Calling All Working-Ladies

Here's to you all 20-somethings. The generation who learned to type on AIM, defines a relationship through facebook, breaks up over text, and can put all deep thoughts into 140 characters on twitter. Wait, and now you want me to have a business call/interview/etc on the phone!? I may send over 3000 texts a month, but I really only talk on the phone 5 minutes- and you are asking me to have a business phone call? Heres's to all the 20-somethings who I personally know have had the same experience.

At some point in your career, whether it is at the very start (with an interview) or sometime throughout it (conference call, client call, etc) you will probably have a business phone call. So how do we become comfortable in this situation and act like we know what we are doing?

(1) Properly prepare. If you are having a call from home, get completely dressed for work. Sit up tall, not laying on the bed, at a desk or table and answer the phone as though you are at work. If you look the part of a professional, you will act the part. (You wouldnt go shopping without wearing comfortable shoes to run around the mall in without blisters, right?)

(2) Gather everything you are going to need. Make sure you have a bottle of water (just incase), pen and paper, any information you may need for the call. (That would be the equivalent of forgetting to wear a strapless bra when looking for a strapless dress)

(3) Clear the area of distractions. Don't talk on the phone and browse the internet or read the latest newsfeeds on facebook.  (A girl on a mission should never be distracted)

(4) Write down questions or main talking points. BUT make sure you don't read off the sheet. It never hurts to have a cue card, but at the same time? No one wants to talk to a robot. Never interrupt the other person- if you think of something you want to say while they are talking? use that pen and paper you gathered in (2) to  remember your thoughts and continue listening.

(5) Use a normal tone. You don't want to sound cold. Or nervous. If you feel nervous then make sure to talk slower and enunciate- you want the other person to be able to understand you. (You wouldn't show signs of weakness when trying to make a bargain would you?)

(6) Take time to think through your thoughts. We are used to texting or chatting online where we can type, retype, and think about our thoughts before we push send. You can't do this on the phone. Think through what you want to say. THEN say it.

(7) Smile. It goes a long way. And for some reason you really can hear it in someone's voice.

Are we at a disadvantage over the other generations who grew up talking on the phone with friends instead of texting? possibly. Is this something we can easily overcome and become comfortable with? ABSOLUTELY. Grab your career by the phone and confidently rock your important phone call.

Any other tips or advice?

There are umbrella people and then there are people who get wet

To be honest, I do not think I am qualified to write about this topic. I am that person who, on a rainy day, is frantically running to her car with her coat over her head to keep her hair from getting wet. Yes, I sacrifice my comfort in the cold weather for the composure of my hair (sorry mom) but really? are the people inside going to notice my frizzy-rained-on-hair or are they going to notice that I was cold for the five minutes that it took me to sprint in the rain. That is not the point.

I heard this quote from the partner in my office as we were preparing for the snow and ice storm that was possibly going to leave us out of the office for the day. She meant it as being pleasantly surprised that we were all taking everything home that we needed so for work. She was happy that we were so prepared. I, on the otherhand, was not as much. I was brought back to the days of being a kid praying for the snow/ice to hit so that I could stay home and have a free unexpected vacation on a tuesday.  Who doesn't want to get to stay home without getting introuble and without being sick?

We got our storm. And we had our "umbrellas".

Turns out working from home is not as much fun as I hoped it would be. I spent all day in my sweatpants, but working from home isn't quite the dream I imagined.

1. There is the issue of actually starting to work. I might as well sleep an extra, well deserved hour. I should clean my apartment up because, well, you can't work in a dirty apartment. And I need to set up the perfect work environment (pens, water, coffee, calculator)
2. Asking questions. It is hard to ask questions to someone over the computer. Even from a multimedia generation that grew up having intimate conversations over AOL instant messenger, I find it difficult to ask questions and seek help without my senior at my computer screen and actually seeing the problem.
3. Motivation. How can you work when no one around you is working? Is it possible that I lack that internal motivation to work unless others are? Maybe this is why I studied so much better throughout college while in a library. Moral support.

There are three things I take away from today: (1) I have a new found appreciation for actually working in the office (2) I find myself praying for ice before going to bed... we didn't prepare for two days (3) Maybe it is time that I buy an extra umbrella for my car... couldn't hurt, right?