Women For Hire

Young Women Earn More than Men – Until They Become Moms

Women For Hire — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:25:34 +0000

Young, single women with no kids make an average of 8% more their male counterparts in most U.S. cities, a trend that is expected to continue as more women graduate from college, The Wall Street Journal reports. Women have gotten a leg up for several reasons. They are more likely than men to attend college, raising their earning potential, and men have been disproportionately hit by heavy job losses. But women overall still earn less than men, no matter their education level, and they tend to see wages stagnate or fall after they have children.

Time For Companies to Spend?

Women For Hire — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:57:56 +0000

U.S. corporations are sitting on more than $1 trillion in cash, more than the government is spending on its massive 2009 federal stimulus package. But experts say that the key to any economic recovery — and of consumers’ efforts to climb out of debt — revolves around when companies will feel confident enough to open their wallets and hire more people, or give current employees a raise. Experts say the economy won’t really improve until employers — with about $1 trillion in cash reserves — begin spending that money and start hiring more workers. “They’re in such good shape, we think the country will avoid a double-dip recession,” says Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody’s Economy.com. “But it doesn’t guarantee that companies will step up to the plate.” USA TODAY

We’re Hiring

Women For Hire — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:15:42 +0000

Women For Hire has a rare opening for two marketing interns in our New York City office – with the possibility of a fulltime position after three months. (Our Alexandra Hall, a 2009 University of Michigan grad, did just that. Came in as an intern, impressed us—and vice versa, so we created a fulltime marketing analyst role for her.) This is a hands-on, hit-the-ground running internship – perfect for someone who seeks a challenging and rewarding entry-level marketing position and is hungry to learn from our dynamo CEO Tory Johnson.

Our marketing team is always busy—working with colleges and professional associations to promote our signature career expos; securing dynamic speakers and partners for all of our events; handling technical stuff such as writing, formatting and scheduling email blasts; answering reader emails; updating content on WomenForHire.com, and more. Special projects crop up all the time, too.

Social media savvy is a must since it plays heavily in promoting our exciting coast-to-coast slate of Spark & Hustle retreats for women entrepreneurs in 2011. (Pack your bag!). Comfort and familiarity with Office Suite, Photoshop and Dreamweaver is important.

Successful candidates must thrive among what we often call organized chaos, while juggling projects and expecting the unexpected. (Sorry, wallflowers or easily-flustered types need not apply. Ditto for anyone who might not feel comfortable working in our comfortable but small, open office on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. No cubicles or places to hide! We’re all in it together, which, most days is awfully fun.)

We’ll fill these spots immediately, so here’s how to apply:

First, do a quick Google search to learn who we were and what we do. Then send your resume along with a letter explaining how and why you’re an ideal fit based on our needs. Include your start date availability. (Generic responses are never considered, especially given the volume of applications.) Email to jobs@womenforhire.com. (Hint: talk to us on social media too to convey your interest.)

On The Job: Who Gets Respect?

Women For Hire — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 18:48:18 +0000

In her new movie, The Switch, Jennifer Aniston plays a woman who chooses to be a single mom. Bill O’Reilly criticized that phenomenon—just as Vice President Dan Quayle famously did when he knocked Murphy Brown for doing it back in the 90s. So Aniston has been thrust in a debate and argued that while it might not be ideal, every woman has the right to be a mom—without necessarily having a husband in the mix. That got us thinking about the workplace battle between employees with families and those who don’t have kids. Employees without children argue that many companies have become too family-friendly and bend over backward for employees with kids. But employees with kids—especially women – argue that when it comes to promotions and clout that they are at a disadvantage and that it’s difficult to compete with non-parents when it comes to long hours or often-brutal travel schedules—without it affecting their families. What’s your take? Do parents or non-parents have it better in today’s workplace with regard to flexibility and opportunity for advancement? And then there’s the issue of money. Women without children earn more in professional roles than their counterparts with kids–a fact we were reminded of during Elena Kagan’s appointment to the Supreme Court. A modern day national maternity policy, among other shifts in the law and workplace culture, could eliminate the “parenting penalty” when it comes to pay, but in the meantime, what’s your take on how this has played out for you and women you know?

Ten Bogus Work From Home Schemes to Avoid

Women For Hire — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 18:31:35 +0000

1. Envelope Stuffing

Spend $20 to $50 and you’ll get a starter kit instructing you to mail flyers aimed at recruiting other people to stuff envelopes. You aren’t promoting a product or service—just getting people to accept the same offer. If they purchase the same kit, you get a commission. It won’t happen. Recruiting people to stuff envelopes is the oldest work-from-home gimmick. Don’t be fooled.

Ten Bogus Work From Home Schemes to Avoid

Tory Johnson — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:10:46 +0000

1. Envelope Stuffing

Starting a Business Doesn’t Have to Cost Big Money

Women For Hire — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:40:24 +0000

Some would-be entrepreneurs hesitate because they assume they need plenty of money – money they won’t get back for years to come. And they’re reluctant to part with what cash they do have – especially in a recession. But The Wall Street Journal reports that starting off doesn’t have to cost big bucks – with profiles of several people who got their ventures going for about $100.

Who is The Authentic You?

Tory Johnson — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 22:42:43 +0000

Thanks to Julia Roberts’ new movie based on Elizabeth Gilbert’s book, Eat, Pray, Love, a lot of people are being prompted to reflect on what matters most to them right now.

Gilbert says that at some point in all of our lives we need to pause and reflect “to take a CT scan on our soul to determine who is the authentic you.”

At our recent Spark & Hustle conference, a big theme was that in order to succeed, you have to do the hard work so that others can instantly “get” who you are.

In a blog last week, one of our speakers, publicist Laura Scholz, talked about how for years she avoided writing about difficult things that had happened to her, preferring instead to put on a happy face and write a blog that was “neat and pretty and upbeat, stocked with great photos and full of great tips about business and entrepreneurship and PR and social media.”

But then she connected with women who “run successful businesses without losing their identities. Who write about anything and everything because that’s who they are. The person and brand are one and the same.”

So she threw out all of those ideas of what a blog “should” be.

“This is my name and my blog, and I can write whatever I want to,” Scholz says. “Because I AM the brand. There is no distinction between Laura Scholz, the person, and Laura Scholz, the writer/speaker/business owner. It’s all part of the same whole, the same essence, the same being. I am who I am. No apologies. And no boundaries.”

We couldn’t agree more. It’s freeing and powerful to be exactly who you are all of the time, not just some of the time. So who is the authentic you—and how have you discovered your passion and purpose? Let’s all chime in to share experiences of self-discovery and what they mean for us right now.

Jet Blue Quitter: A Warning Sign to Big Business?

Women For Hire — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 22:39:21 +0000

Why he did it is unclear, and support for Jet Blue flight attendant Steven Slater is mixed. But the amazing amount of buzz he got nationwide indicates this stressed-out airline employee struck a nerve.

Some experts say the intense reaction is a sign that many of us are stretched too thin, burned out and can’t take it anymore. They say that it’s time for corporations to begin hiring again right now.

A recent drop in worker productivity after five quarters in a row of growth is “a sign that companies have reached the limit of how much they can cut back their workforce and how hard they can work their existing workforce,” economist Joel Naroff told USA TODAY.

He predicted that many burned-out workers may copy Slater (although probably with less fanfare) once the economy rebounds. “A massive relocation of workers who want out as fast as they possibly can.”

Naroff said he doesn’t think American businesses appreciate how overworked and stressed out their employees are. “You can pull this off now because there isn’t really an option, but once there’s an option, it’s going to be payback time,” he says. “You’re going to be losing some of your best people.”

“Clearly, the massive drive to get more productivity and more output out of workers is running into a wall,” he says. “We’re working too hard, all the blood’s out of the stone, and it’s now time to look for a new stone.”

Does this ring true in your circles? How are you feeling at work—or about your prospects of getting hired?

Women’s Path to Success: Small Business

Women For Hire — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 18:38:32 +0000

Entrepreneurship lures a lot of women from the Fortune 500, at a higher rate than it attracts men, Patricia Sellers writes in Fortune. Many women who could be CEOs someday don’t chase the dream because they know there are better ways to fulfill a career. A recent Gallup poll found “big business” near the bottom, at 19% alongside HMOs. Just one institution rated lower: Congress, at 16%. Small business comes in at the top, right behind the military (No. 1 again).