Jezebel
When women hop jobs on Wall Street, they're much more likely to maintain their "star power" than men, a Harvard Business School study recently found. The reason was obvious, yet interesting: while men tend to achieve their standing by kissing ass within their respective firms, women look outside their firms to build their networks, in hopes of becoming the types of employees who are indispensable regardless of office politics, secure in their expertise no matter what the internal situation at the office. It totally makes sense; anyone who's ever worked in a male-dominated workplace knows it's usually a waste of time to try and become "one of the guys" when you can keep out of the bullshit and harmlessly flirt with clients instead. And without further ado, well...we're looking for someone who's learned some of these lessons — maybe even the "hard way" — to be our career advice columnist. We're not looking for writers so much as we're looking for a woman who has achieved some modicum of success in a professional field and is searching for an honest outlet to (anonymously) dispense some of her wisdom.
We'd like someone who's been around the block — hired, promoted, laid off, the works — who can be candid about the sacrifices women must make to survive professionally amidst a recession, and offer thoughtful advice as to how to dig out of crap jobs and shitty situations. We'd love it if she's given some thought of her gender as it pertains to the workplace; put another way, we're not interested in the rare woman who's worked primarily in female-dominated fields (not that there are many to speak of.) We'd love it if she shared our obsession with Julie Roehm, but that's just a pipe dream.
Know anyone who sounds like this? (It could be you, of course; we understand that Jezebel is, ahem, a must-read in a lot of professional industries. However.) Tell her to have her people call my people...or uh, anyway, email me. Think of it as a mitzvah for working womanity!
How Star Women Build Portable Skills [Harvard Business Review]
Comments
I would love to do this, but I still have a while to go before I reach that point. But I do want to say that I love Working Girl more than is probably socially acceptable. That is all.
Sorry, kids. I'm an actor. My career advice consists of TRY NOT TO STARVE.
Darnit, no one ever wants the opinion of a receptionist... *cries*
Not qualified due to "well paying" requirement.
I could def use some career advice. Starting with how to get a job so I'm not defaulting on my loans the second they come do.
Unqualified due to the "success" requirement. But if you need someone who's failed a lot and been to several colleges and graduate schools, I'm your girl.
I'm not all that successful, but I certainly know how to kiss ass.
Guess how much I would love to have that job....too much. But im pretty sure no one wants to hear from a student/social worker about how to find a job.
@PinkSoxHat: Or due. A basic grasp of English may be what is preventing my career success.
@ineffable.me:
"Let the River Run" is on my morning mix.
And as much as I hate the Sigourney Weaver's character, I wish I had the bravado to pull off the line, "I've indicated that I am receptive to an offer, I've cleared the month of June, and I am, after all, me".
I'm a designer, and I work at a pretty cool job for a woman (product designer for a major mall retailer). I got hella lucky. My largest concern right now is what band poster to buy for my office. I'm thinking a pink Ditty Bops poster.....we shall see.
Yeah. I'm so not qualified. I'm only 24, and I've managed to rack up a resume' of REALLY odd jobs that's longer than I am tall. Nude model for Life Drawing class? Check. Caretaker for a privately-owned collection of 224 Bonsai trees? Check. Marketing bitch for Clear Channel? Done. Wardrobe bitch for Dirty South rap video production company? Yeah.
I could go on, but I'll spare you. Suffice to say mediocrity at everything is my greatest strength.
So, successfully spending your 20's inside the bottle. That counts as a career, right?
@blackbirdfly: Ditto, although I have held a shit ton of jobs.
As someone who works on Wall Street (!) I'd suggest contacting someone from 85 broads, the women's business networking organization. Just not the founder Janet Hanson, as a few weeks/months ago she sent out a TMI e-mail that was batshit crazy.
I'm beginning to think that publishing was a mistake, sooooo....
I work in advertising and once had the worst boss of all time (power trippin', Napoleon complex guy) who I had to literally tell off - a bunch of times. Nightmare. Now at a large company and lovin it.
But I'm only 25 - does that disqualify me?
Oh god, male dominated industries. Technology and Finance. My life is a giant sausage fest.
I have a degree in rocket science (yes, really) and I've held 23 jobs including photographer, bookseller, actor, spotlight operator, riding instructor, receptionist, graphic designer, and computer technician. My career advice consists of how to juggle 7 W2's on one tax return, not counting freelance (it involved a lot of jack daniels and a TI-82 calculator).
@Twilly: I am in your industry, except in visual. Not many ball-scratchers in the creative fields......
I am very much looking forward to this column, though!
@CorporateTool: that's a great idea. I put together an event with 85 Broads at my old job, and one of our speakers was a 30 year old woman who was RETIRED. Because she made millions in the few years she worked in finance.
And inquiring minds want to know about Janet's email, please!
Ummm, being a female lawyer who just got an out-of-the-blue 20% paycut for mysterious reasons (I am pregnant - a male associate who billed less than me got a raise - he isn't pregnant), I would put forth that I might be qualified for this.
I love how everyone's like, "I'm not your woman, but I've got opinions!" I am not that woman either, and I don't have any opinions (other than being a secretary sucks), only the observation that Working Girl is awesome (Harrison Ford!) and that Sigourney Weaver's character went to Wellesley. Shout out!
I'm 28 and have a rockin' job in public relations (motto: not as glamorous as you think it's going to be). Well-paid is debatable, but I fo' sho' know how to do some networkin' and politickin'.
i haven't been around the block, so to speak, so i can't do it.... but i would LOVE to have a career mentor/jezebellian to turn to for advice! i'm a J.D. who has passed the bar and has been temping fo-eva... pretty much clueless!!
well i've been an architect, interior designer, web designer and currently work at a studio as a Computer Graphics (CG) artist. aka visual effects monkey. What does modicum of success exactly mean? I'm typically the only woman in the room and have been promoted but my mouth has gotten me in trouble more than once. Hmmm.. not sure if I totally qualify for good advice. I have been around the block though.
@maggles: It does for me!
I've worked in DC for 7 years and haven't killed myself, and have not become (too much of an)asshole. Do I qualify????
@currerbell: ummm...you're the lawyer, not me, but that certainly sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen!
@BiscuitDoughJones: You're my age? How did I not know this?
@BiscuitDoughJones: Yes, me too! I maintain that "Jack of all trades" is not an insult.
@LadySkittlehattington: I'm in publishing too, only I work for a small female-owned firm. My boss and I used to work together at another company, and eventually she got tired of the BS and started her own firm. It's pretty fantastic. I can't imagine working for a "big company" again (even though I'm happy to take on any project they'd like to send our way).
I work in a male dominated field and am successful. But frankly, there are days when I don't know how I got here. It just worked out that way. Ya know what though? I would bet my bottom dollar that I make less than my male counterparts - and I'm not shy about demanding more money. It sucks.
@Smackdown: I own a construction trades firm so I feel ya. That said, I worked with mostly women at one point and I totally hated it. I enjoy the sausage, no backstabbing.
The only advice I could give is I have 0 turnover because I pay more than what's standard, pay for health insurance and education. That is all I have.
I could do this. I work in defense (a male dominated field) for a major contractor. I am usually one of the few women on a team, though I have moved orgs a few times and have been on HR teams (with more women, 10 to be exact, with the a sole male as our boss!) and on engineering teams as a tech writer (only girl on the contractor team at a missile bomb dump at a Navy/AF installation doing a hardware review).
I've done evrything from temp at lots of companies to work for small business and now working for the place I work now.
I also have a MA in Women's Studies which is in no way realted to ANY of the jobs I have had outside of grad school. It did help for my RA-ship IN grad school, though.
I've done it all and speak all the company lingo. Just ask me! I can speak in whole sentences with acronyms and value-added terms that align our company's values with our diverse network of experts. ha.
I've learned a lot of lessons over the years and would be happy to share.
@currerbell: Damn. I don't think the reasons are mysterious. Fucking lame.
@knitsandwich: I prefer "Jill of all trades."
@CorporateTool: Oh gossip! And I loved that book.
@thatonegirl: Ooh, can we form a "Future Jezebel Lawyers Who Will be Really Great Attorneys if You Just Hire Us" club?
@TheFormerJuneBronson: actually, grad school advice would be much appreciated on this end.
How about a 40 year old who has had bosses evil and kind of both genders and has coached all her friends on how to negotiate to get the best package before you take a job (because afterward, no one is gonna do shit for you)?
I am the QUEEN of job hopping! And I've come pretty far pretty fast by doing it... I think I'll email. Though I only have a bachelor's degree. Am I educated enough?
@Miss Pelled: Yes, much better. Also, I work for a small female-started publishing firm, though we're sadly working our way to being male-dominated.
@onthecornerofparkerandwoolf: What would you like to know? I have information on liberal arts only, really, but I've been up the Ph.D. mountain and back. Fairly recently, too. And I'm currently enrolled.
Wait, I have to have a career?! Adulthood sucks more and more everyday.
Kidding! I would love some advice. Let's start with this one: what should Rhody do with the rest of her life?
@onthecornerofparkerandwoolf: Here's some grad school advice: get a degree with an actual job track. Seriously. If I ever get another Masters, it will be in a field where a career is actually waiting for me.
And now I have "Let the River Run" stuck in my head.
I think I sort of fit most of the requirements, but not in enough thoroughness that I'd want to be The Sole JezeCareerist. You should form an advisory committee to The One True Career Mentor, yo!
@PinkSoxHat: sounds like a good idea... except i'm not even sure i want to be a lawyer, as ridiculous as that sounds since i'm in repayment on my law school loans. i forgot why i went to law school in the first place shortly after my first semester and have been wondering every since.
@rhody: When you find out the answer to that one, let me know. I'm truning 33 in a few weeks and while I am successful I am not following my passion.
@maggles:
I hope so, that's what I've been aspiring too
I don't think working down by Wall Street with all those jackasses has helped...