Tagged Dream:

Fall In Love with Your Work Life: Uncovering Your Passion and Finding Your Dream Career.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Since we’re all completely over being told to pair off in order to signal to the rest of the world that our lives are (somewhat) on track, we thought ‘Why don’t we just focus on actually getting our lives in order?’ In that vein, Kristen Walker helps the Levo League to take a close look at what we find important in our lives and careers.

We’ve all been told that in order to love our job and achieve lasting career happiness and success, we simply have to follow our passion. Inspiring, right? While there is obviously plenty of truth to this cliché, the advice it provides is so vague that it can often feel almost totally useless. And if you’re anything like me, it can cause more anxiety than encouragement, especially if you don’t have a clue how to take that first step in following your passion. Or — and this can feel even scarier — what happens if you don’t even know what you’re passionate about to start with? What if you want to have a career that makes you feel fulfilled, but you just don’t know what that career is yet?

Some of you may already have a clear idea of exactly what it is you want to do with your life. Maybe you’re already working in your field and embarking on the journey to your ideal career. Those of you who fall into this category — you are the lucky few! But if you’re like the majority of Gen Y-ers, you’re likely struggling to uncover what you’re truly passionate about, much less determine how to make it into a viable career.

In her book 20 Something Manifesto, Christine Hassler compares finding your life direction to eating at the Cheesecake Factory. With 167 menu options to choose from, (not including beverages, sides, and, of course, cheesecake flavors), the Cheesecake Factory’s menu can induce mild panic, even to the most decisive of us. Hassler describes her reaction the first time she perused this menu: “How was I supposed to pick just one dish? What was the best thing? As everyone else around me ordered, I became even more anxious — should I get what someone else was having? Would it be better than what I thought I wanted?” You may feel this way when trying to uncover your passions or ideal career path. There are so many options available, the idea of choosing just one is daunting!

Some of us will decide that the best way to solve the mystery of our missing passion is to try out various new activities or jobs to see which one sticks. There’s an undercurrent of romance and excitement in the belief that one day you can try something completely new and have an epiphany: This is it! This is what I’m meant to do with my life! But Jonathan Acuff refutes this concept in his book Quitter.

Acuff believes that finding your dream job “is more than a revelation or an act of discovery. I believe it’s a process of recovery. More often than not, finding out what you love doing most is about recovering an old love or an inescapable truth that has been silenced for years, even decades. When you come to your dream job, your thing, it is rarely a first encounter. It’s usually a reunion.” 

So in order to help you on your path to recovering your passion, I’ve developed an interactive series of questions called “7 Steps to Uncover Your Passion and Dream Career” to help you reflect on your innate interests, talents, and strengths. Then, in the next article in this series, you’ll learn how to determine if your passion will make a sustainable and fulfilling career.

Ready to rescue your inner passion? Go to “7 Steps to Uncover Your Passion and Dream Career” now. 
Feb 08
Fall In Love with Your Work Life: Uncovering Your Passion and Finding Your Dream Career. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Since we’re all completely over being told to pair off in order to signal to the rest of the world that our lives are (somewhat) on track, we thought ‘Why don’t we just focus on actually getting our lives in order?’ In that vein, Kristen Walker helps the Levo League to take a close look at what we find important in our lives and careers. We’ve all been told that in order to love our job and achieve lasting career happiness and success, we simply have to follow our passion. Inspiring, right? While there is obviously plenty of truth to this cliché, the advice it provides is so vague that it can often feel almost totally useless. And if you’re anything like me, it can cause more anxiety than encouragement, especially if you don’t have a clue how to take that first step in following your passion. Or — and this can feel even scarier — what happens if you don’t even know what you’re passionate about to start with? What if you want to have a career that makes you feel fulfilled, but you just don’t know what that career is yet? Some of you may already have a clear idea of exactly what it is you want to do with your life. Maybe you’re already working in your field and embarking on the journey to your ideal career. Those of you who fall into this category — you are the lucky few! But if you’re like the majority of Gen Y-ers, you’re likely struggling to uncover what you’re truly passionate about, much less determine how to make it into a viable career. In her book 20 Something Manifesto, Christine Hassler compares finding your life direction to eating at the Cheesecake Factory. With 167 menu options to choose from, (not including beverages, sides, and, of course, cheesecake flavors), the Cheesecake Factory’s menu can induce mild panic, even to the most decisive of us. Hassler describes her reaction the first time she perused this menu: “How was I supposed to pick just one dish? What was the best thing? As everyone else around me ordered, I became even more anxious — should I get what someone else was having? Would it be better than what I thought I wanted?” You may feel this way when trying to uncover your passions or ideal career path. There are so many options available, the idea of choosing just one is daunting! Some of us will decide that the best way to solve the mystery of our missing passion is to try out various new activities or jobs to see which one sticks. There’s an undercurrent of romance and excitement in the belief that one day you can try something completely new and have an epiphany: This is it! This is what I’m meant to do with my life! But Jonathan Acuff refutes this concept in his book Quitter. Acuff believes that finding your dream job “is more than a revelation or an act of discovery. I believe it’s a process of recovery. More often than not, finding out what you love doing most is about recovering an old love or an inescapable truth that has been silenced for years, even decades. When you come to your dream job, your thing, it is rarely a first encounter. It’s usually a reunion.”  So in order to help you on your path to recovering your passion, I’ve developed an interactive series of questions called “7 Steps to Uncover Your Passion and Dream Career” to help you reflect on your innate interests, talents, and strengths. Then, in the next article in this series, you’ll learn how to determine if your passion will make a sustainable and fulfilling career. Ready to rescue your inner passion? Go to “7 Steps to Uncover Your Passion and Dream Career” now. 

The Era of Enough


Kate Byrne, former Acting Publisher of Fast Company, discusses the world of hybrid social entrepreneurialism.

“The Season of Giving”– I’ve always found that a funny notion. It’s said so frequently around the holidays, as if we should infer that there’s a predetermined time of year to give. One doesn’t wear white after Labor Day, one only gives during the twelve days of Christmas, and maybe the more daring among us also shell out a bit at the beginning of the year. Do so, and you are free and clear for the year.

Is it really any wonder how the economy got into the tight spot it’s in, or how organizations such as Occupation Wall Street came to be, when this is our perspective on charitable giving? If those of us with an income are only giving to others during a twelve-day period during the year, it doesn’t take a math major to know that the figures won’t add up. This is unsustainable. Something, or someone, has to give– literally. We can start today.

There’s a movement afoot that’s been attracting plenty of attention for over a decade – Social Entrepreneurship. It’s built around the concept of “enough.” There are several kinds of social companies: non-profits are one type, but there is another type– companies akin to the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, the Aravind Eye Hospital in India, and Sekem in Egypt– that is fast growing. Its premise could be the very answer to our economic issues, not only as a country, but as a world. Hybrid social entrepreneurs are those who run their businesses for profit with a non-profit, or “for-good,” heart. Their enterprise has a triple bottom-line, with metrics measuring the company’s impact on the “Three Ps,” as they are known – profit, people and planet.

This is not a new phenomenon. When I was Acting Publisher of Fast Company in 2004, my then-Editor in Chief, now my husband, created the Social Capital Awards, recognizing those companies doing well by doing good and changing the world as a result. The SoCap award went on to become a badge of honor for those in the space, providing fuel for the then few entrepreneurial spirits gathered around the campfire of change who wanted to make the world a better place. Those campfires are popping up all over the country now, and the social entrepreneurial world is ablaze with exciting new ventures that you can be a part of (or can financially support).

If you’re in business school, or contemplating it, many now offer degrees in social entrepreneurship. Stanford was just awarded the biggest gift the school ever received for the sole purpose to build the SEED school, specifically dedicated to studying social entrepreneurship. If you go this route, you won’t be alone– statistics are showing that 15% of b-school graduates are choosing social entrepreneurial paths. This is a hopeful sign for the global economy. If you’re in the corporate world, check out what your company is doing from what is called the CSR (corporate social responsibility) front and get involved.

You don’t have to go to school or run a business to support the social entrepreneurial movement. You can do it by purchasing their products. Worldblu (www.worldblu.com) provides a list of companies such as Fat Tire, who practice hybrid models of social entrepreneurship. Roozt (www.roozt.com) is an online marketplace supporting budding social entrepreneurs from all over the world. Its goal is to be Amazon’s primary competitor. By donating $500 at Equality and Opportunity, (www.equalityandopportunity.org) you can literally buy a family a house in Indonesia, from which they can run their own business (a typical practice). Get a group of friends together and you can literally help build a village. Worldpulse.com (www.worldpulse.com) helps women around the world find their voices through their citizen journalism course. Finally, if you are an investor, you can jump into what is fast becoming a hot industry: impact investing, where social impact, and not just the bottom line, is the key metric.

If you are already in the space and want to meet others, attend events such as SoCap San Francisco,which happens every year after Labor Day; or check-out The Opportunity Collaboration that gathers folks from all stakeholder groups (investors, VCs, non-profits and hybrid model execs) in an effort to support the endeavors of all (www.opportunitycollaboration.org). They have a fellowship program– Cordes Fellows– for those who are in need of financial assistance.

Edith Wharton wrote “ There are two ways to reflect light; to be the candle or be the mirror reflecting it.” For-good companies shed light on the world, and you can reflect it by getting involved. We in the Western world have plenty– so much more than many others in the world. The scarcity mentality so many of us fall -prey to has brought us to where we are today. For-good companies are an easy way to break out and begin paying it forward. By giving every day, we begin to live in a new era – the Era of Enough.

To learn more about the companies Kate talks about, check out their sites (listed above) and their Twitter feeds:

Worldpulse.com – @worldpulse

Worldpulse Founder Jensine Larsen – @jensine

Roozt.com – @roozt

Kate Byrne is a former Acting Publisher of Fast Company.
Dec 30
The Era of Enough Kate Byrne, former Acting Publisher of Fast Company, discusses the world of hybrid social entrepreneurialism. “The Season of Giving”– I’ve always found that a funny notion. It’s said so frequently around the holidays, as if we should infer that there’s a predetermined time of year to give. One doesn’t wear white after Labor Day, one only gives during the twelve days of Christmas, and maybe the more daring among us also shell out a bit at the beginning of the year. Do so, and you are free and clear for the year. Is it really any wonder how the economy got into the tight spot it’s in, or how organizations such as Occupation Wall Street came to be, when this is our perspective on charitable giving? If those of us with an income are only giving to others during a twelve-day period during the year, it doesn’t take a math major to know that the figures won’t add up. This is unsustainable. Something, or someone, has to give– literally. We can start today. There’s a movement afoot that’s been attracting plenty of attention for over a decade – Social Entrepreneurship. It’s built around the concept of “enough.” There are several kinds of social companies: non-profits are one type, but there is another type– companies akin to the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, the Aravind Eye Hospital in India, and Sekem in Egypt– that is fast growing. Its premise could be the very answer to our economic issues, not only as a country, but as a world. Hybrid social entrepreneurs are those who run their businesses for profit with a non-profit, or “for-good,” heart. Their enterprise has a triple bottom-line, with metrics measuring the company’s impact on the “Three Ps,” as they are known – profit, people and planet. This is not a new phenomenon. When I was Acting Publisher of Fast Company in 2004, my then-Editor in Chief, now my husband, created the Social Capital Awards, recognizing those companies doing well by doing good and changing the world as a result. The SoCap award went on to become a badge of honor for those in the space, providing fuel for the then few entrepreneurial spirits gathered around the campfire of change who wanted to make the world a better place. Those campfires are popping up all over the country now, and the social entrepreneurial world is ablaze with exciting new ventures that you can be a part of (or can financially support). If you’re in business school, or contemplating it, many now offer degrees in social entrepreneurship. Stanford was just awarded the biggest gift the school ever received for the sole purpose to build the SEED school, specifically dedicated to studying social entrepreneurship. If you go this route, you won’t be alone– statistics are showing that 15% of b-school graduates are choosing social entrepreneurial paths. This is a hopeful sign for the global economy. If you’re in the corporate world, check out what your company is doing from what is called the CSR (corporate social responsibility) front and get involved. You don’t have to go to school or run a business to support the social entrepreneurial movement. You can do it by purchasing their products. Worldblu (www.worldblu.com) provides a list of companies such as Fat Tire, who practice hybrid models of social entrepreneurship. Roozt (www.roozt.com) is an online marketplace supporting budding social entrepreneurs from all over the world. Its goal is to be Amazon’s primary competitor. By donating $500 at Equality and Opportunity, (www.equalityandopportunity.org) you can literally buy a family a house in Indonesia, from which they can run their own business (a typical practice). Get a group of friends together and you can literally help build a village. Worldpulse.com (www.worldpulse.com) helps women around the world find their voices through their citizen journalism course. Finally, if you are an investor, you can jump into what is fast becoming a hot industry: impact investing, where social impact, and not just the bottom line, is the key metric. If you are already in the space and want to meet others, attend events such as SoCap San Francisco,which happens every year after Labor Day; or check-out The Opportunity Collaboration that gathers folks from all stakeholder groups (investors, VCs, non-profits and hybrid model execs) in an effort to support the endeavors of all (www.opportunitycollaboration.org). They have a fellowship program– Cordes Fellows– for those who are in need of financial assistance. Edith Wharton wrote “ There are two ways to reflect light; to be the candle or be the mirror reflecting it.” For-good companies shed light on the world, and you can reflect it by getting involved. We in the Western world have plenty– so much more than many others in the world. The scarcity mentality so many of us fall -prey to has brought us to where we are today. For-good companies are an easy way to break out and begin paying it forward. By giving every day, we begin to live in a new era – the Era of Enough. To learn more about the companies Kate talks about, check out their sites (listed above) and their Twitter feeds: Worldpulse.com – @worldpulse Worldpulse Founder Jensine Larsen – @jensine Roozt.com – @roozt Kate Byrne is a former Acting Publisher of Fast Company.

Career Change: Making the Decision to Go to Grad School

After 2.5 years, two promotions, countless 60+ hour work weeks, and too many sleepless nights, I had to face the cold hard truth – I was in the wrong career.

I had chosen public relations based on several of my strengths, such as my organization and management skills and my drive to succeed. Though I enjoyed many aspects of the field – business trips to New York City and Los Angeles, staffing high-profile events, and fantastic coworkers and managers I had over the years – I did not have the passion for public relations that many of my colleagues expressed as they flipped through PR Week and discussed the latest social media trends.

It was time for a change, but what should I do next? More importantly, what could I do next?

After researching potential jobs, I decided speech language pathology matches my ideal career criteria the closest and builds on my interest in developmental psychology (my undergraduate major). However, my drastic career change will require two to three years of graduate school – a substantial investment of time and money.

Before jumping in, I asked myself the following key questions to determine if graduate school (and speech language pathology) was the best path for me.

Does the field have a strong job outlook?

According to the Council of Graduate Schools, enrollment of new students at U.S. graduate schools dipped slightly from 2009 to 2010 – the first decrease since 2003 – with business, education, and public administration decreasing the most. This news came as a surprise because there is typically an inverse relationship between the economy and graduate student enrollment. In an interview with the New York Times, council president Debra W. Stewart offered the explanation, “With this recession going on for so long, people who have a job are less likely to want to leave it to go back to school, because it’s not at all clear that there will be a job for them at the other end.”

With the economy and the job market showing little sign of improvement, this is a very important concern. If considering graduate school, research your potential field’s future job prospects to ensure you are making a wise investment. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook is a good place to start. The job outlook will give you a good idea of what to expect the job market to look like once you graduate. Upon examining the handbook, I learned that job opportunities for speech-languages pathologists areexpected to be favorable whereas public relations specialists face keen competition for entry-level work. I also learned that the average earnings of a speech-language pathologist were $62,930 in 2008 while the average wages for a public relations specialist were $51,280 that same year. The website provides ample data on what sort of income you can expect to have in a new career.

Is it a good investment financially?

Stewart also noted the cost of graduate school was another important factor for the decrease in enrollment – a valid concern.

Take into account the cost of tuition, books, and room and board to determine the overall financial investment of graduate school. One resource to consider is Sallie Mae’s Education Investment Planner, a free online tool that lets users compare cost of attendance estimates at over 5,500 colleges and graduate schools.

Next, research your potential field’s average annual earnings to determine if you are making a wise investment. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook also provides these figures.

Is it a good investment of time?

I suffer from commitment issues – signing a one-year lease for an apartment or committing to a mobile phone carrier for 2 years gives me the willies. Thus, it was important for me to evaluate if I am ready to commit two to three years of my life to graduate school.

Since my chosen field has a strong job outlook and stands to be a good investment financially, the question of investing my time tested my resolve for how much I want to pursue this field. The resounding answer is “Yes!” Now is the right time to go back to school and do what I really want to do, while I am relatively unencumbered with large responsibilities.

I know it will be worth it in the end to have a fulfilling career I am passionate about.
Oct 25
Career Change: Making the Decision to Go to Grad School After 2.5 years, two promotions, countless 60+ hour work weeks, and too many sleepless nights, I had to face the cold hard truth – I was in the wrong career. I had chosen public relations based on several of my strengths, such as my organization and management skills and my drive to succeed. Though I enjoyed many aspects of the field – business trips to New York City and Los Angeles, staffing high-profile events, and fantastic coworkers and managers I had over the years – I did not have the passion for public relations that many of my colleagues expressed as they flipped through PR Week and discussed the latest social media trends. It was time for a change, but what should I do next? More importantly, what could I do next? After researching potential jobs, I decided speech language pathology matches my ideal career criteria the closest and builds on my interest in developmental psychology (my undergraduate major). However, my drastic career change will require two to three years of graduate school – a substantial investment of time and money. Before jumping in, I asked myself the following key questions to determine if graduate school (and speech language pathology) was the best path for me. Does the field have a strong job outlook? According to the Council of Graduate Schools, enrollment of new students at U.S. graduate schools dipped slightly from 2009 to 2010 – the first decrease since 2003 – with business, education, and public administration decreasing the most. This news came as a surprise because there is typically an inverse relationship between the economy and graduate student enrollment. In an interview with the New York Times, council president Debra W. Stewart offered the explanation, “With this recession going on for so long, people who have a job are less likely to want to leave it to go back to school, because it’s not at all clear that there will be a job for them at the other end.” With the economy and the job market showing little sign of improvement, this is a very important concern. If considering graduate school, research your potential field’s future job prospects to ensure you are making a wise investment. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook is a good place to start. The job outlook will give you a good idea of what to expect the job market to look like once you graduate. Upon examining the handbook, I learned that job opportunities for speech-languages pathologists areexpected to be favorable whereas public relations specialists face keen competition for entry-level work. I also learned that the average earnings of a speech-language pathologist were $62,930 in 2008 while the average wages for a public relations specialist were $51,280 that same year. The website provides ample data on what sort of income you can expect to have in a new career. Is it a good investment financially? Stewart also noted the cost of graduate school was another important factor for the decrease in enrollment – a valid concern. Take into account the cost of tuition, books, and room and board to determine the overall financial investment of graduate school. One resource to consider is Sallie Mae’s Education Investment Planner, a free online tool that lets users compare cost of attendance estimates at over 5,500 colleges and graduate schools. Next, research your potential field’s average annual earnings to determine if you are making a wise investment. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook also provides these figures. Is it a good investment of time? I suffer from commitment issues – signing a one-year lease for an apartment or committing to a mobile phone carrier for 2 years gives me the willies. Thus, it was important for me to evaluate if I am ready to commit two to three years of my life to graduate school. Since my chosen field has a strong job outlook and stands to be a good investment financially, the question of investing my time tested my resolve for how much I want to pursue this field. The resounding answer is “Yes!” Now is the right time to go back to school and do what I really want to do, while I am relatively unencumbered with large responsibilities. I know it will be worth it in the end to have a fulfilling career I am passionate about.

Over the course of my final year in law school, I’ve been realizing something: that the important questions students have for law firms regarding upward mobility and leadership tracks for women in law firms aren’t as transparent as they seem.  While many large law firms have women’s initiatives programs that are catered to “helping” women become successful in a law firm, none of those programs seem to truly educate and promote leadership in a way that has tangible effect.

Don’t get me wrong— I recognize that programs like maternity leave promote motherhood in the legal profession. But initiatives like these are not enough to allow women to both start a family and have a truly successful career. Firms often struggle to proactively promote leadership pathways for women. In other words: maternity leave is not enough. And actually taking advantage of maternity leave programs can be seen as detrimental to a lawyer’s career, because it is difficult to make up experience and time lost on maternity leave. Women can be left feeling like they’ll never catch up to their peers. While data on this is generally scant, horror stories do happen.

Enter the Women In Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF).  WILEF was founded by Elizabeth Anne “Betiayn” Tursi, a former law firm chief marketing executive, and Peggy Cohen, Vice President and Managing Director at RR Donnelley, 5 years ago.  When we spoke to Tursi about her goals regarding WILEF, she said their sole mission was to hold law firms accountable for their decisions regarding women and leadership positions.  To determine whether a law firm enables women to become leaders, WILEF instituted a gold standard certification which takes into account how much leadership women has in a law firm—using parameters like percentage of equity partners who are female and percentage of women on the firm’s compensation committee.  To be eligible for gold standard certification, a law firm must show that it is qualified in 3 or more of the following 6 criteria:

Women must represent at least:

  • 20% of equity partners
  • 10% of firm chairs and office managing partners
  • 20% of the firm’s primary governance committee
  • 20% or more of the firm’s compensation committee
  • 25% of practice group leaders or department heads
  • 10% of the top half of the most highly compensated partners

These criteria convey in a concrete and comparable way whether a firm counts among its long-term goals providing women the opportunity to be successful leaders within any given firm. They provide clarity for law school graduates who are determining what type of law firm to pursue. These ratios indicate not only whether a law firm encourages women equity partners, but also whether the law firm is providing opportunities to train women and present them with the tools necessary to build their careers.

We sat down to get a second take on WILEF with Barbara Kolsun, EVP of General Counsel at Stuart Weitzman. Barbara left a corporate law firm career because of the gross gender inequities at her firm. She says, when asked about WILEF, “Women have to participate too in the process of equality and step up to the plate in terms of pulling their weight. We cannot have it all – work 3 days from 9-4 and expect to be compensated or rewarded in the same way as those who put in the hours.” This is not the kind of woman WILEF is trying to protect. WILEF seeks to combat the negative effects that a woman’s decision to bear children and have a family can have on her career, and to make sure that law firms are held accountable to go beyond nominal “women’s initiatives” and truly encourage young female lawyers to commit to a path of success. Barbara says of potential future WILEF initiatives, “We need to discuss difficult issues – women of my generation worked hard to give our younger sisters more flexibility: don’t abuse it.”

The effect of WILEF has been astonishing.  Earlier this month, WILEF held a luncheon honoring the 45 law firms that are gold standard certified to date.  Law firms are looking at the WILEF criteria carefully and are using WILEF’s perspectives to better understand what they need to be doing as far as women are concerned.

WILEF will continue to be a dominating force towards helping women achieve leadership in the legal world.  Tursi informed me that WILEF will be adding more criteria to their gold standard certification program in 2013 and will also be expanding their leadership goals to law firms across the world.
Sep 28
Over the course of my final year in law school, I’ve been realizing something: that the important questions students have for law firms regarding upward mobility and leadership tracks for women in law firms aren’t as transparent as they seem.  While many large law firms have women’s initiatives programs that are catered to “helping” women become successful in a law firm, none of those programs seem to truly educate and promote leadership in a way that has tangible effect. Don’t get me wrong— I recognize that programs like maternity leave promote motherhood in the legal profession. But initiatives like these are not enough to allow women to both start a family and have a truly successful career. Firms often struggle to proactively promote leadership pathways for women. In other words: maternity leave is not enough. And actually taking advantage of maternity leave programs can be seen as detrimental to a lawyer’s career, because it is difficult to make up experience and time lost on maternity leave. Women can be left feeling like they’ll never catch up to their peers. While data on this is generally scant, horror stories do happen. Enter the Women In Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF).  WILEF was founded by Elizabeth Anne “Betiayn” Tursi, a former law firm chief marketing executive, and Peggy Cohen, Vice President and Managing Director at RR Donnelley, 5 years ago.  When we spoke to Tursi about her goals regarding WILEF, she said their sole mission was to hold law firms accountable for their decisions regarding women and leadership positions.  To determine whether a law firm enables women to become leaders, WILEF instituted a gold standard certification which takes into account how much leadership women has in a law firm—using parameters like percentage of equity partners who are female and percentage of women on the firm’s compensation committee.  To be eligible for gold standard certification, a law firm must show that it is qualified in 3 or more of the following 6 criteria: Women must represent at least: 20% of equity partners 10% of firm chairs and office managing partners 20% of the firm’s primary governance committee 20% or more of the firm’s compensation committee 25% of practice group leaders or department heads 10% of the top half of the most highly compensated partners These criteria convey in a concrete and comparable way whether a firm counts among its long-term goals providing women the opportunity to be successful leaders within any given firm. They provide clarity for law school graduates who are determining what type of law firm to pursue. These ratios indicate not only whether a law firm encourages women equity partners, but also whether the law firm is providing opportunities to train women and present them with the tools necessary to build their careers. We sat down to get a second take on WILEF with Barbara Kolsun, EVP of General Counsel at Stuart Weitzman. Barbara left a corporate law firm career because of the gross gender inequities at her firm. She says, when asked about WILEF, “Women have to participate too in the process of equality and step up to the plate in terms of pulling their weight. We cannot have it all – work 3 days from 9-4 and expect to be compensated or rewarded in the same way as those who put in the hours.” This is not the kind of woman WILEF is trying to protect. WILEF seeks to combat the negative effects that a woman’s decision to bear children and have a family can have on her career, and to make sure that law firms are held accountable to go beyond nominal “women’s initiatives” and truly encourage young female lawyers to commit to a path of success. Barbara says of potential future WILEF initiatives, “We need to discuss difficult issues – women of my generation worked hard to give our younger sisters more flexibility: don’t abuse it.” The effect of WILEF has been astonishing.  Earlier this month, WILEF held a luncheon honoring the 45 law firms that are gold standard certified to date.  Law firms are looking at the WILEF criteria carefully and are using WILEF’s perspectives to better understand what they need to be doing as far as women are concerned. WILEF will continue to be a dominating force towards helping women achieve leadership in the legal world.  Tursi informed me that WILEF will be adding more criteria to their gold standard certification program in 2013 and will also be expanding their leadership goals to law firms across the world.

The Levo League

Posted on Wednesday February 8th 2012 at 12:48pm. Its tags are listed below.

Fall In Love with Your Work Life: Uncovering Your Passion and Finding Your Dream Career. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Since we’re all completely over being told to pair off in order to signal to the rest of the world that our lives are (somewhat) on track, we thought ‘Why don’t we just focus on actually getting our lives in order?’ In that vein, Kristen Walker helps the Levo League to take a close look at what we find important in our lives and careers. We’ve all been told that in order to love our job and achieve lasting career happiness and success, we simply have to follow our passion. Inspiring, right? While there is obviously plenty of truth to this cliché, the advice it provides is so vague that it can often feel almost totally useless. And if you’re anything like me, it can cause more anxiety than encouragement, especially if you don’t have a clue how to take that first step in following your passion. Or — and this can feel even scarier — what happens if you don’t even know what you’re passionate about to start with? What if you want to have a career that makes you feel fulfilled, but you just don’t know what that career is yet? Some of you may already have a clear idea of exactly what it is you want to do with your life. Maybe you’re already working in your field and embarking on the journey to your ideal career. Those of you who fall into this category — you are the lucky few! But if you’re like the majority of Gen Y-ers, you’re likely struggling to uncover what you’re truly passionate about, much less determine how to make it into a viable career. In her book 20 Something Manifesto, Christine Hassler compares finding your life direction to eating at the Cheesecake Factory. With 167 menu options to choose from, (not including beverages, sides, and, of course, cheesecake flavors), the Cheesecake Factory’s menu can induce mild panic, even to the most decisive of us. Hassler describes her reaction the first time she perused this menu: “How was I supposed to pick just one dish? What was the best thing? As everyone else around me ordered, I became even more anxious — should I get what someone else was having? Would it be better than what I thought I wanted?” You may feel this way when trying to uncover your passions or ideal career path. There are so many options available, the idea of choosing just one is daunting! Some of us will decide that the best way to solve the mystery of our missing passion is to try out various new activities or jobs to see which one sticks. There’s an undercurrent of romance and excitement in the belief that one day you can try something completely new and have an epiphany: This is it! This is what I’m meant to do with my life! But Jonathan Acuff refutes this concept in his book Quitter. Acuff believes that finding your dream job “is more than a revelation or an act of discovery. I believe it’s a process of recovery. More often than not, finding out what you love doing most is about recovering an old love or an inescapable truth that has been silenced for years, even decades. When you come to your dream job, your thing, it is rarely a first encounter. It’s usually a reunion.”  So in order to help you on your path to recovering your passion, I’ve developed an interactive series of questions called “7 Steps to Uncover Your Passion and Dream Career” to help you reflect on your innate interests, talents, and strengths. Then, in the next article in this series, you’ll learn how to determine if your passion will make a sustainable and fulfilling career. Ready to rescue your inner passion? Go to “7 Steps to Uncover Your Passion and Dream Career” now. 
Fall In Love with Your Work Life: Uncovering Your Passion and Finding Your Dream Career. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Since we’re all completely over being told to pair off in order to signal to the rest of the world that our lives are (somewhat) on track, we thought ‘Why don’t we just focus on actually getting our lives in order?’ In that vein, Kristen Walker helps the Levo League to take a close look at what we find important in our lives and careers. We’ve all been told that in order to love our job and achieve lasting career happiness and success, we simply have to follow our passion. Inspiring, right? While there is obviously plenty of truth to this cliché, the advice it provides is so vague that it can often feel almost totally useless. And if you’re anything like me, it can cause more anxiety than encouragement, especially if you don’t have a clue how to take that first step in following your passion. Or — and this can feel even scarier — what happens if you don’t even know what you’re passionate about to start with? What if you want to have a career that makes you feel fulfilled, but you just don’t know what that career is yet? Some of you may already have a clear idea of exactly what it is you want to do with your life. Maybe you’re already working in your field and embarking on the journey to your ideal career. Those of you who fall into this category — you are the lucky few! But if you’re like the majority of Gen Y-ers, you’re likely struggling to uncover what you’re truly passionate about, much less determine how to make it into a viable career. In her book 20 Something Manifesto, Christine Hassler compares finding your life direction to eating at the Cheesecake Factory. With 167 menu options to choose from, (not including beverages, sides, and, of course, cheesecake flavors), the Cheesecake Factory’s menu can induce mild panic, even to the most decisive of us. Hassler describes her reaction the first time she perused this menu: “How was I supposed to pick just one dish? What was the best thing? As everyone else around me ordered, I became even more anxious — should I get what someone else was having? Would it be better than what I thought I wanted?” You may feel this way when trying to uncover your passions or ideal career path. There are so many options available, the idea of choosing just one is daunting! Some of us will decide that the best way to solve the mystery of our missing passion is to try out various new activities or jobs to see which one sticks. There’s an undercurrent of romance and excitement in the belief that one day you can try something completely new and have an epiphany: This is it! This is what I’m meant to do with my life! But Jonathan Acuff refutes this concept in his book Quitter. Acuff believes that finding your dream job “is more than a revelation or an act of discovery. I believe it’s a process of recovery. More often than not, finding out what you love doing most is about recovering an old love or an inescapable truth that has been silenced for years, even decades. When you come to your dream job, your thing, it is rarely a first encounter. It’s usually a reunion.”  So in order to help you on your path to recovering your passion, I’ve developed an interactive series of questions called “7 Steps to Uncover Your Passion and Dream Career” to help you reflect on your innate interests, talents, and strengths. Then, in the next article in this series, you’ll learn how to determine if your passion will make a sustainable and fulfilling career. Ready to rescue your inner passion? Go to “7 Steps to Uncover Your Passion and Dream Career” now. 

Fall In Love with Your Work Life: Uncovering Your Passion and Finding Your Dream Career.

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Since we’re all completely over being told to pair off in order to signal to the rest of the world that our lives are (somewhat) on track, we thought ‘Why don’t we just focus on actually getting our lives in order?’ In that vein, Kristen Walker helps the Levo League to take a close look at what we find important in our lives and careers.

We’ve all been told that in order to love our job and achieve lasting career happiness and success, we simply have to follow our passion. Inspiring, right? While there is obviously plenty of truth to this cliché, the advice it provides is so vague that it can often feel almost totally useless. And if you’re anything like me, it can cause more anxiety than encouragement, especially if you don’t have a clue how to take that first step in following your passion. Or — and this can feel even scarier — what happens if you don’t even know what you’re passionate about to start with? What if you want to have a career that makes you feel fulfilled, but you just don’t know what that career is yet?

Some of you may already have a clear idea of exactly what it is you want to do with your life. Maybe you’re already working in your field and embarking on the journey to your ideal career. Those of you who fall into this category — you are the lucky few! But if you’re like the majority of Gen Y-ers, you’re likely struggling to uncover what you’re truly passionate about, much less determine how to make it into a viable career.

In her book 20 Something Manifesto, Christine Hassler compares finding your life direction to eating at the Cheesecake Factory. With 167 menu options to choose from, (not including beverages, sides, and, of course, cheesecake flavors), the Cheesecake Factory’s menu can induce mild panic, even to the most decisive of us. Hassler describes her reaction the first time she perused this menu: “How was I supposed to pick just one dish? What was the best thing? As everyone else around me ordered, I became even more anxious — should I get what someone else was having? Would it be better than what I thought I wanted?” You may feel this way when trying to uncover your passions or ideal career path. There are so many options available, the idea of choosing just one is daunting!

Some of us will decide that the best way to solve the mystery of our missing passion is to try out various new activities or jobs to see which one sticks. There’s an undercurrent of romance and excitement in the belief that one day you can try something completely new and have an epiphany: This is it! This is what I’m meant to do with my life! But Jonathan Acuff refutes this concept in his book Quitter.

Acuff believes that finding your dream job “is more than a revelation or an act of discovery. I believe it’s a process of recovery. More often than not, finding out what you love doing most is about recovering an old love or an inescapable truth that has been silenced for years, even decades. When you come to your dream job, your thing, it is rarely a first encounter. It’s usually a reunion.” 

So in order to help you on your path to recovering your passion, I’ve developed an interactive series of questions called “7 Steps to Uncover Your Passion and Dream Career” to help you reflect on your innate interests, talents, and strengths. Then, in the next article in this series, you’ll learn how to determine if your passion will make a sustainable and fulfilling career.

Ready to rescue your inner passion? Go to “7 Steps to Uncover Your Passion and Dream Career” now. 

The Levo League

Posted on Friday December 30th 2011 at 05:53pm. Its tags are listed below.

The Era of Enough Kate Byrne, former Acting Publisher of Fast Company, discusses the world of hybrid social entrepreneurialism. “The Season of Giving”– I’ve always found that a funny notion. It’s said so frequently around the holidays, as if we should infer that there’s a predetermined time of year to give. One doesn’t wear white after Labor Day, one only gives during the twelve days of Christmas, and maybe the more daring among us also shell out a bit at the beginning of the year. Do so, and you are free and clear for the year. Is it really any wonder how the economy got into the tight spot it’s in, or how organizations such as Occupation Wall Street came to be, when this is our perspective on charitable giving? If those of us with an income are only giving to others during a twelve-day period during the year, it doesn’t take a math major to know that the figures won’t add up. This is unsustainable. Something, or someone, has to give– literally. We can start today. There’s a movement afoot that’s been attracting plenty of attention for over a decade – Social Entrepreneurship. It’s built around the concept of “enough.” There are several kinds of social companies: non-profits are one type, but there is another type– companies akin to the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, the Aravind Eye Hospital in India, and Sekem in Egypt– that is fast growing. Its premise could be the very answer to our economic issues, not only as a country, but as a world. Hybrid social entrepreneurs are those who run their businesses for profit with a non-profit, or “for-good,” heart. Their enterprise has a triple bottom-line, with metrics measuring the company’s impact on the “Three Ps,” as they are known – profit, people and planet. This is not a new phenomenon. When I was Acting Publisher of Fast Company in 2004, my then-Editor in Chief, now my husband, created the Social Capital Awards, recognizing those companies doing well by doing good and changing the world as a result. The SoCap award went on to become a badge of honor for those in the space, providing fuel for the then few entrepreneurial spirits gathered around the campfire of change who wanted to make the world a better place. Those campfires are popping up all over the country now, and the social entrepreneurial world is ablaze with exciting new ventures that you can be a part of (or can financially support). If you’re in business school, or contemplating it, many now offer degrees in social entrepreneurship. Stanford was just awarded the biggest gift the school ever received for the sole purpose to build the SEED school, specifically dedicated to studying social entrepreneurship. If you go this route, you won’t be alone– statistics are showing that 15% of b-school graduates are choosing social entrepreneurial paths. This is a hopeful sign for the global economy. If you’re in the corporate world, check out what your company is doing from what is called the CSR (corporate social responsibility) front and get involved. You don’t have to go to school or run a business to support the social entrepreneurial movement. You can do it by purchasing their products. Worldblu (www.worldblu.com) provides a list of companies such as Fat Tire, who practice hybrid models of social entrepreneurship. Roozt (www.roozt.com) is an online marketplace supporting budding social entrepreneurs from all over the world. Its goal is to be Amazon’s primary competitor. By donating $500 at Equality and Opportunity, (www.equalityandopportunity.org) you can literally buy a family a house in Indonesia, from which they can run their own business (a typical practice). Get a group of friends together and you can literally help build a village. Worldpulse.com (www.worldpulse.com) helps women around the world find their voices through their citizen journalism course. Finally, if you are an investor, you can jump into what is fast becoming a hot industry: impact investing, where social impact, and not just the bottom line, is the key metric. If you are already in the space and want to meet others, attend events such as SoCap San Francisco,which happens every year after Labor Day; or check-out The Opportunity Collaboration that gathers folks from all stakeholder groups (investors, VCs, non-profits and hybrid model execs) in an effort to support the endeavors of all (www.opportunitycollaboration.org). They have a fellowship program– Cordes Fellows– for those who are in need of financial assistance. Edith Wharton wrote “ There are two ways to reflect light; to be the candle or be the mirror reflecting it.” For-good companies shed light on the world, and you can reflect it by getting involved. We in the Western world have plenty– so much more than many others in the world. The scarcity mentality so many of us fall -prey to has brought us to where we are today. For-good companies are an easy way to break out and begin paying it forward. By giving every day, we begin to live in a new era – the Era of Enough. To learn more about the companies Kate talks about, check out their sites (listed above) and their Twitter feeds: Worldpulse.com – @worldpulse Worldpulse Founder Jensine Larsen – @jensine Roozt.com – @roozt Kate Byrne is a former Acting Publisher of Fast Company.
The Era of Enough Kate Byrne, former Acting Publisher of Fast Company, discusses the world of hybrid social entrepreneurialism. “The Season of Giving”– I’ve always found that a funny notion. It’s said so frequently around the holidays, as if we should infer that there’s a predetermined time of year to give. One doesn’t wear white after Labor Day, one only gives during the twelve days of Christmas, and maybe the more daring among us also shell out a bit at the beginning of the year. Do so, and you are free and clear for the year. Is it really any wonder how the economy got into the tight spot it’s in, or how organizations such as Occupation Wall Street came to be, when this is our perspective on charitable giving? If those of us with an income are only giving to others during a twelve-day period during the year, it doesn’t take a math major to know that the figures won’t add up. This is unsustainable. Something, or someone, has to give– literally. We can start today. There’s a movement afoot that’s been attracting plenty of attention for over a decade – Social Entrepreneurship. It’s built around the concept of “enough.” There are several kinds of social companies: non-profits are one type, but there is another type– companies akin to the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, the Aravind Eye Hospital in India, and Sekem in Egypt– that is fast growing. Its premise could be the very answer to our economic issues, not only as a country, but as a world. Hybrid social entrepreneurs are those who run their businesses for profit with a non-profit, or “for-good,” heart. Their enterprise has a triple bottom-line, with metrics measuring the company’s impact on the “Three Ps,” as they are known – profit, people and planet. This is not a new phenomenon. When I was Acting Publisher of Fast Company in 2004, my then-Editor in Chief, now my husband, created the Social Capital Awards, recognizing those companies doing well by doing good and changing the world as a result. The SoCap award went on to become a badge of honor for those in the space, providing fuel for the then few entrepreneurial spirits gathered around the campfire of change who wanted to make the world a better place. Those campfires are popping up all over the country now, and the social entrepreneurial world is ablaze with exciting new ventures that you can be a part of (or can financially support). If you’re in business school, or contemplating it, many now offer degrees in social entrepreneurship. Stanford was just awarded the biggest gift the school ever received for the sole purpose to build the SEED school, specifically dedicated to studying social entrepreneurship. If you go this route, you won’t be alone– statistics are showing that 15% of b-school graduates are choosing social entrepreneurial paths. This is a hopeful sign for the global economy. If you’re in the corporate world, check out what your company is doing from what is called the CSR (corporate social responsibility) front and get involved. You don’t have to go to school or run a business to support the social entrepreneurial movement. You can do it by purchasing their products. Worldblu (www.worldblu.com) provides a list of companies such as Fat Tire, who practice hybrid models of social entrepreneurship. Roozt (www.roozt.com) is an online marketplace supporting budding social entrepreneurs from all over the world. Its goal is to be Amazon’s primary competitor. By donating $500 at Equality and Opportunity, (www.equalityandopportunity.org) you can literally buy a family a house in Indonesia, from which they can run their own business (a typical practice). Get a group of friends together and you can literally help build a village. Worldpulse.com (www.worldpulse.com) helps women around the world find their voices through their citizen journalism course. Finally, if you are an investor, you can jump into what is fast becoming a hot industry: impact investing, where social impact, and not just the bottom line, is the key metric. If you are already in the space and want to meet others, attend events such as SoCap San Francisco,which happens every year after Labor Day; or check-out The Opportunity Collaboration that gathers folks from all stakeholder groups (investors, VCs, non-profits and hybrid model execs) in an effort to support the endeavors of all (www.opportunitycollaboration.org). They have a fellowship program– Cordes Fellows– for those who are in need of financial assistance. Edith Wharton wrote “ There are two ways to reflect light; to be the candle or be the mirror reflecting it.” For-good companies shed light on the world, and you can reflect it by getting involved. We in the Western world have plenty– so much more than many others in the world. The scarcity mentality so many of us fall -prey to has brought us to where we are today. For-good companies are an easy way to break out and begin paying it forward. By giving every day, we begin to live in a new era – the Era of Enough. To learn more about the companies Kate talks about, check out their sites (listed above) and their Twitter feeds: Worldpulse.com – @worldpulse Worldpulse Founder Jensine Larsen – @jensine Roozt.com – @roozt Kate Byrne is a former Acting Publisher of Fast Company.

The Era of Enough


Kate Byrne, former Acting Publisher of Fast Company, discusses the world of hybrid social entrepreneurialism.

“The Season of Giving”– I’ve always found that a funny notion. It’s said so frequently around the holidays, as if we should infer that there’s a predetermined time of year to give. One doesn’t wear white after Labor Day, one only gives during the twelve days of Christmas, and maybe the more daring among us also shell out a bit at the beginning of the year. Do so, and you are free and clear for the year.

Is it really any wonder how the economy got into the tight spot it’s in, or how organizations such as Occupation Wall Street came to be, when this is our perspective on charitable giving? If those of us with an income are only giving to others during a twelve-day period during the year, it doesn’t take a math major to know that the figures won’t add up. This is unsustainable. Something, or someone, has to give– literally. We can start today.

There’s a movement afoot that’s been attracting plenty of attention for over a decade – Social Entrepreneurship. It’s built around the concept of “enough.” There are several kinds of social companies: non-profits are one type, but there is another type– companies akin to the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, the Aravind Eye Hospital in India, and Sekem in Egypt– that is fast growing. Its premise could be the very answer to our economic issues, not only as a country, but as a world. Hybrid social entrepreneurs are those who run their businesses for profit with a non-profit, or “for-good,” heart. Their enterprise has a triple bottom-line, with metrics measuring the company’s impact on the “Three Ps,” as they are known – profit, people and planet.

This is not a new phenomenon. When I was Acting Publisher of Fast Company in 2004, my then-Editor in Chief, now my husband, created the Social Capital Awards, recognizing those companies doing well by doing good and changing the world as a result. The SoCap award went on to become a badge of honor for those in the space, providing fuel for the then few entrepreneurial spirits gathered around the campfire of change who wanted to make the world a better place. Those campfires are popping up all over the country now, and the social entrepreneurial world is ablaze with exciting new ventures that you can be a part of (or can financially support).

If you’re in business school, or contemplating it, many now offer degrees in social entrepreneurship. Stanford was just awarded the biggest gift the school ever received for the sole purpose to build the SEED school, specifically dedicated to studying social entrepreneurship. If you go this route, you won’t be alone– statistics are showing that 15% of b-school graduates are choosing social entrepreneurial paths. This is a hopeful sign for the global economy. If you’re in the corporate world, check out what your company is doing from what is called the CSR (corporate social responsibility) front and get involved.

You don’t have to go to school or run a business to support the social entrepreneurial movement. You can do it by purchasing their products. Worldblu (www.worldblu.com) provides a list of companies such as Fat Tire, who practice hybrid models of social entrepreneurship. Roozt (www.roozt.com) is an online marketplace supporting budding social entrepreneurs from all over the world. Its goal is to be Amazon’s primary competitor. By donating $500 at Equality and Opportunity, (www.equalityandopportunity.org) you can literally buy a family a house in Indonesia, from which they can run their own business (a typical practice). Get a group of friends together and you can literally help build a village. Worldpulse.com (www.worldpulse.com) helps women around the world find their voices through their citizen journalism course. Finally, if you are an investor, you can jump into what is fast becoming a hot industry: impact investing, where social impact, and not just the bottom line, is the key metric.

If you are already in the space and want to meet others, attend events such as SoCap San Francisco,which happens every year after Labor Day; or check-out The Opportunity Collaboration that gathers folks from all stakeholder groups (investors, VCs, non-profits and hybrid model execs) in an effort to support the endeavors of all (www.opportunitycollaboration.org). They have a fellowship program– Cordes Fellows– for those who are in need of financial assistance.

Edith Wharton wrote “ There are two ways to reflect light; to be the candle or be the mirror reflecting it.” For-good companies shed light on the world, and you can reflect it by getting involved. We in the Western world have plenty– so much more than many others in the world. The scarcity mentality so many of us fall -prey to has brought us to where we are today. For-good companies are an easy way to break out and begin paying it forward. By giving every day, we begin to live in a new era – the Era of Enough.

To learn more about the companies Kate talks about, check out their sites (listed above) and their Twitter feeds:

Worldpulse.com – @worldpulse

Worldpulse Founder Jensine Larsen – @jensine

Roozt.com – @roozt

Kate Byrne is a former Acting Publisher of Fast Company.

The Levo League

Posted on Tuesday October 25th 2011 at 05:55pm. Its tags are listed below.

Career Change: Making the Decision to Go to Grad School After 2.5 years, two promotions, countless 60+ hour work weeks, and too many sleepless nights, I had to face the cold hard truth – I was in the wrong career. I had chosen public relations based on several of my strengths, such as my organization and management skills and my drive to succeed. Though I enjoyed many aspects of the field – business trips to New York City and Los Angeles, staffing high-profile events, and fantastic coworkers and managers I had over the years – I did not have the passion for public relations that many of my colleagues expressed as they flipped through PR Week and discussed the latest social media trends. It was time for a change, but what should I do next? More importantly, what could I do next? After researching potential jobs, I decided speech language pathology matches my ideal career criteria the closest and builds on my interest in developmental psychology (my undergraduate major). However, my drastic career change will require two to three years of graduate school – a substantial investment of time and money. Before jumping in, I asked myself the following key questions to determine if graduate school (and speech language pathology) was the best path for me. Does the field have a strong job outlook? According to the Council of Graduate Schools, enrollment of new students at U.S. graduate schools dipped slightly from 2009 to 2010 – the first decrease since 2003 – with business, education, and public administration decreasing the most. This news came as a surprise because there is typically an inverse relationship between the economy and graduate student enrollment. In an interview with the New York Times, council president Debra W. Stewart offered the explanation, “With this recession going on for so long, people who have a job are less likely to want to leave it to go back to school, because it’s not at all clear that there will be a job for them at the other end.” With the economy and the job market showing little sign of improvement, this is a very important concern. If considering graduate school, research your potential field’s future job prospects to ensure you are making a wise investment. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook is a good place to start. The job outlook will give you a good idea of what to expect the job market to look like once you graduate. Upon examining the handbook, I learned that job opportunities for speech-languages pathologists areexpected to be favorable whereas public relations specialists face keen competition for entry-level work. I also learned that the average earnings of a speech-language pathologist were $62,930 in 2008 while the average wages for a public relations specialist were $51,280 that same year. The website provides ample data on what sort of income you can expect to have in a new career. Is it a good investment financially? Stewart also noted the cost of graduate school was another important factor for the decrease in enrollment – a valid concern. Take into account the cost of tuition, books, and room and board to determine the overall financial investment of graduate school. One resource to consider is Sallie Mae’s Education Investment Planner, a free online tool that lets users compare cost of attendance estimates at over 5,500 colleges and graduate schools. Next, research your potential field’s average annual earnings to determine if you are making a wise investment. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook also provides these figures. Is it a good investment of time? I suffer from commitment issues – signing a one-year lease for an apartment or committing to a mobile phone carrier for 2 years gives me the willies. Thus, it was important for me to evaluate if I am ready to commit two to three years of my life to graduate school. Since my chosen field has a strong job outlook and stands to be a good investment financially, the question of investing my time tested my resolve for how much I want to pursue this field. The resounding answer is “Yes!” Now is the right time to go back to school and do what I really want to do, while I am relatively unencumbered with large responsibilities. I know it will be worth it in the end to have a fulfilling career I am passionate about.
Career Change: Making the Decision to Go to Grad School After 2.5 years, two promotions, countless 60+ hour work weeks, and too many sleepless nights, I had to face the cold hard truth – I was in the wrong career. I had chosen public relations based on several of my strengths, such as my organization and management skills and my drive to succeed. Though I enjoyed many aspects of the field – business trips to New York City and Los Angeles, staffing high-profile events, and fantastic coworkers and managers I had over the years – I did not have the passion for public relations that many of my colleagues expressed as they flipped through PR Week and discussed the latest social media trends. It was time for a change, but what should I do next? More importantly, what could I do next? After researching potential jobs, I decided speech language pathology matches my ideal career criteria the closest and builds on my interest in developmental psychology (my undergraduate major). However, my drastic career change will require two to three years of graduate school – a substantial investment of time and money. Before jumping in, I asked myself the following key questions to determine if graduate school (and speech language pathology) was the best path for me. Does the field have a strong job outlook? According to the Council of Graduate Schools, enrollment of new students at U.S. graduate schools dipped slightly from 2009 to 2010 – the first decrease since 2003 – with business, education, and public administration decreasing the most. This news came as a surprise because there is typically an inverse relationship between the economy and graduate student enrollment. In an interview with the New York Times, council president Debra W. Stewart offered the explanation, “With this recession going on for so long, people who have a job are less likely to want to leave it to go back to school, because it’s not at all clear that there will be a job for them at the other end.” With the economy and the job market showing little sign of improvement, this is a very important concern. If considering graduate school, research your potential field’s future job prospects to ensure you are making a wise investment. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook is a good place to start. The job outlook will give you a good idea of what to expect the job market to look like once you graduate. Upon examining the handbook, I learned that job opportunities for speech-languages pathologists areexpected to be favorable whereas public relations specialists face keen competition for entry-level work. I also learned that the average earnings of a speech-language pathologist were $62,930 in 2008 while the average wages for a public relations specialist were $51,280 that same year. The website provides ample data on what sort of income you can expect to have in a new career. Is it a good investment financially? Stewart also noted the cost of graduate school was another important factor for the decrease in enrollment – a valid concern. Take into account the cost of tuition, books, and room and board to determine the overall financial investment of graduate school. One resource to consider is Sallie Mae’s Education Investment Planner, a free online tool that lets users compare cost of attendance estimates at over 5,500 colleges and graduate schools. Next, research your potential field’s average annual earnings to determine if you are making a wise investment. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook also provides these figures. Is it a good investment of time? I suffer from commitment issues – signing a one-year lease for an apartment or committing to a mobile phone carrier for 2 years gives me the willies. Thus, it was important for me to evaluate if I am ready to commit two to three years of my life to graduate school. Since my chosen field has a strong job outlook and stands to be a good investment financially, the question of investing my time tested my resolve for how much I want to pursue this field. The resounding answer is “Yes!” Now is the right time to go back to school and do what I really want to do, while I am relatively unencumbered with large responsibilities. I know it will be worth it in the end to have a fulfilling career I am passionate about.

Career Change: Making the Decision to Go to Grad School

After 2.5 years, two promotions, countless 60+ hour work weeks, and too many sleepless nights, I had to face the cold hard truth – I was in the wrong career.

I had chosen public relations based on several of my strengths, such as my organization and management skills and my drive to succeed. Though I enjoyed many aspects of the field – business trips to New York City and Los Angeles, staffing high-profile events, and fantastic coworkers and managers I had over the years – I did not have the passion for public relations that many of my colleagues expressed as they flipped through PR Week and discussed the latest social media trends.

It was time for a change, but what should I do next? More importantly, what could I do next?

After researching potential jobs, I decided speech language pathology matches my ideal career criteria the closest and builds on my interest in developmental psychology (my undergraduate major). However, my drastic career change will require two to three years of graduate school – a substantial investment of time and money.

Before jumping in, I asked myself the following key questions to determine if graduate school (and speech language pathology) was the best path for me.

Does the field have a strong job outlook?

According to the Council of Graduate Schools, enrollment of new students at U.S. graduate schools dipped slightly from 2009 to 2010 – the first decrease since 2003 – with business, education, and public administration decreasing the most. This news came as a surprise because there is typically an inverse relationship between the economy and graduate student enrollment. In an interview with the New York Times, council president Debra W. Stewart offered the explanation, “With this recession going on for so long, people who have a job are less likely to want to leave it to go back to school, because it’s not at all clear that there will be a job for them at the other end.”

With the economy and the job market showing little sign of improvement, this is a very important concern. If considering graduate school, research your potential field’s future job prospects to ensure you are making a wise investment. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook is a good place to start. The job outlook will give you a good idea of what to expect the job market to look like once you graduate. Upon examining the handbook, I learned that job opportunities for speech-languages pathologists areexpected to be favorable whereas public relations specialists face keen competition for entry-level work. I also learned that the average earnings of a speech-language pathologist were $62,930 in 2008 while the average wages for a public relations specialist were $51,280 that same year. The website provides ample data on what sort of income you can expect to have in a new career.

Is it a good investment financially?

Stewart also noted the cost of graduate school was another important factor for the decrease in enrollment – a valid concern.

Take into account the cost of tuition, books, and room and board to determine the overall financial investment of graduate school. One resource to consider is Sallie Mae’s Education Investment Planner, a free online tool that lets users compare cost of attendance estimates at over 5,500 colleges and graduate schools.

Next, research your potential field’s average annual earnings to determine if you are making a wise investment. The Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook also provides these figures.

Is it a good investment of time?

I suffer from commitment issues – signing a one-year lease for an apartment or committing to a mobile phone carrier for 2 years gives me the willies. Thus, it was important for me to evaluate if I am ready to commit two to three years of my life to graduate school.

Since my chosen field has a strong job outlook and stands to be a good investment financially, the question of investing my time tested my resolve for how much I want to pursue this field. The resounding answer is “Yes!” Now is the right time to go back to school and do what I really want to do, while I am relatively unencumbered with large responsibilities.

I know it will be worth it in the end to have a fulfilling career I am passionate about.

The Levo League

Posted on Wednesday September 28th 2011 at 03:59pm. Its tags are listed below.

Over the course of my final year in law school, I’ve been realizing something: that the important questions students have for law firms regarding upward mobility and leadership tracks for women in law firms aren’t as transparent as they seem.  While many large law firms have women’s initiatives programs that are catered to “helping” women become successful in a law firm, none of those programs seem to truly educate and promote leadership in a way that has tangible effect. Don’t get me wrong— I recognize that programs like maternity leave promote motherhood in the legal profession. But initiatives like these are not enough to allow women to both start a family and have a truly successful career. Firms often struggle to proactively promote leadership pathways for women. In other words: maternity leave is not enough. And actually taking advantage of maternity leave programs can be seen as detrimental to a lawyer’s career, because it is difficult to make up experience and time lost on maternity leave. Women can be left feeling like they’ll never catch up to their peers. While data on this is generally scant, horror stories do happen. Enter the Women In Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF).  WILEF was founded by Elizabeth Anne “Betiayn” Tursi, a former law firm chief marketing executive, and Peggy Cohen, Vice President and Managing Director at RR Donnelley, 5 years ago.  When we spoke to Tursi about her goals regarding WILEF, she said their sole mission was to hold law firms accountable for their decisions regarding women and leadership positions.  To determine whether a law firm enables women to become leaders, WILEF instituted a gold standard certification which takes into account how much leadership women has in a law firm—using parameters like percentage of equity partners who are female and percentage of women on the firm’s compensation committee.  To be eligible for gold standard certification, a law firm must show that it is qualified in 3 or more of the following 6 criteria: Women must represent at least: 20% of equity partners 10% of firm chairs and office managing partners 20% of the firm’s primary governance committee 20% or more of the firm’s compensation committee 25% of practice group leaders or department heads 10% of the top half of the most highly compensated partners These criteria convey in a concrete and comparable way whether a firm counts among its long-term goals providing women the opportunity to be successful leaders within any given firm. They provide clarity for law school graduates who are determining what type of law firm to pursue. These ratios indicate not only whether a law firm encourages women equity partners, but also whether the law firm is providing opportunities to train women and present them with the tools necessary to build their careers. We sat down to get a second take on WILEF with Barbara Kolsun, EVP of General Counsel at Stuart Weitzman. Barbara left a corporate law firm career because of the gross gender inequities at her firm. She says, when asked about WILEF, “Women have to participate too in the process of equality and step up to the plate in terms of pulling their weight. We cannot have it all – work 3 days from 9-4 and expect to be compensated or rewarded in the same way as those who put in the hours.” This is not the kind of woman WILEF is trying to protect. WILEF seeks to combat the negative effects that a woman’s decision to bear children and have a family can have on her career, and to make sure that law firms are held accountable to go beyond nominal “women’s initiatives” and truly encourage young female lawyers to commit to a path of success. Barbara says of potential future WILEF initiatives, “We need to discuss difficult issues – women of my generation worked hard to give our younger sisters more flexibility: don’t abuse it.” The effect of WILEF has been astonishing.  Earlier this month, WILEF held a luncheon honoring the 45 law firms that are gold standard certified to date.  Law firms are looking at the WILEF criteria carefully and are using WILEF’s perspectives to better understand what they need to be doing as far as women are concerned. WILEF will continue to be a dominating force towards helping women achieve leadership in the legal world.  Tursi informed me that WILEF will be adding more criteria to their gold standard certification program in 2013 and will also be expanding their leadership goals to law firms across the world.
Over the course of my final year in law school, I’ve been realizing something: that the important questions students have for law firms regarding upward mobility and leadership tracks for women in law firms aren’t as transparent as they seem.  While many large law firms have women’s initiatives programs that are catered to “helping” women become successful in a law firm, none of those programs seem to truly educate and promote leadership in a way that has tangible effect. Don’t get me wrong— I recognize that programs like maternity leave promote motherhood in the legal profession. But initiatives like these are not enough to allow women to both start a family and have a truly successful career. Firms often struggle to proactively promote leadership pathways for women. In other words: maternity leave is not enough. And actually taking advantage of maternity leave programs can be seen as detrimental to a lawyer’s career, because it is difficult to make up experience and time lost on maternity leave. Women can be left feeling like they’ll never catch up to their peers. While data on this is generally scant, horror stories do happen. Enter the Women In Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF).  WILEF was founded by Elizabeth Anne “Betiayn” Tursi, a former law firm chief marketing executive, and Peggy Cohen, Vice President and Managing Director at RR Donnelley, 5 years ago.  When we spoke to Tursi about her goals regarding WILEF, she said their sole mission was to hold law firms accountable for their decisions regarding women and leadership positions.  To determine whether a law firm enables women to become leaders, WILEF instituted a gold standard certification which takes into account how much leadership women has in a law firm—using parameters like percentage of equity partners who are female and percentage of women on the firm’s compensation committee.  To be eligible for gold standard certification, a law firm must show that it is qualified in 3 or more of the following 6 criteria: Women must represent at least: 20% of equity partners 10% of firm chairs and office managing partners 20% of the firm’s primary governance committee 20% or more of the firm’s compensation committee 25% of practice group leaders or department heads 10% of the top half of the most highly compensated partners These criteria convey in a concrete and comparable way whether a firm counts among its long-term goals providing women the opportunity to be successful leaders within any given firm. They provide clarity for law school graduates who are determining what type of law firm to pursue. These ratios indicate not only whether a law firm encourages women equity partners, but also whether the law firm is providing opportunities to train women and present them with the tools necessary to build their careers. We sat down to get a second take on WILEF with Barbara Kolsun, EVP of General Counsel at Stuart Weitzman. Barbara left a corporate law firm career because of the gross gender inequities at her firm. She says, when asked about WILEF, “Women have to participate too in the process of equality and step up to the plate in terms of pulling their weight. We cannot have it all – work 3 days from 9-4 and expect to be compensated or rewarded in the same way as those who put in the hours.” This is not the kind of woman WILEF is trying to protect. WILEF seeks to combat the negative effects that a woman’s decision to bear children and have a family can have on her career, and to make sure that law firms are held accountable to go beyond nominal “women’s initiatives” and truly encourage young female lawyers to commit to a path of success. Barbara says of potential future WILEF initiatives, “We need to discuss difficult issues – women of my generation worked hard to give our younger sisters more flexibility: don’t abuse it.” The effect of WILEF has been astonishing.  Earlier this month, WILEF held a luncheon honoring the 45 law firms that are gold standard certified to date.  Law firms are looking at the WILEF criteria carefully and are using WILEF’s perspectives to better understand what they need to be doing as far as women are concerned. WILEF will continue to be a dominating force towards helping women achieve leadership in the legal world.  Tursi informed me that WILEF will be adding more criteria to their gold standard certification program in 2013 and will also be expanding their leadership goals to law firms across the world.

Over the course of my final year in law school, I’ve been realizing something: that the important questions students have for law firms regarding upward mobility and leadership tracks for women in law firms aren’t as transparent as they seem.  While many large law firms have women’s initiatives programs that are catered to “helping” women become successful in a law firm, none of those programs seem to truly educate and promote leadership in a way that has tangible effect.

Don’t get me wrong— I recognize that programs like maternity leave promote motherhood in the legal profession. But initiatives like these are not enough to allow women to both start a family and have a truly successful career. Firms often struggle to proactively promote leadership pathways for women. In other words: maternity leave is not enough. And actually taking advantage of maternity leave programs can be seen as detrimental to a lawyer’s career, because it is difficult to make up experience and time lost on maternity leave. Women can be left feeling like they’ll never catch up to their peers. While data on this is generally scant, horror stories do happen.

Enter the Women In Law Empowerment Forum (WILEF).  WILEF was founded by Elizabeth Anne “Betiayn” Tursi, a former law firm chief marketing executive, and Peggy Cohen, Vice President and Managing Director at RR Donnelley, 5 years ago.  When we spoke to Tursi about her goals regarding WILEF, she said their sole mission was to hold law firms accountable for their decisions regarding women and leadership positions.  To determine whether a law firm enables women to become leaders, WILEF instituted a gold standard certification which takes into account how much leadership women has in a law firm—using parameters like percentage of equity partners who are female and percentage of women on the firm’s compensation committee.  To be eligible for gold standard certification, a law firm must show that it is qualified in 3 or more of the following 6 criteria:

Women must represent at least:

  • 20% of equity partners
  • 10% of firm chairs and office managing partners
  • 20% of the firm’s primary governance committee
  • 20% or more of the firm’s compensation committee
  • 25% of practice group leaders or department heads
  • 10% of the top half of the most highly compensated partners

These criteria convey in a concrete and comparable way whether a firm counts among its long-term goals providing women the opportunity to be successful leaders within any given firm. They provide clarity for law school graduates who are determining what type of law firm to pursue. These ratios indicate not only whether a law firm encourages women equity partners, but also whether the law firm is providing opportunities to train women and present them with the tools necessary to build their careers.

We sat down to get a second take on WILEF with Barbara Kolsun, EVP of General Counsel at Stuart Weitzman. Barbara left a corporate law firm career because of the gross gender inequities at her firm. She says, when asked about WILEF, “Women have to participate too in the process of equality and step up to the plate in terms of pulling their weight. We cannot have it all – work 3 days from 9-4 and expect to be compensated or rewarded in the same way as those who put in the hours.” This is not the kind of woman WILEF is trying to protect. WILEF seeks to combat the negative effects that a woman’s decision to bear children and have a family can have on her career, and to make sure that law firms are held accountable to go beyond nominal “women’s initiatives” and truly encourage young female lawyers to commit to a path of success. Barbara says of potential future WILEF initiatives, “We need to discuss difficult issues – women of my generation worked hard to give our younger sisters more flexibility: don’t abuse it.”

The effect of WILEF has been astonishing.  Earlier this month, WILEF held a luncheon honoring the 45 law firms that are gold standard certified to date.  Law firms are looking at the WILEF criteria carefully and are using WILEF’s perspectives to better understand what they need to be doing as far as women are concerned.

WILEF will continue to be a dominating force towards helping women achieve leadership in the legal world.  Tursi informed me that WILEF will be adding more criteria to their gold standard certification program in 2013 and will also be expanding their leadership goals to law firms across the world.

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