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For busy working women, the suit is often the easiest outfit to throw on in the morning. In general, this feature is not about interview suits for women, which should be as classic and basic as you get — instead, this feature is about the slightly different suit that is fashionable, yet professional.
It's always annoying when companies don't show the suiting separates together, but this navy pinstriped skirt suit from Banana Republic looks promising. I like the chalky pinstripe, the contrasting waist, and the cut of the jacket (single button, collared, single vent). There isn't a big sale on today (cardmembers save 30%), but this one definitely looks worthy of stalking until there is a significant sale. The well-reviewed jacket (Pinstripe One-Button Blazer) is $198, and the skirt (Pinstripe Pencil Skirt) is $98 but on sale today for $78; both come in sizes 0-16 in regular and tall sizes; the jacket also comes in petite sizes.
Looking for a plus-size option? Check out this pants suit with pindots (and it's eligible for Triple Points, nice!); this gray pinstriped skirt suit also looks great.
(Not sure how to wear a pinstriped suit? Check out our last discussion on it, here.)
(L-5)
Sales of note for 9.30.24
- Nordstrom – Beauty deals through September
- Ann Taylor – Extra 30% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + extra 20% off
- Boden – 15% off new styles
- Eloquii – Extra 50% off sale
- J.Crew – 50% off select styles
- J.Crew Factory – Up to 60% off everything + 50% off sale with code
- Lo & Sons – Warehouse sale, up to 70% off
- M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
- Neiman Marcus – Friends & Family 25% off
- Rag & Bone – Friends & Family 25% off sitewide
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – Fall Cyber Monday sale, 40% off sitewide and $5 shipping
- Target – Car-seat trade-in event through 9/28 — bring in an old car seat to get a 20% discount on other baby/toddler stuff.
- White House Black Market – 40% off select styles
And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!
Some of our latest threadjacks include:
- What to say to friends and family who threaten to not vote?
- What boots do you expect to wear this fall and winter?
- What beauty treatments do you do on a regular basis to look polished?
- Can I skip the annual family event my workplace holds, even if I'm a manager?
- What small steps can I take today to get myself a little more “together” and not feel so frazzled all of the time?
- The oldest daughter is America's social safety net — change my mind…
- What have you lost your taste for as you've aged?
- Tell me about your favorite adventure travels…
Anonymous
Does anyone have suggestions for where to get ‘going out’ type tops? I have lots of good business causal clothes as well as a weekend casual wardrobe, but I have no idea where to shop for an evening out. I do have cocktail dresses, but I’m thinking about the sort of thing I might wear with skinny jeans and heels or with a pencil skirt. So maybe a halter, something with sequins, etc? I’m going to Vegas in a few weeks and I’d like to find some things to wear there, but looking at the places I usually shop (whit House Black Market, Banana Republic, etc) has yielded nothing.
MargaretO
Asos! The inventory is huge but they have a “going out tops” category.
Anonymous
H&M and Zara are good sources for this sort of thing, plus they’re inexpensive.
Anon100
What about Express or H&M? Or even Charlotte Russe or Forever 21 for cheaper pieces that it’s unlikely you’ll wear often?
Anonymous
+1 to Express. They are great for that sort of thing
Maddy
+1 to Forever 21. Especially if you don’t want to spend a ton of money.
dressy top OP
I’ll check out Express – I recall shopping there in my younger years when I needed clothes like this more often. How do Forever 21 things fit? I remember trying some clothes a few years ago and they were clearly cut for a non-curvy body.
Curious....
What skinny jeans are your going out skinny jeans? I feel like my jeans are too casual looking….
dressy top OP
I do feel like jeans are on the more casual end of going out. My favorite pair are black with a hint of metallic running through them. But super dark wash in a snug fit does the job too.
CX
Democracy black skinny jeans. Incredibly comfortable, very flattering and still appear to pass the “no denim after dark, after 25” rule.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0126FNUVW/ref=s9_hps_bw_g193_ir01?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-9&pf_rd_r=1RAMPEHKYQDMRVY4Y99H&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1865611842&pf_rd_i=3024080011
H
There is a “no denim after dark, after 25” rule??? I must live in a casual city. Plus, I never go out.
Another SA
Marshalls/TJ Maxx?
I find a lot of stuff that isn’t my regular style there
Anonymous
A money poll — what % of your liquid savings do you keep invested in the market vs. in other low growth accounts (savings; CDs etc.). I’m merely curious about savings — not 401k/retirement; home equity etc. Interested in figuring out what % of savings should be invested. I recently heard someone say they put everything in the market except their emergency fund and was wondering if that’s normal or excessively risk seeking. And OTOH I know people who won’t put anything into the market except their 401k.
Anonymous
My husband would prefer we put nothing in the market other than 401k/IRAs. We talked it through and agreed to put 20% of our liquid savings into the market for now. I would prefer something like 50% of our liquid savings (less our emergency fund).
Goosebumpy
Everything except the emergency fund.
Anonymous
We have all of our savings except for our emergency fund (a year of expenses) in an index fund. We view these other savings as our down payment fund. We have no plans to buy in the immediate future until we decide whether we want to live in our current city long term, so I can handle market fluctuations. We probably have > 80% of our non-retirement/college savings in the market. If you include those amounts, we have well over 95% invested.
Anon
I keep my emergency fund and short-term spending goals (furniture, vacations, etc.) in various savings accounts, and generally everything else goes into the market in some form with the understanding it is not readily available without a penalty (I consider that less liquid). My current percentages are 45% in retirement-specific accounts, 30% in other market accounts, and 25% in readily-available savings.
Life
About 5% cash/money market, about 25% bonds, rest in market/stocks (mostly index funds).
I would have it all in stocks, but some of my $ is inherited and I am saving it to care for an elderly relative, if needed. So that money has to be kept more conservatively managed.
I am willing to have most in the market because …. i have to do something with it! I do not like managing real estate and find that more stressful for my personality. I also don’t have time to think too much about my money. And I am in the market for the long term…. So am willing to take the ups and downs of her market over time because I am fairly frugal and am mostly saving for retirement and history suggests this will work.
If I was very rich, and ran in more exclusive circles, I would be doing things differently. The wealth my relatives have accumulated with their inside connections is truly staggering. Just staggering.
Anonymous
Banana Republic question — what has replaced the classic Martin fit pant? I liked their suit pants the best — neither skinny nor wide legged; and neither high rise or low rise and looked good with a belt. Is there some other one that replaces that now?
Anonymous
I need a curvy cut and just got a pair of . . . Avery . . . suiting pants. If they weren’t at the tailor getting hemmed, I could check the tag, but they have a straight leg and fit on my frame (like the Martin). I really like them. In gray, the write-up describes them as being curvy-friendly and the other gray pair is cropped and tapered and has a lower rise.
Anonymous
OK — after reading the comment below, I must have the Logan. The Avery must be the other pant. I had to order online — my local store was well stocked with the cropped one but not the one I wanted.
M
I tried on the Logan pants recently and found them to fit similar to the old Martin. Mid-rise, trouser leg, suiting material.
Anonymous
I want to wear less makeup this summer, especially on the weekends. I have a moisturizer with sunscreen that I like, but it leaves my face a little shiny. What light/minimal coverage/can apply in the dark powder would you recommend? I am thinking I would use this, plus some blush, mascara, and lip gloss.
Anonymous
I use a basic Clinique powder compact in a translucent shade when I feel shiny.
meme
I’d like to buy a simple, not-crazy-expensive but not-cheap-junk cubic zirconia pendant. Any recommendations where to look? I’m clueless when it comes to jewelry.
Cat
Swarovski? It’s crystal, not CZ, but I always think the stones are cut/sparkle very nicely.
Cat
Also, Nordstr0m always has a nice selection of “costume” jewelry — I bet a salesperson could help you.
Anonymous
I’m possibly interested in volunteering with a political re-election campaign this season (U.S. House incumbent), but, um, I’m not actually sure what volunteers DO, especially for an incumbent in a safe seat in an affluent, highly educated district.
Basically, I find my corporate job very unfulfilling and I potentially have political aspirations of my own someday, so I thought volunteering might be a nice way to address both of those issues, but I’m not sure if volunteering for a campaign is the way to go? Other ideas?
Oh, and if I wanted to get involved, what’s the right time to do so? (I.e., is there a certain timeline when volunteers are most needed?)
Anon
This really depends on your skill set. They might have you knock door to door or if you have any skills in marketing you could do the social media. If you are skilled with finances they could have you keep track of the books. When I volunteered I did all the polling analysis since I’m a statistician. They do try to match skills with tasks. Just email them and they will likely respond when they officially need volunteers to begin.
Snick
In my experience, campaigns start people out with knocking doors and making fundraising phone calls. Fundraising is always a priority, even in a safe district unfortunately.
bridget
There’s no obligation to volunteer in the campaign in your district, so you could look at nearby Congressional districts. Also consider senatorial or gubernatorial elections.
Just email the campaign and ask to help out. Follow the politician on social media to get an idea of where the issues are. Be ready to do boring work like knocking on doors or compiling data.
Dulcinea
Based on my experience you will likely be asked to phone bank (either fundraising, polling, or inviting voters to campaign events) or go door knocking. Even if you do have some special professional skills (eg, graphic design) those jobs are more likely to go to paid staffers who worked their way up; maybe not if you have some really exceptional skill you are willing to offer for free. You will also be asked to phone bank to recruit other volunteers. A lot of people you call will hang up or ask to be taken off the list, or rant angrily at you about some conspiracy theory you haven’t heard of related to your candidate. You might get to go around with a clipboard at events getting people’s information. A TON OF PEOPLE will ask you for lawn signs, and you should pleasantly remind them that “lawn signs don’t vote!” The actual work is likely to be tedious but you can meet fun interesting people, and if you really love your candidate it can be exciting to be a part of their team.
Anon
I think this is also highly dependent on the candidate. Mine only had like 3 paid staff so even high level positions were unpaid volunteers. If your candidate has the funds for lots of staffersthere is no way you will be doing meaningful work.
politico
I didn’t mean for this to become a novel, but I hope this is helpful – political veteran here. I’d email right away, especially if you’re looking to make connections with the existing staff and want to become one of the “volunteers they turn to”. There are two sort of volunteers in campaigns – the people who become known to be trusted and specifically ask to volunteer on a frequent basis – and the people that show up every once in a while (maybe one parade a year, or just one or two days for phone banking). To have the best chances for networking and getting in good with the campaign, I would make it clear to them that you’d like to offer a consistent (weekly, bi-weekly, whatever) time commitment and see what they need.
It can really work out well – I volunteered for a Congressperson in their election to Congress and then their first reelection. I got in with one of the mid-levels on the campaign staff and made myself an indispensable volunteer. Several times I actually got to drive the soon-to-be-congressperson around to different community events and fundraisers and shadow them (writing down names and info about people they talked to, keeping track of potential donors, etc). This person is now on Ways and Means, and I’ve got a direct line to all of the key staff. While I’m now out of politics, those staff played a key role when I got my first job in politics, making phone calls on my behalf and providing great recommendations. Now to be honest, if this person is a long-time incumbent, their campaign staff and congressional staff will likely cross over. The paid staff man the Congressperson at all times and wouldn’t have a volunteer do those things, but you might get to go with them.
As to what you’ll actually be doing. At first, I spent hours and hours in the campaign office labeling/sealing envelopes/putting on stamps for fundraising letters or fundraiser invitations. I would count out stacks of literature and organize lit drops. In the summer, you’ll be asked to hold a sign and walk in parades, maybe to work a booth at a fair or community event. If you wait until September/October, yes, this is the peak time that volunteers are needed for GOTV efforts, but you’re also more likely to get batched in with the big group of “volunteers”, and have less opportunities for the networking you’re looking for. You’ll make phone calls, do lit drops and door-knock.
Either way, you’re going to start with the “grunt work”, and everyone has to pay their dues. If you make it clear you’d like to be there for the long haul and then you put in the time and effort to work your way into the fold, over time you may get some chances to do more glamorous work – like working some of the actual fundraisers, sometimes with big-name guest attendees and lots of networking opportunities with the state/local politicos. I also got out of working the fundraising/campaign calls myself by lining up other volunteers to work phone bank shifts and do lit-drops.
Another point of consideration: if you’re interested in running for office, think about what you’d run for (would it be City Council? County Commissioner? State Representative, State Senate or the like?). Honestly, volunteering in a congressional race may or may not be helpful depending on what you’re looking for. If you want to stay uber local, city council or county commissioner, I’d get involved in your local civic groups and volunteer with local causes. If you’re looking at a state representative or senate seat, you should find and attend your local BPOU meetings, make some connections with the campaign legs of the House or Senate (or Assembly, whatever your state has) and also get engaged civically and on a local level. There is an entire network, one which far too few people are aware of, that works hard to get all of those more local faces elected, and are the groups that the larger campaigns (congress, statewide races, and national campaigns) call upon to do their ground-level GOTV work, and if you’re passionate and ready to work hard, you can become a leader in those groups within a few years.
Bette
If you are in a district that is truly safe for the incumbent, s/he might not be putting on much of a campaign effort. I think volunteering with someone like that would be boring/less meaningful.
If you are looking at this volunteering as a effort to raise your profile within your local political experience, I’d look at one of the down ballot races such as for state house/senate or city council. Those will likely be harder fought and give you more interaction with the party apparatus. I think it will also give you a “realer” picture of what it is like to run for office/work in politics. Unless your last name is Clinton/Bush, you don’t just wake up one day and run for US Senate. You typically have to work your way up through elected office and raise your profile.
If you are a dem, I’d also check out to see what Emily’s List candidates are in your area. They are trying to building a pipeline of female elected officials so play in down ballot races. They also have good candidate training classes for people who are interested in running.
(I believe there are similar resources for women on the republican side – like possibly Susan B Anthony List – but am less familiar with them, so apologies if Emily’s List does not reflect the values you’d look for in a candidate/party.)
PEN
Does your house-cleaner do more than just “clean”? I have had two over the past few years and they came every other week and did the real cleaning: dusting, floors, bathrooms, etc. BUT I would really like to have someone come every week and do the dishes & put up laundry–and then every other week do the “cleaning” . Or maybe split the “cleaning” tasks up between two weeks. Is this a thing that people outsource? Maybe I am being lazy, but I have two under two and feel like my husband and I are drowning in dishes and laundry.
tesyaa
I remember that drowning feeling. You can certainly hire cleaning help that does laundry and dishes, but make your expectations known up front. Also, make sure you are getting enough hours. It’s my experience that many people who feel that their cleaners don’t do enough aren’t paying for enough help.
Anonymous
Your current housekeeper might not do this, but you can ask. If she’s unwilling, I think it’s totally fine to find someone new who’s willing to do cleaning and housekeeping chores. I’ve had housekeepers who did both – I paid an hourly rate and however long to fold the laundry it was.
Anonymous Preggo
I know there are definitely housekeepers who do this (mine does any dishes lying out, but she doesn’t do laundry). You just need to be up front about it when hiring someone.
FWIW, I do still outsource this stuff. My nanny does dishes daily and does all of my daughter’s laundry, sheets & towels, and folds any other laundry if it’s in the dryer. We put all of this in our job ad (discussed during hiring process), and we pay somewhat above going rate. I often think that when both kids are in school (I’m pregnant right now), I will still want to have someone come daily for a couple of hours to do these tasks plus meal prep which nanny also currently does. With 2 under 2, I can totally understand why you feel like you’re drowning (esp. if you’re working FT), and I don’t think you’re lazy at all.
Legally Brunette
We have asked our cleaner to do this in the past. She comes every two weeks for deep cleaning and then comes an additional two times during a week to tidy up, do laundry, dishes, etc. It’s so, so helpful. I have also heard of nannies who will do this for extra money (although some nannies just do this as part of their job too).
If you live near a college, I might post an ad and try to get a student to do this. We have tried this tactic in the past with mixed success (most college students don’t want this kind of job), but it’s worth exploring.
PEN
Thanks, everyone. Current cleaner is great and when we hired her we specifically only wanted her to do the “cleaning” and only every other week. We are moving across town and will have to find a new cleaner in the next couple of months, so I am putting some thought into what that new person’s duties may be and considering increasing the frequency.
And yes, both H and I work full time.
Anonymous
I hired a housekeeper who cooks dinner for the week (3 meals, each of which we eat twice), cleans the house, washes dishes, empties the dishwasher, washes, folds, irons (on the rare occasions we have ironing) and puts laundry away. She works for us for a full 8 hour day each week, and I pay her roughly twice the hourly rate I paid my former housecleaner (who only cleaned). My spouse and I both work more than full time, we have a preschooler, and my life would be even more in shambles than it is if we didn’t outsource the chores.
PEN
I know rate depends hugely on location–but what is the rate you pay?
Anonymous
$27/hour.
Anonymous
This is absolutely a thing! When I worked as a nanny, my employers had 2 cleaners who came once a week for about six hours and did all the cleaning plus household laundry (sheets, towels) and my employers’ laundry plus load/unload the dishwasher. Because there were two cleaners working together, they could accomplish a lot in one day.
anon-oh-no
our cleaning ladies do just that. they come every week. One week, they do the deeper cleaning (though that includes washing the sheets and towels they change, and any dishes in the kitchen sink) and the other week, they do our laundry and just basic cleaning (bathrooms, kitchen, beds, but no dusting, full on vacuuming ,etc). And if they have extra time on the “off” week, because there isn’t much laundry or something, the organize our drawers. they are fantastic and they make my life so much better.
Anonymous Preggo
Ladies, need some career advice. I’ve posted a few times recently about an unpleasant colleague at work, so take all of this with a grain of very specific unhappiness in my current job. But I’m mid-career and totally unhappy/lost and trying to figure out how to proceed in my work life.
Quick summary: I have a STEM PhD, but decided in grad school that I was interested in policy-work. Went to DC soon after graduating and ended up in a policy position I really liked. I would have stayed longer, but I moved to Bay Area due to DH’s job (he couldn’t find work in DC). I’ve been back for a few years, and I’m now on my third job (was recruited from first to second for a raise and promotion, laid off from second, recruited into third while I was doing some independent consulting work). An aspect of my PhD work makes me highly employable, so finding a job right now is really not an issue. And except for my first position out here, I haven’t even applied for any of my jobs…they just fell into my lap.
All of the hype around the election is really making me miss policy work, but I don’t see great options here. I’ve also found myself missing work more closely related to the subject matter of my PhD. I’m about 2.5 mos out from my due date with my second child, so I’ve got a major life transition and a maternity leave coming up…but I’ve only been at this job since January, and I’m less than unmotivated already. At this point, money is less important to me than feeling like I’m doing something that matters and that I enjoy.
I don’t really even know how to begin to put myself on a path to career satisfaction (in my current job or not). Suggestions on where to start?
Anon
I would put any transition on hold until after baby has arrived and you’ve adjusted to parenthood.
How long of a maternity leave are you taking? Can you financially afford to take 6 months instead of 3 for example? That would give you more time to adjust to motherhood and think about what you want to do. Don’t rush back from leave for a job you don’t love unless you have to.
You can explore some different career options while on maternity leave but parenthood may change what you want when you go back. I’d plan on returning to your current position for around 3-6 months after your leave and if something else comes up before then, you can decide if you want to pursue that instead.
Anonymous Preggo
Thanks. Yeah, I definitely don’t plan to make any changes pre-baby. This is my second, so while I know 2 is very different than 1, I have some idea of the worklife balance I want to strike as a mother.
Financially we’re in a good place, and we could definitely afford for me to take 6 mos off. There are a lot of things up in the air about my current job, so I don’t have firm maternity leave plans yet. We were planning on a project that would have more or less required me to be back at work within 3 mos, but hard to say now. I WAH currently, and my boss is open to ramping back up PT. But your point of not feeling overly beholden to coming back is very well taken.
Anon
Not much help, but all the commiseration in the world with a similar set of facts (niche area of law, though, not science).
Is your specialty applicable on the state level? State policy work was much more rewarding than I ever expected. There was a human quality to it, a sense of helping the everyday citizen, that I found deeply fulfilling. I don’t know California geography well to understand how close you are IRL to Sacramento.
Anonymous Preggo
Thanks for the perspective. What did you do at the State level?
Bay Area is pretty far from Sacramento, but I have looked (am still looking into) municipal government options. There are also some state-level agencies here in the Bay Area, but I haven’t looked as much into those since everyone I know in them I’ve met because they were trying to leave ;)
One of my frustrations is that I had been looking into the option of applying some of my technical skills in a city government context, and I took my current position with the understanding that it would be possible to pursue government customers in this capacity. Restructuring at my employer has changed this. I think there is still some possibility for me in this area, but it’s more of an idea at the moment. It would be very fundamentally different from my past policy work.
Anon
I was committee counsel in the state senate.
I regularly think about calling up my senator and asking for that job back. Getting hands on with legislation and getting to meet all the constituents whose lives would be affected by whatever deal we brokered was so wonderful. (I moved away for personal reasons and don’t know that I want to go back.)
Are you valuable enough to your employer that you could insist on a more GR role? If jobs are falling in your lap every day, maybe they’d see the value in keeping you. Or maybe you could quietly let your network know that you want to pivot toward more GR work and see what comes around.
Anonymous Preggo
Hard to say on what I could push for with my current employer. The reasons they don’t want to pursue government customers are sensible…but we have some existing ones in other parts of the company, so there it’s not crazy. I think it would be a hard sell, though. Can’t speak that much to my value in the company since I’m so new. Part of my malaise has been that I was hired as part of a new team (this is actually a pattern with my previous two jobs, which mostly reflects that applying my skills to non-research applications is a very new thing), and there really hasn’t been any clear direction from above on what they want us to do. That’s just starting to change, but we’ll see where it goes. In the meantime, I’ve been trying out a few things, but I personally don’t feel I’ve accomplished enough that I could make a strong case for keeping me if I’m not interested in whatever direction their headed. I think I’m good at what I’ve been doing, but jobs are easy to come by due to demand more than my awesomeness…totally unqualified people are able to get jobs like mine pretty easily as well.
Sounds like quietly pinging my network is the right way to start…at least it gives me some insight into what’s happening. I think I’m just feeling so unaccomplished and unhappy with where I am career-wise right now, and I’m wondering how it’s all fallen apart so quickly. If you had asked me where I would be 3 years ago when I first moved to the Bay Area, I don’t think here would have been even close to my most pessimistic scenario.
Anon
Depending on where in Bay Area, Sacramento is not that far. Especially because you can hop on capitol corridor train and it is 90 mins each way from say Berkeley, Richmond area. If you can work from home 3 days and take the train 2 days, it is doable. But you need to have solid childcare and a very supporting husband to pull this off. I know few people who do this i.e work in a tech company in the Bay Area and commute between Sacramento and Silicon Valley twice – thrice a week.
Anonymous Preggo
Do you have suggestions on agencies etc that might be open to this kind of schedule? I don’t think our life could accommodate me making that commute everyday, but DH would be on board with finding a solution to make me happier professionally if we could limit a commute like that to a couple days a week.
Anon
I am an engineer and all people I know who do/did this are engineers working for tech companies. I have no idea how policy or anything related to government work or an agencies who may be able to place you or if the type of work you are trying to do renders itself for such an arrangement. But for tech companies, some jobs are telecommute jobs and for other people, they negotiate that when they get hired or work out that arrangement with their managers. But it might be worth exploring.
Anonymous
It sounds like maybe you’re just so looking forward to having the baby and moving into the next phase of your life, everything else seems boring in comparison. I agree with the previous commenter, hold off on major life changes until after you’re adjusted to motherhood.
Finance Job Hopping
Career and networking question:
I have a job in Finance in company A and am very interested in Company B. I’ve interviewed for a couple of finance roles in the past at company B, and know a recruiter, but those didn’t go anywhere and weren’t a good fit anyway (role itself and the level).
A month ago, I happened to meet a very senior lady (VP/SVP) in company B, in Finance. It was at an industry event and she was presenting, I met her after and we chatted about what I liked best about her talk, and I later sent her a Linkedin request that she accepted.
Now, the exact same role that I have at company A is posted as an opening in company B. I’m a great fit! I’ve been doing exactly that! The title is a wee bit junior to mine though. It is in the senior lady’s org but a few levels below her.
Should I:
1) send her a note on linkedin saying that I’d like to apply and would be a good fit?
2) apply through normal channels?
3) contact the recruiter I know from my previous experience interviewing there?
4) contact another acquaintance I also met at an industry talk, who is also in the same org (a few levels below senior lady)? Did this already and he didn’t reply yet.
My previous attempts to interview with this company didnt work out, and I want to get it right this time!
It's Me Again...
Currently aggressively looking for a new role, as well. In this case, I would do all of the above.
Absolutely send her a note and absolutely also apply through the website or whatever their normal channels are.
I would also flag for the recruiter since the VP/SVP may/may not be super active on LinkedIn.
Good luck!
I keep forgetting my fake name
So, related to the above questions about house keepers: I’m ready to give it a try, or at least investigate the possibilities. On a logistics level, how does that typically work? Do you give the housekeeper a key? Are they in your house alone? This is not part of my experience, and I’m just not sure how to get comfortable with the idea of someone having access to my home….But the thought of coming home to a clean house is amazing!
Duckles
I got mine recommended from a colleague so I felt pretty good about giving her a key. I met her to give her the key the first time. also, if you have a security system, you can leave it on except days when the maid is coming of having a key out there gives you pause.
I keep forgetting my fake name
Thank you. I’m sure it’s not a big deal, but that has been my mental hurdle.
RE associate
We installed a keypad lock on our door. It can handle multiple codes. The cleaners are assigned their own code. I swap it out every once and a while. It’s amazing to come home to a clean house.
Senior Attorney
The low tech version of this is that I have one lock in my house (deadbolt on a door that also has a lock in the doorknob) that has a different key from all the other locks. The cleaning crew has a key to that lock, and that lock only, and on cleaning days I leave the lower unlock unlocked.
Senior Attorney
Oops posted too soon… and the bottom line is cleaning crew can let themselves in but I can still lock the house up against everyone including them.
Maddie Ross
Mine comes in the morning shortly after we leave the house, so honestly we just keep the door unlocked for her and she locks up when she leaves. I do like that she couldn’t access at any other point (though honestly I do trust her and don’t think she ever would anyway). If you’re very wary, which I’ll be honest I was when I first hired a housekeeper, I used a service. That was helpful from the standpoint of knowing I had someone to go to if there were issues and there was oversight. I get a much more thorough cleaning for a cheaper price using an individual now though.
I keep forgetting my fake name
Thanks, everyone. It sounds like there are ways to mitigate my anxiety around this. Which is good, since the point of a housekeeper or cleaning service is to make things easier!
Nobody likes me, everybody hates me
My work computer is on its last legs. I know I should back up my files but I do not know how. I’m certain that if I try I will screw it up and maybe lose files for good. I work at a huge company with an IT dept. Our IT team has a policy of not backing up things to personal harddrives so they have refused to help me back up my files against corporate policy.
My colleague just bought a hard drive and went down to IT and they happily helped her back everything up. I’ve only tried to get this assistance a half dozen times.
I feel like there is something about me that makes people just want to hate. I’m that old dog that even nice children want to kick in the street. This goes back decades when complete strangers (other kids) would spit in my face while walking down the street, or pull my hair, or trip me.
I just want to cry.
Anonymous
Try getting an external hard drive for work, not a personal one, and bring that down. Your work files shouldn’t be on your personal devices, that is a big no-no and your coworker is doing the wrong thing if she brought in a personal harddrive. They would be in the right to not back it up. You should probably talk to your manager about getting an external drive and a new computer. Make sure you clearly communicate that you have a corporate drive, once you get one, to the support team. I suspect that is the stumbling block.
Also, it may help to talk to someone about self-esteem or anxiety. It’s not great that you feel so down on yourself when something goes wrong, and there are things you can try that will help you not feel like that.
BB
+1 to all of this. You probably dodged a bullet here. If you lose your work files on your work laptop, this is IT’s fault for not backing up and/or getting you a new laptop. If you lose this personal hard drive with your work files, you’ll get fired and sued.
Ellen
Hug’s to you. I feel your pain b/c I have the same issue’s with our IT department. They spend all of their time when we call trying NOT to come over, goeing so far as to install something in our computer’s that let’s them take charge of our computer’s from their desktop. That is fine for my work machine, which I leave at work, but NOT for my iphone or Macbook air that I have with me and at home. The one time the teck guy started fooling with my machine, I saw him goeing into my personal files and lookeing at my picture’s, which I sink from my iphone. I think he copied some picture’s of me OUT of my itunes file into his personal file, and I know that when he does come into the office, he LOVES to stare at me instead of the computer. He also would NOT let me see what he was doeing, makeing me stand in front of the machine so that he could see ME at the same time as he was working on my machine. Why, I do NOT know, but think it was b/c he was sending my personal picture’s from my iphone to his personal server or whatever. FOOEY on men like him. I wish I could get a FEMALE IT specialist, but all of them are nerdy guy’s that smell funny. DOUBEL FOOEY!
Anon
Try superbetter.com
anonymous
“There is something about me that makes people just want to hate.” My husband says things like this when his anxiety/depression is acting up. Truthfully, during a flare up he’s often much more confrontational which doesn’t help interpersonal interactions. I don’t know if this is true in your case but please consider it and get help if appropriate.
Tetra
For those of you who have attorney jobs in state government, can you speak to how political and state-culture focused it is? I may be interested in moving back to my home state, but my DH works as a congressional staffer (we’re in DC) and is from a very different state culture-wise. If we moved to my home state, would it be possible for him to get a job in the state government, or do they frown on outsiders/value state culture? I understand this varies widely from state to state, just want to hear your experiences. Thanks!
I keep forgetting my fake name
I’m not currently in state government, but I think it will all depend on the state and the particular government agency. While in law school and shortly thereafter, I did a brief stint with the state Attorney General’s office. It was highly political, and has been reputed to have gotten more so in recent years, but the out-of-state element wouldn’t have been an issue. Even in my short tenure there, there were a number of people who were hired from “elsewhere.” They mainly had family reasons for locating to the state, and we felt lucky to be able to attract candidates with credentials that we didn’t otherwise see.
Anonymous
FWIW, my state in the mountain west doesn’t care if you’re an “outsider” or an “insider.” But, I’m an attorney who works in the judicial branch, so we have very little actual politics to deal with in the branch. From what I have seen of attorneys who work in the executive branch in my state, there is no state culture. It’s about the work you do and the skill set you bring to the work, not about culture. I will add that I do not live in the state capital, and my sense is that the environment of the capital increases some of the political nonsense for those who work there.
Bette
I think this dramatically depends on what type of politician/issue he works for currently and what type of issues/politicians exist in your potential new state.
I think if he currently works for a more “extreme” candidate and the new state is filled with people of the opposing view where even the minority party in the new state is relatively moderate it could be hard to translate his skills.
I would also be slightly nervous about his ability to find work if he worked on a particularly polarizing cause/person (ie union organizer looking for work in a right to work state or defender of machine guns in a particularly pro-gun control state)
That said, this is not a terrible time to move since its a huge election year (although its a bit late in the cycle). If I were him, I’d have him start working his network ASAP to see who he knows in that new state. In my experience these jobs are never on job boards, etc. It’s all about word of mouth referrals.
Good luck!
Anon
What state are you trying to move to? I think places like Texas, Georgia, and Massachusetts are VERY MUCH INTO whether or not you are an insider. I have met Texans who don’t think you’re a real Texan unless you were born there — even if you lived there for high school or college. I think the states with the “we only want insiders” view tend to be states like Tx, Ga, and Mass. where they have no problem attracting insiders — who never left or who left and want to return; you can find many Texan Harvard grads, if that’s what you’re looking for. The states that are more “welcoming” to outsiders and a little more “impressed” that an outsider w/ credentials would even consider them tend to be the less densely populated states and/or states which have had big migrations of folks out of there (like the rust belt).
Anonymous
I had my hair dyed for the first time EVER tonight. Subtle, but so in love!
TK
I’m in a state government attorney in the Midwest and we’ve hired a few out-of-state attorneys of the same political party as the Governor for some high-level policy (commissioner or deputy level) positions recently. Much of state politics, particularly when the legislature is in session, focuses on looking around the country and trying to mirror successful programs that have worked elsewhere, so outside experience can be valuable. Also your husband likely has a good argument that he has skills in networking, etc. that could be an asset in any government job. Also there is value in having public sector experience, even from another state / forum.
Denver bound
Going to Denver for a work trip. Will mostly have downtime in the evening and will possibly have one day to myself to see the sights. I’m not super outdoorsy. Any suggestions of good places to eat and nice places to see scenery (for non-hikers)? I will be staying downtown. Thanks!