Career Track Live

The Washington area is a magnet for smart, ambitious young workers. Post columnist Mary Ellen Slayter writes a regular column for these professionals who are establishing their careers locally, and offers advice online as well.

The transcript follows below.

Editor's Note: Washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions.

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Mary Ellen Slayter: Good afternoon, everyone! Hope you're all doing well, and will get some time to relax a bit this holiday season.

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Washington, D.C.: How does one try to sell themselves without lying and make an impression while they are trying to finish receiving their Bachelor's degree?

Mary Ellen Slayter: You do it by emphasizing your honest-to-god gifts and talents, of which I am certain you have many--everyone does.

I'm not sure where this notion came from that "selling yourself" is somehow dishonest. It's the job-hunting equivalent of buying clothes that fit you well, and flatter your body type for a date, not sending out your better-looking brother to be your stand-in.

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Pennsylvania: I work in a department staffed mostly by graduates from top universities. We worked hard to get where we are, and we're proud of what we've accomplished. Last month, a temp was brought on board full time after working here for a couple of months, and when we asked her where she went to college, she named a third tier school most of us had never heard of. This didn't seem right to a lot of us, especially since a few weeks earlier, someone's friend was rejected for the exact same job, and he graduated from Princeton this year.

Don't get me wrong, she's nice enough and she does okay work, but I think the company has a certain image to uphold. So what would be the best way to communicate our displeasure about this with our department head? And if we can convince him that the new hire shouldn't be here, would he have grounds to fire her?

Mary Ellen Slayter: Oh, I see grounds for firing here all right--starting with you.

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Alexandria, Virginia: I have been seeking to return to a law firm. I have gone on several interviews and been turned down I believe mainly for the salary I am requesting (50k) in the Old Towne, Fairfax area. Tell me, why is it so hard for employers to know that to get good reliable people they have to pay for them. I also find it hard to move around within the company I work for. Should I take a major cut in pay just to get the job that is offered, my salary cuts have ranged from 4-9K.

Mary Ellen Slayter: $50K does not sound like an unreasonable request for a lawyer in this area, so I doubt that would keep you from getting offers.

However, if they're offering you jobs and you can't come to the same terms on compensation, I think you're overestimating your worth to these employers.

Pay cuts are hard on morale, and some people can handle it, some can't. You have to decide what you want more: the money or the new job. Both are respectable options; go with what you know you need.

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Bethesda, Md.: Please remind Pennsylvania that Bill Gates was a dropout.

Mary Ellen Slayter: But he dropped out of Harvard, so that's OK!

I am hoping that question was fake; otherwise it makes no sense for Snotty Pants to be writing me for advice. After all, I went to *sniff* public school.

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RE: Pennsylvania: I went to a third-tier school. I sign the paychecks of Ivy League grads. (yes, Penn., really) If I heard any of them say something so ignorant, I'd sign their pink slips.

In my twelve years of managing people, I have never found a correlation between school attended and job performance. The individual, and their attitude, are what matters.

Mary Ellen Slayter: I suspect that former temp will eventually be signing all of theirs ...

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Washington, D.C.: Hello Mary

I am a 26-yrs-old African-American male. I have a B.S. in Business Administration and I am finishing my Masters as well. I look good on paper but when I get calls for interviews I sometimes see the expressions on individual(s) face(s) that are interviewing me. I am tall, muscular, well groomed and present a professional appearance, but I have been told that I look too "dominate". I always seem to have a problem with white female managers but never any problems with non-white managers. I was wondering....what can I do to not make myself look not so "dominate". I have tried wearing bow ties and glasses just to look "nerdy". So now I am looking for a job but I always seem to turn off white female hiring managers. What can I do?

Sincerely,
K.A.

Mary Ellen Slayter: It sounds like you don't need to change a thing. But these people doing the hiring do. Maybe a couple of EEOC complaints will help them along?

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Chevy Chase, Maryland: I've been attending networking parties, where I've been rubbing elbows with a lot of influential people. The only issue that I have is that when I am networking, of course like me, everyone is there to see what new contacts they can meet. After speaking with them for a few moments and I let them know that I'm a recent graduate it seems like they lose interest. How can I network more effectively?

Mary Ellen Slayter: Keep the emphasis on what you can do for other people, regardless of how green you are.

For one, it sounds like you are utterly fearless about chatting up strangers at these events. That's a real gift. Try to figure out what each person you talk to is looking for exactly, then be on the lookout for other people you know who can provide that. Introduce them to each other. You have no idea how valuable that is.

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New York: I think it was Mark Twain who said "Don't let your schooling get in the way of your education." What you get out of whichever school you attend is exactly what you put into it. I worked at Harvard and met both smart and silly people (I hesitate to call anyone truly stupid), same as my own unheard-of colleges.

Mary Ellen Slayter: Exactly.

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RE: Alexandria seeking law firm: He/she didn't say they were a lawyer. May be an admin. person, or paralegal, or some such, in which case salaries are very different.

Mary Ellen Slayter: True. Thanks for picking up on that.

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Washington, D.C.: Hi Mary. I had a one-day interview this week in
Boston - arrived in the morning, interviewed for 5
hours, flew out that night. I feel that my 'layover'
did not offer me an accurate sense of the culture
and environment. I was able to speak with some
non-management employees; however, the
scope of our discussions was limited because
they were on deadline. What would you suggest I
do? Thanks.

Mary Ellen Slayter: This is a typical constraint for job interviews. If they make you an offer, ask them more questions. Make another visit up there, maybe over a long weekend, before accepting the job.

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RE: Class Conflicts: This is as juicy a job topic as any for airing in my experience -- the subtle and not so subtle class conflicts (by education, upbringing etc) that exist in some companies and the business world generally.

It seems to me that people such as Pennsylvania want to make all kinds of assumptions that their background and connections translate into relevant experience for a particular job function -- when they might not...whereas you seem to be saying that good work, good results, and treating people fairly are what matters.

I don't even know if that's right, but I'm interested in your clarifying your perspective or sharing your experience in the area.

Mary Ellen Slayter: You've got it about right. Of course, I could just be saying that because I didn't go to one of those upper-tier schools. *shrug*

Fortunately, I do not think Pennsylvania is the norm. At the Post, I work alongside many brilliant people who went to all sorts of colleges and universities. One guy--one of the best editors I know--didn't set foot in college at all.

Ultimately, it's a sign of insecurity to seek refuge in the name on your diploma when you're having troubles at work. He or she sought to go to a big-name school (and likely paid big-time bucks) in big part to distinguish themselves from other people. If someone like this former temp with a no-name degree can qualify for the same job, it dilutes the value of that big-name degree. Finding out it didn't give you as much of an edge as you expected might make you feel a bit like a sucker.

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Arlington, Va.: My company does not have a typical human resources office. There really is no place in the company where an employee can go to if they are having any issues (work, personal, etc). In a situation like that where can someone go to get help.

Anna

Mary Ellen Slayter: I'm assuming it's a small company? Have you tried approaching your supervisor? Or the head of the company, if it's a small enough organization.

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Georgetown, D.C.: I have a great job and I'm not looking for a new position. However, sometime down the road, I probably will. I had an internship with a different company over the summer. Would it be appropriate to ask for a letter of recommendation to keep in my files? Is that appropriate, if it's not for a specific job and wouldn't be used for some time?

Mary Ellen Slayter: Am I reading this right? You want a letter of rec from your current employer? No.

You should stay in touch with people at the organization that you interned with, however. And feel free to ask them for letters of rec.

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Washington, D.C.: To the African-American male: Maybe the answer to his question is..."he does look good on paper," but he's in fact flunking the interview. The obvious clue, he's still not been offered a position by any of the male interviewers. Maybe he should get an interview coach to figure out what he's doing wrong.

Mary Ellen Slayter: That is a very good idea, I think. For most people.

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Mary Ellen Slayter: Well, looks like our time's up. I think I'm going to go dig up my diploma now and ponder the depths of my inferiority. Or something like that.

See you next year!

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