Ever wonder why that girl got the promotion you deserved? How that other girl seems to know everyone on the planet? Or how any girl whose career is still up and coming manages to dress as if she's already arrived? Atlantan Debra Shigley has the answers.
The former Atlanta magazine staffer shares secrets to career success in "The Go-Getter Girl's Guide: Get What You Want in Work and Life (and Look Great While You're at It)," (Thomas Dunne Books, $16.99). Shigley, who will be making a special appearance at Bloomingdale's on Thursday, was convinced that young women (and sometimes not so young women) could use a primer on self-promotion.
"There is a Go-Getter Girl inside of all of us. It’s a question of when and how she emerges," said Shigley who had to make a few adjustments when she became an editor at Atlanta Magazine and found herself schmoozing with people younger, older and more famous than her. "I wanted some tricks to learn how to schmooze so I asked folks, what do you? Most of the women I speak to had critical shifts where they weren’t always outgoing professionally, but once they got in the working world they needed to do that."
Shigley shares the stories of some well-known locals on how to be a go-getter (because clearly not everyone is born that way) including author Emily Giffin and Sara Blakely, founder of Spanx. The advice includes everything from encouraging young women not to use the workplace as a BFF breeding ground to giving them specific diet and exercise tips. With an entire chapter devoted to the art of negotiation and another one to wardrobe building, there isn't much that Shigley doesn't cover. "You can read this book and figure out, what would a Go-Getter Girl do in this situation?" Shigley said. We asked Shigley to share some quick insight into the Go-Getter Girl mindset.
Q: Why did you think this guide was necessary for young women?
A: I think there are all those unwritten rules of the workplace. You go to a good school and sometimes they teach you a few of these things, but most women, and some men, get out in the work force and have that realization that...they don’t have all the answers. Some of us stumble around and maybe fall in the right direction, but I thought, why not have a shortcut?
Q: What is the biggest mistake that young women make in networking?
A: As women, part of our bonding is a little more intimate conversation. You can be at a business lunch with another woman and it is not uncommon to leave knowing about her latest OB/GYN appointment or her breakup that has made her move across the country. Women could benefit a little more from having other types of things to talk about than to go to our natural inclination to chit chat. Read a few books on the bestseller list, which gives you more sort of conversational currency than talking about how frustrated you are with your work situation. Another thing is not to let any desperation or lack of focus come through. A lot of women send me letters and want to go to coffee and it is my pleasure to do it, but they sound unfocused. If you are meeting with someone that can actually help you, you want to present a more polished front.
Q: How has networking changed in the last decade?
A: Facebook. Linked-In. A lot of networking is done through social networking. You can friend someone you want to meet on Facebook and possibly a face-to-face connection can come out of that. I think you should utilize all of the things available to you, but your end goal should be that in-person meeting and more offline connections.
Q: Several of the women you feature in the book are Atlanta-based. What is it about Atlanta that attracts a Go-Getter Girl?
A: It is a fantastic place for young entrepreneurs. The cost of living is not too high. It is a very fashionable city. It has a very vibrant sort of air about it. A lot of young people come to Atlanta seeking opportunity. The city is a big city, but small enough that if you put your effort into it, one is able to network around and create opportunity. You have an infusion of so many people from all different places, and it is a good platform to build something that can go national or global.
Event Preview
4 p.m. Thursday. Debra Shigley, author of "The Go-Getter Girl's Guide" at The Shopping Benefit fundraiser, Bloomingdale's Lenox Square, Level Two -- Ladies Shoes, 3393 Peachtree Road N.E., Atlanta. www.bloomingdales.com
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