Feature Article: Introduce Yourself Like You Mean It
Special Feature: Slime-free Networking
A Quintet of Quick Questions: QuintZine's Q&A with
a Career Expert: Women's career strategist and coach Jennifer Warwick
Quintessential Reading: QuintZine's Review of Career Books
Quintessential Site: Featured Career Web Site of this Issue
The Career Doctor: Answering Your Questions
Q TIPS: Quick and Quintessential Tips to Guide Your Job Search
Notes from the Editor: About this Issue...
For the past several years, I have received a report from the Social Security Administration
detailing my earnings year by year -- and boy, is it ever depressing. My career is the embodiment
of the expression: "Money isn't as important to me as loving what I'm doing." That's still true,
but sometimes my paltry lifetime earnings get me down.
That's why I was thrilled when I first discovered Jennifer Warwick, a coach who specializes in
empowering underemployed and underearning women.
Jennifer has provided wonderful responses in our Q&A feature in this issue. I am convinced that
multitudes of women will be inspired by her wise words.
Excerpts from a brand-new book for women, Pitch Like a Girl, by
Ronna Lichtenberg also provide a special treat in this issue.
Perhaps my sisters among our readers will set their sights a little higher as they check out
the many job listings and other resources available in our job portal.
Women's History Month begins March 1. You go, girls!
--Katharine Hansen, Credentialed Career Master, Certified Electronic Career Coach,
and editor at
kathy@quintcareers.com
Feature Article: Introduce Yourself
Introduce Yourself Like You Mean It
by Ronna Lichtenberg, excerpted from her book
Pitch Like a Girl: How a Woman Can Be Herself
I first tried the following exercise in Phoenix with a group of 40 women at a workshop for
the top women beauty salon executives in the country. I was there to help them learn how
to be even more successful, and I wanted to start by
having them practice selling themselves.Exceptionally well groomed, attractive, and well spoken, they made their livings being
"out there" in some sense: educating salon owners, taking care of clients, representing
product lines. My guess was, though, that they didn't see themselves in the same warm light I did.
by Ronna Lichtenberg, excerpted from her book
Pitch Like a Girl: How a Woman Can Be Herself
Networking got a bad name because too many people saw it as transactional: I'm going to use you/you're
going to use me/let's hope I can get a better deal on this trade than you do. That approach can have kind
of a "meat" market, last-call-at-a-singles-bar flavor, and fear of getting caught in that flavor is one reason
many women work late at their computers instead of going to an event where they might actually meet someone who
would be good to know. On the other hand, if you meet someone you might want to do business with and don't
acknowledge that's what you want, even to yourself, you close off any possibility that something good
could happen.
QuintZine's Q&A with Career Expert: Jennifer Warwick
Jennifer Warwick is a women's career strategist and coach.
"It all comes down to making gutsy choices," says Jennifer Warwick in response to our question about why so many women
find themselves in the position of underearning. "Women earning six figures or more make different choices than their underearning
sisters," Warwick notes. "They choose their goals and choose to keep moving toward them, despite obstacles. They surround
themselves with people who believe in them and their potential. They expect to be well-compensated for their talents and
contributions. And any woman can make these
choices," Warwick advises.
Read more of Warwick's wisdom, including 5 steps to overcome underearning, women's mistake
of insisting of full competence before trying something new, how the underearning woman can justify
spending money on coaching, and why Warwick is "absolutely encouraged
and delighted by the business trends featuring women" in
our full Q&A with her,
Get the latest career, college, and job-search news you need!
Have you read the Quint Careers Weblog (Blog)?
It consists of career and job-search news, trends,
and scoops for job-seekers, compiled by the staff
of Quintessential Careers.
The blog is a great way to stay posted on the most
recent events occurring in the career and employment fields.
Am I the only dinosaur who remembers that at the height of the women's movement in the
1970s and for years afterwards, it was considered demeaning to refer to a woman over the age of
18 as a girl? Pitch Like a Girl is a cute title for this book, an amusing play on words, but I do
find it discouraging that the use of "girl" to refer to the female gender has become so widespread.
Lichtenberg's defines a pitch as "nothing more -- or less -- than using your influence, skills,
and powers of persuasion to gain support and get people to do what you want them to do." She goes
on to note that "You pitch to land a new job, launch a new career, or start your own business."
Pitching like a girl, Lichtenberg contends, "means doing it your way, by incorporating the desire for
connection into transaction."
To help you decide if Pitch Like a Girl is a worthwhile addition to the bookshelf of motivational
books for women, you'll find the top 10 things I learned from Lichtenberg's book in
our full review.
Read all of our Quintessential Reading book reviews.
CareerWomen is part of a 100 percent women-owned e-Recruiting network, The Career Exposure Network,
of niche sites that have been helping employers find top-quality candidates to meet their
business needs since 1996. The site and network are dedicated to helping network-wide job candidates
find the best career opportunities with the best companies while helping employers advance their e-Recruiting
efforts.
Job-seekers can search for jobs and post resumes at CareerWomen.
The site's Up Close & Virtual Interviews section profiles outstanding professionals in a broad variety of fields
and explores their career paths.
The CareerWomen News & Resources section provides numerous helpful career tools and articles,
as well as links to many resources.
Anonymous writes: "I have applied several times to a particular company and just discovered, much
to my horror, that I had been spelling the city's name wrong (at least three applications so far).
It's a two-word name and I made it one word. Worse, it's a company I do business with regularly, and
that's one of my 'ins' into the company, my 'knowledge' of them, and yet I didn't know such a small thing.
How embarrassing, but worse, how damaging to my credibility.
I just applied for THE position I had been waiting for and it was after I mailed that letter that I
realized the mistake I had been making. I was hoping so much to finally get an interview with this company
and now this. Is there any way to recover from this error? Should I follow-up with an 'at least I'm consistent'
light-hearted, letter or hope they didn't notice as it was going to a different department?"
Kristen writes: "I had written a cover letter and wasn't sure where to put my name and contact information. I had originally
put it on the top of the page, in the center so that it would match the heading on my resume. However, my mom
told me that she has never heard of putting that information in the top center of the page. She said
that it had to be right or left aligned or that it could be at the bottom after I sign my name. I looked
in the cover letter resources on the Web site but I am still not sure. Could you let me know if all of
those are acceptable?"
Anonymous writes: "I have been on two separate job interviews and still have not landed a job.
I dress for success, project a happy attitude, and show up for the interview on time. I research
the company I am interviewing for, have a pleasing personality, and I am enthusiastic about joining
their company.
My question is this: What am I doing wrong?
My resume is good enough; otherwise, I would not be called in for an interview. I think the fact that I
do not have as much experience as someone else is a factor. But how am I supposed to get ANY experience
if no one will give me a chance? It seems like the companies like something about my resume that I submit,
but when it comes to the hiring part, I get burned."
Mike writes: "I'm applying for an administrative assistant position with the state. They are asking for a salary
request. What am I to do? They already have the salary range listed on their Web site. Should I just copy that
verbatim?"
Ad: Could You Benefit from a Professional Resume Writer?
An Assessment for Job-seekers
Are you thinking about engaging the services of a professional writer
for your resume, CV, cover letter, thank-you letter, or other career-marketing
correspondence? Before you take this step, consider how a professional resume writer
could benefit you.
Q TIPS: Quick and Quintessential Career & Job Tips
A recent study of 60 interviews with prominent U.S. women regarding their leadership practices by
the Wellesley Center for Research on Women revealed:
Throughout their careers, these leading women were tenacious and optimistic:
They paid little attention to obstacles in their work life.
Whether they stuck to their original plan in the face of obstacles or revised their strategy, optimism
and a sense of mission propelled their actions.
It is important to note that these personal characteristics are valuable traits in
enabling women to break through barriers. The study speculates that if the environment were more
welcoming of women's leadership, other traits might characterize successful leaders.
The strategy these leaders employed to gain visibility, hence credibility, for their work
can be summarized as "know and value yourself and let others know."
They identified their strengths and capitalized on them, informing others about their ideas and the
results that they obtained.
The comment, "Modesty does not create opportunity," offered by one of the leaders captures the significance
they placed on the need to be assertive in gaining visibility.
Many of the leaders recognized and acknowledged a strong foundation of early support from family and
friends, teachers, mentors, or business associates, which they parlayed into a successful focus on following
their passions.
But this experience was not universal, and other participants who did not report such support also
achieved extraordinary success.
While early support for leadership can be helpful, it does not appear to be a requirement for later success.
Follow-up is essential in the job-search process, notes a downloadable guidebook,
How To Find A Job In A Jobless Recovery, prepared by Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc..
Job-seekers often complain about employers who do not acknowledge their calls, letters, even their
interviews. How often have you heard: "I sent out hundreds of resumes and have yet to hear back from
any of them. They at least owe me a letter or call." That notion could not be further from reality and
will get the job-seeker nowhere. The interviewer's only mission is to find the right person as soon as
possible. The job-seeker is owed nothing. Interviewers have no moral or business courtesy obligation to
acknowledge anything. Keep in mind that the manager with whom you interviewed has at least a dozen other
responsibilities on his or her plate. A follow-up call and/or letter should not only remind that person that
you spoke, but also refresh the employer's memory about what separates you from other candidates.
Follow-up also demonstrates your interest and enthusiasm about working for that employer. Such a small percentage
of people actually follow up these days that the candidates who do really distinguish themselves from the rest of the pool.
The full guide can be downloaded here.
A number of experts on women and success note that one obstacle that holds women back is underdeveloped
negotiation skills. According to CareerWomen.com, women still find that their most useful negotiation
tips come from other women. CareerWomen.com surveyed
business women over the course of a year asking for their best tips and advice for successful business
negotiations and compiled these "10 Negotiation Tips From Women in the Trenches:"
The Mars/Venus relationship needs to be top of mind in business negotiations. Communication
styles between men and women are different, and as a result, negotiations can be complex. Keep
your communication style direct by sharing plans, not concepts. Think collaboration not confrontation.
Use mentors to help refine your negotiation skills. Given that you will be negotiating with both men and
women, pick a mentor from Mars and Venus to get perspective from both sides of the communication spectrum. Practice
makes perfect, so practice, practice, practice.
Women tend to think of getting along vs. getting what they want. Be clear about what you want and practice
asking for it in a calm, direct manner. Don't be confrontational. Getting fired-up and emotional may
have an adverse reaction.
Negotiation is a conversation and you may risk getting off-track. Stay focused; remain on point
and on course to avoid a negotiation disaster.
Gaining buy-in along the way will get you closer to your goal faster. Making sure that the other party
is being heard is a sign of respect and will be appreciated. Repeat the points of the other side
and use language such as "Let me make sure I completely understand your point."
Successful negotiating requires preparation. Be prepared with a strong understanding of your
needs and motivations, as well as the other side. Do your research, gather relevant
information, and if it's complicated, get outside expertise from a mentor or colleague.
Creative solutions are well respected, especially if they demonstrate a strong understanding for the
goals of the business. Most points are negotiable and remember; it's not always about money.
Think add-ons, better terms or additional services.
Starting with your bottom line may close the door on negotiations. Be prepared to compromise
and expect the other party to compromise as well.
Being fair is not a loss. It shows that you are willing to adjust your expectations to meet the needs
of the other side. Ask the question, "Why don't you tell me what you think is fair." You may be surprised
at the answer.
Negotiating is a process not an event. One conversation may not culminate in a final
decision. Be willing to say, "Let me think about that and get back to you in 24 hours."
If your school, organization, business or other
entity has a Web site, we welcome you to link to Quintessential Careers.
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QuintZine: Topics in Upcoming Issues
WATCH FOR feature articles on these topics in upcoming
issues of QuintZine:
* Job Burnout Quiz
* Job Burnout Remedies
* The Value of Internships Abroad and Study Abroad
* Quarter-Life Career Issues
* Career Success is Within Your Reach
* Tips of Liberal-Arts Grads
* Top 10 Fears of Job-seekers
* For Job-hunting Success, Develop a Detailed Job-Search Plan
* How to Build a Personal Advisory Board
* Keep Your Career Dreams Alive
* College-Prep Summer Camps
* 10 Teen Summer-Job Tips
* MBA Career Portfolios
* Trends/Tips in Career Portfolios
* Pre-Hire Background/Credit Checks
* Noncompete Clauses
* Entrepreneurs
* Get a Job in Sales/Pharmaceutical Sales
* Critical Elements of the Job Search
* Managing Job Stress
* Telecommuting Ranks High
* Sticky Job Interview Situations
* Situational Interviews
* 10 Resume Tips
* Why Hire a Resume Writer?
* Is Your Resume Lost in the Internet Void?
* Career Activist Quiz
* Practice Career Management to Avoid Career Crisis
* The Changing Landscape of College Admissions
* Offbeat Ways to Pay for College
* Financial Aid/Scholarship Timetable
* Build Confidence and Avoid Insecurity in Job Interviews
* Empty Nest Job-seekers
* Baby Boomers Beware
* Are You Sabotaging Your Job-Search/Career?
* Quiz: Marketing Yourself
* Marketing Yourself with internal/External Promotions
* Lifelong Networking
* Networking for the Shy
* Converting a Seasonal Job to a Permanent Position
* Working Night Shifts/Odd Hours
* Quintessential Career Profiles of YOU, our readers
* Q&As with well-known career experts
* Career, College, and Job-Search Book reviews
. . . and much, much more!
Don't ever want to miss another issue of QuintZine? Get a free subscription to
the email version of QuintZine by completing our
subscription form.
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A recent study of 60 interviews with prominent U.S. women regarding their leadership practices by
the Wellesley Center for Research on Women revealed:
