What We Wish We'd Known Back Then
So I'm teaching this online college class on women's leadership and professional development. I drastically underestimated the time it would take to prepare it. I'm assigning four books and zillions of articles. In turn, I have to read four books and zillions of articles. And I will have to read them carefully. Which is not my strong suit. I'm a first-class skimmer/scanner; I rarely take notes, all this underlining and bookmarking is new territory for me. Also, if I'm assigning two writing assignments and a final paper, then I will have to read and grade about 300 pages of student writing.
I also underestimated how hard it is to cull the subject matter. When I first started planning the class, I stared at the 10-week outline and wondered how I'd fill up each class. Now I can't decide what to leave out. I have sections on the challenges/"choices" facing working mothers, the glass ceiling, situational/transformational leadership, negotiation, networking/coaching, and communication (using emails and memos effectively, speaking clearly and without "mallspeak").
Below is the current state of affairs; not accounting for the other three books or another few chapters I haven't photocopied yet:
Planning the class has reminded me of how clueless I was when I started my career and it occurs to me that many of you might have some advice for my students.So I put out the following question. What do you wish you had known when you were fresh-faced, newly out of college, and starting your professional life? I will pass on your comments in the course.
Posted by Dori at 8:05 AM
11 Comments
I'm still trying to figure that out!
I should have included my own tidbits of wisdom. #1 would be: "Nobody cares about how well did you did in school or about all your theoretical knowledge. You have little-to-know work experience. Be extremely humble."
I agree with your tidbit, Dori. Not only should people be humble, but they should also understand that the importance of the caliber of the university they went to dissolves once everyone hits the work force (for the most part), so they should still feel confident in themselves no matter their background.
I know you're covering this, but I wish I had known more about salary (and benefits and responsibilities) negotiation.
Also, one tidbit I'm still trying to sort out-- what is the distinction/overlap between what you like to read/think/care/watch movies about and what, precisely, you like to *do* professionally?
-K
One caveat about being humble, especially women. Men, I think, are more comfortable asserting knowledge or authority even if it isn't backed by experience. Women sometimes undermine themselves professionally by qualifying their statements, over-thanking, etc. Sometimes, for women especially, it is helpful to know how to simply assert a point with quiet confidence, and without qualification.
Echoing what Emily said here. I wish I'd learned to negotiate salary early because the previous salary is considered in the next job interview. The more you make, the more you'll be able to secure at the next job, so starting low can affect your whole career. Study the salary differences between men and women, and let that fuel you when you're negotiating salary.
My male counterpart makes about what I do but he has an office while I'm in a cubicle. We're at the exact same job level. He also works fewer hours than I do and leaves his work behind at quitting time. He certainly is not an apologizer. I stay late because I don't want anyone to be mad at me. :(
I agree with all points and would just clarify that by being humble, I mean understanding that one's undergrad work (however exceptional) has little or nothing to do with most professional settings. Women should NEVER sell themselves short in terms of their skills and abilities.
As for the negotiation (which will be covered in a whole course session), research shows that by not negotiating a first salary, an individual stands to lose more than $500,000 by age 60—and men are more than four times as likely as women to negotiate a first salary.(http://womendontask.com/stats.html)
I am also covering "mallspeak" in the class and encouraging students to present themselves in writing, in person, and in meetings as professional women and not flip-flop wearing, cleavage-bearing teenagers.
I would add the idea that you don't really know what you are doing at a job until you have been there a year. After the first year then you can start innovating and have some legitimacy to stand on for making changes. Not to say you can't be creative in the first year just remember there is a lot more to know. This is not to be confused with being too demure.
A
This sounds basic, but I think it has helped me survive several layoffs in a an industry (telecom) that has them frequently. Be nice to EVERYONE and be likeable. At the end of the day, if everyone is doing their jobs sometimes it is very subjective who gets moved up or out. Be tough when you have to, but in a nice way. This has served me well.
Good point, Julia. Reminds me of what I always tell interns: it's a SMALL world. Be careful who you annoy or disappoint (no matter what his/her level). (S)he might be doing the hiring for your next job.
And along the same lines: when allies leave your company (or you switch jobs), get their HOME addresses so you can send them holiday cards and stay in touch. That way, if you ever need a reference, it won't be hard to track them down and you won't feel awkward since you've been in touch all along.
I forgot something. I always advise students to volunteer or intern in their desired field as much as possible. It may sound obvious, but I don't think everyone realizes how valuable this is for getting experience and making connections. If I were just starting out, I'd go to my dream organization/company and persist until I had a volunteer opportunity, and then I would wow them.
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