Mentoring For Women

NAPW Mentoring For Professional Women

Mentoring can certainly help you raise the bar on your professional career path. Mentoring for professional women has benefits for both the mentor and 'mentee'. Choosing a woman as a mentor has extra bonuses too. Though mentoring can at first seem a little scary, if you want to really get ahead, there is nothing quite like it.

In sense when you become a 'mentee' you are giving someone else permission to examine you closely and to give feedback. You are opening up and having someone else see what you are doing and question you and your goals will ultimately help you achieve the current goals you have and drive you to see new ones. A good mentor can show you what you are really capable of and inspire you on to greater things.

When you have a mentor you are entrusting much of yourself to that person. This is why choosing a woman as a mentor is a good idea. You have the added benefit of having a person who really understands professional womens issues. You don't have to explain them or what they are. Trying to juggle career and family, trying to make it in a male dominated field, coping with particular women's issues are things a woman mentor will relate to and understand.

Having a mentor helps you to focus clearly on what you are currently doing and where you are going. You could say that a mentor can see the 'woods' as they have already been through the trees. A good mentor can help bring clarity to your path as a professional woman. Focusing in on your goals, seeing how you can achieve them, modifying them if necessary is one of the main things a mentor can help with.

A mentor can also often spark off a wealth of new ideas and inspire you onto new projects, goals and ideas. She can also point you in the right direction to get those new ideas moving and working. Most women find that when they have a good mentor they find a new sense of motivation. Women who have hit a brick wall in their thinking or careers often just need a little boost and push in the right direction to get that drive going again.

A mentor inspires and empowers. There is nothing quite like the support of another professional woman to make you see what you are capable of. Someone who believes in you and says, 'Yes, you can!'

An interesting thing about successful professional women is that nearly all of them have a desire to give something back to the world, to make a difference. This is why professional women make such great mentors. It is empowering and meaningful for the mentor too to help another woman on her road to success.

Mentoring is great for professional women in achieving both short term and long term goals. It is a give and take experience on both sides that results in empowerment, learning and clarity of vision.

Please note that these views are not necessarily those of NAPW. The National Association of Professional Women allows members and affiliates to post articles of interest to its blog, however these articles are not representative of the views of NAPW.

Why Networking Works for Professional Women

The National Association of Professional Women allows members and affiliates to post articles of interest to the NAPW blog. These blog posts in no way represent the views of NAPW.

Most of us are aware that networking is important, if not vital, to professional success. Networking everywhere has its place but there are some extra advantages to be found in woman to woman networking. In my opinion, the very nature of being women is what makes it work. Women think like women.

Professional women focus on the relationship rather than on the perceived business benefits. Relationships are the real essence of successful networking. Women, in general, understand relationship building. We understand values like trust, support, empathy and friendship. This doesn't mean every woman gets along with every other woman of course, but I've found that women do tend to open up more to each other and to build relationships quickly and easily.

Women, on the whole, are more relaxed and authentic with other women. It is easy to find things to talk about, including your professional and personal goals, or what you are doing. Asking questions often comes more naturally in an all-woman environment.

Networking woman to woman relies more on that trust factor rather than on pure self-promotion. For professional women who have stayed away from networking out of feeling shy, lacking self-confidence, or simply hating the thought of actively promoting themselves, building relationships and trust with other women is a lot easier.

Professional women understand professional women's issues. Things like self-esteem as a woman in a professional world, balancing home and work life, feeling fulfilled as a person and so on. Professional women take these issues and each other seriously.

For women who may be trying to build a home business, working alone, developing relationships with other like-minded professional women can be extremely uplifting as well as have positive business benefits. It can feel pretty lonely sometimes trying to make it on your own and often family and friends don't quite understand, or you may feel judged. Building a network with professional women who do understand can give you that extra boost to keep going. The other great thing about networking through organizations like NAPW is you never quite know where it will lead, perhaps a new joint venture partner, perhaps an idea for a different direction, or perhaps just a great new friendship.

Joining a women's networking group like NAPW, The National Association of Professional Women, is a great way to learn about new developments and thoughts on professional women's issues too. Attending seminars or meetings can be a great way to really get those relationships happening and to keep up with what is going on in your own field and in other professional areas. Meeting new people, finding out what others are doing can keep you inspired and spark off creative energy.

Whether you are on the look out for a new job, just want to help other women succeed, or want to get your business and yourself noticed networking is incredibly powerful. This is not to say professional women should not be networking with men - they should, simply that in my personal opinion woman to woman networking adds extra value all around.

What Professional Women should know about Bullying and Harassment

None of us like to think about it but bullying and harassment in the workplace do happen. While sexual harassment is less of a problem than it used to be, most companies have less than adequate ways of dealing with bullies. As professional women we need to recognize the signs of bullying and harassment and know what to do.

Sexual harassment is fairly easy to recognize and can include any of the following

* Offensive jokes or remarks

* Pushing past in a way that forces physical contact

* Offers of promotion or pay increases for working 'overtime'

* Direct physical contact in a sexual manner

If any of these things are happening to you, it doesn't matter what position the offender holds: tell them loudly in front of others to STOP and that you do not like their behavior. Always stay calm and if need be ask for assistance from a colleague. If the behavior continues report them to HR.

Workplace bullying can be a little harder to recognize and is sometimes subtle. Unfortunately women are just as likely to be guilty of bullying as men. Bullying behavior can include (but is not limited to)

* Deliberately leaving someone 'out of the loop'

* Constantly telling off, or degrading a worker in public

* Interfering with the victims ability to work

* Deliberately sabotaging work or chances of promotion

* Snide remarks or 'evil' looks

* Deliberately not performing tasks such as signing off work, relaying phone calls or not passing on important information

* Creating impossible deadlines and overloading with work

* Ridiculing and undermining

* Threats of job loss, or reputation

* Ambiguous, ridiculing, or threatening e-mails

These are just some of the bullying behaviors that can occur. If you become a victim of workplace bullying you will know about it.

Many workplace bullies attack out of jealousy either personal or professional. Some of them feel threatened by another's skills and talents and so work to undermine them. A few bullies just seem to be naturally aggressive and consider this part of their 'style'.

As with sexual harassment, it is important that you stay calm if you are the victim of bullying. Running off to HR will probably get you labeled as being 'oversensitive' and you may to told to 'sort it out' for yourself.

The minute you experience any bullying behavior start documenting it. Keeping good documentation is one of the best ways to protect your self if things should escalate. If you have a trusted friend or colleague, discuss the problem with them. Always keep in mind that the bully has the problem, not you. Don't let them interfere with your productivity as you will want to be seen as professional at all times. Be ready to take matters further if you need to.

It is unfortunate that among professional women there are a few who choose be less than professional in their actions. Men who bully at work tend to be overt in their actions, while women are more subtle and so more difficult to deal with if they decide to bully. Know what your rights are and be prepared to deal with any harassment and bullying in a professional manner.

Please note: NAPW allows members and affiliates to post articles of interest to our blog. This and other blog posts in no way reflects the views of the National Organization of Professional Women.

Professional Women and Intuition

We all know about women and intuition, or we think we do. Most of us use it naturally and some of us more than others. Using intuition and being able to think intuitively can of course be very advantageous in the workplace. There are several ways of looking at just what intuition is, various ways of developing it and learning to trust it. As professional women it can be useful to know when to use it and when not to.

The French Philosopher Henri Bergson described intuition as 'the ability to sense or know immediately without reasoning'. Albert Einstein called it a 'sacred gift.' One school of thought is that there is nothing magical about intuition. It is simply our brains making connections based on what we already know from previous experience and reading subtle body language signs. Howard Gardener, a Harvard professor and psychologist terms intuition as "basically a form of pattern recognition". Other schools of thought see intuition more as tapping into the universal consciousness, or a higher power. Whichever way you choose to look at what intuition is, it can be a powerful tool for professional women to use. It creates credibility, and understanding at a deeper level.

Developing your intuition and learning to trust it can be a fun experience. Most professional women know how to use their intuition naturally but there is nothing wrong with developing it further. Most of us recognize those subtle body changes that tell us our intuition is at work. That 'gut feeling' or for some almost a change of taste in the mouth, a feeling in your hands. Why not track your intuitive moments by making a quick note. You can go back and see whether your intuition was right. The more often it is the more you know you are in tune and can trust it.

Doodling, meditating, and day-dreaming are all ways to develop your intuition too. When doodling, drawing, or day-dreaming our minds tend to go into the alpha state where the conscious and sub-conscious overlap. This is where, according to some psychologists, the intuitive part of us takes over. Quieting the ever loud conscious voice gets us used to hearing that quiet voice that says - go this way, or danger, or that person is not what they seem.

Most professional women know that using your intuition in the workplace can work wonders. Knowing who to trust, knowing which idea is going to work or is worth a shot, thinking 'out of the box' are all useful applications of intuition.

There are times though when it is advisable to back up your intuition with logic and reasoning. Hiring a new employee or going with a particular action plan should be checked against logical criteria. Most of the time our intuition backs up the criteria but that doesn't always happen. Most women find that their intuition is never wrong when it comes to 'bad' feelings, but our intuition can sometimes fool us when it comes to the 'I have a good feeling' situations. Continue to develop your intuition, but check that you know the difference between intuition and blind impulse.

Please note: NAPW, The National Association of Professional Women, allows members and affiliates to post articles of interest to it's blog. This blog in no way reflects the views of NAPW.

Getting Along with a Difficult Boss

It is difficult enough to deal with a challenging coworker, but when the abrasive personality belongs to your boss, the situation can become nearly impossible. There are many different types of bad bosses in the workplace, from the micromanager who is constantly looking over your shoulder to the absentee boss who is never around to provide direction or assistance. Some professional women even find themselves working for abusive managers, who appear to get off on yelling at and belittling their staff. If you are in the midst of professional women's issues because of a difficult boss, read on for tips to improve your office environment.

Pinpoint the Problem

Before professional women can address the issues, they must determine precisely what those issues are and how they affect work performance. The micromanager who is constantly involved with your daily activities may be creating professional women's issues by slowing you down or preventing you from using creativity to produce the best product possible. If your boss is never around, you may be unsure of how to prioritize your work. Abusive bosses affect an employee's self esteem, which can directly affect job performance and create a host of other professional women's issues.

Talk to Your Boss

No one likes confrontation, but talking to your boss about the issues in a calm, professional manner just might result in a better work environment. Do not get personal in your conversation; instead, focus on how your work performance is affected by his actions and assure him you want to do the best job you can for him. Explain the problem clearly and be specific when stating your needs. If you are lucky, you just might get the requested changes from this first meeting.

Go Up the Ladder

If the situation doesn't improve, or if your boss's abuse is enough to affect your life outside of work as well, it may be time to climb the corporate hierarchy. The choices of professional women in this situation are to talk to a boss's supervisor or the human resources manager about the problem. Approach this step with caution, since your boss may resent you for disclosing the problem to his superiors and create other professional women's issues to deal with. However, taking this step may be necessary to get the changes you are hoping for.

Recruit Support

If you don't see changes to your boss's behavior after talking to higher-ups, it may be time to rally the troops. If you believe your officemates are having similar problems with this boss, bring them together to approach your boss's supervisor together. This will let management know the full extent of the impact your boss's behavior is having, and it may bring about results more effectively than your solo efforts.

Start Looking

If these steps do not resolve the situation, you will then need to decide if you are willing to live with the situation. If the problems at work are beginning to affect your health or personal life, it may be time to move on. Your options are to seek a transfer within your company or apply for a new job with a different organization. Bad bosses who impact the life of professional women beyond the workplace are simply not worth it over the long haul.

Please note: NAPW, The National Association of Professional Women, allows members and affiliates to post articles of interest to our blog. These articles in no way reflect the views of NAPW.

Why Professional Women Need to Make Time for Themselves

Please Note: NAPW, The National Organization of Professional Women, allows members and affiliates to post blogs or articles of interest on our blog. These blogs and articles of interest in no way reflect the views of NAPW, The National Organization of Professional Women.

Professional women with families rarely have time to eat a meal at the table, let alone indulge in personal time. We are taught to be caretakers, to put everyone else's need first. We grow up thinking that indulging in time for something we want to do is selfish and unproductive. However, the reality is quite the opposite. Making time for you is the first step to successfully managing many professional women's issues that arise. Check out these reasons to set a little time aside just for you every day.

Physical Health
When professional women take time out to indulge in activities they enjoy, it benefits their physical health. Stress mounts in a fast-paced lifestyle, and if you don't take time out to relax, that stress can begin to take its toll on your health by compromising your immune system and raising your risk for a variety of illnesses. Just a small bit of time carved out of every day will allow you to take a breath and come down from the stressful pace of your day. If you use some of that personal time in physical exercise, so much the better.

Mental Health
Chronic stress can also lead to mental health disorders like depression among professional women. It is important to take time out of your schedule to give your mind a break and regain your perspective. You have the opportunity to reassess your priorities in life and remember what is really important. Indulging in activities you like improves your mood and your overall outlook so you can more adeptly handle professional women's issues, no matter how stressful life gets.

Family Health
When professional women take time for themselves each day, they are better prepared to care for the others in their lives. Moms taxed to their limits rarely have the necessary patience and perspective to effectively parent their children. Professional women who are overworked and exhausted cannot be loving mates to their spouses. Those few minutes every day to focus on you helps you to be a better wife, mother and friend to those most important to you.

Be an Example
Mothers who make time for themselves show those around them how important personal time is. Consider the daughters who see their mothers indulge in personal time daily. They may be more likely to take care of themselves in a similar fashion when they have children and careers of their own. You will also teach your children healthy habits that will help them maintain good physical and mental health throughout their lives.

Enjoyable Activities
The best part of personal time is that you get to indulge in activities you truly enjoy. When was the last time you relaxed in a bubble bath, read a good book or worked a crossword puzzle? Those simple activities can make all the difference between professional women just getting through the day and feeling good when the day is done.

It may seem self indulgent or even selfish to carve out time just for you when dealing with professional women's issues. However, the benefits of your personal time will resonate to all those important people around you as well.

Tips for Taming the Savage Coworker

NAPW, The National Organization of Professional Women, allows members and affiliates to post articles of interest to it's blog, however the views expressed in these blogs are not necessarily those of NAPW.

It only takes one difficult person in an office to affect the entire work environment for professional women. If you are dealing with one of these coworkers in your own office, there are some techniques you can employ to overcome the professional women's issues this person may create. Check out these tips for dealing with difficult people at the office to make your professional environment easier to tolerate.

Own Your Role

Personality conflicts in the workplace are rarely one-sided, even if they began that way. Your annoyance, frustration and anger over the situation can also play into the problem. To begin resolving the issues, take responsibility for your own part in the conflict. Do you show annoyance at this person's behavior? Complain about him behind his back? If so, you need to raise the bar on your own actions before approaching a difficult coworker about his.

Don't Expect Big Changes

Face it; professional women will never be able to completely change those around them. The best you can hope for are a few ground rules that you can both stick to that will make the situation more pleasant. If you go into professional women's issues with realistic expectations, you are less likely to be disappointed with the outcome.

Choose Battles Carefully

It is easy for professional women to get to a frustration level that sees a coworker's every behavior as a problem. Some behaviors simply must be ignored, while others are addressed specifically and positively. While you may not be able to change a coworker who sees himself as always right, you can ask the person specifically not to interrupt you when you are speaking in a meeting or criticize you in front of other coworkers.

Avoid Gossip

It is so tempting for professional women to talk about the issues with a difficult person, to find out if others are dealing with similar problems. However, talking about a coworker behind his back will quickly earn you the title of "office gossip" and create a host of other professional women's issues. Keep your frustrations to yourself, and address them with your coworker in private. This keeps things on a professional level and avoids dragging others into your conflict.

Managers are a Last Resort

If coworkers are abusive or antagonistic, professional women may have to present the issue to a manager. However, moving up the hierarchy with your problem should be a last resort. Managers are busy people who don't have time to deal all the professional women's issues that arise in their offices. Try to work with the coworker independently first, presenting the problem and a proposed solution in a calm, professional manner. If the problem becomes worse, you may need to seek your manager's help to resolve the issue.

Difficult coworkers are everywhere, so there is a strong likelihood professional women will encounter one from time to time. When a problem arises, approach your coworker sooner rather than later, and work together to resolve professional women's issues. By maintaining your professional attitude and handling the situation calmly, you will be very likely to regain an atmosphere of harmony to your office once again.

4 Tips to Nail Your Job Interview

Note: NAPW, The National Association of Professional Women, allows members and affiliates to post articles of interest to our blog, however the views below are not necessarily those of NAPW.

4 Tips to Nail Your Job Interview

Job interviews are a nerve-wracking experience for professional women to be sure, but you don't want to let a prospective employer see you sweat. The good news is that when you properly prepare for a job interview, you will be much more likely to go in relaxed and confident. These simple tips will help professional women get ready for the big day to through the interview process with style and class.

Do Your Homework
Before you walk through the door of a prospective employer, you should know everything you can about the company. In today's age of technology, there is no excuse not to have the company's mission statement, size and even clientele completely memorized before your interview. If you know anyone who currently works for the company or has in the past, talk to them about the corporate culture and other aspects of the company. You can even hang around outside the company headquarters one morning to see how people dress for the job.

Be Prepared
Dress simply and professionally for your interview, without too many pieces of jewelry or accessories cluttering your look. Professional women should avoid perfume on this day, since an aroma that is enticing to you may be noxious to your interviewer. Give yourself a quick check in the mirror before heading into the interview to make sure there is nothing stuck in your teeth, or spotting your clothing. Turn off your cell phone and turn on the charm. Bring extra resumes and cover letters in case your interviewer doesn't have a copy in front of him. Most of all, be on time for your interview. It is really hard to land a job with an interviewer who is already steaming after waiting for you to show up.

Be a Team Player
When discussing the job opening, use words that imply you already have the position. Instead of saying, "I would" or "I could", use present tense words like, "I can" and "I will". When talking about the company, refer to "we" instead of "you". It is a subtle difference, but one that shows the employer you have confidence that you can do the job you are applying for and that you are a team player who plays nicely with others.

Follow Up
During the interview, professional women should ask questions about the position and company when presented with the opportunity. This shows that you are as interested in ensuring the job is a good fit for you as you are for it. It also demonstrates that you are interested enough in the job to want to know more. After your interview is complete, thank the interviewer and shake hands before turning around to leave. Follow up with a written thank you note a few days later to express appreciation for the interviewer's time and reiterate your interest in the position.

Job interviews can make even the strongest professional women among us faint-hearted. However, with proper preparation and a bit of interviewing savvy, you can come through that interview with flying colors to land the job you want.

4 Characteristics of Resumes that Get Noticed

NAPW, the National Association of Professional Women, allows it's members to post articles on our blog, however the views of these articles are not necessarily those of NAPW.

Whether you are brand new to the job force or looking for a change of pace in your career, your resume is the first step in landing your dream job. It is not easy to make a resume stand out among the other professional women and men that come apply. You must go the extra mile in that important document to show a potential manager that you have what it takes to get the job done most efficiently. We've got four characteristics of stellar resumes that are almost sure to make professional women stand out from the rest.

Put Important Information First
Your resume will be scanned in a matter of seconds, so you don't have much space to grab the attention of a prospective employer. Professional women should incorporate a career summary at the top of the resume that provides a snapshot of skills and experience. This small section can be customized to the specific job you are applying for, with the most relevant training and experience listed first. Keep the summary concise by using the active voice and action words that show you are ready to get the job done for anyone reading your resume.

Learn Your SEO
Because many resumes are sent electronically today, you want yours to come up as high on an employer's tracking system. This means using keywords that give your placement a boost in ranking. Professional women don't have to be SEO experts to use this technique well. Simply incorporate the keywords from the employer's job posting to your resume and you will appear near the top of the relevant candidate list.

Keep it Positive
Any professional women's issues from your work experience should be listed as a positive on your resume. This means a lack of experience should be explained as a "willingness to learn", and uncompleted education can be shown as "in process" rather than "incomplete". You may not think a simple word change will make that much difference in the overall scheme of things, but positive language can certainly shift an employer's first impression of you from an inexperienced novice to a go-getter who is ready for anything.

Add a Photo
It used to be that you could simply make your resume stand out by using a different font or slightly different shade of paper. Today, professional women must get a lot more creative to make the appearance of a resume get noticed above the rest. Some applicants are now adding a picture to the resume to give your application a face as well as a name. The addition of the picture may also give your resume the visual differentiation you are looking for to make your document stick out in an employer's mind.

Stand out resumes make all the difference in the professional women who get called in for interviews - and those who don't. Some employers are weeding through hundreds of applications, and they are hunting for those documents that catch their attention and linger in their memory. Make your resume get noticed above all the rest with these simple tips.

The above views are not necessarily those of NAPW, the National Association of Professional Women. NAPW publishes these posts for information purposes only.

NAPW Mission Statement

NAPW Mission Statement: To inform, educate, and provide our members with the tools needed to achieve and maintain success within their chosen professions, and successfully manage the career and family responsibilities facing women today.

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