Travel

Jobhunting in a Different City

by Kat on 07/19/2011 · 51 comments

in Career, Commuting, Interviewing, Networking, Transitions, Travel

Map, originally uploaded to Flickr by NeilsPhotography.Reader L has a question about networking and job hunting in a different geographic area…

I just became engaged to a wonderful young man who lives an hour and a half away from me. This is the closest we’ve lived since we began dating a long time ago, due to jobs and schooling. I’ve been at my job for 3 years, and am not happy. He loves his job of one year and it has much more potential for growth.  I’ve been quietly asking around, trying to see if anyone knows people in his city, which is the largest in our state, and he is not in the same field as I am and doesn’t have connections. Ideally I’d like to go to the same office as I work in (government) in boyfriend’s city, but it turns out there are 3 people in my own office who told me they’ve already submitted their resumes months ago to that city’s office and no response. These are people with much more experience than me so I’m quite discouraged. Should I just send my resume blindly and hope? Should I mention in the cover letter that my future husband lives in the city and that’s why I want to move there, or not say anything about my desire to move? I’ve already tried the local bar association there and the website of my law school’s career services office, but it seems like no one is hiring. One thing that’s a possibility is telling my bosses that I want to go elsewhere for a few years until my fiancee can start telecommuting with his job and then we can move back. There are 3 women in my office who have done that – 2 have done it multiple times now – and they are always welcomed back with open arms. Since both fiancee and I are from the town I live in now, I think that’s a reasonable and believable request. Unfortunately we can’t just live halfway between our jobs as my office has a residency requirement to live within a certain mileage of work.

I’m curious to see what the readers say about this one.  First, to Reader L, congratulations on your engagement!  Some thoughts on job hunting and networking are below, but I’ll say up front that the telecommuting option sounds like a great option for your situation, particularly if you know your boss is open to the idea.  Talk with the women who’ve done it before and see what they thought of the experience — what is their advice to you in talking to your boss?  what is their advice to you in telecommuting?  Once you start telecommuting you can network (and interview, depending on whatever agreement you strike with your boss in order to telecommute) in your new city without fear of using all those vacation days that I’m sure you’re hoping to save for the wedding festivities and your honeymoon. (Pictured: Map, originally uploaded to Flickr by NeilsPhotography.)

Now, some ideas on networking and jobhunting in a different city than your own…

a) Borrow your fiance’s address. One of the tips I remember from my college years (where the university was in Chicago but many people migrated to New York to work) was that you should “borrow” a local friend’s address to use on your resume and correspondence so it looks like you’re a local.  If the city is only an hour and a half drive, it should be no problem if the prospective employer wants to interview you sometime soon, like in a day or two.

b) Make plans to be in the city for Week X.  Even if you don’t have any job interviews planned, write to the employers you’re interested in and tell them that you’ll be moving to the city soon and would love to hear more about their business, and could you arrange an informational interview for the week of X?  Arrange as many as you can.  I would also add to this mix any alumni (whether you knew them or not) who are working in the industry you’d like to be in, or who work for employers you’d like to work for.  Repeat as often as you can given your current vacation time allotment.

c) Use online social networks to see who you know in the city. For example, if you sign up for LinkedIn Pro you can use the “Advanced” tab to search for connections located “in or near” a certain zipcode, and you can filter them by seniority level, which groups they have in common with you, what level of connection they are to you, and even by where they fall in the Fortune 1000 rankings.  So if I were moving to LA and wanted to find a legal job that had some relation to the IP or media law field, I would search for people working within 50 miles of 90036 (the zip code of a friend’s LA address), who work in Industries such as Judiciary, Law Practice, Legal Services, or Legislative Offices, of all Seniority Levels, who are affiliated with some of the Groups I’ve joined (such as Media & Entertainment Law Group, Medill Alumni, ThoseInMedia, The Copyright Society of the USA, Digital Breakfast, etc), and look only for 1st or 2d connections and group members who speak English.  Given my current connections, that search nets me 397 results — not a bad place to start. (Full disclosure: I have a LinkedIn Pro membership courtesy of LinkedIn;  I also have purchased a small amount of stock in the company.)

d) If you do start telecommuting, do your best to network and expand your connections. A number of my friends swear by charitable groups like the Junior League as a great way to meet new people in a city; you may also find that a number of local institutions such as museums have “under 35″ networking groups that may be great ways for you to network.  Get involved in alumni groups, local chapters of the bar association or specialty associations, church groups — whatever interests you.  You don’t mention where you’ll be holding the wedding (your city or his), but as you get to know your vendors I’d even suggest asking them if they know anyone in your field — you just never know.

e) Since you do recognize that it’s likely you’ll be back in your current city one day, don’t forget about it once you’re away. Continue to network and make business lunches with people whenever you’re back in the city.

Readers, what are your tips for jobhunting from afar? What other resources would you recommend to Reader L?

{ 51 comments }

Networking with Older Men

by Kat on 06/20/2011 · 156 comments

in Business Etiquette, Career, Networking, Professionalism, Transitions, Travel

Can a younger woman network with older men without getting into questionable situations? My friend J told me of her interesting dilemma over the weekend…

She’s traveling a lot for business these days, and on one of her latest trips she sat next to an older businessman. She’s generally against talking to her seatmates, but wanted to have a bit of chitchat before she made him move to let her go to the bathroom — and she discovered that he’s the Chairman of the Board of a huge non-profit foundation (like, huge). They exchanged business cards when they got off the plane. Great contact to have, right?

Later that night, the text messages started. They were friendly at first (to which she replied warily), then turned slightly suspicious (to which she increased her delay before responding, then finally stopped responding all together). They’re no longer in the same town, but the question that’s left is: can she still network with this contact, or should he and his possibly less-than-pure motives be left in the dust? Call me an opportunist, but I’d hate to throw away a potential networking contact like that just because the guy was a bit skeevy. We’ve talked about how to handle it when a potential client hits on you, as well as how to network when you’re the low man on the totem pole, but not necessarily when a potential mentor/networking contact hits on you.

I’ve been in the situation myself, although in my case I think my defenses went up too soon — I vividly remember being asked “So what do you want?” when I took an older gentleman to lunch when I was around 23 (he practiced in a specialty I wanted to get into). Nothing but advice, I answered honestly, but I somehow still felt a bit dirty. I made sure that the next time I asked an older gentleman out to lunch (this time an adjunct professor whose specialty I was dying to get into), that I had a male classmate there with me at the lunch.

In my friend’s situation, though — this VIP could open a number of interesting doors to her. He’s a successful businessman with lots of contacts, and through his work with this big foundation he has even more contacts. His advice would undoubtedly be invaluable, and a very successful older friend is never a bad thing to have — you never know who will hear about the next big career opportunity. But how can she manage the relationship so it’s clear that she’s not interested in funny business?

For my $.02:

- I think the relationship needs to be managed the right way from the start. One of my female mentors (who came up when there were few women in senior positions) noted that she generally encouraged a “father/daughter” relationship.

- Know a bit about flirting so that you DON’T do it — simple things like

  • shake hands with him (businesslike — firm handshake, ladies!) as soon as you exchange names
  • do not touch his arm or encourage physical closeness of any sort (for example: don’t show him your phone or magazine in a way that might make you two huddle together)
  • watch your eye contact — I’ve heard that “business” eye contact is between the eyes and nosebridge; “friend” eye contact is between the eyes, nose, and mouth, whereas “dating” eye contact involves, um, lower eye contact. Also, watch the duration of your eye contact.
  • perhaps put something between you and him — casually put your purse on your lap, or even an in-flight magazine.
  • don’t seem too interested in his personal life

- As a “rainmaking litigation partner at a Biglaw firm” noted in comments a while back, “There is typically an inverse corrolation [sic] between the female summer associates that I want to date and the ones I want to hire. The qualities in the ones I want to hire are: hard-working, thorough, intuitive, and detail-oriented. The qualities in the ones I want to date are: flirtatious, spontaneous, and fun. Know which category you want to find yourself in and act accordingly.”

- Shut him down quickly if it goes there. “I’m flattered by the attention, but not interested like that.” This is better done sooner rather than later.

- Realistically assess when to abort if the attentions continue. What do you really want from this guy, and how many awkward conversations are you willing to endure to get there? In my friend J’s case, I might suggest first studying the VIP’s resume (which should be publicly available, at least on the foundation’s website), and sending an email — from whatever email address is on her resume — to say it was nice to meet him, and then asking direct questions toward things she’d like to know from his background. E.g.: “After perusing your profile on the ___ website, I noticed that you had moved from <Field X> to <Field Y> — I’m interested in making a similar switch myself, and would greatly appreciate any advice you have on that point. Did you join any organizations, or find any reading materials to be particularly helpful?” And if his response is still a bit questionable — well, move on.

Readers, what are your thoughts? What would you do in this situation — would you try to salvage the contact or move on? What is your best advice for how to network with older men?

{ 156 comments }

Navigating a New York Winter with Style and Grace

by Kat on 01/06/2011 · 88 comments

in Business Etiquette, Fashion, Lifestyle, Outerwear, Travel, Wear to Work, Weather

Slush, originally uploaded to Flickr by holly_northropReader B has some good questions about navigating a New York winter:

I work for a global financial firm and will be heading to Manhattan for a week-long business trip in mid-January out of our NY offices. As a lifelong Southern California Girl, I am totally clueless how to navigate the weather and still look professional?

I’ve seen your posts on individual aspects (footwear, coats, bring a pashmina, etc) but was hoping you might have an overall take on how to travel for work in a cold climate for the uninitiated, such as:

  • Will my Hunter wellies + warm socks be enough to get me from the hotel to the office to dinner?
  • Can I strut down the sidewalks in my kitten heel boots or will they get ruined?
  • Is my thin wool coat over my suit jacket enough or should I splurge on a down coat? (I noticed Overstock had some good looking coats and since this trip is a regular part of my new position, I don’t mind spending money on a few investment items.)
  • How do most people in NY handle the office to dinner? Do I need to tote any sort of change of clothes with me?

I’m interested to hear what the readers say on this one.  (Pictured: Slush, originally uploaded to Flickr by holly_northrop.) First, I would say this really depends on your trip.  If you’re going to be either a) working closely with senior executives from your firm or b) meeting clients, then I would axe the Hunter wellies unless they’re a basic black.  They’re fine for a commute to and from the office, but I wouldn’t want to be sitting around at dinner with VIPs while wearing them.  (I have a sad, sad story about wearing Uggs to dinner with my senior partner and a client, but we shall have to save that for another day.  But really, talk about huge regrets.)

As far as shoes go, the primary thing to look out for in NYC is the uneven streets and even some subway corridors — slush and rain can accumulate to make some ridiculously large puddles.  Wellies are great if you’re not paying attention, but with just a bit more care and attention you can avoid them entirely.  In fact, I would go so far to say that unless there is a blizzard expected (such as our recent Snowpocalypse) or it has been raining for days, you should just wear your regular boots.  I touched on some good brands and other waterproofing methods in this post a few months ago; at the very least I would recommend spraying your boots with a waterproofing agent before you leave. Kitten heel boots should be fine on the sidewalks — if you’re heading to a spot like SoHo, beware of cobblestone streets (they are not kind to shoes or to their wearer!).  If you’ve done a ton of walking and find your heels have worn unevenly, when you get home you may want to take them to the cobbler to get a new rubber heel put on the boots.  In fact, if you’re lucky you’ll be able to expense cabs to and from dinner, which will make a lot of these questions a moot point.

As far as coats go — to be honest, it really depends on the material of your coat (sometimes a thin wool/cashmere blend is just fine).  If you layer it with a wool scarf or wrap, a hat, and good gloves, you should be fine for all but the most blustry days.  I have historically been opposed to puffy coats (whether it was the movie Romancing the Stone or Working Girl, I’ll never know) but I must admit a friend just bought a fuchsia Land’s End puffy coat and looked adorable in it, so there’s that.  (They’re even on sale right now for $99.)  You may also want to check out my post on silk long johns — they are fabulous under pants suits.

As for dinners –  it depends on who you’re dining with and where you’re going.  For example, if you’re going on a date and want to change into something more alluring, I used to just swap an element of my outfit — change to higher heels, jeans, perhaps a lower top or more clingy sweater — rather than changing my entire outfit.  That said, for the vast majority of restaurants in New York, you can go wearing whatever you wore to work.  If you’re going to an extremely upscale place, you might want to call ahead when you get a free moment, and see if the hostess can give you some guidelines (e.g., jacket + tie for men might be a more formal place for you).  If you’ve got a charity ball, you can check out some of our other posts on that here or here.

Readers, what are your tips for the New York winter, specifically?

{ 88 comments }

What Do You Pack for Conferences?

by Kat on 11/11/2010 · 91 comments

in Organization, Travel

So many planes, originally uploaded to Flickr by lauren_pressleyOver the past few years, I’ve attended a few multi-day conferences in far-off locales, and I’ve realized: packing for this kind of conference is an art, not a science. I’m still learning what to bring, but I thought I’d start an open thread by sharing my must-bring items — readers, what do you bring? (Pictured: So many planes, originally uploaded to Flickr by lauren_pressley.)

1. A wrap. Conference planners may make the rooms 65-70 degrees, both to keep people awake as well as to make sure it doesn’t get too HOT. A wrap (preferably, a serious one — cashmere or wool) allows you to add or subtract layers easily, even if you’re already wearing a blazer or suit jacket. The other great thing about the wrap is that you can lay it across your lap if you need to, either to make yourself warmer or to compensate for a skirt that you’ve only just realized is too short if you’re sitting all day.

2. Two pants suits (if it’s a 3-day conference). Dressing at conferences can be particularly tricky for women — if you wear a skirt suit and the majority of male attendees show up wearing the blue shirt/khaki pant combo, you look like the newbie who’s trying too hard. If you wear a twinset and pants, though, and the majority of male attendees show up wearing suits, you look like a secretary. For this reason, my go-to outfit (for day 1, at least) is a simple pants suit — you can take the blazer off if you need to look more casual, or wear it all together to fit in. If it’s a 3-day conference, you can often wear the suit jacket with a non-matching skirt or pants, also, for a dressed-up business casual look on day 3.
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Tech Review: My New Netbook

by Kat on 08/18/2010 · 75 comments

in Kat, Tech, Travel

So a week or so ago, I accidentally spilled a beverage on my Mac laptop — and the Mac was down for the count. The cost to attempt to fix it, according to my Genius Bar tech guy, was $400. Considering the age of the Mac (2007) and the fact that I didn’t have to worry about saving data from it (I store everything of import on my desktop Dell), I decided that $400 was better spent towards a new computer. (Pictured: my new Asus Eee, sitting on top of my old dead Mac, sitting in front of my desktop computer screen and keyboard.  Pardon the mess!)

My needs: Ability to surf the web. Ability to write extensively (e-mails, posts, articles, etc.) using web-based software like WordPress and Google Docs, as well as on Microsoft Word, Excel, and Power Point. I really wanted a lightweight computer, as I take it with me whenever I travel (particularly since starting this blog). As a bonus feature, I wanted to be able to watch streaming Netflix or Hulu on it, or perhaps watch a DVD.

The hunt: My view narrowed to netbooks pretty quickly, considering that they could do everything I needed (except watch a DVD — most models don’t have a CD-ROM drive), and generally had a price range of $250-$500. The iPad just didn’t seem like it would be a great device for someone who writes a lot (plus it was much more expensive), and while I did momentarily consider just getting a new full laptop, when I went to the store they looked *so heavy* and big that the thought of traveling with one made me groan. A friend pointed me to a recent Consumer Reports review of netbooks, and after reading online reviews, I decided to go to a computer store to check out the Asus 1015 or, if they had it, the highly rated but slightly older Asus 1005-PEB.

My concerns: The small screen size worried me, as did the small keyboard. A lot of online reviews mentioned slowness, which also concerned me. At the local Best Buy, I went from netbook to netbook, attempting to stream Netflix on them — all worked fine. I really did not like the mouse button on one model (the 1018), but the Asus Eee 1015 — which had been the top Consumer Reports pick as well — seemed like a great little computer. I decided to buy it and take it home with me to test it further, particularly to see whether the computer felt slow using the wifi in my apartment — all of the test models on the floor had been wired through LAN.  The Best Buy guys assured me that I could either return it in 14 days or exchange it for something else (and avoid the 15% restocking fee if I exchanged it).

Asus Eee PC Netbook / Intel Atom Processor / 101The stats: $349 price tag. 250 GB storage. It comes with 1 GB memory, but you have the ability to upgrade to 2 GB for about $80. (I decided to wait to see how it functioned otherwise to do that.) The promise of 8-10 hours of battery life. It weighs just under 3 lbs. Asus Eee PC Netbook / Intel Atom Processor / 101″ Display / 1GB Memory – Deep Red

The verdict: I LOVE MY NETBOOK!! I’ve had textbooks that were heavier than this thing, and notebooks that were larger.  (Seriously, see the picture above of it compared to my old Mac and my desktop.)  Yes, the keyboard is a wee bit cramped, and I doubt I’d want to write 10,000 words on it in one sitting — but it suits me perfectly for my current needs.  Oh, and my old Mac laptop booted up faster; this one takes a few minutes.  (But maybe that’s a PC thing?)   The battery life is really no joke — I used it off and on all day Sunday before it died. I still have to find a sleeve for it, and to install Microsoft Office, but otherwise — a fabulous purchase for the price, and exactly what I wanted and needed.

Now I just have to keep beverages away from this one…

Readers, have you gotten any new tech toys? Care to share any reviews?

(L-6)

{ 75 comments }

How to Plan for Your First Business Trip

by GuestPoster on 07/12/2010 · 162 comments

in Lifestyle, Organization, Travel

Plane landing against the Manhattan skyline by John Wardell (Netinho)Today’s guest post is written by reader and blogger RoadWarriorette, who blogs about business travel.  She was nice enough to collect some of her best tips for us here on Corporette…

When you find out about that first business trip, anxiety can ensue. You have questions about what to take, how to pack, what suitcase to get, what you need on the plane, etc. There are even more questions if you happen to be traveling with your boss!  When I first started traveling for my job four years ago, there were no resources for women business travelers. The only article I could find had a tip about not putting on your nylons—yes, they said nylons—until you arrived at your destination, because if the plane crashed they could catch on fire. Seriously.

(Pictured: Plane landing in Manhattan, originally uploaded to Flickr by John Wardell (Netinho).)

Here is my packing list for a four day trip (the most common length of business trip, if Google search terms are anything to go by), my favorite general travel tips, and advice for traveling with your boss. Good luck, and happy travels!

What to pack for a four day trip
 In your suitcase (try this one from Samsonite or this one from Tumi) (Choose your travel outfits from these clothes as well)
• Two bottoms (i.e., slacks and a skirt), one comfortable for travel, and a coordinating jacket if needed
• Four tops that go with both of your bottoms
• At least one light jacket or sweater (unless you need a heavier jacket)
• No more than three pairs of shoes, including a pair of flip flops for the hotel room
• Enough undergarments, including socks/hose
• PJs
• Your favorite work-out or yoga outfit
• Toiletries, makeup, hair stuff (brush, curling iron)
• Chargers (phone, laptop, etc)

In your purse/briefcase (this one from AK Anne Klein is great for travel)
• Phone, wallet, lipstick, keys, etc.
• Boarding pass
• Laptop
• Plastic bag of liquid toiletries
• Scarf/pashmina
• Book or magazine

And with that you should be good to go! Carrying-on for a four day trip is pretty easy.

In general, by way of tips:
• Flat, slip-on shoes are best for day of travel. They allow you to move quickly through the airport, go easily through security, and be comfortable on the plane.
• Bring a scarf or pashmina for the plane–use as a blanket, a pillow, or whatever you need.
• If you can at all avoid it, don’t bring anything that wrinkles or that you have to iron. Ironing will just waste time and stress you out.
• Bring clothes that fit into one color scheme, i.e. black or brown. This way they all match, and you can pack fewer pairs of shoes.

For the plane:
• Don’t throw your bag in an overhead bin that is way in front of your seat if you can at all help it. It’s not courteous to the people that sit under that bin and would like to put their bags there.
• If it’s a long flight, bring an eye mask and earplugs or noise-canceling headphones so you can rest.

Packing:
• I bring my own shampoo/conditioner, because I travel so much if I use whatever random products the hotel puts out my hair gets mad; a couple of great sources are 3floz.com and Sephora.
• Eagle Creek packing cubes are helpful for the small items (underwear, socks, hose, etc); they will help you save a ton of space.
• I have three small bags for my toiletries–one for liquids (that gets taken out at security), one for non-liquids (toothbrush, deodorant, etc), and one for make-up. This allows me to fit them in my suitcase wherever they will go instead of taking up a lot of room.
• And don’t forget about my new favorite tip from Corporette readers! Use spare contact lens cases for small amounts of liquids, such as face soap, moisturizer, eye makeup remover, etc.

Miscellaneous:
• Emergen-C! I take it every day when I travel, sometimes twice. I also bring SoyJoy and Atkins bars with me everywhere in case food is hard to find (or I’m stuck on a plane).
• I use my White Noise iPhone app a lot in hotels, especially when the walls are thin, there is a highway outside nearby, or the air-conditioning unit is super loud off and on.

If your superiors are there:
• If you are traveling with your boss, you have to be on your best, and most competent, behavior. Keep this in mind with everything you do, starting with your suitcase. Be familiar with the airline’s guidelines so that if you are carrying on, your bag is within the correct size requirements. Also, make sure you can lift it into the overhead bin without throwing out your back.
• While on the plane, looking like you are working is never a bad thing. If that’s not an option, look at a magazine that you could show your grandparents: Real Simple, InStyle, something in that vein — not People or Us Weekly, please, unless you’re sure that your boss shares your obsession with Brangelina — or read a book. You don’t have to try to come across as a pseudo-intellectual, but please don’t read anything that looks like a trashy romance or something called “How to Get Your Boss’s Job.”
• During any downtime that you spend with your boss, wear something comfortable but cute and well put together. It’s pretty unlikely you’ll have to wear a suit to dinner (unless of course you’re going straight from the office), so maybe a pair of slacks or dark jeans, a nice top, and cute shoes. Don’t wear anything that would make someone think you are going to a bar: nothing revealing, no too-tall shoes, etc.
• And I hope this would go without saying, but just in case. Please, please watch your alcohol intake. Getting drunk and throwing up in a cab with your director looking on is not going to make the impression you want. (I saw this happen, and trust me, three years later we still talk about it.)
• The goal is to exude confidence and competence at all times. I know it doesn’t seem fair that someone could be judging you during “off” times, but that won’t stop them from subconsciously doing it. If a behavior could even remotely be considered questionable, abstain.

Readers, what are your best travel tips? Any amusing “if I’d only known then what I know now” stories?

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