MEET• Four Brilliant Women in Technology• Several Extraordinary Entrepreneurs• Three Dynamos with Unexpected Careers

EXCLUSIVE BOOK EXCERPT:HOW TO ASK FOR WHAT YOU REALLY WANT AT WORK

LEARN HOW ATHLETES APPLY LESSONS FROM THE FIELD TO REWARDS IN THE WORKPLACE

A TRICKYCHALLENGE:SINGLE MOMS TRAVELING FORWORK

“If your career isn’t focused on what you absolutely want

to do with your life, it’s time to make a change.”

Tory Johnson

VOLUME VII $4.95/womenforhire.com

Serve the Customer • Be Honest • Have Fun • Be a Good Neighbor • Open Doors • Always Listen • Reward Hard Work • Own Our Brand

To learn more or to apply online, please visit www.erac.com/womenforhire or call toll-free 1-888-WWW-ERAC.

I believe in two-way communication.And so does my $8.2 billion company.

I heard Enterprise was different, but until I

started working here I didn’t appreciate how

much. The first thing I noticed is that people

count. Whether it’s a long-time customer or

an employee who’s just starting out, every

opinion matters.

Take our signature "pick you up" service. This

was started by a manager who simply listened

to customers who needed a ride. Not everyone

was convinced it was a good idea, but he was

empowered to run with it - and it ultimately

developed into a trademark of our superior

customer service.

So, you see, that typical, impersonal, corporate

bureaucracy you’d expect from such a successful

industry-leading company just doesn’t exist

here. So if I have a good idea, no matter what

my job title, I know it will be heard and my

career will be rewarded accordingly.

What company bestrepresents me?

I believe this one.We are an equal opportunity employer. M/F/D/V.

�

CORNER CUBICLEEvery week a lovely lady cleans our office. Clados, a fifty-something woman from Honduras, is always on time and never without a smile. My Spanish is broken and she doesn’t speak English, but we manage to communicate nevertheless. When school is out, she brings along her beautiful young granddaughters, who sit patiently and quietly while their abuelita does her job.

As I watched them watch her, it occurred to me that no little girl grows up dreaming of becoming a housekeeper or janitor. When I asked about their aspirations, both kids said they wanted to be ballerinas. Then one added, “Our grandma wanted to be a dancer, too, but they always said she was too short.” That couldn’t have been the only challenge Clados faced.

My brother David, a documentary maker, did his first film on Maureen Lynch, a wait-ress who moved to New York City in hopes of becoming a movie star. Her dream never materialized, so she says she had to settle for making money instead of pursuing her passion. She’s a devoted and well-liked waitress, but it’s not the vocation she wanted for herself.

The same theory applies for an engineer who’d rather be running a homeless shelter or a real estate broker who’d prefer to work with children.

When I meet women looking for work, I often ask if their job search is aligned with their dreams. I don’t just want to know if they’re aiming as high as possible; I’m more concerned that they’re aiming in the right direction.

I worry that too many smart, talented women slog through their best years doing what comes fast or easy, instead of pursuing what they were put on earth to achieve profes-sionally. If that sounds familiar, it’s time to think about making a change. Create a strategy for yourself that puts you on a path toward realizing your goals.

The women you’ll meet on these pages are doing what they love. For some of them, that wasn’t always the case. For jewelry designer extraordinaire Mary Margrill, it took the death of her best friend to cancer to make her realize that life is too short to be wasted on work she didn’t adore. Bell Helicopter’s Elaine Vaught is energized by the chal-lenge of making things fly against the odds. Forensic artist Samantha Steinberg lives to create life-like sketches that lead to the capture of criminals. And even Omi Edelstein, a Columbia University-educated neurobiology major, ditched the sciences to spin records as an in-demand disc jockey.

Let these women and others around you inspire you to pinpoint your purpose and go for it with gusto. I’ll be rooting for your success every step of the way.

Cheers!

Tory JohnsonFounder & CEOWomen For Hire

Photo by Allyson Lubow

womenforhire.com

We are looking for women who have arrived.But have not stopped.

Congratulations on being here. Where are you going next?MassMutual is not only an industry leader and a Fortune 1001

Company, but also one of only 12 organizations ever to receivethe EP Symbol of Excellence.2 And we succeed much thesame way you do. By simply deciding where we want to go.Then going there.

• Fortune Most Powerful Women Conference

• Office Depot Success Strategies for Business Women Conference

• Danskin Women’s Triathlon Series

• Working Mother Magazine Work/Life Conference

• Women in Insurance and Financial Services

• American Women’s Society of CPAs

• Executive Women’s Golf Association

• New York Women in Film and Television

• Game Face – a National Touring Photographic Exhibit ofFemale Athletes and a Free Middle School Curriculum

• Center for Women’s Business Research

• 13 Women’s Advisory Boards Nationwide

• LifeBridgeSM Free Life Insurance Program3

Visit us at the MassMutual booth or online atwww.massmutual.com/wfh, or call 1-877-333-4410

for career information.

© 2005 Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company, Springfield, MA. All rights reserved. www.massmutual.comMassMutual Financial Group is a marketing designation (or fleet name) for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and its affiliates. C:72206

Recognized in 2005 as one of Working Mother magazine's 100 Best Companies to Work For,

MassMutual is also committed to:

1 Fortune Magazine, April 18, 2005

2 The EP Symbol of Excellence, awarded by Exceptional Parent magazine and the EP Foundation for Education, is in recognition of a company/organization’sphilosophy that includes consistent support and advocacy on behalf of the special needs population.

3 Eligibility is limited. See www.massmutual.com for details.

For many, Talbots is more than just a clothing store. It's a second home, of sorts. A place wherethey feel comfortable and valued. You see, as an employer of choice, we provide ourprofessionals with not only a unique environment of style but one that gives them the opportunityto make notable contributions to the continued success that has made us a respected leader

in the industry. We invite you to find your place with us.

Management Trainees • Assistant Managers • Sales Associates

Please stop by our booth to speak with a company representative or forward resume to: Talbots, Attn: Human Resources, JobCode: WFH, Human Resources, One Talbots Drive, Hingham, MA 02043. Fax: 781-741-4696. E-mail: resumes@talbots.com

www.talbots.comEOE

AD.7623870.6.1.dp.qxd 6/6/06 3:06 PM Page 1

in this issue

Contributors

JEN BROWN is this month’s guest editor of Women For Hire magazine. Brown met Tory Johnson while running the website for ABC’s Good Morning America. She continues to work in online news. Before moving into the digital space, Brown covered sports for the Asbury Park Press and the San Diego Union-Tribune. She holds degrees from Columbia University and Emory University, and lives in Harlem with her boyfriend and their three cats.

ALLYSON LUBOW is a New York-based fashion photographer who shot this month’s cover. Her work was recently used by Kodak to promote a new type of film being released this fall. View her online portfolio at alubow.com.

LINDSAY WEITZ is an Art Director at an ad agency in Soho, New York. In addition to creating ads for brands such as Swarovksi, Calvin Klein and Jennifer Lopez, Weitz has been designing for Women For Hire over the past six years. Other freelance clients include DailyCandy and WardrobeNYC. Visit lindsayweitz.com to view some of her recent projects.

Sketch by Samantha Steinberg

Photo courtesy of Omi Edelstein

IN EVERY ISSUE

3 Corner Cubicle

5 In this Issue 7 Inside Women For Hire

�� You Should Know Bulletins 64 Fair Well

FEATURES

2� Recruitment Strategies: Learn how the best employers are attracting women

24 Interesting Women: Meet three women who took traditional backgrounds and turned them into surprising careers

25 DJ Omi Edelstein

27 Forensic artist Samantha Steinberg

29 Wine shop owner Jai Jai Greenfield

3� Baby Plus One : Single moms who travel for work face additional challenges

36 Best in Tech: Four brilliant women are paving the way for others to succeed in science and technology

43 You Asked For It: Exclusive book excerpt on asking for what you want at work

47 Got Digital Dirt? Advice for cleaning up your online profiles

5� Improve Your Clothing ROI: Tips from Talbots on making your wardrobe work

53 Extraordinary Entrepreneurs: Three inspiring women are following their passion

55 Jewelry queen Mary Margrill

57 Sweet sensation Sarah Endline

59 Communications guru Claudia Brooks D’Avanzo

6� Athletic Leadership: Carrying success from the field to the workplace

womenforhire.com 5

FALL 2006 CAREER EXPOS

Join us this fall as we bring together the brightest women and the best

employers at our high-caliber recruiting events. Whether you’re an experienced

professional or a graduating college student, these one-day events are your

ideal chance to advance or to launch your career.

Mark your calendar and plan to join us at the event near you.

WAShINgToN, DC: SEpT. 27

TAmpA: oCT. 5

ChICAgo: oCT. 10

ST. LoUIS: oCT. 12

NEW YoRk: oCT. 17

DALLAS: oCT. 24

hoUSToN: oCT. 26

BoSToN: oCT. 31

LoS ANgELES: NoV. 7

SAN DIEgo: NoV. 9

ATLANTA: NoV. 16

NOMINATE WOMEN WHO DESERVE OUR APPLAUSE Do you know an exceptionally talented woman who’s poised to do even bigger and better things in coming years? How about a woman who’s already at the top of her game? We want to hear their stories for the Spring 2007 issue of Women For Hire’s magazine devoted to two categories of extraordinary women: 30 WOMEN TO WATCH and PHENOMENAL AT 50+. Submit nominations online by completing a short questionnaire at womenforhire.com/nominate.asp. An expert panel will review all submissions and the top picks will appear in the next issue.

inside women for hire

SUBSCRIBE ONLINE

Want to have the next issue of this magazine delivered right to your

doorstep at no charge? Visit womenforhire.com to sign up

for free home delivery.

BLOg wIth US

We’ve just launched

a dynamic blog filled

with the top trends

in recruiting, insider

information on who’s

hiring, inspiration from

the leading workplace

experts, and a behind-

the-scenes look at our

fall season of events.

Check it out as

womenforhire.com

and get in on the

dialogue.

womenforhire.com 7

�

SEaRCh JOBS

Every day new positions are added to our job board in all fields. You can:

• Create, post and store multiple versions of your resume

• Develop strong cover letters

• Set up job alerts

• Apply for opportunities that are ideal for you

Visit jobs.womenforhire.com to get started now.

Employers interested in posting positions may call 212.580.6100 or email jobs@womenforhire.com to connect with a Women For Hire recruitment sales professional.

TUNE-IN TO ABC’S GOOD MORNING AMERICAJohnson is proud to serve as the official Workplace Contribu-tor on the morning show that cares about your career. Watch ABC’s Good Morning America with anchors Diane Sawyer and Robin Roberts every weekday morning from seven to nine. Catch Johnson’s segments on the latest workplace trends and advice for achieving your professional best.

EARLY MORNING SEMINARS WITH TORY JOHNSON Want to know how other women are succeeding on their own terms? Join Women For Hire CEO Tory Johnson for an early morning seminar prior to each career expo for an exciting seminar to inject your job search with a jolt of energy.

In addition to coffee, attendees receive priority admittance to the career expo immediately following the seminar. Space is limited and advance online registration is required. Visit womenforhire.com and click on the event of your choice to reserve your spot.

NEtwORk ONLINE tOday

In this issue we talk about online information that can hurt your chances of getting a job (page 47). Joining Women For

Hire’s online network is something that can increase your chances of advancing your career because of the opportunity to connect with thousands of other professional women who

may open new doors or offer advice.

Create your free account today by going to network.womenforhire.com. Upload your photo, share your career

interests, seek advice, post local and national events and invite friends to join too.

inside women for hire

And there is only one you.

As the world's largest bottler of nonalcoholic beverages, we can

offer individuals with your unique brand of talent, drive and

vision, a career with numerous advantages. We provide global

opportunities, exciting career paths, excellent compensation and

benefits, and a dynamic, positive culture that is truly our own.

There's only ONE you...

and we'd like to get to know you better.

Log in and complete your online profile.

www.cokecce.com/careers

Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc. and its Bottling Companies are an equal opportunity/drug free employer requiring drug and background checks on all new hires."Coca-Cola" is a trademark of The Coca-Cola Company.

Getting acquainted with talented people is important to our success. Tell us about your skills, education, goals and experience by creating your professional

profile on our newly redesigned career site. Search our current openings, complete an online profile and instantly seek your dream job using our concept

search technology. You can also set up a search agent which will send you automatic e-mail notifications of future positions that match your interests.

Explore Opportunities in these Functional Areas:

Our People. Our Products. Our Pride.

Sales/ManagementDistribution/Logistics

Service/Repair

Operations (Production/Warehouse)Finance/Accounting/Internal Audit

Human Resources

AC.5847440.7.29.04.mgWoman for Hire Job Fairs

Full page2:00

womenforhire.com

When women business travelers check in at the James Chicago

Hotel, they find a special set of amenities and procedures cre-

ated for them. The luxury boutique hotel in downtown Chicago

features twenty-four hour in-house security staff, plus well-lit

hallways and a surveillance system for guests’ safety.

More and more hotels are catering to—and competing for—the business of legions of women road warriors traveling today. Approximately forty-three percent of business travelers were women last year, according to the Travel Industry of America. Chains including Marriott, AmeriSuites and Hyatt Regency are seeking to make those customers more secure in situations where they are often traveling alone in unfamiliar places.

Hotels are trying to make women business travelers more comfortable. The Wyndham hotel chain offers a “Women on Their Way” program, for example, with small touches like skirt hangers in the closets and lighter meal options on the room service menu. They also offer their guests a more comprehensive selection of toiletries, beyond the usual soap and shampoo. Some hotels even offer webcam connections so traveling moms can see and talk to their family members who are logged onto their home computers.

W Hotels has partnered with style icon Diane von Furstenberg to help guests do away with fashion emergencies. The mini bars are stocked with a kit containing lip gloss, fragrance and classic black mascara in case the traveler’s cosmetics are lost or forgotten at home.

get the Best Seat in the SkyEver wondered which airlines offer the roomiest coach seats, or which business class seats subject you to an economy-class expe-rience? Two websites, seatguru.com and lovemyseat.com, offer easy-to-use guides to leave you sitting pretty on your next trip.

A game of InchesEconomy class is never fun, but some airlines offer slightly wider seats, more leg room and seatbacks that recline a bit more than usual. This might mean the difference between a re-energizing power nap and a bad case of jet lag. Both websites can also help you decide which so-called “Economy Plus” seats are worth the extra money.

Not All Business Class Seats Are Created EqualWhen it comes to business class and even first class seats, there can be a big difference in space, service and luxuries between domestic and international flights, warns seatguru.com. Domes-tic business and first class might seem more like glorified coach class travel, so if you’re paying for the upgrade, ask in advance what you should expect to receive onboard.

power playOn a few select airlines, you can leave that extra laptop battery at home and plug into an outlet right next to your seat. Air Canada flights, for example, let most First Class and Hospitality Class passengers plug-in just as they would at home. Other airlines, including American, Continental and Delta, provide outlets to some business and First Class travelers on various flights, but you’ll need to buy a special adapter. Some even offer outlets to coach class fliers, but be careful to check in advance to see which airline and plane model you’re on. Otherwise, you might be stuck thumbing through the in-flight magazine once your computer runs out of juice.

Buy Now or Later?Farecast.com takes some of the uncertainty out of buying a plane ticket. The site predicts whether fares are going to rise or fall, and tells travelers when to wait and save or jump on a hot deal.

you should know

tRavEL IN StyLE

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Opening more than 10

restaurants in 2006!

NOW HIRINGRESTAURANT MANAGERS

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• Broad Choice of Medical/Dental/Vision Benefits

• Life Insurance Equal to Twiceyour Salary

• Comprehensive Training &Support

• Identity Theft Protection

• Employee Assistance Program

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• Management Referral Bonus

• Restaurant Dining Privileges& Discounts

Real Mex Restaurants offers great opportunities and benefits

Real Mex Restaurants is the largest full-service, casual dining Mexican chain operator in the United States.

or apply online

www.realmexrestaurants.comWhat are you afraid of, asks political maverick Arianna Huff-ington in her new book, On Becoming Fearless... in Love, Work and Life. From the fear of public speaking and the fear of aging and death, to eremophobia and the fear of loneliness, Huffington looks at the causes of those crises of self-doubt and shares her secrets for overcoming them. She recommends learning to master your fears, instead of trying to banish them altogether. “We will never completely eliminate fear from our lives, but we can defi-nitely get to the point where our fears do not stop us from daring to think new thoughts, try new things, take risks, fail, start again, and be happy,” Huffington writes.

Regardless of how they do it, Huffington urges readers to con-front their fears. “To live in fear is the worst form of insult to our true selves,” she writes. “By having such a low regard for who we are—for our instincts and abilities and worth—we build a cage around ourselves.”

When the host at a work function gives you your name tag, where do you stick it? It makes a difference says Jacqueline Whitmore, author of Business Class: Etiquette Essen-tials for Success at Work. Always place the tag on your right shoulder, she says. “When you shake hands, your line of sight goes straight up the right side from the hand to the eyes.” If your name tag is right there, there’s a better chance your colleague will remember your name, Whitmore says.

She also has some advice for women at a dinner meeting with clients or coworkers. “A lot of times for some reason–not in all circles–men feel like they should pay,” she says, “but the business world is gender neutral.” To avoid an unprofessional scramble for the check, Whitmore recommends arranging payment even before dinner starts. “Arrive early, find the maitre de or server and give them the credit card and tell them not to bring a check.”

When Kathy Burke joined the New York Police Department, just one percent of the force’s officers were women. In her new autobiography, Detective, Burke describes the countless obstacles she overcame during her twenty-three-year career, including sexual harassment by a supervising officer as well as a nearly fatal gunshot wound.

As Burke recovered after being shot in the chest, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, which she

still battles today. She acknowledges her story doesn’t have a feel-good Hollywood ending. “My happy ending is that I live. I survive. I go on. And maybe, just maybe, I make things a little bit easier for the next guy or gal who must come down this road.”

Her perseverance and pride in her career will inspire anyone fac-ing serious obstacles in their own lives. “My joy in being a cop is just as strong today as it was thirty-eight years ago when I first came on the job,” she writes.

you should know

FALL READING

womenforhire.com 13

Is it time to set up a blog for your business? There are more than fifty million different blogs online today–covering everything from politics to toenail fashion to high school geometry class. Many people consider them more of a hobby than a component of an established business, but blogs are no longer just for fun. Companies ranging from the Fortune 500 giants to tiny busi-nesses run out of people’s homes have joined the trend, and more are starting up all the time.

Blogs are simply a regularly updated journal posted online, usually centered around a particular theme and usually featuring links to the articles, people or places being discussed.

Murray’s Cheese, a culinary landmark in New York City, updates its blog “Big Cheese Stories” every week or so with musings on events, tasty new products and essays about the art of mak-ing cheese. They also link to and comment on newspaper and magazine articles about cheese. Filled with pictures of staffers, expert cheese-makers and even cows in the pasture, “Big Cheese Stories” lets customers feel like they really know the company as a friend.

Communication

A business blog lets the company interact with its customers, try out new ideas and get feedback. You can tip off loyal clients to new products and services, educate them about your business and industry and reach out to vendors, colleagues and others. Just as important, a blog can help give a business a unique voice, showing people who you are and why you are passionate about your work. The Freedom Surf Shop in Virginia Beach, VA, for example, shows its customers where its heart is by featuring updated information about surf conditions and an appeal to help save a local beach landmark.

Even if you’re not a business owner, blogging is an ideal way to showcase your expertise on a given subject. A traditional employee may blog about her passion for science just to share her knowledge with like-minded individuals, even though she’s not promoting a product or service. Technorati.com tracks more than fifty million blogs so you can search by topic or author to find almost anything you desire.

get BloggingBlogs are generally free to set up. Sites such as blogger.com and typepad.com will get you up and running in a single afternoon and you’ll need only some familiarity with basic technology and the Internet. Even better, you don’t need to be a great writer. Blogs are expected to be informal and chatty, so what you write can be similar to what you’d tell a friend or favorite client on the phone. It’s important to try not to be boring; you’ll need more than a list of shipping dates for your next product run in order to engage your readers. Blogs can be time consuming, so be sure you’re ready to commit the time to keep it up-to-date or you’ll lose your audience.

you should know

BLOgS MEaN BUSINESS

womenforhire.com �5

Every gal needs her own card

In some situations, traditional business cards just don’t do you justice. Designhergals.com allows you to create the ultimate signature calling card. Enter the online dressing room and design your virtual self by choosing skin tone, eye shape, and hair color and style. Then select your favorite outfit and accessories (designer, of course) and you’re guaranteed to always leave a memorable impression. Fifty original cards are $45.

you should know

OUR FavORItE wEBSItES

Vision. Talent. Diversity. Leadership. That’s what it takes to be America’s second largest general merchandise retailer. With over300,000 team members strong, 1,400 stores in 47 states, we make trends happen.

As an innovative, rapidly growing company, we look for demonstrated leaders with a sense ofassertiveness and strong initiative. While we work hard, we also have fun, and encourage apositive, friendly attitude in everything we do. Our environment is fast paced, and so are theopportunities to grow professionally.

See yourself in our Corporate Headquarters, Stores, or within Supply Chain/Logistics.

Target.com/careers

See a company like no other. See a world of opportunity. See a place where diversity is appreciated.See yourself in red.

See Yourself at

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Time magazine recently created a list of the coolest websites, including some must-surf sites for the workplace.

The number of podcasts available online is skyrocketing, and many of the downloadable video and audio programs are great for business professionals. There are podcasts on accounting practices, technology how-to, creative marketing, bank loans, business investing and so much more. Time recommends podcastpickle.com as the best place to find the ones that are right for you.

At footnoted.org, business journalist Michelle Leder dissects company statements, executive salaries, corporate lawsuits and more. It’s worth checking out to increase your financial IQ.

Time picked charitynavigator.org as the best site to help you figure out where your donations will do the most good. Their da-tabase covers more than five thousand organizations and the site

offers stellar advice on how to maximize your charitable giving.

Google’s search engine has conquered the Internet, but the company is also quietly creating a host of other useful programs and products. Time picked Google Spreadsheets as their new favorite. The program lets you work cooperatively with colleagues online anywhere in the world. Visit spreadsheets.google.com to get started.

And, a nod to every working girl: Zappos.com takes the honors as the best place to shop online for shoes. The selection, service and shipping (free, which can’t be beat) are second to none.

Finally, even though we didn’t make the Time list (what’s wrong with those people?), we couldn’t help mentioning our own favor-ite site, womenforhire.com, where you can look for jobs, check out upcoming career expos and get advice on a range of top-ics—getting started in your career, acing an interview, handling setbacks at work and so much more.

Let them eat cake!

Every successful woman should have her cake and eat it too. Send a gourmet Bake Me A Wish cake to reward your employ-ees, congratulate your co-workers, or thank colleagues and clients. A variety of elegant cakes are made with only the finest, freshest ingredients by an award-winning family-run New York bakery. Starting at just $�9.99, plus shipping and handling, every cake is custom packaged with a personalized card and guaran-teed on-time delivery. Visit bakemeawish.com.

womenforhire.com �7

JoinUs We are a twenty-six year old national association whose mission is to support andpromote graduate women in business. We have chapters at business schools across the country, andare particularly interested in having professional women get involved with our association.

LearnWithUs Much of the support that we provide is through our national conference, local chapters, website (www.mbawomen.org) and Woman MBA magazine.The national conference features panels and workshops of particular interest to female professionals,as well as high visibility keynote speakers. Our local chapters often have events geared toward careeradvancement and professional development. The website and magazine fulfill important roles inaddressing many of the issues and opportunities presented to professional women.

Interview WithUs Not really us, but the over fifty companies who haverecruiting partnerships with us. You can contact them in person, at the National Conference, or online,at our Career Center.

Have FunWithUs Our National Conference is full of opportunities to getto know each other, both in business and social environments. Local chapters frequently host eventsin which MBA students and local professionals can meet and network.To find out more about the conference, membership or sponsorship go to: www.mbawomen.org

3MAccentureAG EdwardsAgilentAlcoaAmazon.comAmerican AirlinesAmeriprise FinancialAONBank of AmericaBCGBear StearnsBooz Allen HamiltonCapital OneCisco SystemsCitigroupConAgra FoodsCredit SuisseDellDeloitteEatonFHL Bank of San Francisco

Goldman Sachs

IBMIntelKellogg'sLiberty Mutual M&T BankMassMutualMedtronicRussell Investment Group

Sears Holdings Corporation

SodexhoSonySprint NextelStandard & Poor’sSun MicrosystemsT. Rowe PriceTycoUBSUnited TechnologiesWal*MartWaste ManagementWells Fargo

2005 / 2006 SPONSORS

ANNUALCONFERENCE& CAREER FAIR

November 3 – 4, 2006

Washington UniversityOlin School of BusinessST. LOUIS, MISSOURI

It’s never good when you look up at the clock and think, “Ugh! It’s only 2 p.m. How am I going to get through the rest of the day?”

The best employees—and the happiest people—are the ones who look up at the clock and say, “Phew! It’s only 2 p.m. I’m glad I still have time to get through the rest of my tasks.”

Looking forward to your day at the office is good for you and good for the company. So if you are one of those people who count down the minutes until that proverbial bell rings, it’s time to transform yourself from an “ugh” to a “phew.”

• Have a candid conversation with your boss about taking on more challenging assignments that inspire you to work harder.

• Spend time with colleagues who love their jobs rather than the ones who complain constantly. Enthusiasm is contagious, but so is negativity.

• Take your lunch break. Lots of times we feel like we are too busy to step away from the desk, but taking time for lunch will

both break up the day, and recharge you when you get back to work.

• Create to do lists with firm timetables of getting work done. Once you start checking tasks off the list, it will inspire you to accomplish more.

• Come up with clear goals. It’s hard to work toward a goal if you don’t have one, or if the end goal is a fuzzy intangible that constantly changes.

• Grab a cup of coffee with a colleague you’ve always wanted to learn more about. The more peers you get along with, the more fun going to work will be.

• Be proactive. Challenging, fulfilling assignments don’t just fall from the sky. Think of projects that you are passionate about and suggest them to your supervisor.

• If all else fails, look for a new job. If your job is totally wrong for you, you’ll never be happy.

thE 2 p.M. tESt

We asked Martha Ceja, manager of diver-sity services for Bernard Hodes Group, an award-winning recruitment advertising agency, to share her top tactics for attract-ing women.

“To recruit women, companies must position themselves as an employer of choice for women and connect with them through their communications, highlight-ing women-friendly benefits and examples of high-ranking women,” says Ceja. Here are her suggested steps for enhancing any company’s diversity program:

• Connect with professional and com-munity women’s organizations. Have recruiters, senior managers and employee ambassadors reach out to key organiza-tions. Look at key professional groups such as the National Society of Women MBAs and community and advocacy or-ganizations such as the Junior League, Na-tional Coalition of 100 Black Women and the Association of University Women. For women of color, look at organizations with deep roots within the community such as Links, an international women’s service organization whose members are among the most prestigious of black women in the country, as well as Madrinas, a Latina business leaders networking group.

Participate in honest discussions with the organizations’ leaders and look at how your company can support the organiza-tions’ initiatives, while building your pipe-line with outstanding female candidates.

• Show women in leadership positions. It demonstrates that your organization has career paths for women, a key attractor. Ensure that this is the case for women of color as well.

• Demonstrate a commitment to the advancement of women. Having your company named to the top lists of Best Companies for Women and Executive Women can go far in communicating your commitment to and transparency of your policies for advancing women. Using public relations to promote women who are moving up within the organization into senior positions within key publications that reach women can also spread some positive brand-building buzz.

• Show that you understand the profes-sional and personal needs of women. Conduct research with women within your organization to find out what their percep-tions are of your employer brand. How do they feel about advancement opportuni-ties? What are the positive attributes of your employer brand? What areas need to be worked on internally? A word of cau-tion, when undertaking such research and asking for honest opinions, be prepared to make changes internally that will address the issues revealed. Use findings to de-velop advertising that speaks to women.

• Highlight women-friendly benefits. These include programs that support work life balance, flexible work schedules, and child care.

• Use preferred media. Look at television, radio, print, and Internet sites that reach your targeted audience.

• Build a pipeline. Forge partnerships with future candidates by reaching universities graduating highest percentages of women and women of color. Connect with sorori-ties and student organizations. Commit to the education of your future workforce; consider creating and maintaining scholar-ships and internships and reach out to area high and elementary schools.

• Integrate cultural competency at every level. We work with best practice compa-nies every day and we find they are con-stantly evaluating themselves, never quite satisfied with where they are and seeking to improve their benchmarks. They use research to understand their employees and candidates’ experiences, percep-tions and needs by constantly working to implement best practices to address the issues uncovered to advance their diverse workforce. Internal and external research is used to benchmark and create the most comprehensive strategies.

Ceja has over ten years of project management, marketing and communica-tions experience, working with clients on the strategy, management and implementation of research initiatives. Her client list includes Siemens Corporate, Corning Inc., Intuit, Merck, Dominion, Hamilton Sundstrand and Nationwide.

CaLLINg aLL RECRUItERS aNd hIRINg MaNagERS:

hERE’S hOw tO attRaCt wOMEN

diversity success

LEADINg EmpLoYERS pARTICIpATE IN WomEN FoR hIRE CAREER ExpoS

AS oNE pART oF ThEIR DIVERSITY RECRUITmENT STRATEgIES.

At Dell, we’re committed to understanding and meetingthe challenges many of us face at work. Through career

development, mentoring programs and networkinggroups, we offer opportunities to support our employees’

successful career paths and help strike a balancebetween professional and personal lives. Our goal is to

ensure that Dell is a great place to work, grow and aspire.Success real time. Capture it at Dell.

Dell and the Dell logo are registered trademarks of Dell Inc. ©2006 Dell Inc. All rights reserved. Dell Inc. cannot be held responsible for errors in typography or photography. Dell is an AA/EO employer. Workforce diversity is an essentialpart of Dell’s commitment to quality and to the future. We encourage you to apply, whatever your race, gender, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

How do you get started? Visit www.dell.com/wfh.

CAREERS AT DELL. CONSIDER THE POSSIBILITIES.

Dell is a proud sponsor of Women for Hire.

Trisa Thompson uses a Dell Latitude D610

DEL-641_WomenForHire 1/18/06 1:58 PM Page 1

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LIFE IS FULL OF CHOICES.

Make the career choice that lets you take charge of your life — become an A.G. Edwards fi nancial

consultant. As an A.G. Edwards fi nancial consultant, you navigate your own path to success. Choose

the clients you want to work with and the products and services most suitable for them. Build close

relationships with your clients, and help them make good fi nancial choices. You are an integral part

of their choice to buy that vacation home or retire early. It’s not just a job; it’s a career and a lifestyle

— all with the support of a Fortune 1000 company that’s committed to putting its clients’ needs fi rst.

At A.G. Edwards, you are in charge of your business.

Take the fi rst step on your path to success by calling (866) 455-2217

or visiting agedwards.com/opportunity.

© 2006 A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. Member SIPC

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Kit Paulin’s life has been full of choices — career choices. She has been a secretary, retail manager, pilot, stay-at-home mom and fi nancial consultant.

To fi nd a successful, rewarding career, Kit has had to be choosy. Her choice to become an A.G. Edwards fi nancial consultant — a stockbroker — has led her to what she calls the “best business in the world” — the securities industry. Kit explains why she chose this career and what it has meant to her and her family.

Q: What makes you say the securities industry is the “best business in the world”?

Kit: Working in this industry has brought me tremendous personal and professional satisfaction and success. It was my fi rst boss who said: “Kit, this is the best business in the world. You have complete control over your time, your specialty, your clients and your income.” I was working as a secretary for the No. 1 broker in a large brokerage fi rm, and when I left to pursue a career in retail management, he also told me, “You will be back.”

He was absolutely right. I not only re-turned to the best business, but I went to work for A.G. Edwards, one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” [as named by Fortune magazine (2006)].* As a fi nancial consultant I have devel-oped deeply rewarding relationships with clients and colleagues, enjoyed signifi cant earning potential that I never thought possible for my family, and gained control over my life.

Our business is about control. And A.G. Edwards has given me control of my business and my client relationships. I determine the clients I want to work with and the products and services that best suit them. I also control what becomes of my own efforts. Many fi nancial consultants bring in their sons and daughters to work alongside them, and then they pass on their life’s work to their children. This career is both fi nancially and personally rewarding — you are only limited by how hard you are willing to work.

Q: What makes your career so rewarding?

Kit: I’m not just helping people make sound fi nancial decisions — I am helping them plan their futures. I talk with people all day long about their dreams and realities and develop relationships with them that are indescribably heartwarming. I help people work toward their fi nancial goals — whether it’s sending their children to college or passing on their estates to the people and charities they love. When you become part of those kinds of life-changing events, it’s a feeling that is nearly impossible to fi nd anywhere else.

I began my fi nancial consultant career by going door-to-door in retirement communities and holding seminars on fi nancial topics. That may sound intimidating, but the residents welcomed my female presence, and they eagerly invited me into their homes to share ideas and consider doing business with me. Although my personal experience may not represent the experience of every fi nancial consultant, this acceptance from clients has been extremely satisfying. I am always honored when people grant me the privilege of working on their behalf.

Q: How has this career choice affected your family?

Kit: In one word: perfectly. My family, as well as my friends and my community, has benefi ted from the rewards of the service I bring to my clients. For the past 16 years, I have maintained a full-time position as a fi nancial consultant, raised two fabulous sons, and watched my hardworking husband start and grow a tremendously successful company of his own. I can’t help but feel proud that while my husband started building his own company, the contributions, such as benefi ts, from my career at A.G. Edwards allowed him space and fl exibility to fulfi ll his own dream.

In addition to health benefi ts, our family has taken advantage of other contributions A.G. Edwards offers — such as the fi rm’s 401(k) plan, which has been called one of the best in the industry. My husband and I decided early on that we would save the maximum amount possible in

my 401(k) and take full advantage of A.G. Edwards’ stock purchase plan.

I don’t believe any other career would have provided our family the fl exibility, benefi ts, satisfaction and control that we have experienced with my years at A.G. Edwards. Both of our sons are attending private colleges, and my husband and I are looking into our goals for retirement. It is satisfying to share our personal experiences with young clients who are counting on me to help them do the same for their children and families.

Q: What are some other benefi ts of your career?

Kit: The ongoing career support I’ve received has been incredible — not only from other fi nancial consultants but from the fi rm itself. In fact, A.G. Edwards’ training program has been named one of the top 100 training organizations by Training magazine for the sixth consecutive year (2006).* Through training sessions you get to know other fi nancial consultants from across the country who are struggling with the same issues and challenges that you are. Deep friendships and supportive networks develop that allow you to maintain your independence but provide you with a sense of support that destroys the loneliness that could exist without this network.

Q: Why is now a good time to become a fi nancial consultant?

Kit: Many people are intimidated by investing. They work hard for their money and don’t want to do anything foolish with it. They need help. And with baby boomers starting to reach retirement and the future of Social Security in doubt, there isn’t a better time to consider becoming a fi nancial consultant. If you are willing to work hard and are looking for personal and professional satisfaction that you never believed possible, look no further. Discover a fulfi lling career that I have come to know as an A.G. Edwards fi nancial consultant. Join me in the best business in the world.

CHOOSE A CAREER IN THE ‘BEST BUSINESS IN THE WORLD’An A.G. Edwards fi nancial consultant shares her story

2006 A.G. Edwards & Sons, Inc. Member SIPC

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS EXCITING CAREER OPPORTUNITY, CALL (866) 455-2217 OR VISIT AGEDWARDS.COM/OPPORTUNITY.

* Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Fortune and Training magazines are not affi liated with A.G. Edwards, nor do they endorse any product or service A.G. Edwards offers.

24 womenforhire.com 25

Seriously, when I enrolled in Columbia University, I landed an internship in a lab under a doctor who won the Nobel Prize a few years after I graduated. I was starting to do what I thought I wanted to do with the top people in the medical field, but I was not sure I could imagine the rest of my life working long hours in the lab and the hospital.

The true sources of my digressions are the liberal arts classes which I was required to take in college. There was a moment when I met with a world-famous cultural anthro-pology professor and convinced him to let me in his graduate seminar entitled “Sorcery and Magic.” It opened my mind and led my thoughts in many new directions. I ended up graduating with a concentration in Modern Thought along with my pre-med major in Neurobiology.

What’s crazy about my four years in college is that I turned off my internal music-maker to study all the time. I didn’t even listen to the radio or watch TV, which is nuts because until I left home my whole life was about music. I played piano my whole life, played xylophone in regional bands and I always had music on—classic rock and hip hop. Senior year, I started going to this club on Friday nights where a guy I was dating was DJing. He was so good, and he made it seem like the coolest job ever—crazy money and free clothes, sneakers, electronics and more.

When I graduated I decided I wanted to pursue DJing. My mom took it well. When I was very young, she left her office job in the fashion industry to start a jewelry line. As a result, I have very little concept of what it is like not to be self-em-ployed. She has always just wanted me to be happy and acts proud no matter what I do. The rest of the family was harder to convince. They were thrilled when I was headed for medi-cal school. When I started DJing, I got a lot of private lec-tures trying to convince me to go back to school—it is quite recent that everybody else has accepted that this is what I do.

I’m at the point now where I am finally an international DJ. I hold residencies at some of New York’s hottest clubs and have played almost everywhere. I come up first when you Google me and most everybody in the New York scene has either heard me play or owns one of my mix CDs. I’ve met many celebrities and have been able to support myself and set up a music recording studio.

I feel like I’ve reached the top five to ten percent in my field, but there is still a long way to go. DJing is a great stepping stone. It is probably as much a means to bigger things as it is an end in its own. Within the next five years, I hope to have my mix CDs distributed and a mix show on a radio station. I want to start a deejay school and also finish developing an after-school program for inner city kids teaching them to deejay.

Hopefully, within the next years, I will not be DJing in clubs every night. My ultimate goal is to earn a living by working in my music studio every day. At that point, my DJ rate should be astronomical and that will be a huge perk. In twenty years, I hope to be based somewhere tropical where I can make my music in the sun—truly realizing my bohemian dream.

– As told to Women For Hire

in her own wordsin her own words

paSSIONatE pEOpLEmeet three incredibly interesting women who took traditional backgrounds and transformed them into surprising—and fulfilling—careers.

They’re living proof that just because you start down one road, doesn’t mean you’ll stay on the same path. Go where your passion takes you—not where your education or train-ing most obviously dictates.

• After Omi Edelstein majored in neurobiology at Columbia University, she became an international DJ, hopping from country to country to play her innovative music for A-listers around the globe.

• Samantha Steinberg ended up working as a forensic artist for the Miami-Dade Police Department, using her art education from the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design to help families find justice and closure to traumatic events in their lives.

• Jai Jai Greenfield gave up the comfort of a lucrative career in financial services with big bucks clients and fat expense accounts to start a wine shop in Harlem.

Reflection and determination can lead to the career that may not be the one you thought you would pursue, but ends up being the one that makes you happy to get out of bed each day.

3omI EDELSTEIN,

INTERNATIONAL DJ

When I was really young I wanted

to work in a beauty parlor (this

is still a family joke). By the time

I was seven, I wanted to be a

mathematician. By high school I

changed to wanting to be a brain

surgeon. So naturally I became a

DJ, traveling all over the world to

play my music.

Samantha Steinberg

Omi EdelsteinJai Jai Greenfield

Photo courtesy of Omi Edelstein

womenforhire.com

With a major in illustration, I started working for a number of different advertising agencies. All the while, I read a lot of true crime books. In one book, police found the unidentified human remains of a teenage girl in Texas and turned to a woman who worked in their graphic design division to reconstruct a likeness of the girl based on the remains. That woman eventually went on to instruct at the FBI Academy. I thought that was fascinating. I also figured that if she could use her artistic skills in that way, then so could I.

I think you only have that kind of bravado when you are twenty-five.

I called the FBI to ask how I could become a forensic artist, and they told me that I had to be affiliated with a police department and have a record of success in order to get into the FBI Academy.

I called the Miami-Dade Police Department and they referred me to Charlie Holt who had just been reassigned to Crime Scene Bureau to work as a forensic artist. He never had any formal training as an artist, so I gave him some drawing tips and he taught me about law enforcement. I officially registered as an unpaid volunteer hoping there would eventually be a position for me. The whole year I volunteered, Charlie constant-ly warned me that the chances of getting the job I wanted were slim to none. However, I believed in my talent, and I figured that landing a full-time position was just a matter of proving myself to the police department.

When one is that passionate about something, that passion is evident to others.In 1999, I was hired as a paid member of the MDPD staff and shortly thereafter became the first person to hold the title of Forensic Artist in Miami-Dade County. In 2001, I was selected by the FBI to attend their Forensic Facial Imaging course.

Some of my responsibilities today include completing composite drawings, age pro-gressions of missing children and wanted fugitives; creating photographic line-ups us-ing digital imaging software; rendering postmortem facial approximations and prepar-ing both two and three-dimensional facial reconstructions from skeletal remains.

My partner and I have completed over seven hundred assignments in the last year. At least three hundred of those assignments have been composite drawings. Consequently, I have co-founded a Forensic Art Unit that has yielded two hundred identifications of criminal subjects since its inception in 1998.

I love that I can assist a victim to get closure or help someone identify a loved one who is missing or deceased. What better use could I find for this drawing ability?

– As told to Women For Hire

SAmANThA STEINBERg, FORENSIC ARTIST

As a forensic artist with the Miami-

Dade Police Department, I get to

draw with a purpose every single day.

However, compiling sketches of crimi-

nals and reconstructing the remains

of murder victims is hardly what I

thought I would be doing following

graduation from the Rhode Island

School of Design.

in her own words

Best Buy offers competitive pay, employee discounts, a wide range

of benefits and excellent career opportunities.

EOE/Drug-Free Employer

YOUR ENTHUSIASM.Share it—with a Career at Best Buy™.

Become part of the nation’s #1 retailer of consumer electronics. Apply online at careers.bestbuy.com for the following positions:

... and many more career possibilities.

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Apply online at careers.bestbuy.com© 2006 Best Buy

WomenforHireColor2 2/10/06 4:07 PM Page 1

Sketches courtesy of Samantha Steinberg

womenforhire.com 27

I had a great job with Morgan Stanley and I was making great money, but it wasn’t personally gratifying for me.

At the same time, I was seeing all these changes going on in Harlem, where my husband and I go to church and my grandparents had lived. Businesses and new people were starting to come into the neighborhood and I realized that if there’s a market for a yoga studio and a bowling alley in Harlem, surely there’s a market for a high-end, full-scale, full-service wine store. And if I’m not going to do it, someone else is going to recognize the potential. All my education at Wharton and at Kellogg would have been for naught if I didn’t try.

So in February 2002, I decided to open Harlem Vintage with my partner, Eric Woods.

I started to get into wine while entertaining clients for Morgan Stanley at restaurants with extensive wine lists. Lots of times I would be the only female or the only black person, and I wanted a way to contribute to the dinner discussions. These guys knew everything about trade and stocks, but they didn’t know a thing about wine. I figured this was my angle to deepen my relationship with the client. I’m going to know all I can about the wines that are served at these restaurants.

I couldn’t do what I’m doing now if I didn’t have seven years at Morgan Stanley. I’m a big believer that everything happens for a reason.

In many ways, I’m doing the same things running Harlem Vintage that I did before, in that I’m selling a product. The difference is the interaction with the customer. On Wall Street, there wasn’t the personal relationship with the client. They didn’t really care if they liked the stock, and they didn’t care if they liked the sales person. Here, there is much more of a personal relationship. The customer really holds you accountable and gives you feedback that helps make your product stronger.

Owning your own business takes stress to a whole new level. I’m constantly thinking about every aspect of the store, from the scuff on the floor to what’s the next step for Harlem Vintage, and I haven’t seen my husband in two weeks. There are some sacri-

fices, but ones that are worth being made. I am so much happier and more satisfied now.

For any other woman trying to figure out what would satisfy them professionally, I would say do what you like. We are sometimes so restrictive in our career options because we just don’t know what is out there. You have to know yourself professionally and get good training—three years or more—on someone else’s dime first. Work for someone who can give you experience so when you want to open your own business, you can make that leap with confidence, having seen the big guys do it.

– As told to Women for Hire

in her own words

JAI JAI gREENFIELD, CO-OWNER,

HARLEM VINTAGE

After 9/�� I started thinking: “Would I have been one hundred percent happy professionally if I had been one of the

victims?”

Management • Research Allied Health/Professional

Administration/Office Support

w h e r e

NYU Medical Center provides its staff with far more than just a place to work. Rather, we are an institutionyou can be proud of, an institution where you’ll feel good about devoting your time and your talents. Andjust as our employees invest so much in us, we invest in our employees. We’re pleased to have one of themost competitive compensation packages not only among New York’s hospitals and healthcare institutions,but within the corporate sector as well.

To find out more about us and to apply online please visit www.nyumc.org and click on “CAREERS.” Weare an equal opportunity employer.

www.nyumc.org

We advance medicine.™

B R I L L I A N T C A R E E R S B E G I N

One of the premier healthcare institutions in the world, NYU Medical Center combines the impressiveresources of Tisch Hospital, the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, and the NYU School of Medicine.We’re the first choice for entry-level professionals from diverse fields for one simple reason: ourcommitment to developing our people through continuous learning and exposure to the best minds in theindustry. So, whether you’re interested in a career within healthcare; within science; or in another area suchas management, finance, or administrative support, NYU Medical Center can offer you the resources,recognition, challenges, and rewards that you need to perform at your very best. We are always looking fortalented people to join us in the following areas:

NYUMED.NY25773 1/24/06 3:38 PM Page 1

Photo by Jen Brown

29

Traveling for her job as a product engineer never really bothered Shay Ashmon, until she unexpectedly became pregnant in 2004.

As her due date neared, traveling ten days out of every month became difficult, and when her daughter, Hayden, was born in 2005, Ashmon realized that being a single mother and holding down a job that requires her to travel fifty percent of the time was nearly impossible.

“This is very stressful because I feel I am robbing myself and my daughter of precious time we could be spending together,” Ash-mon says. “I have missed a lot of firsts. I’ve missed her first time clapping, her first time saying mama, her first time rolling over and her first steps. Her daycare provider is great and I know she is well taken care of, but it still hurts to know that I’m missing out on so many important milestones in her life. Even though she is now thirteen months old, it’s still hard leaving her when it’s time to go to work. It’s even harder to leave her when I have to go out of town on overnight business trips.”

More than ten million mothers were raising children on their own in 2003, up from three million single mothers in 1980, according to the U.S. census. While all single moth-ers struggle with childcare solutions and balancing work and home life, mothers who have to travel out of town for work face the added burden of finding overnight care for their children. Some rely on family mem-bers, some pay the high cost of live-in help, and some decide to leave their job entirely, perhaps taking lower-paying jobs, in order to remain closer to home.

Taking the show on the road

When Corey Jamison gave birth to her first child ten years ago, she simply took her daughter on the road with her. Although married at the time, Jamison felt it was important to have her daughter by her side when she was still young.

“I was working for a financial services firm in New Jersey, and I would drive down [to business trips] with a gigantic car full of diapers, wipes, a high chair and bibs,”

single moms workBaBy pLUS ONESingle moms who travel for work face a unique challenge, but are finding ways to succeed

“I have missed a lot of firsts. I’ve missed her first

time clapping, her first time saying mama, her

first time rolling over and her first steps.”

Work in Fortune 100 marketing departments on a flexible basis.

70 100

60 16

• Advertising• Product/Brand Management• Research• Merchandising• Event Planning• Marketing Communications• Channel Analysis• Data Analysis• Marketing Strategy• Web Development

aquent.com800 650 0550

Photo of Shay Ashmon and daughter Hayden, courtesy of Ashmon

womenforhire.com 3�

she says. “Everyone in the hotel knew my daughter and would run out from behind the desk to greet her. It was great.”

Jamison would bring the nanny along as well, and when her daughter was hungry, the nanny would bring her to the conference room and Jamison would nurse while giving a presentation to a room full of older men.

“I didn’t really stop to think through the im-pact it was really having on them,” Jamison

says. “I was working and I knew I had something important to say. I was focused on that and equally on being the kind of mother to my daughter that I wanted to be, which meant nursing her as long as that worked for her and for us.”

Jamison became a single mother when her children were three and one and again—now with a third child—when her second marriage ended in a messy divorce. (She is currently writing a book about escaping her second marriage called, It’s Not Like He Hit Me.)

Her home life improved when she left the abusive relationship, but traveling for work became more difficult.

“Now if I’m traveling, there is no one at the house,” she says. “That is obviously a complicating factor.”

Jamison has had many nannies, and says she has learned how important it is to be in sync with the nanny and vice versa when you are leaving your children in the care of another person for long periods of time.

A company solution

A few years ago when Jamison voiced her frustration about not having quality time

with her children, her boss said the com-pany would hire a home life coordinator for the family.

“She’s sort of a nanny, but she sees herself having more managing responsibilities,” Jamison says. “She’s paid as a full-time employee by our company and seen as someone who has an important role.”

Over the course of any given week, the home life coordinator may pick up the

dry cleaning, buy the groceries, organize the freezer, pick up the kids and stay at Jamison’s house overnight if she is out of town on business. The help allows Jamison to concentrate on the things she likes to do when she is home—she loves doing laundry and planning her children’s meals—and to enjoy the time she has at home, rather than constantly playing catch up with household chores.

Not every company is nearly this receptive to accommodating single mothers. When Ashmon approached her boss about being more flexible with her schedule, he didn’t offer any solutions.

“I told them traveling ten days out of the month is a lot to ask with me being a single parent and basically I can’t be away from my child that much,” Ashmon says. “I was expecting them to say, ‘Well maybe you can do half the travel, and maybe offer other solutions such as video conferencing or conference calls.’”

Instead, Ashmon says she was told the com-pany found she was most effective when she was face-to-face with the clients, which meant her schedule has remained the same.

“We’re figuring out all this technology in the world, so we can figure out how to

single moms work

Over the course of any given week, the home life coordinator may pick up the dry cleaning, buy the groceries, organize the freezer, pick up the kids and stay at Jamison’s house overnight if she is out of town on business.

Our company wouldn’t be the same without diversity. Nor would we be successful in shipping to more than

220 countries and 120,000 destinations worldwide. At DHL, we’re committed to creating a diverse, open and

respectful culture that embraces the differences in the thoughts and backgrounds of our people, our customers,

our business partners and the markets we serve in order to drive greater business success. We believe in many

faces that comprise only one team – a team of all shapes from all walks of life. So, visit our website and see the

opportunities that await you. Because our boxes may be square, but our belief in diversity isn’t.

SMALL TUBES.JUMBO BOXES.PADDED PACKETS.

WE WORK WITHMANYSHAPES AND SIZES.

www.dhl-usa.com/hiremanyfaces/2

©2006 DHL Express (USA),Inc. All rights reserved.womenforhire.com 33

keep women engaged in the workplace,” Jamison says. “I refuse to have that problem, have me or any other women in the organizations I am involved with have to leave because of childcare issues. I feel like what I do for a living makes a differ-ence in the world and I want my children, especially my daughter, to see it is pos-sible to have it all.”

Staying on the professional track

Nikki Marcole gave birth to her daughter, Madison, in the beginning of August, and while she also would like to provide a good example, as a single mother she can’t afford to leave her job as a divisional manager of a pharmaceutical sales company.

She’s paying two mortgages at the mo-ment—she moved into a bigger house when she became pregnant and is still waiting to sell her condo—and she has to support her daughter.

But in order to keep up with her work schedule, which requires her to go on at least one overnight trip a week and often leave for day trips at five a.m., she needs live-in help. For the first year, Marcole’s mother plans to live with her Tuesday through Friday. Afterwards, Marcole will reassess, perhaps look into an in-home day care and rely on help from Madison’s father, who lives in town.

If the travel becomes unmanageable, Marcole has the option of taking a position as a sales rep, which would allow her to stay in the area, but would also be a step down and a pay cut. That is not a path she is currently interested in pursuing.

“I just think that I was raised to work extremely hard and I’m proud of the level I’ve gotten to so far in such a short time,” she says. “The workplace needs to adapt

and be flexible with working mothers because I know I’ll still be very effective as a divisional manager.”

Ashmon also has the opportunity to change her title to a support position,

which would allow her not to travel but would also essentially be a demotion. In-stead, she is relying on her family to help out; an aunt, uncle, two cousins and her daughter’s father all assist with babysit-ting. But she knows that is only a short term solution. Eventually she plans to find another job in product engineering that will not require travel.

“I made a promise to myself that I would always make sure my daughter came first and that if it ever came to the point where my job was forcing me to choose—direct-ly or indirectly—I would definitely choose to be with my daughter,” she says.

“Three years old would be my absolute cut off point,” Ashmon says. “I think at three she’ll be able to remember mommy always leaving and I don’t want that.”

single moms work

“The workplace needs to adapt and be flexible with working mothers because I know I’ll still be very effective as a divisional manager.”

At Harrah’s Entertainment,we’re always looking fordiverse talent. We’re theworld’s leading casinoentertainment company,

with more than 100,000 employees and $10 billion in annual revenue.

We currently have professional opportunities for talented individuals in multiplefields including Information Technology, Finance, Marketing, Human Resources,Operations and Gaming. For more information about employment opportunities,please visit www.harrahs.com.

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womenforhire.com 35

People talk about having a five-year plan and a roadmap for their careers. I never had one. I was teaching Pascal (a now-an-cient computer language) for the Women in Science program at University of Texas at Arlington. Someone at Bell asked me if I was interested in a job. I couldn’t tell one helicopter from the next, but I was immediately hooked. There’s a sex appeal about anything that can fly. Helicopters defy the natural laws of science by beating the air into submission. Technically it’s challenging. It’s executing in the art of the near-impossible.

We’re responsible for the processes that design, build, and support all our aircraft and products, as well as a technology roadmap and a long-term research and development strategy. Any time we meet a commitment to a customer, that’s satisfy-ing. When we hit a milestone or solve a huge problem—for example, no one ever flew a tiltrotor vehicle before at the speeds that we have recently done it—that’s pretty heady. From a technical viewpoint, the most exciting experience I had was testing equipment at an Army base airport at midnight before troops flew off to the Persian Gulf. We do important work. We do things that make this world better. We saved 54,000 people after the earthquake in Pakistan. We saved countless people

after Hurricane Katrina.

We’re on the cusp of a huge growth opportunity for both commercial and military development. I’m excited about re-energizing and mobilizing my team toward more of a focus on innovation and solutions for products and solving some process issues. I’m absolutely pumped up for it. Our Engineering and XworX folks are naturals for the Textron Six Sigma tool set—we have a number of black belts and green belts so there’s a lot of energy around that. We’re defining roles and tightening the processes, which gives people added enthusiasm moving forward.

I’m in the office twelve to fourteen hours a day. Eight of those are spent in meetings helping solve different problems—techni-cal problems and career problems. During those other hours I’m committed to con-necting with people to make sure obstacles and perceived obstacles are removed so they can do their jobs. I don’t feel satisfied unless I connect with people in a personal way. I think about that every day on my way home. “Did I help someone do a bet-ter job today?” If I were to have a legacy it would be to help a group or a person take a step forward.

My vision is to focus on the building

blocks that will feed our aircraft much faster, investing in new technologies, leaning our processes, and getting minds around reducing development cycles in a quantum way. Twenty years ago no one thought we could put a tiltrotor aircraft in the air. It’s putting things in the air in ten or twenty years that we’re passion-ate about today that people don’t think is possible.

When I speak to women’s groups, I en-courage women who want to do some-thing meaningful and make money to consider careers in engineering, whether in telecoms, dotcoms, or even aerospace. It’s a very challenging career but enor-mously rewarding. It’s not easy for women to break the glass ceiling, so I hope the work I’ve done will make it easier for my daughters to find meaningful work and get paid for it. My advice is be open to possi-bilities, keep a sense of humor, and always take the high road.

Vaught was named Senior Vice President of Engineering and XworX in April 2006. She joined Bell in 1985 as an avion-ics software programmer and has spent the last twenty-one years working in all aspects of the rotorcraft industry. Visit bellhelicopter.com for details on career opportunities.

technically brilliant

pUShINg ENgINEERINg aNd XwORX tO FLy hIghER

BY ELAINE VAUghT

Education: Bachelor of Science, Mathematics, University of Oklahoma; Executive Master’s of Business Administration, Texas Christian University; Alumni, Women

in Science Program, University of Texas, and Thunderbird Executive Education Program, American Graduate School of International Management

Photo courtesy of Bell Helicopter

Can you talk tech?

To help you keep up with the latest jargon, here are some of the most common and confounding terms today.

RSS: Really Simple Syndication is an easy way to let Internet users subscribe to content published on a particular site, such as a newspaper or blog. With RSS, you can have a single webpage with different sections containing the latest headlines from what-ever sites you choose.

Bluetooth: This short-range radio frequency allows devices such as cell phones to connect wirelessly with a headset. Bluetooth-en-abled gadgets can be linked to each other, so your Blackberry and laptop can share calendar information, or your digital camera can send files to a printer—all without cable connections.

Wi-Fi: This term refers to wireless high-speed Internet transmis-sion. Public Wi-Fi hotspots are becoming increasingly popular in libraries, cafes, airports and even parks nationwide, providing wireless broadband access for your portable electronic devices. Places like San Francisco and New York are in the process of making the entire city a Wi-Fi zone.

Podcast: The fusion of iPod and broadcast, these prerecorded audio and video files can be downloaded to a computer or other device over the Internet. Users can subscribe to their favorite

podcasts through programs like Apple’s iTunes and others, and then watch or listen anytime.

VOIP: Voice Over Internet Protocol is a way to use a computer as a telephone by transmitting your voice communications over the Internet instead of over a phone line. Companies such as Skype and Vonage offer different VOIP services, which are usually cheaper than traditional phone calls.

Web 2.0: This catchphrase has become a buzzword meant to signal a cutting edge website. In some cases it’s more hype than reality, but experts say Web 2.0 sites are usually highly interac-tive, letting users rate and comment on material, and add their own content.

SMS: Short Message Service is another name for the text mes-sages sent from cell phone to cell phone. Texting has become a popular form of communication and many news services are using SMS technology to make cellphones more useful. For instance, Paypal now allows users to text payments to other ac-counts.

DVR: A digital video recorder is a hard-drive-based device that hooks up to a television and allows you to schedule recordings of your favorite shows, as well as pause live TV and zip past com-mercials. TiVo is the most popular DVR company, but increas-ingly cable and satellite companies are offering their own DVRs.

BRILLIaNt wOMENA recent survey by the oxygen Network found that more women than men shop online, edit photos on their computer and send text messages and pictures on their cell phones. But that form of technology doesn’t hold a candle to the way these brilliant women are driving advances in engineering everyday.

Less than fifteen percent of computer science and engineer-ing graduates at major research universities last year were women. But as these role models from BELL hELICopTER, BEARINgpoINT, L-3 and BoEINg prove, there’s a place for more women to become successful innovators in science and technology and they’re proudly paving the way.

womenforhire.com36 womenforhire.com 37

3� womenforhire.com 39

While conducting an interview, an ap-plicant asked me how long I had been with the company. My response—thir-teen and a half years—actually took me by surprise. When I started in 1992 as a summer intern, I was not thinking of a long-term career. Yet at a time when most of my friends are with their third or fourth company since graduation, I still enjoy working for the same company.

Through name changes (Hughes Aircraft Company, Hughes Space and Com-munication, Boeing Satellite Systems, Boeing Electron Dynamic Devices, L-3 Communications Electron Technolo-gies Incorporated), different locations (El Segundo, Calif., Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Torrance, Calif.), and varied as-signments (from member of the technical staff to engineering manager with many stops in between), my responsibility is to ensure that all hardware delivered is the highest quality and meets the customers’ unique specifications. These are essential for providing clear, uninterrupted modes of communication via satellite television, telephone, pagers and radio.

Early in my career, I sought guidance from multi-level employees (both tech-nical and non-technical). I used advice from the company president (focus on the company’s goals and objectives), human resource/diversity manager (focus on the employee), engineers (focus on good design and hardware performance), and inspectors (focus on quality) to become one of the youngest managers in the company’s history. At twenty-five, I was responsible for over two million dol-lars a year and supervised twenty-two engineers and technicians. Several other

management positions followed with more customer interface and increased financial responsibility. In my last assignment as the Deputy Director, I supported an organiza-tion of almost one hundred people with an annual budget of over twenty-two million dollars.

One of my most challenging positions was as an Integrated Product Team Lead in the Middle East. I spent eleven months in Dubai, United Arab Emirates working with my husband and a team of engineers to set up a ground station for a mobile telephone satellite system. I was responsi-ble for installing and upgrading software, troubleshooting the system, validating the user manual, tracking and correcting any problems and training the customer on proper usage. Amidst a culture where women do not typically work and are not regarded as technically savvy, I was able to gain the trust and respect of the cus-tomer. The telephone terminals used by the troops in the Middle East today are a result of this successful project.

mENToRINg

I provide guidance to other women (and some men) trying to find ways to balance work and home life. As a mother of two children ages four and one, I know how hectic things can be when both parents work. I suggest ways for employees to approach their supervisors with modified schedules, effective ways of maximizing their time at work, and options for work-ing some unclassified projects from home (i.e. document review, schedule updates). Although I am not a benefits adminis-trator, I also tell them about different programs available for extended family

leave, returning from maternity leave, daycare searches, and preparing for life as a new working parent. These are critical to retaining employees and minimizing daily stress.

ThE CompANY ToDAY

L-3 ETI is a very successful small com-pany—not an enormous, bureaucratic corporation—where everyone’s contri-bution is valuable and recognized. This sentiment is expressed by the company’s president, Kevin Mallon, and felt by the employees, including me, “Everyone who works here can make a difference and has an impact on our success.” Everyone is encouraged to speak up and address issues all the way up the chain of command. Not many people in the workplace have this opportunity.

L-3 ETI offers the opportunity to work on many different tasks—working with the technicians on the floor, visiting vendors/customers, performing design and analyti-cal work, presenting technical informa-tion to customers, handling compliance issues—based on expertise and interest. The company employs talented women at every level and has a commitment to offer-ing part-time and flexible work schedules.

Electrical engineers, mechanical engineers (designers and analysts) and program managers are highly encouraged to inquire about joining our team. Visit www.l-3com.com/ETI/ today.

Charles is the Engineering Manager for Passive Microwave Devices atL-3 Electron Technologies.

In the early ‘�0s, just three years after graduating from Rutgers University, Gail Steinel was promoted to senior auditor at Arthur Andersen—at that time, a rare achievement for a woman. Upon con-gratulating her, her boss laid out what he considered an exciting career path: using her new audit management position as a springboard to eventual partnership and a career in auditing.

Steinel, today executive vice president of the Global Commercial Services practice at BearingPoint, Inc., says it was her “ah-ha” career moment: “I loved my clients. I loved auditing. But spend the rest of my life doing it? Not for me.”

Always one to speak her mind, Steinel told her boss how she felt. “He was aston-ished, because it sounded just fabulous to him,” she says. In the awkward moment that followed, he picked up a training brochure that happened to be on his desk and offered to send Steinel to a course on cost reduction strategies. She went—and neither Steinel nor Arthur Andersen would ever be the same.

“I was completely reborn,” Steinel says today. On the plane home from that course, she wrote up a business plan for a new Arthur Anderson division focused on cost reduction, and within weeks sold an important client a multimillion-dollar contract—the first win for what evolved into a major service line. Over the next twenty years Steinel oversaw the fast growing consultancy and eventually became the global managing partner of Arthur Andersen’s $2.5 billion Business Consulting practice.

But then came Enron—and Andersen’s swift demise. Because of Steinel and her team’s recognized leadership and exper-tise, in July 2002, Steinel joined Bearing-Point as head of its Commercial Services practice and many of her seasoned consul-tants joined her.

Steinel immediately set to work build-ing BearingPoint’s Commercial Services practice into the global powerhouse it is today. Just four years after she joined as executive vice president of Commer-cial Services, it is a major contributor to BearingPoint’s annual revenue. Concern-ing the transition to BearingPoint and why the firm was such a great fit for her and her team, Steinel says that its culture was “very welcoming of different people from different organizations at different stages of their careers.”

When it comes to women in business and technology, Steinel is passionate and in-volved. “We’ve made so much progress,” she says. “There are so many more of us [women] in business, accounting, and engineering today than there ever were.” As well, an increasing number of her clients—CEOs, CFOs and CIOs at major global firms—are women.

BearingPoint is on the forefront of this trend, according to Steinel. Since the new BearingPoint CEO, Harry You, stepped in less than two years ago, Steinel went from being the only woman on its management team, to one of four.

“Realizing that women were underrepre-sented,” says Steinel, “Harry went out and found some extremely talented women

to add to the team and he encourages his direct reports to do the same.”

Out of the eight executives reporting directly to Steinel, three are women. And this is not just happening in the executive suite, according to Steinel. “I think Bear-ingPoint has seen a dramatic shift over the last few years in terms of hiring and promoting qualified women throughout the organization.”

BearingPoint has a diversity task force, of which Steinel is executive sponsor, which is devoted to examining issues like mater-nity leave, compensation, and opportuni-ties for advancement.

Twice recognized as one of Consulting Magazine’s Top 25 consultants, as well as being named by the magazine as one of the top two consultants who will “change the face of the consulting industry,” Stei-nel is a big believer in mentors, and men-toring programs. “It’s a really critical kind of relationship,” says Steinel, who herself has been on both the giving and receiv-ing end of mentoring relationships. She’s especially adamant that young women shouldn’t have to suffer through the things she learned the hard way.

Steinel has advice for women entering the technology field that mirrors her own experience. “Take your rightful seat at the table. Don’t sit in the second row, apologize for making a comment, or ask permission to speak,” she says. “Say what you have to say, and then make it happen.”

Visit bearingpoint.com for details on career opportunities.

technically brilliant

g-FORCE: SURpaSSINg thE BOUNdaRIES OF INdUStRy aNd CaREER

technically brilliant

BY mELISSA ChARLES

ENgINEERINg SUCCESS at EvERy LEvEL

Photo courtesy of Melissa Charles

womenforhire.com

technically brilliant

www.midamericanenergy.com

Our Family TreeWithout you, it’s incomplete.

If you’re looking for a place to call home, where youcan grow and develop, turn to MidAmerican Energy. As a result of continued growth we need peoplewho can help anticipate and meet the energy needsof our customers. Through our different perspectives,cultures and experiences, we will grow and continueto deliver outstanding service.

MidAmerican Energy was named the utility with thehighest customer service ranking in the nation in the2005 Electric Utility Business Customer SatisfactionStudy, according to J.D. Power and Associates*.This recognition is due to the commitment of ouremployees in meeting and anticipating the needsof the communities we serve.

When you join MidAmerican Energy, you can lookforward to the training and development opportuni-ties that keep your career on a growth track. We arecommitted to growing and developing employees totheir fullest potential.

For more information about career opportunities,visit www.midamericanenergy.com. Onlineapplications are available. Or, email your resume,noting WFH in the Subject Line, to:employment@midamerican.com.

An Equal Opportunity Employer, Committed to Diversity.

*This is the third consecutive J.D. Power and Associates customer satisfactionstudy to rank MidAmerican highest in customer satisfaction in the Midwest.MidAmerican Energy was awarded “Highest Customer Satisfaction withBusiness Electric Service in the Midwestern U.S.” and tied for “Highest OverallCustomer Satisfaction Among Residential Electric Customers in the Midwest”according to J.D. Power and Associates’ 2004 studies. jdpower.com

Curious to see how the family VCR worked, eight-year-old Tyria Riley took it apart, saw what she needed to see, and adroitly reassembled its many parts. When all was said and done it worked just fine. So no one was too surprised that by junior high she was ready to make her career plans known. Riley would become an electrical engineer.

Riley grew up in Illinois, in East Saint Louis, and selected the University of Southern Illinois at Edwardsville to pursue her degree in electrical engineering. This course of study is extremely difficult, but with the help of her family, she was encouraged to push on, and graduated in 2002, looking forward to what lay ahead.

Today, she is an electrical engineer in the St. Louis facilities of the largest technology company in the world—The Boeing Company. Her primary re-sponsibility is to design and test wiring systems that are being altered or upgraded in sophisticated FA/18 fighter aircraft. She is the only engineer within her group of information technology experts who still maintains a computer-aided electrical wiring design system. So once again, she finds herself taking things

apart and putting them back together.

Boeing employs more than 153,000 people in more than sixty-seven countries, repre-senting one of the most diverse, talented and innovative workforces anywhere. More than 83,800 of their employees hold degrees—including 28,900 advanced degrees—in virtually every business and technical field from more than 2,800 col-leges and universities worldwide. Riley is thrilled to be part of this global team.

“The company is huge, so there are so many opportunities,” she says. “I love the diversity, and the fact that manage-ment is so supportive of my professional development.”

Constantly eager for knowledge, Riley has taken full advantage of the Boeing Learning Together Program. It pays tuition and books for any employee’s further education in any field. By December, she’ll have a master’s degree in systems engineering from the University of Missouri at Rolla. Once she completes that, she plans to go for her doctorate in systems science and mathematics at Washington University in St. Louis. Riley is also active in the National Society of Black Engineers, and serves as the organization’s regional Alumni Extension chair.

Because of her amazing attitude and drive, Riley was recently promoted, and she is looking forward to all the opportunities that The Boeing Company will continue to offer her.

For information on career opportunities, visit boeing.com/employment.

tINkERINg hER way tO thE

tOp: a BOEINg ENgINEER SEES

hER CaREER SOaR

Photo of Tyria Riley courtesy of Boeing

womenforhire.com 4�

Boeing employs more than 153,000 people in more than sixty-seven countries, representing one of the most diverse, talented and innovative workforces anywhere.

book promo

ALL-NEW Book oFFERS ExpERT ADVICE oN ASkINg FoR WhAT YoU WANT AT WoRk

In their new career book, Take This Book to Work: How to Ask For (And Get) Money, Fulfillment and Advancement, published in September by St. Martin’s Press, Tory Johnson and Robyn Freedman Spizman tell you how to ask for what you want in the workplace. Seventy-something scenarios are presented, from asking for an inter-view to negotiating the best severance package and everything in between.

KELLY RIPA calls it a “must-read for every career woman.” Real estate genius BARBARA CORCORAN says it’s the “ultimate guide for nice girls who want to get ahead—practical, engaging, clear and helpful.” “No nonsense, concise and compelling,” raves Good Morning America co-anchor ROBIN ROBERTS.

If I had only asked! Perhaps this phrase sounds familiar. You probably know firsthand how hard it is to ask for what you want at work. Ask and you shall receive? Surely we all know it’s not that easy, especially in the cutthroat world of work.

In their new career book, Johnson and Spizman polled more than five hun-dred professional women, some of them looking for a job and some hap-pily employed on what they viewed as the biggest

hot-button issues with which they rou-tinely struggle. Three topics consistently emerged: money, professional advance-

ment and personal fulfillment. Regardless of their industry, occupation or level of success, most working women throughout the country have these issues at the top of their minds. As Johnson and Spizman dug deeper, they discovered a specific thread at the core of each of these workplace challenges: it all came down to what an individual did to prepare and then was willing or able to ask for.

Whether they’re seeking employment for the first time or simply trying to advance their careers after years on the job, many women routinely grapple with how to ask for what they want and feel they have earned through hard work and commit-ment. But often we don’t ask questions because we’re shy, intimidated, or simply uncomfortable. Other times, we just don’t feel like we’re entitled to ask, or we allow a fear of looking stupid—and/or a feeling of self-consciousness to hold us back. It often boils down to an uncertainty about timing, protocol and even specific lan-guage to use when asking specifically for what we want. In the end, many women wind up sitting on the situation, stalling and stewing instead of asking.

Fortunately, asking the essential questions is a learned skill, one that any woman can master quickly. Take This Book to Work will be your guide to learning it. This book paves the way to successful workplace communication by offering you specific tactics and strategies that will leave you feeling ready to ask for it and satisfied that you did. It’s written in an easy-to-follow format with straight-forward advice, as opposed to hard-to-decipher theory.

Here’s a snippet of what you’ll find:

How to Ask to be Considered for Positions Outside of Stereotypical Roles

Not every position is going to put you on the fast track to the top. In fact, most support positions, which are traditionally held by women, rarely lead to advance-ment to the highest levels of the company.

EXCLUSIvE EXCERpt

womenforhire.com 43

book promo

The roles that will help you reach the top are called line jobs. These positions directly impact the company’s bottom line—its profits and losses.

How to Ask for a Raise

Because he has his own responsibilities, your employer doesn’t know everything you do. Therefore, it’s time to pull out the “Look what I’ve done!” file and brag about yourself—professionally, of course.

What results has your work achieved? List any accomplishments of yours that have cut costs, increased revenue or productivity, improved safety or performance, or saved time. Give specific examples, with percent-ages, facts, and figures, to back up your points. Write a paragraph at the top of this list to summarize your achievements, but think about the bottom-line impact you have made.

How to Ask about Sports When You Know Very Little About the Topic

Make a habit of reading the headlines in the sports pages every day or tuning in to the sports segment of your local televi-sion or radio news to learn how your local teams are performing. Be able to name the football, basketball, and hockey teams in your area in case you’re asked about them. In addition to knowing the star players, as a businessperson you’ll want to pay particu-lar attention to leadership challenges or changes in team ownership and coaching staffs.

How to Delegate Responsibility

Learning to delegate is essential. To del-egate, you must have a clear understanding of your responsibilities and the parameters of your job. When you ask your boss for permission to delegate, show the benefit to the company. Say, “I’m spending a lot of time handling the invoicing, which is taking away from my ability to effectively handle the sales calls. If we could have someone else handle the invoicing, I could devote more time to generating revenue.”

When you delegate a project, you must still take responsibility for its successful completion. However, you need to give your designee the freedom and authority to complete the task. Explain why the task is important, why you’re delegating it and what your expectations are.

How to Ask for a Day Off to Attend to a Child’s Needs

Junior high was the time to ask permission on minute details. But now that you’re a qualified, competent businesswoman, you get to make the rules—well, most of the time. In the case of major life events, such as the high-school graduation of your child, you do not have to ask permission in a meek manner. For example, instead of saying, “My son is graduating from high school next month, and I’m hoping it’s okay for me to miss a few hours of work in the morn-ing,” you should say, “My son is graduating from high school next month, so I’ll need to take off a few hours that morning, which I’d like you to note on your calendar.”

Take This Book to Work: How to Ask for (And Get) Money, Fulfillment, and Advance-ment is available on amazon.com, bn.com or in your favorite local bookseller. We’re asking you to buy it—so please accept our appreciation in advance.

WANT AN AUTogRAphED CopY

oF ThE Book?

Just buy a copy of Take This Book to Work, then send a self-addressed stamped envelope to Women For Hire, �4� West 72nd Street, New York, NY �0023, and we’ll send you back a specially-created sticker to affix to the first page of your book. It will be signed personally for you by the co-authors. careers.homedepot.com

Ready to join our team?Apply online today for full-time and part-time positions:

The Home Depot is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Bilingual candidates are encouraged to apply. Available positions may vary by store.

FOCUS ON TEAMWORK.

SHARE KNOWLEDGE.

EMBRACE DIVERSITY.

The Home Depot is more than an equal opportunityemployer. We constantly look to our associates forgreat ideas, and we recognize that many minds arebetter than one. That’s why diversity, teamwork andinnovation continue to help The Home Depot growas an industry leader.

womenforhire.com44

46 womenforhire.com 47

But before you hit that “upload” button, consider this: friends aren’t the only ones who are going to be seeing your photos or reading your blog entries. Potential employers could be looking, too.

Do you really want a future boss to see that hot guy taking tequila shots from between your bosoms last Saturday night? Probably not.

According to a recent survey of one hundred executive recruiters conducted by Execunet, an executive job search and recruiting network, seventy-seven percent of employers use Internet search engines to investigate candidates, and thirty-five percent have eliminated a candidate from consideration based on what they’ve found. That figure is up from twenty-six percent just one year ago.

In this era of Google searches and social networking outlets, it’s essential to know if you have digital dirt—information about you that’s available to the public through personal websites, social networking sites and blogs—that could be deemed unattractive by employ-ers. And if you have it, clean it up.

gET CLEAN

It’s silly to let the contents of a social website to stand between you and your dream job.

The easiest step to clean up your digital dirt is by updating the websites you know are out there. If you belong to a social network like MySpace or Friendster, take down any infor-mation that has the potential to make an employer wince. This includes everything from promiscuous photos to profiles that brag about a love for boozing and staying out all night to blog entries that complain excessively about a past job or a previous boss.

Others could have contributed to your digital dirt on these sites by posting comments or testimonials about you that reveal less than flattering information. Sweep this dirt under the rug by activating features that block these comments or require your approval before they are published to the live site. You can also manually delete anything you find objection-able, and change the settings so only friends you have approved to be in your network can view your profile.

NARCISURF

Find out what else is out there about you by doing some narcisurfing—searches about yourself. Not only can you Google yourself, but you should also go to sites that retrieve information from multiple search engines like dogpile.com.

To keep on top of your digital dirt, sign up for services like Google Alert or Pubsub.com, which will let you know any time your name is mentioned online.

online profiles

gOt dIgItaL dIRt?With the prevalence of digital cameras and high-speed Internet access, sharing photos and stories with friends and family is easier than ever before.

48

If you find objectionable information about you on websites outside of your control, contact the webmaster and ask that the information be removed.

SWEEP IT UNDERTHE RUG

Sometimes there is no way to remove your digital dirt. If that is the case, consider burying it. Search engines rank their results based on the number of sites that link to the pages. So the more links to the page, the higher it will show up during a search.

If you start a professional website or a blog that you would be proud to show to an employ-er, make sure it has more links to it than any pages containing digital dirt in order to better the chances a perspective employer will read about your positive attributes first.

PLANYOUR DEFENSE

Some teens and twenty-somethings are hesitant to sanitize their online profiles. Many believe an employer doesn’t control their life twenty-four hours a day, and what they do on their private time is a personal matter.

For those who refuse to budge on the racy photos or salacious contents of their profiles, it’s key to be prepared to address that information if asked.

An interviewer might say, “So I saw your MySpace profile and you certainly like to have fun, don’t you?” Instead of saying, “Hey, that’s none of your beeswax,” you’ll want to take a less defensive approach. “Yes, I enjoy being with my friends. I’m also a great student and I’ve worked very hard to maintain a strong GPA. I believe that it’s ok to relax and have fun too. That’s never affected my performance on the job, nor will it.”

But again, keep in mind that you might not have the chance to defend yourself because someone might nix you from the running without even asking you to explain the online profile.

TURNINGTHETABLE

The good news about the Internet is that it works both ways—just as employers are check-ing you out, you should be researching perspective employers.

Not too long ago, a Gallup poll of one million workers found that bad relations with the boss is the number one reason for quitting a job. Numerous surveys back up the belief that the majority of people would dump their bosses if they could.

Even though none of us can expect perfection, a satisfactory relationship with our direct supervisor should be a fairly simple and attainable goal. Unfortunately, that’s often not the case. In fact, when people leave their jobs, they’re typically quitting their bosses, not their positions or their employers.

This is why it’s increasingly important to not only research the company you’re interested in working for, but also checking out the person you’ll be reporting to.

Anyone with a computer can dish online about his or her boss. Thousands of random mes-sage boards and dozens of major social networking sites enable people to post comments about their current and former employers. Sites like LinkedIn.com, Ryze.com and others also allow you to search for, and connect with, people who work at companies that you might be interested in joining. With a few simple searches, you can come up with a lot of information about the person you’re eyeing as your new boss.

online profiles

Different perspectives generate fresh ideas. That’s why at Bank of the West, we value diversity of gender and equal opportunity for our female employees. Year after year, we continue to grow stronger thanks to our unique blend of people. After all, in today’s competitive banking environment, it is our employees with innovative ideas that keep us a step ahead of the rest.

AT BANK OF THE WEST,WE VALUE THE INDIVIDUAL.

AT BANK OF THE WEST,WE VALUE THE INDIVIDUAL.

AT BANK OF THE WEST,WE VALUE THE INDIVIDUAL.

Member FDIC

BANK OF THE WEST

www.bankofthewest.com

womenforhire.com

Business women can battle deadlines, avoid crises, settle dilemmas and balance budgets. So why do we have such a tough time managing our own closets?

Despite the best of intentions, our closets are bursting with clothes and we still have nothing to wear. According to Talbots National Fit Study, a quarter or more of women’s clothes never leave the hanger and the top reason is fit. More than half of the women surveyed cite poor fit as the number one reason they don’t wear more of their clothes more often.

Clothes that get worn a lot earn their keep; the ones that don’t should be paying rent. According to the Talbots study, eighty percent of women thirty-five and older wear less than seventy-five percent of their clothes. Buying styles that fit your proportions will help reduce the waste in your closet and maximize the return on your clothing investment.

Take measure. Size specifications vary by designer, so it’s helpful to know your measurements when determining which size or sizes will fit you best. Use a tape measure—the flexible kind a dressmaker uses for fittings—to measure your bust, waist and hips, as well as your inseam. Compare your sizes to the manufacturer’s size chart. Re-measure yourself every couple of years. Your measurements may change as you get older, even if your weight remains constant. Focus on fit, not size. Don’t be afraid to mix sizes or cross between different size categories for the best fit. Opt for coordi-nated separates if you need different sizes for tops and bottoms.

Think like a stylist. Choose styles that reinforce the areas you like while deflect-ing attention from those places you might prefer disguising. For example, flare leg

pants help minimize wide hips, raglan sleeves deemphasize broad shoulders, wide necklines help magnify narrow shoulders, deep “V” and “U” necklines elongate the neck and flatter a fuller bust line. Too many accessories, patterns or colors can be distracting so aim for a singular dramatic effect versus sensory overload.

Easy on the breaks. Breaks of color and pattern are eye catching so avoid styles that hit at your widest points, and be sensitive to both the scale and placement of pattern and visible styling details like pockets. To look five pounds slimmer, steer clear of horizontal breaks of color or pattern in favor of vertical styling details like princess seams and pinstripes.

Hit the fitting room. Try different styles and sizes on at one time so you can com-pare how they fit. Watch for wrinkle clues that might indicate that there is either too little or too much fabric. Aim for a fit that skims the outline of your figure without clinging to every curve. Make sure there’s enough ease in the cut for a comfortable range of movement. Raise your arms, bend, sit, stand and walk.

Don’t compromise. Settling for ill-fit-ting clothes is a waste of time, money and ultimately prime closet space. Before you buy make sure you love the way it looks and feels on. Be wary of those unbeliev-able bargains. They still cost too much if they don’t fit or flatter. Certain adjust-ments are worth a trip to the tailor. Sleeve and hem lengths are relatively easy to change, but reconstructing the entire shape of a garment is rarely worth the expense.

Thompson is the director of public relations and fashion spokesperson for Talbots, a leading specialty retailer, cataloger and e-tailer based in Hingham, Mass. Visit talbots.com.

wardrobeIMpROvE yOUR CLOthINg ROI

BY BETSY ThompSoN

You've always been the one to come up with innovativeideas, the one whose talents drive the group faster and take itfarther. At Canon U.S.A., we're looking for those people whostand apart from the crowd. Our exceptional teams encounterno boundaries. We encourage ingenuity and passion – it's whattakes us and our employees to the top. If you'd like to be partof a company where you can develop your career with yourown style, look no further! Discover more about the successand opportunities Canon can offer you. Benefits includecompetitive salaries, profit sharing, a 401K plan, and more.

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What IMAGE do you see of yourself?

Yo u ' r e u n i q u e .

womenforhire.com 5�

Who among us hasn’t had a great idea for a new product or desired to set up shop and work for ourselves?

While it’s fun to daydream about such scenarios, it’s quite another thing to actually leave the comforts of a regular salary, healthcare coverage and paid vacations to strike out on your own.

For those women with the courage to take the plunge into self-employment, there is almost always that period of uncertainty when questions can undermine confidence: Was this the right decision? Will my company make it? Will others respond to my product as strongly as I do?

Meet three women who followed their dreams by starting businesses, and share their moments when they knew for certain they had made the right choice.

• For jewelry designer MARY MARGRILL, learning Jennifer Aniston had bought one of her necklaces was a moment of pure joy.

• Seeing her sweet treats on the shelves of Whole Foods was a huge victory for SARAH ENDLINE.

• As a communications consultant, CLAUDIA BROOKS D’AVANZO realized a client’s vote of confidence boosted her own.

extraordinary entrepreneurs

One in every eleven adult women is an entrepreneur, according to the Center for

Women’s Business Research in Washington, D.C..

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Photo courtesy of M2 Design

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womenforhire.com 53

Before starting your own business, what other jobs did you hold, and how did they help you get to where you are today?

Production manager for catalogues at Christie’s auction house to fifteen years of working for the country’s largest jewelry pro-duction and wholesalers to director of merchandising for Seiko Watch Corporation. I learned every aspect of what it takes to run a company. I was always well-respected for my aesthetic opinion and got paid to learn everything I needed to know about the industry as I further developed my skills.

What was the impetus to strike out on your own?

I always wanted to have my own business and I wanted to make a profound difference in the world. When my best friend of twenty years died of cancer (we met the first day of school at Bennington College where I was a sculpture major and she a set designer), I knew it was time to go out on my own and fulfill on my destiny as this life seemed too short. My husband and best friends helped me to pave the way.

How did you differentiate yourself from all the other designers out there?

I didn’t pay attention to what others were doing. I stayed out-side of the industry, under the radar so to speak, and followed my heart and soul. My designs are purely out of my own soul and the way that I developed my business was completely outside of the box because of that.

Was there a major retailer that changed your life by deciding to carry your line?

Two big ones: The Rectory and Neiman Marcus. They both have been instrumental in my business. I didn’t have to do

any convincing to get them to carry my line. My work was creative, original and inspired.

How did you feel the first time you learned a celebrity was wearing your jewelry?

I got a call from an editor at InStyle magazine and after talking to her for about thirty minutes, she finally said, “Ok, I guess you don’t know or you would have told me by now in this conversation. I saw Jennifer Aniston last night on Jay Leno and she was wearing your necklace!” I literally danced with joy. I got a call once from an editor of a major national tabloid who told me to go online and I would see a picture of Halle Berry wearing one of my necklaces.

Who else loves your line?

Jennifer Aniston, Sienna Miller and Keira Knightley, Heather Graham, Naomi Watts, Jennifer Garner, Courtney Cox, Penel-ope Cruz, Kirsten Dunst, Hillary Swank, Ashlee Simpson—the list goes on.

What are the best and worst parts of your job?

The best part is connecting with people. I love my staff. The generosity that people have shown me is astounding and I am so grateful to the many friends I have made along the way. And the worst would be there never seems to be enough time.

What advice would you give to other women who are looking to start their own business?

Believe in yourself and your product and be authentically passionate and positive. Authenticity speaks for itself. Know your industry well and then step outside of the box. It takes inspiration, information, focus and the right action.

A few of our favorite things…

While everyone who joins our team is drawn here by something different – from the support we offernew graduates to our advanced services that open exciting challenges for even the most experiencedteam members – one thing is always the same. Our dynamic career environment is designed to bring outthe best in individuals by helping them own their future and to bring out the best in our entire teamthrough a shared mission of excellence in patient care. Our spectacular new expansion, outstandingeducation benefits and flexible scheduling options are some of the fantastic assets our team enjoys, allin a beautiful suburban location.

A Magnet facility and one of the region's busiest, most comprehensive facilities, AMH is an independent,570-bed, acute-care teaching hospital with a medical staff of more than 800 physicians and 5,000employees.

What will be your favorite thing?• Generous tuition reimbursement• Formal reward and recognition program• Flexible scheduling• Career advancement• On-site child care facility

Learn more and apply online at www.amh.orgWe are an equal opportunity employer.

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Abington, Pennsylvania

MaRy MaRgRILLDESIgNER AND FoUNDER, m2 DESIgN BY mARY mARgRILL

m2DESIgNINT.Com

extraordinary entrepreneurs

womenforhire.com 55

Before starting your own business, what other jobs did you hold?

I started out after undergrad running the largest cultural exchange program in the world, AIESEC. After that, I worked for the World Bank’s initiative to partner corporations and non-profits for developing countries. I also worked at the National Founda-tion for Teaching Entrepreneurship as the National Director of Marketing and Product Development. After getting my MBA at Harvard Business School, I worked at Yahoo! on launching products, developing brand positioning, building customer com-munications plans and creating loyalty strategies.

When did you know you wanted to start your own business?

I think I had the inkling dating back to undergrad. I wanted to create the next Ben and Jerry’s—an amazing company that gave back to the community, has a wonderful product, and takes a really fun approach. I was really fascinated with the candy com-munity.

How did you settle on cacao?

I had started out in candy factories in China just looking around, when I realized I wasn’t interested in those products and they weren’t the future. It didn’t feel right.

I came home and I started working on the idea of fair trade organic premium chocolate and along the way I found the bean. At the same time I was doing consumer research, getting an idea about what people like to eat. That’s where I started to realize this idea of natural food that’s healthy and good for me and still tastes great.

I’m a huge believer in the idea that you don’t need to come up with an entirely new product, but figure out your own unique innovation.

How did you know the time was right to strike out on your own?

The first thing I did, which I highly recommend, is I tried to set aside “x” amount of hours a week to work on my business while I was still at another job. I tried to read a lot of books and tried to get myself psyched and prepared to work for myself. During this time I was also trying to save money so I would be somewhat secure when I got to my jumping point. I finally got to the point

where I realized I could keep talking about my idea, but I needed to work on it full time.

Once I quit my job, I structured my life so it wasn’t like I was taking time off; I was just moving to the next job. Once I jumped, it was like, okay, now starting my own business is my full time job.

Was there one moment when you knew starting your own business was the right decision?

About a month after launching, in October 2005, I landed the Whole Foods account. I remember the date vividly. That was a really huge milestone for us, a huge validation. I don’t think the best entrepreneurs ever really rest and say okay, now we can just hang out. All of these opportunities create new challenges. It’s like your running a marathon. New opportunities open up and you’re doing your best to grab every opportunity you can. But seeing your product in Whole Foods is definitely a validation.

What advice do you have for other women who are looking to start their own business?

There’s something to be said for setting goals and having really high expectations. It does impact your performance when you aim higher than you ever could imagine and then achieve.

extraordinary entrepreneurs

SARAH ENDLINEMASTERMIND AND CHIEF RIOTER, SWEETRIOT

SWEETRIOT.COM

Photos courtesy of Sweet Riot

womenforhire.com 57

extraordinary entrepreneurs

Before starting your own business, what other jobs did you hold and how did they help you get to where you are today?

I started out as a secretary (before they invented the term administrative assistant) making $12,000 a year at a local advertising agency in Atlanta. I took that job be-cause, after graduating from Auburn University with a de-gree in PR and journalism, I had set my sights on working

for one of Atlanta’s top PR firms, Manning, Selvage & Lee. But when I called that firm to see when they would like to interview me, they promptly informed me they would not even consider anyone without agency experience. They practically hung up the phone on me I was so deflated I ran outside my parents’ house, found my dad and just cried. So I looked in the local paper’s classifieds for an agency that was hiring. I interviewed that week and started a few days later. I kept sending my resume to MS&L and six months later—guess what?—I got hired. That was the real start of my PR career. I stayed at MS&L for seven years. I later joined Fleishman-Hill-ard and worked there for eight years, departing as a senior vice president in 1998 to start my own business. It was the experience of working for those two firms that prepared me to run my own agency. What was the impetus to strike out on your own? Freedom. Freedom to live the life I choose and to work in my own way. Freedom to work with people I really enjoy. Freedom to be a mom, and be there for my family whenever and wherever I want to or need to. I didn’t need permission from anyone any longer to do these things. When did you realize you had made the right decision?

I was in the process of moving my business out of my house to our first office. I had to let a freelancer go who was not working out. I was nervous about calling one of our large clients to say I

was making a staff change, thinking the client might choose this freelancer over me or just let us go. But the client said something like, “Claudia, this is your bus. We trust that you’ll put the right people on your team, but that sometimes you’ll have to move folks on or off as you need to. That’s your business. But as far as we’re concerned, on the outside of that bus it says, ‘Claudia’s Bus.’” That response gave me so much confidence. I knew then that the clients perceived me as a legitimate business owner. What are the best and worst parts of your job? Best parts: A day filled with laughter, great work, happy team members and happy clients. And I’m home in time for dinner with my husband and kids. I really don’t have much to complain about. It’s a challenge for me to be patient when there’s so much to get done in a day and I always feel like I’m running behind. What advice do you have for other women who are looking to start their own business? If you are passionately connected with what you’re doing and the risk you’re about to take, the road will be so much easier. And you’ll be amazed at the generosity of other entrepreneurs who will want to help you.

CLaUdIa BROOkS d’avaNzOFoUNDER AND pRESIDENT, CREATIVE CommUNICATIoNS CoNSULTANTS

CREATIVECommINC.Com

Photos courtesy of Claudia Brooks D’Avanzo

womenforhire.com 59

Traci Vinopal-Phillips had no sales experience when she first interviewed for a job as a sales representative for Forest Pharmaceuticals four years ago. What she did have was two decades of experience in high-pressure situations on the basketball court, two years experience selling recruits on the Michigan Tech basketball team she helped coach and the discipline and self-confidence acquired from playing profes-sional sports.

The company saw something special in Vinopal-Phillips, and hired her over other candidates with stronger sales back-grounds. The chance paid off. She was the top seller for two of the three full quar-ters she worked as a sales rep, earned a promotion within eleven months of being hired and made divisional manager within two-and-a-half years of starting with the company. “No matter what, I didn’t want to lose,” she says. “I wanted to be the best rep and get the best results, so in a way I was promotable because of sports.”

More women than ever are involved in high school and collegiate sports where they are learning discipline, commitment, teamwork and self-confidence. Once they leave the scholastic setting, those lessons learned on the hardwood and grass fields are helping female athletes distinguish themselves from their peers and propel them to success in the business world.

“Coming out of college and not having much work experience, my main resume builders were extra-curricular activities,

swimming being the main one,” says Becky Mutz, who was the captain of the Emory University swim team and current-ly works as a certified public accountant at KPMG. “I was able to demonstrate that I had leadership skills by being the captain, that I was dedicated by the number of years I had been swimming, and that I was hard working by all my achievements.”

For Harmony Hunt, a former NCAA Division I basketball player, her experi-ence as an athlete came into play when she decided to start her own promotional marketing business – Triuniversal – six years ago.

“I had to take that competitive edge and put it in the office,” Hunt, twenty-nine, says. “In volleyball, if you have trouble with serving, you have to talk to others that are better than you at serving and practice over and over. Sometimes you may be tired and you want to take a nap in the closet, but it is those times that sepa-

rate the weak and the strong the league champs versus the national champs.”

In high school, Hunt played volleyball and basketball. She still holds records in rebounding and shooting percentage in her hometown of Miamisburg, Ohio, but it was her volleyball prowess that earned Hunt a full ride to Division I Youngstown State University in Ohio.

“Those individuals that have been in-volved with sports have a different mind-set,” Hunt says. “Those people want to succeed. They are self-motivated enough to push through the bad days. Anyone who practices seven days a week to win a ribbon or a plastic trophy, I can shape into a superstar entrepreneur.”

It takes a superstar entrepreneur to know one. Since starting Triuniversal in July 2000, Hunt’s client list has expanded to more than twenty offices spanning from San Diego to Boston. Combined, all the offices she consults currently have annual sales of almost fifteen million dollars, with her own business personally responsible for two million dollars.

In the past year, Hunt was able to pur-chase not only a dream home for herself (complete with seven bedrooms, four bathrooms and a four-car garage), but also a historic Victorian home for her grand-mother.

Mutz, twenty-seven, also recognizes her sports background has helped advance her career.

team leaderShE ShOOtS, ShE SCORES

FEmALE AThLETES ARE USINg LESSoNS FRom

ThE FIELD To WIN IN ThE BUSINESS WoRLD

Harmony Hunt

womenforhire.com 6�

62

“Sports has definitely indirectly helped me earn awards and recognition at work,” she says. “One of the ways to get recognized, promoted and awarded is to go above and beyond what everyone else is doing. Sports taught me to go the extra mile and to push myself a little bit harder. In addi-tion, sports taught me that hard work pays off.”

That kind of attitude is exactly what Vino-pal-Phillips, thirty-three, looks for when she is hiring sales reps for Forest.“Athletes are usually extremely com-petitive, which we need in our industry,” Vinopal-Phillips says. “Typically they’re very confident, and they usually have a really strong work ethic and know how to manage their time. If I get an athlete and they don’t have any sales experience, I have no problem hiring them if I see some of the intangibles in their personality. You can teach someone our process of selling. You can’t teach intangibles that a lot of athletes already possess.”

Like Hunt and Mutz, Vinopal-Phillips also excelled at the college level, earning hon-ors on the Michigan Tech basketball team. After graduating, she played two seasons of professional basketball in Denmark, and when she returned home to take care of her mother who was diagnosed with cancer, she kept her foot in the game by working as an assistant coach her alma mater. During her coaching tenure, she also found time to earn a second degree in communications and journalism and appeared as a sports broadcaster on local television stations.

By the time the sales rep opportunity presented itself (a former basketball com-petitor thought of Vinopal-Phillips when the job opened up and contacted her), Vinopal-Phillips figured she had already succeeded in so many different areas, why couldn’t she succeed in pharmaceutical sales?

“I just knew that I could do anything I put my mind to,” she says. “I think that’s fostered by sports.”

team leader

“Sports provided me with a skill set that enables me to be successful in the real world. “

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Traci Vinopal-Phillips

womenforhire.com

In the past year and a half she has worked as a divisional manager, Vinopal-Phillips has drawn on her own experience as a coach and the positive and negative expe-riences of being coached by people with different personalities.

“Coaches that motivated me are the ones that collaborated with me and tried to find out what makes Traci tick,” she says. “I take the same collaborative efforts with my reps. That definitely helped me in keeping my reps motivated. They know I’m working with them and have their best interests in mind.”

Being able to foster that sense of team-work is also what Hunt identified as the most valuable lesson she learned from playing volleyball.

“With volleyball if you have a great dig and the setter fails to deliver the ball to the hitter, you lose,” she says. “If the defen-sive specialist is off then the setter can’t be the playmaker and you lose. A team that can work together can beat a team of all-stars. Efficiency is much more effective

than talent. Talent is not worth anything, unless it is being utilized. Open lines of communication are the key to any success-ful organization.”

Vinopal-Phillips, Hunt and Mutz all say they want their children to play sports, so they, too, can learn those valuable life lessons.

“Sports provided me with a skill set that enables me to be successful in the real world,” Mutz says. “I feel that sports teach you valuable life lessons that are transferable into your professional life. Dedication, hard work, and leadership skills are things that you learn being an athlete that are the building blocks to have a successful career.”

“It doesn’t matter which sport,” Vinopal-Phillips adds. “I think they all teach kids how to work with other people, it teaches them confidence, and it teaches them a strong work ethic. I think those are the key things to learn as a woman in order to be independent.

64

In many ways, Pat Carr felt like she was going through a divorce in 2004 when American Airlines downsized and she was laid off from her position as a manager in the cargo division.

“I had been with the company for twenty-three years,” she says. “I was over fifty, and you look around the job market and you see all these young people looking for jobs, too, and there’s new technology and you think I’m not going to get a job.”

Carr, now fifty-three, decided to treat her situation as an opportunity to embark on a new path with new challenges. But after looking for a new job on her own for nearly two months, she still had no promising leads. So Carr turned to Women For Hire for help.

“I found the Women For Hire Web site and saw they had a job fair coming up,” Carr says. “I still had travel privileges as part of my severance package with American, so I decided to go.”

Carr followed the tips on the Women For Hire website to prepare for the expo and attended the early morning seminar led by Tory Johnson, CEO of Women For Hire.

“Women For Hire gave me the confidence to know that even at fifty-three years old I can find a great job in another field,” Carr says.

Armed with her new confidence, Carr started interviewing with companies simi-

lar to American Airlines. Nothing seemed very promising. But as she was rounding a corner at the expo, a group of enthusias-tic people from Target caught her eye.

“They were energetic and wouldn’t let anyone go by without talking to them,” Carr says. “I remembered one of my colleagues from American went into retail so I decided to talk to them. I told them my thirty-second speech, gave them my resume and they said they’d call in a couple of days.”

Target called for an interview, and in Janu-ary of this year, Carr was hired as a team leader responsible for 230 employees.

“I make things happen in the store, which I love,” she says. “When I left American it was a daunting prospect but it turned out fine. I love what I do, I’m making the money I want to make and I’m learning a new way of managing.”

Carr is already on the track to become a district manager, and the job has a major bonus—it allows her to live in the same house as her husband. From 1999 to 2004, Carr was based in cities away from her northern California home, and only saw her husband on the weekends.

“I went from airline transportation to retail,” Carr says. “The skills that I have are about leading people. Those are skills and those are marketable skills. Women need to take an assessment of themselves and say this is what I have to offer.”

FaIRwELL

womenforhire.com

OpportunitiesAwait You.

Archer Daniels Midland Companyremains committed to unlocking thepotential of all its people. As a supporterof Women For Hire, we seek to recruit talent wherever it exists, especiallywomen who share our commitment ofimproving the quality of life for all people.

We have great opportunities in finance,engineering, marketing, accounting,research and development and I.T. If youare searching for an exciting and challenging career, please visit us onlineat http://careers.admworld.com.

Unlock your potential with ADM.

ADM is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

OpportunitiesAwait You.

Archer Daniels Midland Companyremains committed to unlocking thepotential of all its people. As a supporterof Women For Hire, we seek to recruit talent wherever it exists, especiallywomen who share our commitment ofimproving the quality of life for all people.

We have great opportunities in finance,engineering, marketing, accounting,research and development and I.T. If youare searching for an exciting and challenging career, please visit us onlineat http://careers.admworld.com.

Unlock your potential with ADM.

ADM is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Achieve Your Professional Aspirations:Become a Morgan Stanley Financial AdvisorAchieve your professional aspirations with an organization renowned

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