1. What made you choose this particular field?
2. How did you arrive at your current position?
3. What is the most difficult challenge you faced along the way?
4. What do you like most about your job?
5. What do you dislike about your job?
6. How do you balance your professional life and personal or family life?
7. What is your typical day like?
8. What are the duties/functions/responsibilities of your job?
9. What kinds of problems do you deal with?
10. What kinds of decisions do you make?
11. How important is it that I go to grad school for this particular career?
12. How important are grades/GPA for obtaining a job in this field?
13. Who are your mentors or role models?
14. What qualities have helped you succeed in this field?
15. What was your favorite assignment or project you worked on this year?
16. If you weren’t doing this career, what would you be doing?
17. What are the various jobs in this field or organization?
18. Why did you decide to work for this company?
19. What do you like most about this company?
20. How does your company differ from its competitors?
21. What types of changes or advancements are occurring in your occupation?
22. How would you describe the working atmosphere and the people with whom you work?
23. What advice would you give for someone just starting out in this field?

Sorry guys for being MIA! Been a little hectic with launching the book, which is now available in stores! Check it out on Barnes & Noble!

Back with a new post next week:)

One of the latest trends in shopping seems to be not shopping at all.  In her newsletter, Gwyneth writes about shopping in her closet; in cities nationwide, trading duds is the latest girls’ night out; and across the pond,  swishing (read, clothes swapping) events are all the rage.

Of course, clothing exchanges are nothing new, but let’s face it– the economy has made even the most fashion conscious of ladies open to second-hand goods of the *non-officially-vintage* variety. And why not? We all know we’ve got things in the closet that really don’t fit, are the wrong color or silhouette– or are just plain wrong in general.  Now is just the right time to share the wealth. Plus, it’s the “green” thing to do

Here are some GGG tips I’ve come across for a fun, successful event:

1. Do make it festive. Serve champagne and cupcakes. Send out an evite. Have a theme (Date-Night-Tops Redux?). Think “party” more than closet-clean-out.
2. Do bring nice stuff! It goes without saying that you want to bring freshly-cleaned, minimally-worn items, that are in excellent condition. But also, be willing to part with something that you still like, but maybe your friend from yoga class will like that much better. It gets the good karma flowing.
3. Do get organized. Turn your living room into a boutique with rolling clothing racks and a couple full-length mirrors. Also, consider handing out numbers if you’re expecting a big turnout.
4. Don’t forget the accessories. So maybe you’re not so into Kate Spade anymore, but your neighbor might be!

These days everyone has networking on the brain, whether it’s to find a new job, or stay on top of your game at your current one. Written by Keith Ferrazzi, the founder and CEO of marketing/sales company Ferrazzi Greenlight, Never Eat Alone offers insights on how to build and maintain your network that will be useful to any GGG.

The tips may seem a bit calculated and overly-contrived at times; for example, Ferrrazzi tracks and ranks his contacts on a scale of 1-3 according to how actively he needs to keep in touch with them, and often calls contacts with the goal of not getting through, essentially just to stay on their radar.  “Calling their office really early or late usually does the trick,” Ferrazzi writes. But among the biggest take-aways of his message is to avoid invisibility at all costs (hence the title, Never Eat Alone).  That means, keep getting out there! In particular Ferrazzi writes that you should always be reaching out to others, and not worry about a meeting being a “failure.” That way, “if one meeting happens to go sour, you have six other engagements lined up just like it the rest of the week.”  

In short, a compelling read for anyone who needs a little extra motivation particularly in this doldrums economy to get out there and expand the circle, as all GGGs know is a key component of success. Three of my favorite tips:

1. Be “audacious” when it comes to making new contacts and asking for help/advice.
2. Reach out to– or “ping,” as Ferrazzi calls it– your contacts on a regular basis.
3. Host dinner parties, even if you think your house or apartment isn’t ‘perfect’ enough.