Helene Lerner's Blog, page 192

Career Coach: Dream Coach to Dream Job

Never underestimate the value of a good career coach. In your bid for advancement, connecting with an experienced guide who can direct you down the most advantageous path can be invaluable. Whether you're seeking minimal assistance or direction in multiple areas, a career coach can aid in the following:

Determining what path you should take and the best route for you to get there. A good coach should create a personalized action plan based on your background, goals, and objectives. What’s right for some is not always right for others.
Showcasing your existing skills and talents while offering insight on how to improve areas where you lack proficiency, helping you gain a competitive edge at your current company.


Preparing you for the transition from one company to another. A good coach can reduce your job hunting time by teaching you the basics of how to market yourself, honing your cover letter and resume, coaching you on interview techniques, offering support during your search, and helping you negotiate favorable salaries and benefits.

To determine whether a coach is right for you, note the following during your initial consultation: In addition to assessing your career objectives, does this person also discuss your individual strengths and weaknesses? Is this person offering multiple strategies and plans of action that are compatible with the current job market? Does this person motivate you? Encourage you? Listen to you and respect your input? Is this person attentive? Honest? Straightforward?

A good career coach doesn’t necessarily need to have top credentials—he or she just needs to be good at the job. Sometimes you can hit the jackpot through blind research, but word of mouth is by far the best way to locate an excellent coach. The road to a great career can be daunting, but with the help of a professional whose focus is your success, you can avoid stumbling blocks that might have otherwise caused you to become discouraged or delayed.

—Madeline Lewis, Career Coach

Don't Let Fear Stop You

Stepping outside your comfort zone doesn't feel good. In fact, it can feel overwhelming and quite uncomfortable. But if you are aware that this will be the case, you'll find it easier to test the waters.

We need to be willing to take some risks—what I call "smart" and calculated ones. I usually say to women, "I am not asking you to jump into a pool where there is no water. But when things line up and your head and your heart are in sync, it is time to jump."

These days, I take so many risks that I feel a lot of anxiety. But I realize that I'm in a growth spurt because I feel that way. 

Our motto, ladies: Get comfortable with the uncomfortable.

At work, let's create our own Olympic challenges and dare to go where we haven't gone before.

 

Let the Games Begin!

Who's excited for tonight's Opening Ceremonies?! We've put together a montage of some of our favorite Olympic-themed quotes to put you in a patriotic mood. We'll admit that we're rooting for Team USA, but if you haven't yet gotten a chance to read our post on what this year's Games mean for women all around the world, be sure to take a look.

Here's to the Olympians, the couch potatoes, and everyone in between. Have a great weekend!

—Video by Amy Stringer

Dare to Reflect: An Olympic Victory

No matter who takes home the gold in this summer's Olympic Games, women everywhere have already won. London 2012 will mark the first Games to truly embody the competition's ideal of universal participation. Finally, the world's top female athletes will be competing on par with their male counterparts.

For the first time since the modern Olympics began in 1900, all 204 competing nations will send at least one female athlete to represent them at the Games (Brunei, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia sent all-male teams in 2008). Over the next three weeks, women will compete in all 38 disciplines on the Olympic bill, from tennis to bobsleighing. Women's boxing will make its historic debut in London—prior to this year's Games, it had remained the last sport in which only males were allowed to compete.

However, these major breakthroughs are not without unresolved questions, as some barriers to equality still remain. Women lag far behind in administrative and governing positions—earlier this month, the International Olympic Committee reported that its member committees failed to meet a self-imposed goal of filling 20% of these positions with women. And while Sarah Attar and Wodjan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahrkhani will make history as Saudi Arabia's first female athletes, an ongoing controversy has arisen surrouding whether or not the women will be required to compete with their legs, arms, and heads covered.

Regardless of the final outcome, the fact that female athletes are coming forward remains a victory in itself. The same holds true for Claressa Shields, the middleweight boxing champion who will represent the United States. Trailblazers like Sarah, Woodjan, and Claressa inspire thousands of young women to boldly go where no woman has gone before—giving hope to the girls perched in front of their TVs at home, thinking, “I want to do that.”

—Linda A. Thompson

For more Olympic coverage from WomenWorking.com, check out our interview with U.S. track star Carmelita Jeter. Best of luck to Carmelita and all others competing—you go, girls!

Dare to Do: Sign with Intention

A picture is worth a thousand words, but an email signature speaks volumes with just a few. The way you choose to sign your emails greatly influences the tone and level of professionalism that you exude. With options ranging from formal “regards” to teenybopper-esque “xoxo,” how can you end on just the right note without sounding like you’re trying too hard?

Email culture is hardly a science, and only you can determine what you want to say and how you want to say it. Before you hit "send," consider what message you're really sending—and ensure that your signage is strengthening your emails rather than undercutting them.

Best. Often favored for work-related communications, “best” is a safe (if impersonal) choice. Use it when reaching out unfamiliar contacts or firing off brief emails to coworkers and acquaintances. To impart a touch of warmth without sacrificing professionalism, try “all my best” or “best wishes.” You can achieve a similar effect by swapping “warm regards” for its bare-bones counterpart, though the latter feels stiff and perhaps outdated in those under 35.

X’s and o’s. Also known as “kisses” and “hugs,” these represent the opposite end of the please-take-me-seriously! spectrum. Steer clear in conservative offices, but if you’re going to use them for personal emails or independent business ventures, own them fully. Choose your rendition according to the vibe you’re after—a chic “xx” (double cheek kiss) reads differently than a more traditional “xoxo.” The hippest of the hip only deign to offer one mysterious, nonchalant “x.”

Sincerely. You may associate “sincerely” with grade school letter-writing templates. In practice, however, I find it strikes an emotional chord that “best” or even “yours truly” cannot. Whip it out for sticky situations and thank-you notes. Other adverbs convey a similar charm—my boss ends both personal and professional emails with “fondly, Helene”. Her signage is just unusual enough to make an impression, and even caught the attention of country singer Garth Brooks!

Love. You know exactly what you’re doing when you throw this bad boy in there. Say it when you mean it, and avoid it when you don’t. Just make sure you’re ready to stand by your decision to use the L-word.

Those unsatisfied by this short list can select from the many other options available - “yours,” “cheers,” and “take care,” to name a few - or avoid the issue entirely by signing with just a name. As for me? I waffle between “best” and “thanks” at work, but for personal emails, I prefer to craft a short sentence around a neutral topic, such as food or the weather. Think if it as my way of saying, “Hey, I may be sending you an email, but I wish we were going for lunch or turning cartwheels in the sunshine.”

Just kidding, I can't do a cartwheel (lunch though?),
Emma Aubry Roberts

Dare to Know: Nelly Yusupova Thinks Geek Is Chic

When Nelly Yusupova's family moved from Tadjikistan to the States, 13-year-old Nelly didn't speak a word of English. Upon her arrival, she resolved to learn American language and culture as quickly as she could—and learn she did. As a freshman at Queens College at CUNY, Nelly received constant encouragement from one of the female professors in the school's computer science department. “Don’t let anyone stop you from achieving your dream, Nelly,” her professor would tell her. Of course not, Nelly thought to herself, unaware of any forces standing in her way. Isn't that what I'm doing already?

Fast-forward through fifteen years of working in technology, and Nelly finally understands that her professor was simply trying to prepare her for entry into what has historically been a "man's world." According to a study by the National Center for Women in Technology, women held only 25 percent of IT-related jobs in the United States in 2008 (the most recent numbers available).

Nelly has since exchanged roles with her former professor—she has become the one encouraging young women to enter STEM fields. Nelly is the Chief Technological Officer for Webgrrls International, a networking organization that strives to help women succeed in an increasingly  technology-dependent society. As the leader of New York City's Webgrrls chapter, Nelly organizes monthly events on topics ranging from Pinterest to female-friendly mobile apps. She has also started her own Internet consulting company, DigitalWoman.

According to Nelly, everyone from clients to developers to consumers can benefit from an increase in the number of female programmers. “Having a woman's opinion in building a product is going to change its direction for the better,” she says. "Different experiences yield different perspectives and ideas. If we can have more women involved in the process of building technology, we can have a better world."

Creating that brave new world means shattering IT's "geeky" reputation—and that means showcasing more women like Marissa Mayer, Yahoo's new CEO. Marissa doesn't live a lonely life surrounded by computer screens. Instead, she is known for being a fashion lover and a social butterfly. “She is living the life,” Nelly says. “Using role models to show that geek can be chic is an important part of getting the younger demographic on board."

Every now and then, Nelly encounters male coworkers who seem to believe that she's there to fetch them coffee. Nelly has learned to take this attitude with a grain of salt. “I have to accept that it's not my fault—that that person is not evolved enough, or whatever it is,” she explains with a laugh. “It’s a little bit annoying to have to prove yourself, but with knowledge and confidence, you can show that you know what you’re talking about.”

—Linda A. Thompson

If you're located in the tri-state area, Webgrrls is offering WomenWorking.com readers a discount on the upcoming Techspeak for Entrepreneurs conference in NYC. Register now for September's event here!

Career Coach: Playing in the Big Leagues

Through hard work, perseverance, and determination, you’ve finally achieved executive status. Now what? To compete in the corporate world, you must realize that you're dealing with a whole new ball game—you’re playing in the big leagues now. Many female business executives encounter challenges that men at their level do not. While some inherently feminine qualities can complicate the demands of an executive position, you can level the playing field if you know how the game is played.

If you feel as though you’re auditioning for a part in a theatrical production every day, that’s because you are. Variables such as your age, your looks, and your marital status will determine the magnitude of your challenges in the corporate world. While these issues are rarely openly addressed, they almost always exist behind the scenes. Women who begin their careers later in life often find it difficult to compete against those who have just entered the workforce, while those who lack formal education feel intimidated by the academic credentials of their peers.

In order to succeed in a male- and youth-dominated society, women must employ strategies that will create a climate of equality. You arrived at the top rung, no matter how you got there—let no one make you feel inferior because you lack a particular degree or chose to follow a different path. In reality, life experience can often be the better teacher, so own your trajectory and forge ahead with confidence. No matter how long you've been warming the bench, there's no reason you can't be the one to hit a home run. 

—Madeline Lewis, Career Coach

Dare to Watch: Trust Your Voice

Blogger and Barnard student Julie Zeilinger is all about dropping the F-bomb. No, not that F-bomb—we're talking about "feminism," a word that means many different things to many different people. Julie founded TheFBomb.org to give young feminists a place to congregate online. Hear her take on blogging (and the F-word, of course) in our exclusive video interview.

—Video by Amy Stringer

Time to Play

With all we have to do at work and in our personal lives, where does the time go? Especially "me time," when we do things simply for ourselves.

When was the last time you sat with a friend and laughed?

Rushing from one place to the next, do you walk with blinders on, or do you take the time to see something pleasurable around you?

Are you taking yourself so seriously that you can't imagine doing tasks with a "light touch" (or even what that would mean)?

Simply stated, we need to put more fun into our lives. Time to play. Time to do nothing. Time to reflect.

Do that today. Here's to living the good life!

Put More Fun into Your Life

With all we have to do at work and in our personal lives, where does the time go? Especially, "Me-Time", when we do things simply for ourselves.

When was the last time you sat with a friend and laughed?

Rushing from one place to the next, do you walk with blinders on? Or do you take the time to see something pleasurable around you?

Are you taking yourself so seriously, that you can't imagine what doing tasks with a "light touch" would mean?

Simply stated, we need to put more FUN into our lives: Time to play. Time to do nothing. Time to Reflect.

Do that today. Here's to living the good life!