Kate White

I studied his face, and as I did, I realized that he was studying me, our thoughts tangling in mid-air for a moment.

Well, be careful,_ she said, her words deliberate. She quickly twisted her head, as if making certain no one was behind her. When she turned back around, her green eyes were hard and filled with hate. __ecause wouldn__ it be terrible if you slipped and hurt yourself?

I closed the door and sank into my desk chair. My heart was pounding even harder. I felt like someone who had just staggered out of her car after an accident on a freeway. This was different from the cockroach and the books and the Barbie. I__ been injured. Someone had tried to physically harm me.

She had her sonar continually set for excuses to entertain, to bring together influential and powerful people in a mix that hummed, sizzled, throbbed, and sometimes burst into flames. But I was delighted to be her excuse tonight.

At forty-one, he was still the quintessential bad boy__harming, at ease in his skin, and great-looking, with deep blue eyes, slicked-back brown hair, and the kind of full, sensuous mouth that bad boys seemed to have an unfair market on.

Come right out and say you want it: __t__ been great hearing you talk about the position. I__ love to work here, and I think I could do a terrific job for you.

If you__e already worked in some capacity or done any internships, your contacts are everybody you__e met in your work plus all your personal contacts. If you haven__ been employed yet, you still have plenty of contacts. __ake out your college yearbook,_ says Wein. __ho sat next to you in class? Who do you know that__ gone into the field you__e interested in? You don__ have to know them well to put them on the list._ You__ also include any contacts your parents have, friends of your parents, people you met on family vacations, even kids you knew in summer camp.

If a job opens up that she could __ell_ you for, tell her, __ou__e been such a valuable resource for me. I would really appreciate having your help on something. There__ a terrific position open at Company A, and I__ hoping you would be able to advocate on my behalf._ Don__ be shy about also asking a sponsor, __o you know anyone I could talk to?

Good questions are those that show that you not only want the job, you are prepared to knock the ball out of the park once you have it. So ask, __hat would a successful year in the job look like?_ or __hat did you most value in the person who left?_ You__e done a Google search of the field and the company, of course, and one of your questions could be about emerging trends. Interviewers love it when questions relate to them and their accomplishments (____e heard you made some exciting changes recently. What has the outcome been?_).

Every day you should also be checking job boards to track positions as they open up. In addition to the job boards on company websites, use public job boards such as Monster, Indeed, LinkedIn, and any specialty sites. There__ also your alumni website, etc.

Start with a two-line summary of your background, and then say what you__e looking for, being as specific as possible. It could go something like this: __ just graduated with a degree in economics, and I worked at a hospital for my past two summers. I__ love a job at a health-related website. I know you once worked for WebMD, and I__ really welcome a personal introduction.

Smile, look invested, and when you hand in certain projects, say you enjoyed working on them.

When you create a résumé, for instance, it__ not about listing every single role and responsibility you__e had. Instead it__ about highlighting accomplishments that all ladder up to your overall positioning, expressing a clear point of view. You__e taking control of the impressions you make by doing the work for them.

Once you__e identified people who can be both mentors and sponsors, you need to make contact. Don__ hesitate to introduce yourself to a potential ally at an event or in the elevator and say you admire her work. If the person is spearheading a committee or drive, volunteer to be on it. You can also request an informational interview. You could say something such as ____e heard so much about your work [or latest venture] and would love to know more about it.

Do not cross your legs, she advises. Keeping both feet on the ground signals that you, well, have both feet on the ground. _ If you feel the urge to move out of nervousness, do some toe crunches since the interviewer won__ notice those.

You should also have a bio that plays up your brand__his will be used for any kind of press or speaking engagement. Make it jazzy and exciting, and don__ be afraid of language that really touts you.

Lawrence__ suggestion for a starter wardrobe: a black dress, a fitted black jacket, black pants, a black skirt, a camel-colored skirt, a white blouse, a trendy-looking cardigan in a color (red could be good, for instance), several cool, inexpensive blouses (from places such as H&M or Zara) that pick up or work with the color of the cardigan and will go with your pants and skirts. For shoes, go for black heels and a pair of colored ones (they will make one of your all-black outfits look totally fab). Then build from there.

When your boss assigns you a project, take good notes and ask questions regarding anything you__e not sure about. _ The key question to ask: __hat are the results you__e looking for?_ Be clear, too, about deadlines and who needs to be looped in on the project.