Why All Business Women Should Have a Professional Portrait of Themselves

February 3, 2010

 I was once coaching a woman who was having a difficult time at work because she felt like upper management just wasn’t taking her seriously (don’t worry, that’s

NOT

her in the example pictures above).

She hadn’t been promoted in the last five years and was feeling incredibly frustrated. We evaluated every aspect of her career and began making changes, including updating her hairstyle and make-up, improving her wardrobe, and improving her public speaking and presentation skills.

One day during a coaching session I asked her to show me the picture she was using on her internal company directory. That’s when we realized something was very, very wrong!

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59 Jobs over 40 Years in 22 Cities and 4 Countries…and the Career Lessons Learned

January 27, 2010

I recently grabbed coffee and had a quick chat with Karen Burns, author of “The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl: Real-Life Career Advice You Can Actually Use,” an illustrated career advice book. Karen wrote the book based on her own checkered career of 59 jobs over 40 years in 22 cities and four countries. Yes, you read that correctly…she’s had 59 jobs in the last 40 years! Here’s what she had to say about what she learned during her adventurous career…

Question: Wow! 59 jobs over 40 years. Why so many jobs?
Karen: I’ve actually gotten this question so many times during my career that I provided my top 10 list of answers in the back of my book. But I usually give three main reasons: I started very young (age 10), I worked two jobs at a time for many years (‘cause I needed the money), and I worked freelance for more years, which involved many clients and many companies. And just to be clear, I never intended to have so many jobs - it just happened. But by having all those jobs what I really learned is that we should embrace change and not be afraid of it or of trying new things. Sometimes, jobs are just plain horrible. And when a job is really awful the only thing you can do is quit and find another one. I’ve never been afraid to try something new and that’s allowed me to have a pretty colorful career path.

Question: When you look back at your career, are there certain jobs that stand out as the most interesting?
Karen: I don’t think one job in particular stands out over the others, but the most interesting jobs were definitely the ones that required me to stretch the most and step outside my comfort zone. Hmm…maybe the most unusual was when I lived in France and was hired to model plus-sized bustiers…unusual because I’d never modeled and I’m a fairly petite person.

Question: I love the illustrations you include throughout your book and you’ve obviously put a lot of thought and effort into both the writing and illustrations. Is it true you created all the illustrations yourself?
Karen: Yes. It’s funny really, because I’d never drawn anything in my life until I wrote the book. Then an agent suggested that the book would be better if it was illustrated. I like to joke that it took me a lifetime to learn to write and only one month to learn to draw.

Question: You’ve had such an incredibly varied career path. What do you believe is the key quality that’s allowed you to be successful?
Karen: It would have to be that I’ve never doubted my abilities. Even if I don’t know how to do something, I never doubt my ability to jump right in and learn something new. That, and the fact that I worked darn hard for so many years. One cannot underestimate the value of hard work for sustained periods of time.

Question: The book is great for people of all ages, but especially for women who are just starting out in their careers. What would you most like young women to get out of reading your book?
Karen: I want women to realize that it’s o.k. to change a decision and start over; that nothing in life is irrevocable. So often we choose a job and end up hating it but then we’re afraid to quit and try something new - and that’s often way worse than making a bad decision.

Question: I love your list of the “Working Girl’s 10 Best Eternal Truths”, shall we share them with our audience here?
Karen: Absolutely! I don’t claim to be any kind of career advice guru, but as I looked back on my career and wrote this book, I realized there was always at least one key thing I learned from each job. The 10 best list is my way of sharing the key truths I learned during my career journey (and, there are more Eternal Truths sprinkled throughout the book).

Karen Burn’s “Working Girl’s 10 Best Eternal Truths”:

10. Things seem impossible only until you do them.
9. If you don’t ask for something, you will never get it.
8. Make friends before you need them.
7. The farther out of your comfort zone you leap, the more people will step forward to catch you.
6. Authority isn’t given to you; it comes from you.
5. It’s the stuff you don’t do that you regret the most.
4. Believing you know it all is a sure sign of ignorance.
3. How you actually do your work is as important as the actual work you do.
2. Life is supposed to be a little bit dangerous.
1. It’s never too late to be the person you were meant to be.

I found Karen’s book to be accessible and easy to read. It doesn’t need to be read in chronological order as each chapter is short, illustrated, and offers pithy yet profound advice. It’s the perfect type of book to give as a present to a sister, daughter, niece, granddaughter, or friend.

For more about Karen or her book, check out: www.karenburnsworkinggirl.com. Enjoy!

~ Lisa Quast

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Senior Female Leaders Impacted More Than Male Counterparts in Difficult Economy

January 20, 2010

A study on high potential talent has indicated that women at the top have been the hardest hit in the continuing economic situation. According to a report released by Catalyst, Opportunity or Setback? High Potential Women and Men During Economic Crisis, female executives “were more than three times as likely to have lost their jobs because of company downsizing or closure than their male peers: 19% for women and 6% for men.” Read the rest of this entry »

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It’s Time to Clean Up Your Desk!

January 13, 2010

Monday, January 11th was “National Clean Up Your Desk Day”, and January is “Get Organized Month” so what better time than right now to start the new year right by taking a look around your office and spending a little time getting yourself and your desk organized. Why? Because getting organized could actually help your career!  Read the rest of this entry »

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Meet Carolyn Kepcher in the latest feature article

January 6, 2010

“You’re Fired!” - Ever watched The Apprentice on television?  Then you should check out the latest Career Woman feature article and meet Carolyn Kepcher.  Carolyn is the founder of Work Her Way and a high-profile businesswoman, often recognized for her role as an Executive Vice President with the Trump Organization.  She is known by millions for her role on NBC’s hit series, “The Apprentice.”  She’s a woman who’s used her fame to focus on helping women and for that, she was chosen as our first featured career woman interview for 2010. Read the rest of this entry »

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Tips to Achieve Your New Year’s Resolutions

December 30, 2009

Yes, it’s that time of year again…time to create our list of New Year’s Resolutions. Have you ever found yourself creating your list yet not following through with your goals? I have a theory about that. I think most of us: 1) put way too many things on our New Year’s Resolution list; and 2) aren’t specific enough when we define each resolution. Does this ever happen to you? Read the rest of this entry »

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Top 5 Lies Told by Job Candidates

December 23, 2009

With today’s difficult job market and economy, it’s more important than ever to ensure accuracy and truthfulness on your résumé. Many companies, large and small alike, are realizing that job seekers are exaggerating and often lying on their job applications and résumés because they are desperate to find a job.

However, since the cost of a bad hire can range anywhere from one to five times the salary of the individual, more and more businesses are now using companies, such as HireRight, to help them implement, manage, and control employment screening programs. And beware the job applicant who exaggerates, falsifies their credentials, or outright lies on their résumé! Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Jumpstart Your Job Search | 2 Comments »

Are You Projecting the Appropriate Leadership Image?

December 16, 2009

Your effectiveness as a leader is tied to your image, according to the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL). What is image? Basically, it’s the perception others form about you as a result of your actions and the impressions you make on them. It can be created by many things, such as “personality, behavior, body language, and speaking style, as well as formal status and physical appearance.” Your image can have a tremendous impact on people as they get to know you. Read the rest of this entry »

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The Amazing Great-Grandmother – Achieving Your Dreams At Any Age

December 9, 2009

I love sharing inspiring stories about women who have overcome odds to do something incredible!  My blog this week is about a great-grandmother from Everett, Washington who went from dangerously obese to not just getting in shape and turning her life around, but to actually setting world records in weightlifting.  Her name is Winifred Pristell…and she’s 70 years old. Read the rest of this entry »

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Can Your Appearance Actually Hold You Back From Promotions?

December 2, 2009

Climbing the career ladder is not just about what you know and who you know…it’s also about your appearance.  I once worked with someone at the beginning of my career who was incredibly bright, had several college degrees, excellent work experience, and was highly professional.  But, she never seemed able to get promoted.  Puzzled, I had a discussion with our manager.  Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Dressing for Success | 3 Comments »

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