Women in America are taught to save – for a car, for emergencies, homes, and retirement.  What we end up learning the hard way is the need to save for maternity leave.  Thinking about having kids one day?  Ask about your employer’s maternity leave policy now!  It might happen that there isn’t one. I’ve spent [...]

There has been a lot written lately about Gen Y women burning out early.  People seem confused by this.  Here’s a hint to figuring out why: ask Gen Y women!  Honestly, we’ll tell you why.  Everyone knows millennials feel entitled to more.  We want all the basic benefits from a job and then some.  Flexibility [...]

Like many DC transplants, I had stars in my eyes and aspirations of changing the world when I moved to the city 6 years ago. I went full speed ahead, achieving my goals of working for national women’s organizations and finishing graduate school. I learned some hard lessons, most notably that building authentic professional relationships [...]

I recently finished interviewing candidates for a number of positions at my current firm, from interns to mid-level managers.  While the job market is very competitive now, it’s important to remember that employers are looking for reasons to disqualify you.  It makes their job so much simpler if they have fewer people to actually consider.  [...]

Interviewing is one of the most important aspects of professional development. Without a successful interview, it is not only hard to land a job, but it is also difficult to advance your career. As a college student I am not used to talking about my accomplishments. While I had received tips on interviewing, prior to [...]

Networking can be stressful. Walking up to strangers, job-grubbing, the part where you realize you forgot your business cards…It’s also tough to make contacts in new cities. Especially the transition from a hyper-political town like DC to a hyper-everything town like New York City. That’s where the Women’s Information Network (WIN) comes in to save [...]

When I read the Forbes article Millennial Women Burning Out at 30, I could definitely relate. While I was relieved to know that it’s not just me, I was curious as to why this burn out trend is seemingly impacting Millennial women more than men? First, I want to skip the usual “gender/generation” assumptions.  Millennial [...]

When Martha Reyes arrived at work at the Hyatt Hotel Santa Clara, she heardher coworkers laughing at a photo collage that had been posted.  She saw her picture edited onto the ‘sexy’ body of a bikini-clad woman holding a surfboard.  Her sister Lorena also had a faked image posted.  The collage was posted to celebrate [...]

The Professional Fridays column usually features great information for on-the-job issues. Unfortunately, there are the 10 percent of us who have no job at which to be professional. It’s not all pajamas and ice cream at 3pm. Having been unemployed a couple of times, I know about the issues that no one tells you about. [...]

Veterans Day is a time to celebrate the men and women who have worn this nation’s uniform and to honor their service. When the nation called and asked, “Who among you will step forward and defend the Constitution? Who will leave your families, your home in order to protect what we hold most dear?” it [...]