How Not to Introduce Yourself

By the time you snag your first professional job, you’ve heard the advice about introducing yourself a million time. Stand up, have a firm handshake, make eye contact, speak clearly, use titles like Ms. or Dr. until you are invited to do otherwise. You know the routine and you’ve mastered it. What you may not be as prepared for is how to introduce yourself at a meeting. Your introduction, of course, varies with the meeting. If the facilitator requests that each participant give ... Read more

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The Grandmother Reduction

She has been arguably the most influential First Lady in our nation’s history and set the stage for comprehensive healthcare reform. She has served as a U.S. Senator and Secretary of State. She’s come close to being the first female President and it’s highly likely that we may call her Madame President within the next few years. Regardless of your politics, it’s inarguable that Hilary Rodham Clinton has made an indelible mark on the fabric of our society. Yet, when I was watching ABC News ... Read more

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Feminism: Different Times, Different Definitions, Different Tactics

Young women who reached adulthood in the late 1960s and 1970s had generation specific issues facing them. At that time, the nation was just coming out of the “Father Knows Best” era. Women had limited educational and employment opportunities (nursing, teaching, and secretarial work were predominant options). They weren’t earning a significant percentage of graduate degrees, and they certainly weren’t earning equal pay. In fact, many of them had trouble getting a ... Read more

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How to Avoid Presentation Arrogance

Most new professionals have had a course in public speaking or communication 101. If you took these courses, you know all about doing the prep work, using media selectively, and arriving early for your presentation. You have been coached in avoiding “ah” or “like” as filler, and in not using jokes unless they are culturally relevant and appropriate for the situation. You also have to be good at telling jokes (which few people are). What you may not have been taught ... Read more

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Paralyzed by Choices

As a society, we tend to romanticize the decade between the ages of 20 and 30. It’s the start of adult life, a beginning filled with opportunity, choice, and health. It’s a time for exploration, experience, and fun. If there are so many positives, why do so many young people seem stuck and unhappy? Parents complain that their children don’t appear to be moving forward in their careers. Psychologists discuss the unwillingness of the “twenty-somethings” to make ... Read more

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Promoting STEM. Forgetting Society?

Everywhere you turn, companies, schools, and individuals are pouring attention and resources into making sure that women and girls are entering the STEM professions, which are science, technology, engineering, and math. The White House has a “Women in STEM” initiative. Goldie Blox, the girl-centric engineering toy sets saw a meteoric rise after a commercial depicting little girls constructing a complex contraption went viral. There is even a “STEMinist” movement. We’ve come a long way since ... Read more

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How to Survive That First Mediocre Job

Most of us are always looking for direction in our lives, especially our work lives. This search starts in high school when parents, school counselors, friends, and others begin asking what you plan to major in when you go to college. Few high school students can answer this question with clarity. You finally select a college, but it may take a year or two to nail down a major. The sheer number of choices can be overwhelming. Even within a major, there are choices to be made about ... Read more

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Choosing a Career in Nonprofits

Omar Garrett, a marketing manager with LinkedIn, recently wrote a piece in the New York Times encouraging young people to consider work in nonprofit organizations. He notes that only one in 10 “career-oriented” graduates (those with majors in program like business and engineering) plan to pursue work in a nonprofit. Stating that although other career-paths offer a surer path to financial and professional success, nonprofits need new grads who in turn can gain vital skills and prove ... Read more

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Presence Has Consequences

In a recent article by Christine Bader posted on FastCompany, the author speaks about the need for businesses to broaden their scope and to look beyond their corporate walls to the people and communities they affect. She further notes that the MSW (master’s degree in social work) might be the new MBA. I would argue that it shouldn’t be one or the other, but a synergy of the best competencies of both professions. Social workers do bring a unique perspective to their work. Their ... Read more

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The Business of Nonprofits

There is a major misconception that nonprofit organizations and associations are not actual businesses. While they might not be the same as a corporation that manufactures products or sells services for a profit, nonprofits must follow many of the same rules. This includes filing taxes, following state and federal business policies, raising revenue, and managing expenses. The biggest difference is mission versus margin or profit. Nonprofits are established to carry out certain functions, ... Read more

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