Contributed by Kristen Kentner
Last week was a banner week: Wall Street had its worst week in history (so now your 401K may not be worth the postage to send the statement to you) and the #1 movie in America was Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Yes, it does seem like the world is ending.
But I’m here to tell you it’s not. Everyday within the walls of American business there is still giving going on -giving by the women who statistically are the first to be let go when the company stock drops.
by Heather Cassell (San Francisco)
Women lined the bar three rows deep and enjoyed hors d’œuvres strategically placed in the narrow walkway created by a five-foot wood wall that separated the restaurant from the bar. We were all there for Smart Women Get Together, a traveling monthly social business networking event for San Francisco Bay Area businesswomen.
by Pamela Weinsaft (New York City)
On October 2nd, 2008, top women in sustainability from Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, and non-governmental organizations gathered together at JP Morgan Chase for the Women’s Network for a Sustainable Future’s 5th Annual Businesswomen’s Sustainability Leadership Summit. This year’s theme -Leading Change: How to Champion Sustainability in Your Company.
by Cindy Kraft, the CFO–Coach
There is no question that social and business networking sites provide a wealth of prospects for recruiters who are sourcing passive candidates (prospects who are employed, top talent, and open to hearing about new opportunities). Jason Blessing of Taleo, a leading eRecruiting software company, says, “I’ll be stunned if 20–50% of candidate referrals aren’t coming through online communities in five to six years.” I’m stunned he thinks it will take that long. The recruiters I talk with are big fans of Linked In and Facebook as a premier recruiting strategy for the highly desired passive candidate.
Contributed by Caroline Ceniza-Levine of SixFigureStart
I have been working for the past six years on a part-time consultant basis (as a corporate communications specialist) and want to get back into full-time. How do I land that 6-figure job?
I have the experience for sure: newspaper reporting, financial writing, sales, 5 years off to have children, then consulting and teaching as a university adjunct and now 6 years in marketing/public relations as a part-time consultant. I have a Master’s Degree in Corporate Communications. Where do I start?
There are two questions here: how do you go from part-time to full-time; and how do you get the salary commensurate with your role and experience?
Contributed by Alicia Anderson of AttacheServices.com
Usually, when we think of work-life balance we automatically picture examples of work encroaching upon our personal time and space. But now, the tables are turning – the scale is tipping. The pressures and stresses of our personal lives are overshadowing our ability to be productive and focused while at work.
by Erin Abrams and Pamela Weinsaft (New York City)
“There is growing concern among some about whether the Bailout Plan was hammered out too quickly without sufficient guarantees to taxpayers and accountability,” remarked Linda Basch, Ph.D., President of the National Council for Research on Women. She joins an increasing number of experts on women’s economic participation who think that the recently-approved bailout plan might have disproportionately impact working women. “We hope that Congress will go back to the drawing board and come up with a viable plan in a way that will boost the economy and restore market confidence,” she continued.
By Pamela Weinsaft (New York City)
America is falling behind. A recent study revealed that many executives are concerned that the United States is in danger of losing its global leadership position in science and technology. Why? Perhaps it’s that we’re not tapping a valuable resource: women.
by Zoe Cruz (New York City)
It’s happening in affluent families all over the country. It’s “the talk.”
“Honey, now that you and Dave are getting engaged, let’s have a talk.”
“Mom, we’ve been living together for a year now…that ship has sailed.”
“No, honey, not THAT talk. Let’s talk about money.”
“Mom, can’t we talk about sex instead?”
Women and Company, a membership service provided by Citi that provides financial education and related resources intended for informational purposes, commissioned Synovate to conduct an eight-month long survey of more than 1,000 affluent women–those with household investable assets of $100K or more–between the ages of 40-70. The newly-released resulting study, Women and Affluence 2008: A Generational Study revealed that finance is now the number one topic of discussion between affluent women and their daughters.
By Kate St. Vincent Vogl (New York City)
In white water rafting, you can feel the water’s power as you step down onto the raft, as the vessel strains against the eddying current. Or maybe the boat, too, can’t wait to quit the dock for the journey the river offers. It’s a rush, after all, to ride a force that can wear through or carry thousands of pounds of stone. You can feel the river coursing beneath a raft, you can feel the current urging you inexorably forward, the way you’ve always wanted to go.