Common Pitfalls of the Internal Transfer

Instructor, Caroline BenderAs the calendar year comes to a close, many of you are engaged in internal transfers (one hopes toward a better opportunity rather than away from a bad one, but we understand that a working girl does "gotta do.") To use a seasonal metaphor, Candidates must beware of black ice -- dangerous patches on a pathway that seem clear and dry ....until you suddenly come to.Today's Study Guide10 Tips for a Smooth Transfer10 Know your rightsInternal transfer policies are usually written with the weight of benefit on the employee. There will be some anti-poaching language included, but mostly the company will say (occasionally with...

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Online tools part 4: Family/relationship management

Working women out there rarely find themseleves with too much time on their hands. Having little ones in the home can drive your free time into extinction. This doesn't stop Mom & Dad, Sis, and Grandma from complaining that they never get to see you and why don't you ever call? Thankfully there are many online resources to help you stay in touch with your loved ones when you don't have the time to update them all individually. Here are a few of Ms. Minchin's favorites:Babysites.com: This site offers an easy way to share photos and updates of your little one with friends and family. You can post video and audio clips, maintain an online journal and growth charts. This site offers a free version (with advertising) and paid upgrades. You can password protect your site to keep out the weirdos...

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Lady Executives, why do I expect more from you?

It's not right (or is it?), but I do expect more from women executives. Forbes recently launched its "ForbesLife Executive Woman" section, and here's what they believe the Executive Woman is concerned with: (One assumes that they've done the market research to support this, so I feel entitled to my disappointment)-Sports cars-Designer clothes-Watches-Money managers-Vacation homes-Funny anecdotes about incompetent underlingsI realize that by expecting more from my female execs I am both adding more pressure to the role these women take on and reinforcing a sexist double standard that requires women to be more touchy-feely while being able to infiltrate the OBN. But I can't help it.What do I expect?I suppose I expect female execs to be more family friendly, philanthropic, and willing to mentor...

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Online Tools for Working Women part 3: Meal planning and Nutrition

Those of us fortunate enough to have cushy desk jobs and a laptop often find the line between home and work gets blurred. In this online culture, web-based tools can help us maintain a work-life balance so we can keep our life on track between conference calls. Eating well requires a bit of planning and for those of us with partners and/or children, meal-planning and preparation still usually falls into our domain. If I left it up to Brad, we'd be eating frozen entrees, hot pockets, or fast food for dinner every night. Thankfully, there are lots of great online resources to help keep you organized, healthy and within your budget.Sparkpeople.com: (free) Though this site is geared toward people seeking to lose weight, you can still choose a healthy "maintenence" mode. Manually track what you...

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Online tools for working women part two: Online calendars

Every working woman needs a way to stay on top of things. The working mom and wife is likely to be managing the entire household so accessing her family's schedules from anywhere can help her feel connected and in control. In my search for the Enterprise household management software suite, Ms. Minchin has tested some of the leading online calendar/scheduling products. Unfortunately, none of these meet all of my requirements, but there is hope that they will evolve into more useful tools for family management.Calendars: Cozi central: (free) Provides family calendar and shopping list creation. Each family member has their own tab/color and you...

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Online tools for working women

I have two agendas with this post. The first is to document my brilliant idea for a software suite I have been noodling for a year or two, so that I can claim that I thought of it first when someone more motivated and entrepreneurial takes it to market. The second is to share and invite you to share online tools that make your life easier as a working woman/mom/partner. Ms Minchin will be evaluating these online tools in a series of posts over the next few weeks.The Enterprise Software Suite for Household MangagementIn my dreamworld (yes this is how nerdy Ms Minchin is) I would turn to one online tool to manage all the business of domestic life. I have found pieces of this functionality across individual products, but have yet to find a single product that meets all my needs. This impossible...

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When it all blows up in your face

Instructor, Caroline Bender Even you, flawless young businesswoman, will have your moments in the wrong limelight. A lemon-limelight, if you will, when you fear your entire reputation has soured as the result of a project gone horribly (perhaps irreversibly) wrong. You will stand there, remnants of your work dripping through your fingers like strings of dissolved soap, and you will take the next important step of your now fragile career. Resist the inclination to fall apart with it. Nothing will feed your credibility bank like Grace Under Pressure. (It doesn't make a good acronym, but it does deserve to be capitalized.) Step 1: Admit it....

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When the Boss is Away

Editorial: Violet Newstead, student at largeHe left town last Thursday, in a flurry of "I'll have my cell if you need anything, but I'm sure you can handle it." We can, of course, we carry him most days, except for the things he keeps from us entirely. Count on those to be the things that blow up.Boss trust is a funny kind of trust. Equal parts "Can't you just handle it?" and "You should have known better." Boiled down, "cover for me," means "do what I would do, but I wouldn't insult you by leaving a list." They'll find other ways to do that.They will send you to meetings you never knew they went to. The people in the meetings are bound to be...

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Maximize Your Work at Home Day

Instructor, Caroline BenderTen years ago, as the Internet culture was gearing up, the Company thought of lots of ways to keep you working: bagels, and foozball, and comfortable clothes, and on-site day care and dry cleaning and Friday night movies. Now that they have us trained, they can support our Work at Home days, which are just like your Work-all-Night days except the termite man can come. The Work at Home is either a blessing or a curse, depending on both your work and your home, with a little of your ethic thrown in. The Finishing School offers some guidance on making the most of your Work at Home. OK...Not OK..?A faculty member of this...

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Are You in a Cult?: Part 2

Recognizing Stockholm SyndromeEarlier in this curriculum, we discussed how to recognize the coercive environment within which you may spend your workday.But lately you've been thinking that things have turned a corner. Your immediate peers have turned into a likeable bunch you actually have lunch with, and you've been seen laughing in meetings. You volunteer for things that don't even need doing, and for about a week you contemplated attending the company party. Just when you thought you might be leaving, they announced your bonus.Are things truly improving, or have you just been sucked in?And what's the difference, anyway?In 1973, a Swedish...

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