How to Market a Liberal Arts Education

I graduated from New York University in 1984 with three things:

  1. A Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature
  2. No clue of what career I wanted, and
  3. No plan to get started searching for a career

Nonetheless, ten years after I graduated, I loved my work and was earning over $100,000 (remember this was the early 1990s) and four years later I was making over $200,000 and a couple of years after that, just under $300,000.

If you have a Liberal Arts education, it’s my goal help you slice years off of your quest to have both a rewarding career and to earn the income you want. In fact I’ve recently started a consulting firm (with two friends) called SixFigureStart to do exactly that, give you the information and the power to springboard into a career that excites you and is financially rewarding. Here are some tips for how to leverage your liberal arts education into a successful career in the private sector:

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Networking: No Longer a Dirty Word

When someone talks about networking, people tend to cringe. For example, you ask a co-worker how the industry reception was last night. She says, “Oh, great. Just worked the room, networked, you know.” Everyone looks down at their shoes and mumbles; somebody coughs. Why? Perhaps because of the inferences hidden in the word, which generally boils down to asking someone for something, such as a job, a promotion, or an introduction to someone you don’t know. Somehow, the concept manages to make people uncomfortable, in theory and in practice.

In reality, we all network every day, simply by talking to those around us, whether it’s saying hello to the people you see every day in your office or joining co-workers to get coffee at the deli or asking a colleague how you can help out on the new project. Networking is talking to other folks, and finding common ground and ways to help each other. Sounds simple, right?

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“Tell Me About Yourself…”

In a job interview, could there be any other four words in the English language so terrifying, fraught with meaning, and just plain paralyzing?

When asked this question, it’s no wonder that most people tend to freeze up, get nervous, and then overcompensate by talking too much. But that’s exactly the scenario that could cost you an opportunity, according to Joann Lublin’s recent article in the Wall Street Journal.

Lublin’s article is very helpful in suggesting ways that an interviewee can avoid the “over talking” syndrome, including rehearsing short statements about how your background matches the job, making sure you understand what is being asked, and keeping an eye on the interviewer’s body language.

Reading Lublin’s article reinforced my belief that a little preparation before an interview goes a long way, not only in helping you put your best face forward, but also in helping you relax and let your true self and your best qualities shine through. End result? Hopefully, you make a great impression on the company you want to join and they make you an offer you can’t refuse.

Contributed by Kathryn Nilsson Reichert

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Redheads in the Workplace: The Cost of “Gingerism” at Work

This posting is one in a series of our Expert Answers, where a thorny problem is posed in the form of a question, for one of our Glass Hammer resident experts to answer and explain the issue to our readers. Caroline Doran, an employment law specialist with Rooks Rider Solicitors in London, has been providing legal advice to people working in banks and financial institutions since 2000.

Dear Caroline,

I am Head of a Cash Trading Equity Desk and have four people in my team. We are a friendly team. I overhead one team member, Michael, say “Good morning Ginger” to Gail (which I assume was a reference to the color of her hair rather than her dancing skills per Fred and Ginger) and then making an aside to her later on about her being a “carrot top”.

Gail describes herself as being strawberry blonde, but her hair is really quite red or as we would say colloquially in Britain “ginger.” Gail is a very profitable member of the team and is no shrinking violet.

The only thing that concerns me is that I read in an English paper recently that “Gingerism” is now discrimination. I don’t want either to lose Gail or Michael. I especially do not want to end up giving Gail a huge stack of cash as I know that people can get six or seven figure sums in compensation for discrimination.

What should I do?

Nazaretta

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Why Are Women Being Short-Changed at Work?

pay-gap-graphic.gifGraphic:personneltoday

Most women over the age of 18 working in the UK earn less than their male colleagues in the same jobs. Unfortunately, it does not look like this will change any time soon.

According to a report issued by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) in July 2007, it will take 200 years for there to be as many women as men in the House of Commons; 65 years to achieve boardroom equality at FTSE 100 companies; and 45 years for the pension gap to close at current rates of progress.

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Corporate Fallibility

I was recently having a cupboard clear out and found a stack of corporate paraphernalia. Hidden in my ‘Museum of Corporate Artifacts’ were pens, pads, desk clocks, stress balls and – most strangely – juggling balls.

When I was first earning my pinstripes, almost every management course seemed to start with a juggling lesson. The purpose was firstly to put everyone on level terms (although invariably there was always someone with a Masters Degree in Jugglement Studies) and secondly, to illustrate that keeping everything going is hard and at times you would drop a ball. On reflection, that’s nonsense – I think they taught circus skills to prepare you for those days when you feel like a performing seal.

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Beware of the Telephone Jerk…

Just thinking back on my conversation with this guy makes me cringe. A couple of weeks ago, one of my co-workers gave me the contact name of a friend of hers, and suggested I interview him for an article I was writing. I called him up to let him know that I was going to be in his neighborhood, and to ask him if he would like to meet up and discuss his views.

In general, these informational interview calls go pretty well – either people are able to meet with you and are pleased at your interest, or they’re too busy so they politely decline. Oh no, not this guy. He made it clear that I was wasting his time, and used such a rude and obnoxious tone with me that you would have thought I was a telemarketer calling him in the middle of his Sunday night dinner.

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Working with a jerk?

Continuing our exploration of the different varieties of office jerk, we’ve already looked at how to cope when the jerk is your boss. This week we outline the pitfalls of working with a peer Jerk:

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Expert Answers: Blocked from moving up in Equity Sales

I’m a female associate with two years’ experience working in Equity Sales. My immediate boss is a very nice man, but overworked and snowed under, so we’re always very busy. I’ve seen similarly qualified and experienced male associate peers move ahead, assigned to bigger, more lucrative sectors, but I seem stuck in a relatively small sector with not much chance of being noticed or promoted.

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Workplace worries: Ask our experts

Six months ago my former boss returned from maternity leave and decided to job share. I now have two bosses – and a far heavier workload than I had before. I’ve tried explaining to them that I’m snowed under keeping them both briefed, but they aren’t receptive and keep piling on the paperwork. What can I do? Read more

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