“One way I know if a guest connects with our audience is if we get calls and e-mails days and weeks after the interview asking for contact information. Linda is always making that extra work for me! — but it's well worth it." — Bob Sokoler, WHAS, KY
- Career 2004: 7 Things No One Tells Women In Business
- Would Corporate America Be Better Off If Women Ran It?
- Why Don’t Women Get Ahead At Work?
- When There Are Too Many People And Too Few Jobs, Who Gets Hired?
- Who’s Conspiring To Keep Women Out Of The Boardroom?
- Why Are The “Old Boys” The Only Ones Who Get Promoted?
- 8 Quick Tips For Job Seekers
- 7 Ways To Land Your Dream Job!
- 6 Tips If THEY Might Think You’re Too Young — Or Too Old — For The Job
- What Happens When You’re Laid Off?
“Linda, You were Wonderful! A perfect combination of knowledge and delivery, all I can say is WOW!” — Edward W. Smith, Bright Moment
Career 2004: 7 Things No One Tells Women In Business
- Micro mini skirts work well only for Ali McBeal - but then she’s only pretending to be a lawyer.
- Most men will not take you seriously if you are obviously offended by XX-rated language. Since it’s still a “Boys’ Club,” be prepared to play by their rules.
- STOP THINKING! Minimize “I think, which always sounds like your singular, unsupported opinion. Substitute statistics and facts prefaced by, “Research shows us. . .” “WSJ had a survey that says…” Even, “I am convinced…” is stronger than “I think.”
- Your voice is probably too high. There are easy ways to make it sound less child-like and more authoritative.
- STOP making your statements sound like questions. Up-speak is fun if you’re an adolescent, but adults with responsible positions make statements more often than asking questions. They hear, “Hi! I’m Linda Brakeall?” and they think: “If you don’t know, whom shall I ask?”
- Fetch coffee and play hostess only if it’s in your job description or it’s your turn. “Hostessing” too much sends signals that you’re more likely to take orders than to give them
- Aretha was right! Respect is essential to success, and you, too will have “earrrrn” it by taking on challenging projects, doing them right, bringing them in on time and under budget.
Would Corporate America be Better off if Women Ran it?
More and more, guys in suits are being paraded in front of the public for their alleged corporate wrongdoing. With CEOs in the spotlight like never before, Linda Brakeall will debate the timely questions: Could women do a better job running corporate American than men? Are women more ethical?
Linda has the cold hard facts on women in business who make up only one in 15 partners in top law firms, less than five percent in top management in non-family owned businesses and six percent of Hollywood directors.
Linda will reveal:
- What women do better than men at work.
- How women CEOs compare to men CEOs.
- Why too many women in business dress like they are trying to get lucky.
- The surprising interview "test" female executives are often put through.
- How men adapt to female bosses.
CREDENTIALS: Linda Brakeall, business and communication expert, is an award-winning speaker, businesswoman, sales expert, trainer, career counselor, author and management professional and Fortune 100 VP and author of Unlocking The Secrets of Successful Women in Business, and How to Get Men to Take You Seriously in Business and in LIFE!
Contact:
Linda Brakeall, 847-540-0445 (24/7)
Cell phone 847-409-1011
Linda@LindaBrakeall.com
www.TheRespectedWoman.com
Why Don’t Women Get ahead at Work?
This gutsy guest pulls no punches when she talks about:
- The “Bimbo Factor”… and why it could be sinking your career.
- The Boy’s Club -- corporate myth or business truth?
- The real reason women make way better CEOs than men.
- Why playing golf and poker are ultimately more important to your career than hard work and credentials.
- Body Language vs. Bawdy Language. How do your words, wardrobe, actions and interactions help you up the corporate ladder and through the glass ceiling?
When it comes to answering those questions...no guy can hold a candle to Linda Brakeall! That’s because it takes a “lady with balls” to uncover the hidden secrets of modern business, career, success and corporate strategy. Whether she’s revealing the speaking and selling skills that get you promoted faster and higher, or explaining why Ally McBeal has set professional women back a decade, or spotting stupid mistakes and brazen conspiracies that keep qualified people from success, Brakeall turns American business on its (r)ear and boosts your ratings.
CREDENTIALS: Linda Brakeall, business and communication expert, is an award-winning speaker, businesswoman, sales expert, trainer, career counselor, author and management professional and Fortune 100 VP and author of Unlocking The Secrets of Successful Women in Business, and How to Get Men to Take You Seriously in Business and in LIFE!
Contact:
Linda Brakeall, 847-540-0445 (24/7)
Cell phone 847-409-1011
Linda@LindaBrakeall.com
www.TheRespectedWoman.com
“As an adversary, I would hate to get hit with those steel balls; but across a microphone, they're pure jewelry.” — Barry Farber
When There Are Too Many People and Too Few Jobs, Who Gets Hired?
Linda Brakeall, Professional Speaker, Corporate Escapee and Former VP Of Prudential Preferred Properties, has over 20 Years Experience In Sales, Management And Communication Training. She Has Personally Conducted Over 1000 Interviews and authored How To Get Men To Take You Seriously in Business and in Life! and Unlocking The Secrets Of Successful Women In Business. Ms. Brakeall recently said,
“Hiring Decisions Are Made In The First 30 Seconds.
The Interview Only Confirms — Or Negates — That First Impression.”
When you walk into an interview, is there “truth in advertising”? If your external image doesn’t match your internal knowledge and credentials, you may never get the chance to show how well-qualified you are for the job!
- How do you make your insides match your outside?
- What is appropriate to wear for an interview?
- How do you convey intelligence, authority, like-ability and confidence?
- What are the three biggest mistakes most people make when dressing for an interview?
When asked about unusual strategies in a tight job market, Brakeall said:
“Gossip And Annual Reports Can Catapult You To The Top Of The List!”
“It’s time-worn but true: it’s not only what you know but who you know. You have to combine hard, fact-based knowledge and street-smart wisdom to gather the information you need to ACE an interview!”
- How do you reach the people who know the “insider information”?
- What information and gossip do you want to collect prior to an interview?
- What parts of the Annual Report tell you when a company is either bound for glory or doomed to die?
- What is the very first thing you do when you’re laid off or down-sized?
- What is the one key to successful interviewing?
- Why is it NOT a good idea to answer the interviewer’s first questions?
- What is the “toxic index” in a job interview?
- How do you handle awkward questions — even those that are NOT actually asked — about your age?
- How can you turn “no experience” into an asset?
- How should you handle a “cranky” interviewer?
- What three questions should you never ask at a first interview?
- Why should you never be the first to mention money?
Linda Brakeall is a corporate expatriate, professional speaker and trainer whose articles on interviewing, sales, and marketing regularly appear nationally in trade journals, and is a frequent media guest.
CREDENTIALS: Linda Brakeall, business and communication expert, is an award-winning speaker, businesswoman, sales expert, trainer, career counselor, author and management professional and Fortune 100 VP and author of Unlocking The Secrets of Successful Women in Business, and How to Get Men to Take You Seriously in Business and in LIFE!
Contact:
Linda Brakeall, 847-540-0445 (24/7)
Cell phone 847-409-1011
Linda@LindaBrakeall.com
www.TheRespectedWoman.com
Who’s Conspiring To Keep Women Out Of The Boardroom?
“No one likes change, including women! Getting to the top of the corporate ladder requires behavioral changes for men and women. ” said Linda Brakeall, Professional Speaker, Former VP Of Prudential Preferred Properties, and author of How To Get Men To Take You Seriously in Business and in Life! and Unlocking The Secrets Of Successful Women In Business.
“There is little doubt that there is an “old boys’” network. There is also little doubt that women shoot themselves in the foot on a daily basis and make it easier for the status quo to be maintained. Women don’t have to act like men to get ahead but they do have to act like women; not girls.”
The Stats:
- A handful of women run Fortune 500 companies.
- Fewer than 5% of women are in corporate top-spots, unless a woman CEO owns the company.
- Only 15% of the partners in the nations’ top law firms are women.
- Only 6% of department chairs in medical schools are women.
- Only 6% of Hollywood directors are women.
- We’ve elected a total of 34 women senators since 1789; we currently have 13 female senators, and have had statistically insignificant female representation in congress since 1789.
- Statistically women are still paid 2% to 20% less for similar work.
What’s Wrong With This Picture? And… WHO is conspiring against women?
- Is it only men? Or are women co-conspirators?
- What can women do to stop “shooting themselves in the foot?”
- How can they sound more authoritative?
- How can they look bigger and stronger?
- How can they send a consistent message about who they are and what they know?
- What 4 simple but powerful changes can women make to power-boost their careers?
- If being a woman is an awe-inspiring asset at the very top rung of the corporate ladder, why is it almost impossible to get there?
- Who said, “No one takes you seriously if they’re looking at your underwear!”
Linda Brakeall is a corporate expatriate, professional speaker/ trainer whose articles on sales, management and marketing regularly appear nationally in trade journals, and is a frequent media guest. Author of How To Get Men To Take You Seriously in Business and in Life! And Unlocking The Secrets of Successful Women in Business, discusses skills, tactics, strategies and tools for success and was endorsed by Mark Victor Hansen, co-author of the mega best-selling Chicken Soup series.
PS: Linda Brakeall was media-coached by Joel Roberts. You’ll get a good show!
Contact Linda at 847-540-0445
CELL Phone: 847-409-1011
Linda@LindaBrakeall.com
Why Are The “Old Boys” The Only Ones Who Get Promoted?
Katherine thought the “old boys’ network” kicked her out of the Boardroom. She thought it was a conspiracy. It was. And she was a co-conspirator. Sound hard to believe? “She didn’t believe it either, but I was there and I saw her, the General Sales Manager of a billion dollar company, walk into an executive level meeting in a pink suit! A PINK SUIT!
“I heard her introduce herself to a potential client, and I felt them dismiss her when she said, ‘I’m Katherine Anderson?’ which sounded like a question. She looked like she was selling cosmetics at a house party and she sounded like a co-ed, not a savvy, high powered executive!” said Linda Brakeall, Professional Speaker, author of Unlocking The Secrets Of Successful Women In Business, and How To Get Men To Take You Seriously In Business And In LIFE! and Former Vice President Of Prudential Preferred Properties.
“It’s An Outrage!”
The Facts:
- About a handful of women run Fortune 500 companies at the end of the year 2002.
- Only one woman is among the best-paid CEO’s in America.
- There are less than 5% of women in any kind of corporate top spots, unless a woman CEO owns the company.
- Only 15% of the partners in the nations’ top law firms are women.
- Only 6% of department chairs in medical schools are women.
- Only 6% of Hollywood directors are women.
Why Does This Continue To Happen?
“Frankly, it’s harder for a competent woman to be taken as seriously as an equally qualified and experienced man.” said Linda Brakeall. “Women unknowingly ‘shoot themselves in the foot’ everyday at work. Most women need to lower their voices; higher voices sound child-like.
Women often wear clothes designed to show off their figures, not their brainpower. Women tend to verbally ‘wander-around’ while making decisions, and hate to be confrontational. All those things put them in a one-down position when it comes to dealing with powerful men. Women co-conspire because they are reluctant to make the required changes.”
“Simple Changes In Behavior, Attitude and Tactics Could Defeat the Conspiracy.”
- What are the six things that women do to “shoot themselves in the foot” professionally?
- When is it appropriate to be “unladylike” and fight?
- How can women lower their voices?
- What should women wear to convey authority and power?
- Why do women have such a tough time getting out of middle management?
- What special assets do women bring to the Boardroom?
Former VP of a Major Corporation, Business Expert/Professional Speaker/Writer Linda Brakeall Has Lived The Lessons She Teaches and Writes About in How To Get Men To Take You Seriously In Business and in LIFE! and Unlocking The Secrets Of Successful Women In Business, which was endorsed By Mark Victor Hansen of the best selling Chicken Soup Series.
Contact Linda at 847-540-0445
CELL Phone: 847-409-1011
Linda@LindaBrakeall.com
8 QUICK TIPS FOR JOB SEEKERS
- Understand That Hiring Decisions Are Made In The First 30 Seconds. The interview is merely an opportunity to validate the first impression. After the first 30 seconds you may still be eliminated from the running if your knowledge or your credentials don't hold up, but if they don't like you in the first 30 seconds, they won't care about anything else.
- Do Thorough Research On Any Company You Want To Work For In Any Professional Capacity. Check out the 10K and 10Q detail section of their annual report filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which tells you what worries a company about their business. (www.Edgar-online.com, then go to CIK Lookup.) It includes the balance sheet of assets and liabilities, equities, the profit and loss statements plus a lot of details that are usually interesting only to those involved, but may give you a clue about the inner workings.
- Make Your Outside Match Your Inside! We all judge other people in seconds. Not minutes, seconds! Your dressing and grooming sends a message loud and clear to all who meet you. Make sure it is the message you intend to send! If you can match your style to the style of the company, so much the better, but NEVER create an artificial persona; unless you are an honors graduate of a fine acting school, they'll see through it!
- Find A Way To Bond With The Interviewer As Soon As Possible. Look for clues about their interests. Maybe a photo, an award or a decoration. If you can ask a question that engages the interviewer in personal conversation, the interview will go easier and the interviewer will think of you as a "friend", not merely the 2 pm appointment.
- Match Your Body To His To His Or Her Body. Duplicate -not too obviously- the way h/she sits or stands. Position your arms or legs in a similar way. Breathe and talk at the interviewer's pace. The reason behind this is simple: people tend to like people who are like themselves!
- Try To Take Control Of The Interview And Get Before You Give. Get information about the company, the job and the reason this job is available before you tell a lot about yourself. Why? You might get a good offer from a bad company! Always seem co-operative when you do this by saying, "I'd be happy to tell you about that, but before I do, may I ask you just a few questions about ABC Company just so I can get a feeling for the bigger picture?"
- Clarify Questions Before Answering Them. It is too easy to answer the wrong question and permit the interviewer to think you're dim, when actually it was poorly phrased question. Rephrase before answering if you need to. "If I heard you correctly, you'd like to know how many projects I personally coordinated while I was with XYZ as marketing director?"
- Don't Be Too Anxious To Get Hired. There are too many needy (job-wise) people out there. You need to stand above the crowd to get noticed, so play hard to get; just a little. You might say, "IF we were to work together, how would you handle X?"
Contact: Linda Brakeall 847-540-0445
Cell phone: 847-409-1011
Linda@LindaBrakeall.com
7 Ways to Land Your Dream Job!
- Think Before You Speak. Many people “think out loud.” When you process your thoughts while others listen, it appears that you don’t know what you think or want to say. Take a deep breath as you create your answer, then tell them the conclusion, not all the thoughts you’ve discarded on the way to that conclusion.
- Don’t Make Your Statements Sound Like Questions. It’s called “Upspeak” and you’d say, “Hi! I’m Linda Brakeall?” The interviewer thinks: “Well, if you don’t know who you are, how should I?” End statements with a downward inflection.
- Dress Like The Person Who Will Interview You Or The Person Who Would Be Your Boss. Make a few phone calls. Find someone who has worked there or knows someone who has worked there. Do they dress in suits or Dockers? You want to blend in and convey that you are “promotable”. Even with Dockers, you can add a blazer and look just a bit more polished and professional. For women, avoid the “peek a boo” look. They can’t take you seriously if they’re looking at your underwear!
- Know Why You Want To Work There. They will ask you that question; have an answer prepared. You have done your homework and
- You want to work with a company that is innovative and imaginative and you have X to contribute.
- You are impressed with the long-time track record and you have Y to contribute.
- You read about Z in the 10K section of their Annual Report and know that this is a company where things are happening and your experience in the Z field would permit you to contribute to that effort.
- Lower Your Voice. Higher voices do not convey power. If you’re looking for any job above entry level, you may have to lower your voice. Sing with the radio — an octave LOWER, and your voice will lower automatically. (Click IS YOUR VOICE TOO HIGH? for diagram and further help.)
- Make Good Eye Contact. People with confidence make very good eye contact. It conveys strength. Don’t STARE, but maintain eye contact for 4-6 seconds at a time before you glance away.
- Develop A Firm Handshake. No one takes anyone with a wimpy handshake seriously. Slip your hand into the other hand all the way up to the web between the thumb and the index finger, and squeeze briefly but firmly. If you are inclined to have damp hands, rub on some cream antiperspirant, (like a hand cream) an hour before the interview.
Contact Linda at 847-540-0445
CELL Phone: 847-409-1011
Linda@LindaBrakeall.com
6 Tips If They Might Think You’re TOO YOUNG — or Too Old — for The Job
- Understand that the questions about age are illegal but if you want the job you have to find a way to answer it anyway.
- TOO YOUNG? Confront it and deal with it! “I’m 23 but isn’t the real question: ‘Can you do the job and deal well with people? Let me tell you about my education, background and professional experience’.”
- WHAT TO WEAR IF YOU’RE YOUNG: Find out what the dress code is at the company by either networking through friends, (one of your friends probably knows somebody who knows somebody who works there!) or calling the main number and asking whoever answers the phone if she has a minute to help you: “I’m interviewing at your company on Monday and have not been able to find out how people dress. I want to make a good impression on the head of the accounting department. What do those people usually wear?” Chances are, she’ll help you or send you to someone who will.
- TOO OLD? Confront — maybe before being asked — side step and deal with it. “If I were interviewing me, I’d want to know if a Baby Boomer would accept supervision from a Gen Xer and fit in with a younger team. I’ve been supervised by people both older and younger than I am. I’ve always found as long as we are both competent, there are few generational issues and we complement each other. In fact a generational mix brings a richness a broad experience base to the team.”
- WHAT TO WEAR IF YOU’RE OLDER: The words are “current and classic.” Networking to find out what people wear or actually calling the company are good tips for you, too. You want to look like the other people who work there and like you’d fit in if you were hired. Not overdressed and not underdressed, and definitely NOT the way you dressed 20 years ago-just because it’s comfortable for you. If possible, visit the company in person and check out people as they enter the building.
- GROOMING: Young or old, the rules are the same.
Clean and neat is obvious and keep in mind the NOT TOO RULE. If you’re “too” anything, it screams TOO YOUNG or TOO OLD!
- Hair — Not too short or too long, not too curly or too straight, not too brightly or audaciously colored.
- Clothes — Not too casual or too formal
- Jewelry — Not too much
- Shoes — Well-polished and repaired and not too extreme like 3-inch platforms.
- Make-Up — Not too little or too much and keep it current.
Contact: Linda Brakeall, author of! How To Get Men To Take You Seriously in Business and in Life and co-author of Unlocking The Secrets of Successful Women in Business
Contact: Linda Brakeall 847-540-0445
Cell phone: 847-409-1011
Linda@LindaBrakeall.com
HAWTHORNE PRESS
11 Arrow Wood, # 4B
Lake Zurich, IL 60047
Phone 847-540-6483
Fax 253-295-3753
Contact: Linda Brakeall
Hawthorne Press
Phone 847-540-0445
Linda@UnlockingTheSecrets.com
What Happens When You’re Laid Off? How To ACE The Interview And Get The Job Of Your Dreams!
Linda Brakeall, Professional Speaker and Former VP Of Prudential Preferred Properties, has over 20 Years Experience In Sales, Management And Communication Training. She Has Personally Conducted Over 1000 Interviews and author of How To Get Men To Take You Seriously in Business and in Life! and co-author of Unlocking The Secrets Of Successful Women In Business. Ms. Brakeall recently said:
“Hiring Decisions Are Made In The First 30 Seconds. The Interview Only Confirms — Or Negates — That First Impression.”
When you walk into an interview, is there “truth in advertising”?
If your external image doesn’t match your internal knowledge and credentials, you may never get the chance to show how well-qualified you are for the job!
- How do you make your insides match your outside?
- What is appropriate to wear for an interview?
- How do you convey intelligence, authority, like-ability and confidence?
- What are the three biggest mistakes most people make when dressing for an interview?
Gossip And Annual Reports Can Catapult You To The Top Of The List!
It’s time-worn but true: it’s not only what you know but who you know. You have to combine hard, fact-based knowledge and street-smart wisdom to gather the information you need to ACE an interview!
- How do you reach the people who know the “insider information”?
- What information and gossip do you want to collect prior to an interview?
- What parts of the Annual Report tell you when a company is either bound for glory or doomed to die?
- What is the very first thing you do when you’re laid off or down-sized?
- What is the one key to successful interviewing?
- Why is it NOT a good idea to answer the interviewer’s first questions?
- What is the “toxic index” in a job interview?
- How do you handle awkward questions — even those that are NOT actually asked — about your age?
- How can you turn “no experience” into an asset?
- How should you handle a “cranky” interviewer?
- What three questions should you never ask at a first interview?
- Why should you never be the first to mention money?
Linda Brakeall is a corporate expatriate, professional speaker and trainer whose articles on interviewing, sales, and marketing regularly appear nationally in trade journals, and is a frequent media guest.
Contact: Linda Brakeall 847-540-0445
Cell phone: 847-409-1011
Linda@LindaBrakeall.com
