Just like the bar interview, prior to this one I had had two phone interviews. One with the COO of this tech news start-up and one with the Events Director. Both went really well. Which is saying a lot, y’all know how I feel about using the phone, right?

Unlike the bar interview, I was invited for a lunch interview at a restaurant near the company’s office. I was prepared to eat with my interviewers, the COO and the Managing Editor, and thankfully it was much quieter setting with much better lighting.

I was the first to arrive so I sat down at the table and organized myself. I’m not sure what the proper etiquette is for the lunch interview situation but I highly recommend arriving early in an effort to be the first one at the restaurant. It gave me a moment to take off my coat, take out my portfolio and deal with my hat hair. It was December so that last one was extremely necessary.

When my interviewers arrived I felt prepared and confident. It helped that they were very nice and were they type of people that make you feel at ease. We ordered food and began a conversation about the company, position and my experience. The restaurant setting helped create more of a conversation rather than a question and answer type interview.

I made an effort to show them as much of my portfolio before the food arrived. I didn’t want it to be difficult for them to page through and some of the other pieces I wanted to share were my only copies and I didn’t want them to get ruined.

The position at this company was one I was very interested and it felt like a great fit. Which is one of the main reasons my interview performance was better than the bar interview. By the end of the interview, I felt excited and hopeful. I wanted this job!

After our meal and conversation, we all got up to leave and I will admit I did have one awkward moment but I don’t think my interviewers caught it. As we shook hands and said goodbye, I awkwardly held back to be sure I didn’t have to walk in the same direction as them.

A few days after the interview, they asked for references (usually a good sign!). A few days after that, I was offered a position at the company. I was beyond thrilled. But…I ended up not taking it. A tough decision that I’ll share with you soon.

Those were two of the more interesting interviews that I had during my search. One was super awkward and the other was probably one of the best interviews I had.

Let me tell about the awkward one today, because who doesn’t love awkward and bizarre?

My interview was scheduled for the early afternoon at The Lobby Bar at the Ace Hotel in New York. The Ace Hotel is super cool. I am not cool enough for the Ace Hotel.

Prior to my interview, I had had two phone interviews with employees of this company who held the position for which I was interviewing in other cities. Based on my conversations with them I wasn’t 100% sure this job was the right fit for me. The company, a event information and ticketing website that you’ve probably heard of, was looking for a event planner slash promoter to create buzz in New York City. Buzz creator and promoter, I am not. What I was, was unemployed so I was trying to convince myself I could do it.

I arrived at the loud and dark lobby and searched for my interviewer. She’d have a sign with the company name. After several minutes of searching I found her. Her “sign” was a napkin propped up on a glass with the company name in pencil. Hard to see in broad daylight, harder in a dark bar.

Just as I sat down, the lunch she had ordered for herself had arrived. I found this a bit rude. Sometimes, you just don’t have time to eat, I get that but it made for an awkward interview. She’d ask me a question, take a bite of her food, I’d answer and finish before she was done chewing. (She took very big bites.) I would wait in silence as she finished or fill the silence with long-winded answers.

The dark setting didn’t just make it hard to find her, it made it difficult to show her my portfolio and examples of work. I had to hold a candle from the table up to the pieces so she could see. It was so loud it was nearly impossible for me hear most of her questions or comments. I felt like I was saying “what” every two minutes. We would have been better off having the interview in a tourist filled Starbucks in Times Square.

While nothing extremely memorable happened, I will always remember how overall awkward it was. I just wanted it to be over. Thankfully, it didn’t go on for too long. The combination of the unideal interview setting and my lack of genuine interest in the position made for a rather short interview for a job I, obviously, didn’t get.

(image via)

Penelope Trunk

So a few weeks ago, I’m sitting at my desk (bored of course because it’s Friday and because it’s FRIDAY) and I came across her article entitled Blueprint for a Woman’s Life.

So if you haven’t read the article already (and aren’t going to because it’s too long), let me summarize for you. Basically the article talks about what a woman should be doing with her life – personally and professionally – between the ages of 18 and 45. What comes next is controversial so prepare yourself. The advice starts with not doing well in school because other things are important, getting plastic surgery, and going to business school right after college. Then she talks about how you should homeschool your kids and only start start-up companies with guys.

The part of the article I want to focus on primarily is the part where she says the 20′s are all about finding a husband who you want to parent with and then your late 20′s/30′s are for having kids and that your career should come second.

Before you get your pitchforks out, let me just say that she does make a good point.

Trunk argues that we as women have our whole lives to get a career. We do not, however, have all the time in the world to have children. Trunk says it like it is, “Your career skills will outlast your ovaries.” So focus on your ovaries. Trunk talks more about finding the partner for this, but I think this could pertain just to having children in general.

Let’s face it. The world isn’t fair. As women, we want to have it all. And we want the equality to have it all. But no matter what, if we do have children we have to take time off to do so. And we get a little off track in the process. Meeting a partner early and having children early seems like a really great way to somewhat avoid this issue. Start your career, but don’t focus solely on it. Use your spare time to find a mate and don’t let work get in the way of your relationship.

Reading Trunk’s article made me feel like I could have it all if I followed this blueprint if you will. But honestly, according to this blueprint I’m already behind. I did really well in school and I have to admit it took me places I wouldn’t have gotten to go if I hadn’t done well in school, so can’t really say I agree with Trunk there. I don’t plan on getting plastic surgery. And I’m 26 (almost 27!) and I don’t have a serious boyfriend (let’s be honest, I haven’t had a serious boyfriend since high school) and while I am putting myself out there (speed dating…yes, I did it…never again), I don’t think Mr. Right is going to just land in my lap because I have a blueprint to follow!

Here’s what I got out of this article and what I think we should all get out of this article. WORK ISN’T THE END ALL TO BE ALL. Yes, having a career is important. Feeling needed and important and getting praise is all important. But it’s not all there is to life. Do you want to have kids? Do you want love in your life? Then you need to make that a priority. Really, instead of seeing the controversy to this article, I choose to see another kind of advice.

What we really need in life is balance. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. It’s OK to love your career, but it’s also OK to remember that you don’t need to work until 8PM every night and it’s OK to not work at all on the weekends and it’s OK to check your Match.com profile during lunch (what? who me? I would never!).

Because Trunk’s right. Our ovaries don’t last forever. And neither do careers. Balance people! It’s all about balance!

Now, I’m not saying there isn’t anything to be learned here on Working Girl. I bet some of you thought twice before wearing a short dress with Spanx after my wardrobe malfunction, but I don’t know that many people would call that career advice.

We love sharing our working stories here, along with a few things we’ve learned along the way, but if you are looking for REAL advice, like how to invest your 401k or how to negotiate for more vacation time, we aren’t exactly expects.

So I wanted to share two of my go-tos for career and financial advice.

One of my personal favorites is Savvy Sugar. It has everything I love about the Internet and blogs: Slideshows, polls, and lots of links to more stories and other blogs. It never ends, which is why I love/hate the Internet.

Anyway, what I love most is that the posts are short, sweet and right to the point. I get distracted very easily, so the sooner I can get my information the better.

Another great one, and friend of Savvy Sugar, is LearnVest. I’ve yet to dive into LearnVest completely and use the budgeting tools, but the finance-focused content helps me to keep my finances on track. With career content thrown in there, it’s a great resource for Working Girls looking for career advice, financial advice or both.

What sites or resources do you use for career and finance?

Be warned, this mix is VERY girl power.

1. Run the World (Girls) by Beyonce

This song is just so badass. Beyonce kills it (as always) on this song and even though it wasn’t a huge hit this summer like I thought it would be, I still listen to it on repeat in the mornings and walk hard towards the mirror before I leave. It makes me feel like I run the world. Or at least I run the marketing dept.

2. Jump in the Pool by Friendly Fires

This song is more an escape song for me. It’s fun to sing along to and the lyrics make me want to literally jump in a pool. For some reason this song reminds me of Vegas (no idea why cause I never listened to this song while in Vegas) so it reminds me of vacation and therefore reminds me of the opposite of work.

3. Dancing with the DJ by The Kooks

This song automatically gets me in the mood for Friday…which leads me to my next song.

4. Friday by Glee Cast

Cause you can’t have a Pump Up the James list by WG2 without a song from Glee on it. Thinking about Friday and the weekend gets me through the week so this is an obvious choice.

5. Do It Like a Dude by Jessie J

I love on Jessie J. She is a hard-ass and her song Do It Like a Dude might be more about being a man in your relationship, but I like to think it’s about being more manly in all aspects of life – like at work.

6. I Am Woman by Jordin Sparks

Another power jam by a kick-ass woman who takes names. This song was again very under-appreciated this summer, but take a listen because it makes me want to walk down the street strutting my stuff to take on the office.

7. Rise Above 1 by Reeve Carney

This song is a little slow but the message is a good one. Basically rise above it all.

8. Working for the Weekend by Loverboy

This doesn’t need an explanation.

I blocked several of my assistant memories from my mind and I didn’t even have a terrible assistant job. But all the memories came back as I read Lilit Marcus‘s Save the Assistants.

Most of us went to college thinking we’d graduate and land an amazing job at a well-known company and it would all be fabulous. We thought we had paid our dues during our internships. Then we landed assistant jobs and sure, we might have to get coffee every once and a while, but it was going to be great.

But it wasn’t.

And boy do I wish I had Save the Assistants when I realized that. Save the Assistants walks you through the ins and outs of being an assistant, how to deal with your boss, coworkers and other assistants and most importantly, how to keep your sanity.

Even as a Working Girl who has been in the game for four and half years, I picked up a few reminders. I was reading Save the Assistants during a time when I was getting very lazy at the office. I was unhappy and ready for a change. Save the Assistants reminded me to still do a good job while figuring out the change I needed to make.

I also had some serious flashbacks. When I ran into a portion titled “What Is Stockholm Syndrome?” I had a good giggle on Metro-North. I thought a few of my old coworkers were the first to compare the working world to having Stockholm Syndrome, but they definitely weren’t. There was a time when I had serious Stockholm Syndrome and could have used some help getting out.

Whether you’re a brand-new assistant or a seasoned Working Girl, you’ll certainly benefit from picking up Save the Assistants. Either to guide you through your first job or remind you how far you’ve come.

And did I mention there are quizzes?! Who doesn’t love quizzes?

Hope this Tuesday is turning out to be a good and productive one! Mine has been full of free pizza (the highlight of my day), dreary rain and an even drearier attitude. Hoping tomorrow picks up!

But we have some good news! And that is that we have a new blogroll! Yippee! It’s full of fun blogs and websites that WG1 and I visit on a daily basis so you know that means they are the shiznit.

Have any suggestions for more good women + career-focused reads to add to the blogroll? Email us at workinggirlone@gmail.com or workinggirltwo@gmail.com.

I haven’t been looking looking for a new job but I a position caught my eye at a company I admired so I applied. I didn’t think I’d get an interview but I did. And I was very excited.

After updating my portfolio, researching the company and picking out my interview outfit I felt ready to go.

When I was I greeted by my interviewers in the lobby, I could tell they were not into me at all. Throughout the interview, they didn’t listen and asked me questions that completely contradicted answers I’d just given them. I’m pretty sure they hadn’t even read my resume before I came in. They weren’t bad interviewers. In fact, I could probably learn a thing or two from the questions they were asking. The ones that weren’t contradictory, of course.

They were just not that into me. And I wasn’t into them. While I was slightly offended by their apathy, that wasn’t the only reason I wasn’t into them. They had a too cool for school attitude that I was not cool, or uncool (?), enough for. The office was dark and daunting. It just wasn’t the right fit.

So, after the interview, what is a Working Girl to do?

Normally, I would get to my back to computer whip up nice “thank you” note further explaining my interest in the position and why I am the perfect candidate for it. But I’m not interested and I’m not the perfect candidate. I thought about writing a note thanking them and withdrawing myself from the candidate pool but that felt a little presumptuous. I couldn’t have written my normal note but that would of been a complete lie.

Instead, I just didn’t follow-up. This is probably a huge Working Girl faux-pas. Ok, it is definitely a faux-pas. It’s the easiest way to get written off. But in this case, I’m fine with being written off. Although I probably already was.

Now, let me preface, this is not a “this is my side of the story” or “I’m going to make them feel bad because maybe they are still reading this here blog” post. Yes, it is my story but I don’t know, and probably never will know, the other side of the story and if anyone feels bad, it’s not my intention.

It was a shitty situation and this is just what happened, how I dealt with it and what I learned from it. The first thing my dad said to me when I called him with the news was “the first time is the hardest.” The first time?!? People are getting laid off left and right lately, maybe it will happen to you or a friend, maybe it already has. I’m simply sharing my story for the same reason Working Girl Two and I share all of our stories: So other Working Girls can hopefully learn something from our experience or just to know that someone else went through it too. So, here it goes.

About a month or so before I was let go, I started looking for a new job. I knew it was my time to move on. I’d been with the company for more than three years, started as a sales assistant and quickly worked up the ranks to a manager. I knew I’d grown as much as I could there. I also felt that my boss was treating me differently and something was up, but I brushed it off as just usual office stress.

But I knew, or my gut did. When my vacation request for the holidays wasn’t approved in a timely manner, I knew something was up. I joked to Promo Girl (remember her?), who had recently left the company, that my boss wasn’t approving my request because I wouldn’t be here for the holidays.

The weekend before I was let go, at a friend’s wedding, there were some alcohol-induced tears as I told my boyfriend that I was convinced I was getting fired. “No, no,” everyone told me. “They love you, they’d never let you go,” they said.

That day started like most of the others leading up to it. A coworker, who is also a good friend, and I were headed to a meeting about an upcoming event. I went into my boss’s office to let her know that I was heading out the meeting. I was expecting the usual “OK, see you later” but instead I got a seemingly frantic “when are you coming back?” I told her and headed out with my coworker who immediately said “that was weird.” It was weird. My response, I’m not even making this up, was, verbatim, “she probably wants to know what I’m getting back because she’s going to fire me this afternoon.”

That afternoon, HR called just as the same coworker popped over to my desk. They asked if I could come down to meet with them. I hung up the phone and told my coworker who called. I’ll never forget the look of shock on her face.

I headed to HR. My boss was there, with the HR rep, and the rest is a bit of a blur. My position was being eliminated because of lack of upcoming events (wasn’t I just at a meeting about an upcoming event?), they were sorry, if I need anything they are there for me. I started crying immediately even though I swore I wouldn’t during my elevator ride to HR. My boss left and the HR rep went over my severance package, next steps, etc. all while handing me tissues.

After going over all of the details, she led me to a conference room where I could make any phone calls I needed and pull myself together. I called my boyfriend. Then I called Promo Girl. She told me to do two things. First, ask HR if I could leave and come back at the very end of the day to pack my things and have them call one of my coworkers and ask her to bring down my purse, ID, phone, etc. Second, go get a USB device so I can pull anything I need from my computer. Not in the take everything you can kind of way, in the you’re going to be apply for jobs and need examples of work kind of way. This second piece of advice I forgot to follow and wish I hadn’t. As easy as it was get materials that I needed from my old coworkers, I would have been nice not to have to bug them I was frantically looking for something that I needed for a job application or follow-up.

I did follow the first piece of advice. My coworker brought me my things, comforted me as best she could, offered to stay late to be there while I packed my things. I went to Central Park to call my mom and my dad. I barely remember the conversations just that I was the crazy girl hysterically crying in the park. After finally killing enough time, two hours that felt like ten, I headed back to the building. A few people in my department were still there but my coworker who brought me my purse told them to leave me alone (some didn’t listen, wasn’t too thrilled about that). I did my final expense report because, fun fact, if your expenses aren’t up to date, you don’t get your severance, and packed up my things, mostly shoes (so many shoes!).

I’d gone from crazy girl crying in the park to bag lady on 8th Avenue searching for a cab. There was NO way I was getting on the subway. After 15 minutes of cab searching, I finally found one and began my trip home. When I was finally sitting in the comfort of a cab (for the record, this is the only time I’ve ever found a cab comforting), I realized I had a pounding migraine and couldn’t wait to get home and feel sorry for myself. What should have been a 10-minute ride turned in a 45-minute ride, thanks President Obama for being in town that day, it was awesome. I deleted my work email from phone. One would think that that would somehow happen automatically happen when one is let go.

When I got home, I wallowed. I needed to wallow and just get it all out. The next day, a Friday, was weird. I didn’t have to wake up early. I didn’t have anywhere to be. I stayed at home, took a mental health day, if you will, before letting myself worry about money or job searching.

It might be cheesy, but I believe everything happens for a reason. I was ready to leave my job and I did, it just wasn’t on my terms. And I needed a push. I’d been on two job interviews before I was let go and I came back from both feeling that maybe I wasn’t totally ready to leave. I’m still not completely over what happened, but it doesn’t upset me the way it did six months ago. Writing this post, I got a little shaky and a pit in my stomach reliving the emotions.

Remember that episode of Sex and the City when Charlotte tells the girls that it takes half the time you were in a relationship with someone to get over them? That’s how I feel about getting over being let go. I’m still working through it. I no longer think about it daily and I no longer worry “will I ever get over it?” I know I will. It just takes time.

No, this was serious low point shit.

During my walk, I would pass grocery stores, cleaners, gyms, and little shops. And I would say to myself, “Please, you could own a bar. How hard is owning a bar? I should open a bar like tomorrow so I don’t have to go to work at X Company anymore.” Or I would think, “Chinese food? I could make Chinese food? I could even deliver Chinese food. Yea, I could deliver Chinese food. That would be great!” The kicker…at one point I actually thought, “I could work at a cleaners. Ironing clothes sounds fun!”

Like really. I thought ironing clothes all day in a hot cleaners sounded like a terrific job next to my 9 to 6 marketing job where I basically sat at my desk and answered phones and emails. Talk about a cushy job compared to manual hard labor.

But that’s when I know I hit a low point. My low point was thinking I would rather quit my job and get a job delivering Chinese food.

Today was another one of those low points for me. I’m chalking it up to a lot of changes going at my current company and within my department specifically. I’m sure tomorrow will be better.

But today I would rather have had a job at a cleaners.