I keep promising no more Sarah Palin posts but you know what, I am going to stop. Promising, not posting. We (too) rarely have women running for VP and seeing an unknown political figure catapult to the national stage is intriguing, whatever party you support. There is a lot to write about.

In this case, it’s about Sarah Palin blowing a kiss to the audience before VP debate last week. Read the rest of this entry »

The results of the Working America 2008 Ask a Working Woman survey came out recently and as I read through them, the first emotion I felt was sadness. According to the findings, 50% of women surveyed said they would take on a second job if they had a bit more time (vs 20% who would catch up on sleep). After work and household responsibilities, almost half the women surveyed have no time or less than 1/2 hour a day for themselves.

And 80% believe that having kids hurts their prospects for career success and finding good jobs.

Wow. Read the rest of this entry »

I know, you’re thinking “OK, Nataly, why don’t you tell us how you really feel about networking?”

But in all seriousness, I feel that networking is a task that we — and yes, by this huge generalization, I mean we = women — overlook most often and don’t do enough of in our careers, businesses, and life in general. I know this from my personal experiences and from those of my female colleagues and friends. I am sure there are plenty of reasons for it, but this post isn’t about that. It is about what I’ve learned about networking and my desire to encourage you to make it a regular part of our routine, whatever your career or business might be. Believe me when I say it’s really good for you.

My 5 golden rules of networking:

Rule #1: If you want to succeed in your business, your career, or your life, you MUST network.

My first job out of college was for a huge consulting firm famous for the way it invested in training its business analysts. They put us through tons of training — financial analysis, client management, presentation skills, and much more — but we were never taught about networking. My next job was in strategy for a small company, where I had a great boss who taught me about business, running companies, and sales and marketing — but I don’t remember him saying anything about networking. When I took a job in venture capital my boss told me that to find new deals I had to network, but that was it. In my 10+ year career, no-one ever taught me about networking but I so much wish someone had.

I learned the importance of networking only when I decided to start my own company (Work It, Mom!, of course). My partner, Victoria, and I were introduced by someone I worked with and after a year of business lunches we decided to start a company together. When it came time to find our great team of bloggers, I started reaching out to several whose personal blogs I liked and always asked if there were others they’d recommend. I have a great group of extremely sharp and experienced people to whom I go for advice about growing my own company and I’ve met them all through networking. Networking means connecting with people, creating relationships, and expanding the circle of people to whom you can go for advice, support, career direction, job leads, and answers to specific questions. I don’t know a single person successful person who doesn’t make networking part of their daily life.

Rule #2: The best time to network is when you don’t need anything. Read the rest of this entry »

A friend of mine recently got a pathetically low raise at work after having a spectacular year there. Sure, the economy is in bad shape, but her company did great and she contributed to the performance. She’s been there a few years and she knows for a fact that two of her colleagues — both men — received higher raises for similar performance. When she told me, I immediately said that she has to talk to her boss and negotiate for a better package. “Be confident in your work and your abilities, and go in there knowing that what you’re asking for is right,” I said, in my most convincing voice.

I stand behind my advice, but I’d be lying if I pretended that I’ve always followed it in my career. In truth, when I read articles about things women do at work that make it more difficult for them to earn more money or attain leadership roles, I nod not only because I’ve seen this type of behavior but also because I’ve been guilty of it. And I thought this would be as good a time as any to come clean about (at least) three stereotypes about women at work that I helped prove right: Read the rest of this entry »

I get to write a post like this because:

• I’ve quit many jobs I hated and many of those were for the wrong reasons

• I’ve not quit two jobs for some of the reasons I list below and I think it was the right thing for my career

Now that we got that over with, here are 5 reasons why you should not quit a job you hate:

1. It’s a means to an end.

I once quit a job I hated 2 months before my contract there was up. (Long story, it wasn’t a contract job but I was hired for a certain period of time.) At the time, I thought I could not take it any more and another opportunity came along. But I lost a lot by not waiting an extra 2 months: My bonus, but more importantly, a great relationship with this particular firm. My career turned out fine and I ended up going in a different direction all together, but if I’d wanted to stay in that field, I would have had a harder time getting a great job at another company.

A job is a way to make a living but it’s also often a means to an end. Sometimes you have to pay your dues for a while before moving on to a different position, one which you will like more. You might have to work for a company where the culture is hideous but one that has great reputation, which will help you with other jobs in the future. You might be learning a great deal. Think about this before you quit.

2. It pays well and you need to save up money. Read the rest of this entry »

I spoke to a reporter this morning who is doing an article about women entrepreneurs. (Luckily she is not doing an article about mompreneurs because, well, you know how I feel about that.) One of the issues we touched on was how women are perceived in the business world. I told her my stories–which you can read here and here. But then I said to this very nice woman that I’ve developed some strong opinion about this and I’d like to lay it out:

• Women who are strong and confident are often perceived as aggressive and bitchy
• Women who are nice and collaborative are often perceived as weak
• Once we have kids, many assume that our mom identity IS the entirety of who we are
• Women are too often each other’s worst enemies (we don’t network as well, we don’t help each other well, we are often catty)

This is all true, in my experience and according to some experts. But second to waving a magic wand and changing these ingrained perceptions and biases in the workplace, the only solution I can come up with is to try to not care and push ahead. Read the rest of this entry »

I waited a few days before writing about Lisa Belkin’s latest article on the subject of women in the workplace. Not because I didn’t think it was an interesting article but because I wasn’t sure that I wanted to be yet another voice out there repeating the sad, sad truth that many women already know: As women, we face a double standard in the workplace. If we’re nice, we’re perceived as weak or less competent; if we’re assertive, we’re bitchy or arrogant.
The article sites several studies, conducted in different countries, that show this is the case. This quote make the point too well:

“Women who act in ways that are consistent with gender stereotypes — defined as focusing “on work relationships” and expressing “concern for other people’s perspectives” — are considered less competent. But if they act in ways that are seen as more “male” — like “act assertively, focus on work task, display ambition” — they are seen as “too tough” and “unfeminine.”

I hate reading these findings because I know they are true. I’ve lived them, I’ve been labeled bitchy for being assertive, and I’ve been labeled weak for seeking a team consensus. Read the rest of this entry »