed off to work at big corporate law firms in New York.
When we told them that we worked in the first set of very worthy yet non-threatening professions, the men smiled, flirted, and offered to buy us drinks.
“That’s why you have such a nice smile!”
“If I was naughty, would you make me stay after class?”
“Wow, you must be really flexible.”
Requests for our phone numbers were common. Results were uniformly positive.
I’m a liar. Actually, I’m a serial liar.
I refuse to admit that I’ve been late or absent from work because the kids have chicken pox/flu/a broken collarbone, or the babysitter didn’t show up. I would rather lie to my boss and cite train delays or urgent meetings.
Here’s the harsh truth about why: It is simply not acceptable admit that you are giving anything less than 100% at the office because you happen to be a mother. Any excuse, including chronic flakiness, a borderline drinking problem, or being abducted by aliens, is better than confessing problems on the mommy front.
Fresh from The Times’ Body & Soul segment, the following ten tips will help you get the most out of your work day.
1. Avoid office affairs
2. Go home earlier
3. Use the stairs
4. Move the computer screen
5. Buy some potted plants
6. Ration e-mail
7. Let it all hang out
8. Decorate the office nicely
9. Choose your desk wisely
10. Consider going solo and out on your own
Forbes Magazine has recently named its 100 Most Powerful Women in the world for 2008. Women in law and business are well-represented on the list, with six of the top ten women working as CEOs or chairmen of major international corporations. The top ten most powerful women, as ranked by Forbes, are as follows:
In the world of marketing, where the main currency is brand recognition and reputation, companies strive to build their brand equity, meaning the value that clients and prospects perceive in a brand.
But the concept of brand equity applies to individuals, not just companies and products. Just like Volvos are perceived as reliable and Rolexes are perceived as luxurious, people cultivate certain traits as they navigate office relationships and seek to advance their careers. These labels affect the perception of your value as an employee and define your personal brand equity.
In Britain, the large numbers of women taking employers to equal pay tribunals has left the system under such strain that the head of the Equal Opportunities Commission says that a moratorium on claims is urgently needed.
Jenny Watson, outgoing Chairman of the Commission, stated that the 155% increase in the number of claims from 2005 to 2006 has left the system overburdened and in danger of collapse.
I love being one of only three women in my office. I work at a small technology company in Chicago that caters to the financial industry. We have 20 male developers and a few business development guys. I work in the Marketing/Public Relations department.
We spent one of our recent happy hours at Monk’s on Lake Street. It’s the kind of pub where you throw peanut shells on the floor. One of our developers, a 23-year-old guy who just moved out of his parent’s house, was trying out his pick-up lines on me. He asked me if I knew a good vet. I said, “No, why?”
The New York Times ran a thought-provoking article this week called “Hedge Funds and Private Equity Alter Career Calculus,” by Louise Story. The article challenged the conventional wisdom that getting an M.B.A. puts young Wall Streeters on the fast track to top finance jobs. Instead, Ms. Story explains that many of today’s top performers in private equity and hedge funds are making way too much money in their first few years out of college to give up two years of earning potential and attend business school. Additionally, she provides a range of examples of 20-something finance whiz-kids who say that they can learn more and advance faster at their companies than by going back to school and pursuing a business degree.
Interestingly, the article quotes five men who all decided to forgo an M.B.A. and stay with their private equity, hedge fund or banking jobs, but only one woman, Katie Shaw, who left her private equity job for Harvard Business School. The other two women quoted in the article work as recruiters for major financial institutions, but were not asked about their personal decision to pursue an MBA or not.
All of you savvy women in finance know how important it is to have a mentor in your field. Someone you can look up to, confide in, work with and learn from. If you are like me, you probably picture your ideal mentor as an accomplished woman who looks just like you in ten or twenty years. (Minus the wrinkles and a few extra pounds, of course. You will still be young-looking and stylish at her age!)
But your ideal mentor match might not be someone exactly like you. The “Mini-Me” approach to mentoring often does not work well for women, for several reasons. First, the demand for high powered, qualified women to serve as mentors to bright promising young women outstrips the supply at most companies. Why? Because there are fewer women in positions of power in finance and law, though that is changing. This is especially true for women of color. Second, being mentored by a woman who is too much like you can cause tension and competitiveness when the star pupil begins to outshine the teacher. Third, you can often learn more about your industry by working with someone whose style and background are different than yours, rather than reaffirming what you already know.
The Glass Hammer
Executive coaching, leadership development coaching and career navigation coaching for women looking to develop, advance and lead in top roles.