Glass Ceiling Blues - What Successful Women Executives Won't Tell You During Their Exit Interview

By Steven Grant

The Customer Research Center (CRC) recently talked with two incredibly successful female professionals about the dirty little Fortune 500 secret that everyone knows about and no one talks about. One of these women, President of her own Internet consulting firm, is a living definition of smarts and tenacity; successfully shepherding her team through the Dot.Com crash and into custom website design efforts for high end brands. The other woman is just starting her own consulting firm; bailing out of a Fortune 500 with one client in tow to launch her own business. Our conversation focused on the large numbers of highly competent aspiring women executives, poised between one or two decades of grinding servitude and the upper echelon rewards bestowed on the top 1%, who are turning their pumps away from the golden ladder and taking the stairs out.

These cadres of highly skilled, highly intelligent next generation CEO's are walking away from the promise of rewards for the certitude of rewarding themselves. Their standard exit line to the puzzled companies who were just getting ready to tap them on the shoulder for that next promotion is: "I'd like to spend more time with my family." What these two career women clued us in to is that line is just a line, the real reason is too awful to reveal. Both of these successful, intelligent women knew that if they told the truth they would be stoned-no, scratch that, that interview was in Iran-they knew they could never go back to the company afterward, if they ever wanted their old jobs back.

The real reason these women are leaving is because the corporate ladder provides an escalator for the men and a greased pole for the women. Yes, Virginia, Santa Claus still thinks you should be baking gingerbread cookies, not running the $1.7 billion toy manufacturing facility in Guangdong.

There is a fundamental cultural distinction at the heart of this unfairness. Women believe in meritocracy, men believe in winning. When a project falls apart a woman is likely to say, "I wasn't a good enough leader." If a project succeeds a woman is likely to say, "I had a great team." We're hoping we don't need to spell out the logical inversion of those statements that would tumble from the tongues of men.

A male executive, hearing these statements from women, begins to think, "Maybe she isn't a good enough leader" or "Maybe the team is carrying her." The male executives, in similar circumstances, are naturally inclined to braggadocio, back slapping, feather preening, and urinating on their beards-no, no that was the article about pygmy goats-to focus attention on them and garner as much credit as possible for the minimum investment of their own energy. This is simple Darwinian logic copied over the millennia from the genes of our woolly ancestors.

In reality most firms are still hierarchical patriarchies, even when they're run by women, and far from the meritocracies for which these women originally forsook hearth and home in search of a career. Instead of saying, "I'd like to spend more time with my family." these women want to say, "I'm sick of all the incompetent jackasses getting the promotions because they kiss your behind. I could make better decisions in less time than it takes them to zip up their pants."

So someone has to tell these clueless guys the truth before they burn out the next generation of females. Wake up and make some coffee guys. There's a clear choice between the Tao of blissfully ignorant backslapping devolution and a whole new generation of career women who are going to skip the butt kissing part and go right for the kicking.

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Job interview preparation: what to wear

When it comes to job interviews, what you look like counts! As shallow as it sounds, your appearance is one aspect of your overall person that can make or break an interviewer's decision of whether or not they should hire you.

Though dress codes in the work place have become much more informal in the past several years -- it seems that the "Casual Friday" sentiment has invaded Monday through Friday as well -- job interview attire has remained strictly professional. A pair of khakis and a button down shirt may work once you get to the office, but before being hired, such an ensemble is always a no no. Both men and women alike are expected to wear business suits to any and every interview, and any exception to the rule may be a real cause of concern for the interviewer.

For women, the best choice of interview attire is a smart business suit in a conservative color such as navy blue or black. Although pant suits have become the choice of apparel for many female professionals, proper interview etiquette still calls for female interviewees to wear a skirt to the meeting. When abiding by this rule, be sure to use good judgment as far as the length of the skirt is concerned. When in doubt as to the appropriateness of skirt length, think of knee-length as the ideal.

Other tips for women including making sure to tone down any makeup. If you are going to wear nail polish (though you may want to refrain altogether), a very light color or clear coat is the best option. If you choose to wear jewelry, make sure that the styles chosen are conservative ones. Earrings should be small, and the number of rings and bracelets you choose to put on should be minimal.

For men, a suit is still the required uniform. Again, a conservative color like navy blue or charcoal gray is your best bet. Aside from being more professional looking, dark colors like these make it easier to change the entire look with just the change of a tie or shirt. This can be a particularly useful trick to employ when you need to interview more than once at the same company, but don’t have a wardrobe full of new suits to wear. Men too should choose to leave the jewelry at home, as the only thing you want to call attention to is your world of experience.

Careful grooming is something that both genders should pay careful attention to. Make sure that your hair is neat and professional looking. Long hair should be pulled back and out of your face (for both men and women). For men with facial hair, be sure that your beard or moustache is neat and trimmed. If you prefer the freshly shaven look, be sure and take the extra few minutes to get a shave in before the interview.

A final tip to remember – for men and women alike – is to go easy on the perfume or cologne. Though you certainly want to smell good for the interview, you don’t want to send an allergic interviewer running out in the midst of a sneezing fit.

So, while the rules of dress in the workplace may be more casual, stick to the rules of professionalism when dressing for an interview. Only when you land that job (because of your impeccable job interview appearance) can you start applying the business casual look to your eveyday work life.

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Eye makeup tips for teens: subtle looks for interviews

Eye Makeup for Teens—Subtle Looks for Interviews

You’ve endured years of babysitting and lawn-mowing supplemented by a measly allowance. You’ve finally gotten your parents to agree to an after-school or summer job, and you’ve scheduled the interview. You’re on the way to having a real job, in the real world, with real pay! It all hinges on first impressions, and looking your best is more important now than ever before.

The theme for teen interview makeup is fresh, young, vibrant, and clean! You don’t want to look like a 40 year old business woman, and that’s okay—you’re prospective boss doesn’t want that for you either! The boss also doesn’t want you to look like Christina Aguilera a-la-“Dirrty,” either. Some things you’ll (usually) want to avoid: heavy glitter makeup; dark, smudgy eyeliner; screaming, neon-ish, candy colors; and anything that says “baby” (read: no glue-on sparklies).

For starters, you’ll want to take good care of your skin! All the makeup in the world can’t make-up for a poor complexion. A skin care routine for healthy skin has 5 steps—cleanse with a good cleanser, exfoliate with a cool mask, freshen with a toner that isn’t too harsh, hydrate with a light and non-oily moisturizer, and protect with a light foundation. Some cleansers on the market today simplify the process by offering a 3-in-1 cleanser. No matter what products you get, look for these five steps. Follow the program morning and night to keep your skin looking its best. Remember, when you start a skin care program, it is normal to see a few breakouts over the first 2 weeks as your skin releases long-held toxins. If you’re still breaking out after 3 weeks, you need to change products.

Now that you’re skin is fresh and vibrant, it’s time to protect it with a great foundation. Some companies offer a “dual-coverage powder foundation”—a sheer powder that can be applied dry as a powder, or with a damp sponge to dry into a sheer, light foundation. A quality foundation will protect your pores from pollution, smoke, and dust, without clogging your pores. If you don’t use a powder foundation, you’ll want to make sure you “set” your foundation by applying a loose or pressed powder over it. A note about shade selection: use a shade that matches or is a hair lighter than your skin tone. Never go darker! Apply a light blush to your cheeks, and a light gloss with a hint of color to your lips. A great foundation, cheek color, and lip gloss will bring out your eyes in a beautiful way!

You’ll want eye makeup that is natural-looking. For something super-simple, try a cream or liquid eye color in a shade like bronze or vanilla. Smooth a lighter shade along the entire eyelid. Then smooth a tiny bit of the darker shade into your crease. Take a darker powder shadow, and use a fine-tipped brush to line the eyes without the harsh look of a pencil eyeliner. Top it off with a great mascara, and you’re good to go!

Want something a little more dramatic, but still tasteful? For a teen-glam look, you’ll want three eye colors. Apply a super light color (pale pink, pale peach, or off-white) under your brow bone and above the lash line to the crease. A little shimmer is okay, but don’t go overboard with sparkle! Next, apply a medium-neutral color along the crease of the eye, starting from the outside and working in. This midtone color could be a soft brown, rose, or peach, and should coordinate with your first color. Third is your highlight color, and this is where you can bring a little sparkle, individuality, and brightness into your look. Instead of an eyeliner pencil, which can sometimes appear harsh and fake, apply a bit of your third color along your upper and lower lash lines. Then highlight the outside half of your crease with this color. Your highlight color can be a little more bold, and here is where you can bring in fun colors like lavender, light blue, green, and gold. The next step is super-important—BLEND, BLEND, BLEND! When using multiple eye colors, it is important that you blend your colors well to avoid looking artificial! Then, for extra-long looking lashes, try “minking” your eyes. Apply a coat of a lengthening brown mascara to your lashes. Then follow-up on the tips of your lashes with black mascara! The results—WOW!

Depending on where you’re applying for a job, you can play with these looks a bit. If you’ll be working outside, you’ll want to stick to the super-simple look, with waterproof mascara and natural colors that look great in the sunlight. Working inside in a well-lit environment? Try the super-simple look, or do the teen-glam look with muted colors. Working inside in a darker place, like a sports pub/restaurant or as a waitress on the night shift? Try the teen-glam look, and use a darker color for your liner for that subtly smudged look. Working somewhere festive, where party makeup is appropriate? A little extra shimmer can be fun!

Work-appropriate makeup doesn’t have to be dull or a drag. Using these tips, and a little common sense, you can create makeup looks that let YOU do the shining… not your makeup!

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Working women: how to dress for a professional job interview

When you go into a professional job interview, you have to look the part. Of course, your skill set and your educational and vocational background is important, but if you don't make a good first impression on your interviewer, you aren't going to get the job. It is important that you can strike a balance between attractiveness and professionalism. In a perfect world, your looks wouldn’t factor into your attractiveness to a potential employer, but we don’t live in a perfect world. We live in the real world, and in the real world, there is no such thing as true objectivity. When you see your potential employer, you are going to form opinions in your mind about that person based on the way he or she looks. It is just human nature. Make it work to your advantage by grooming yourself and dressing in such a way that your look conveys your aptitude for the position.

Working women have a unique challenge in the professional world. They are expected to be fashionable while at the same time looking businesslike and “serious.” Some women take the serious side too far. You do not need to wear your hair back in a tight bun with a pencil through it. You do not need to wear aquamarine power skirt suits every week that hide your figure as if designed with a burlap sack in mind. You are a woman, and you should look like a woman, not a man. Maybe twenty years ago it was necessary to achieve a level of masculinity as a working woman in order to gain the respect of sexist male colleagues, but nowadays, woman are vital to the workforce, and there is no reason to understate that fact with your wardrobe.

When you are interviewing for a highly desirable professional position, you need to make sure that you leave a lasting impression with your interviewer or interviewers. One of the easiest ways to stand out in a crowd is by adding a splash of color to your wardrobe. Don’t go overboard – by a “splash” of color I mean that you should have one article of clothing that is bright, not an entire bright red outfit. If you wear any overtly colorful outfit your clothing will actually be distracting, and it could hinder you success at the interview. Consider this: a navy-colored tweed skirt with matching sport coat, topped off with a crimson scarf. Navy is a great job interview color because it symbolizes loyalty and trustworthiness, and the splash of color will give you a memorable accent. Also, on a subconscious level, the bright crimson scarf against the deep navy blue will make you look bold, assertive and outgoing.

Many women worry that they are expected to wear a dress or skirt to a job interview. If you are a pants-only kind of lady, you don’t need to change your style just to get a job. In fact, women who never wear skirts or dresses often feel uncomfortable – and more importantly look uncomfortable – when they have to put on a dress or skirt. You want to feel confident and self-assured, and wearing something that you do not feel “yourself” in is only going to make you feel flustered at the interview. Wear a dressy pair of pants. Obviously, you aren’t going to show up in jeans or your favorite worn-out khakis. However, a pair of straight-legged or pleated black, gray, tan or navy pants can be part of your professional look. Remember, just because you are wearing pants, that doesn’t mean you should ditch the heels.

Most importantly, you want to look fresh and polished. Your clothes should be pressed. Wrinkles are a sign of laziness, and that is the last attribute you want to have associated with you at a job interview. Make sure that your hair is as shiny as can be – no flyaways! Your make-up should be more on the natural side than the glamorous side, with the exception of either a bright lipstick or bold eye color (not both at once). Also, matching jewelry will make you look very organized and meticulous, so try to wear matching bracelet, earrings, and necklace. You want to look like you are a very together working woman, and by bringing together your outfit, hairstyle, makeup, and jewelry, that is the very image you are sure to project.

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Interview Dress for Women

Women have a lot of flexibility in their wardrobe that can be a good and bad thing. The standard job interview dress for women is still pretty much the same thing as men, a dark navy or grey suit or other conservative colors. Women should avoid wearing a dress.

Make up should be very minimal with both the lipstick and nail polish being conservative tones. You should have panty hose with no runs and also conservative in color. Try to have a briefcase and not a purse.

As stated before suits are the best choice for the job interview. Employers seem of a split mind whether it should be a pantsuit or skirted. Your skirt length should always be below the knees and never far above the knee. No matter what anyone tells you.

The best patterns for your clothing are solids, soft plaids, tweed and the like. Colors are also best to be conservative; blue, grey, charcoal, khaki, etc.

When it comes to shoes women should stay with a conservative pump with a mid level heel. Extremely high heels are a definite no no. Your shows should complement your outfit and not be the center of it. It should also go without saying that no sandals or sneakers for a job interview.

Women should always wear hosiery on a job interview. Even though you will not on the day to day job you should for your job interview. They should be a natural skin color and stay away from white.

Of course your hairstyle should also be conservative and easy to control. You do not want your hair to be the focus of attention. You want your skills and experience to be. If necessary wear your hair up.

Finally avoid any bright lipstick and subdued makeup. Wear deodorant and go light on the perfume. Brush your teeth and use mouthwash before the interview. There is nothing worst then having an interview with someone with bad breath.

I have personally cut interviews short because I couldn’t take someone’s breath or perfume. They could have had the qualifications but I wouldn’t have known because I needed to get fresh air.

By David Clemen

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