Ask Your Work Wife

A fit interview is exactly what it sounds like: is this person going to fit in? They come in multiple formats, but at the highest level, they’re literally a question of fit, both for the the interviewer (or interviewers, as the case may be), and for *you*.  In this episode, the Work Wives break down how to ace any fit interview you encounter. Welcome to Ask Your Work Wife, a new podcast where...

It’s time to re-enroll in your benefits… But is medical, vision, dental, and a 401(k) all there is?  The answer is no. Your corporate America benefits package likely includes way more than basic health insurance that can be used for your (wait for it) benefit. We’re talking pet insurance, education reimbursement, comped massages, and more.  So before you skip out on HR’s benefits meeting...

It’s your first week back in the office, and you’ve worn nothing but yoga pants and cozy socks for two years. It’s time to put on your big kid pants (you know, the ones with buttons and zippers)… Right?  Maybe. Just know that what you’re choosing to put on your body is affecting your ability to advance and whether you’re looking to fit in or stand out, the choice is yours. Welcome to Ask Your...

Laid off, not getting hired, and running out of positive vibes? You’re probably title-hunting or applying for jobs that are too far out of your league. Vanessa & Holland’s advice? Stop applying to “stretch” jobs and get one you’re overqualified for instead. That way you can pay your bills and grow in your role (or keep applying for more jobs) from a place of abundance, not scarcity. Welcome to...

Are good networking groups really few and far between? Does your city have to be young and cool for networking to be possible? How do you find a good networking group when you get to a new town? Vanessa & Holland know the answer: great networking groups are found at the intersection of cool people and cool places. Here’s how to narrow it down and find a networking group that works for you. Wel...

It’s only a matter of time before successfully quarterbacking short-term special projects turns into adding a “dotted line” manager to your reporting structure. …and that’s a good thing. Handle this dual reporting structure well, and you have an opportunity to catapult above everyone else in your organization. Welcome to Ask Your Work Wife, a new podcast where Vanessa & Holland answer your rea...

Wondering how to ace your performance review? First, remember that not everything in life is testing your ambition. Even for women who want more out of corporate America, performance reviews are basically a pulse-check: are you alive? Are you doing your job? Report on what you’ve done, give your manager what they need to submit a glowing review to HR, and set some 90-day goals. Above all: don’t ov...

There are hard skills and there are soft skills. And no, soft skills are not being the funniest person in the room or a social butterfly in the corporate cafeteria. You may have a proclivity toward one or the other, but both are learnable. Just know that once you’re valued for not only for your hard skills, but your soft skills, too, that's when you’ll get promoted. Welcome to Ask Your Work Wife,...

With what feels like every company rescinding job offers, it’s hard not to worry about whether or not your job offer is safe. But there’s no need for concern if you take the Ask Your Work Wife approach: never stop interviewing, always have three or four offers in hand, and only ever stay loyal to you, your career, and what you want. Welcome to Ask Your Work Wife, a new podcast where Vanessa &...

We all know that one a$$hole who *does* networking. People like that make networking look bad because they’re not approaching networking the Ask Your Work Wife way.  In this episode, Vanessa & Holland discuss their approach to networking: make genuine connections and just. Be. Chill.  Welcome to Ask Your Work Wife, a new podcast where Vanessa & Holland answer your real questions...

Temporary? Temp-to-perm? Probationary? If you’re considering a new job that’s described this way, you have questions to ask. But it also behooves you to take a step back and remember that corporate America doesn’t care about you, your company will lay you off in an instant, and that you should always have an exit strategy. So let corporate America do whatever the fuck it wants. If you're prepared...

There are a million reasons your manager might be frustrated with you, and not all of them are within your control. But if you start by doing your job, and improving over time, you’ll be able to better handle the situation, even if she’s just hangry. Welcome to Ask Your Work Wife, a new podcast where Vanessa & Holland answer your real questions about real work in corporate America. Covering to...

Everyone hates corporate travel, but what if you could use it to see the country, network, make your next three moves, and have some fun, all on your company’s dime? This is how Vanessa — and soon, Holland! — do corporate travel. In this episode, the Work Wives teach you how to make the most of traveling for work, so that for your next work trip, the answer to “Is this for business or pleasure?” i...

If your manager’s eyes glaze over every time she has to make a decision, you’re probably giving her too much information. Part of managing up is understanding how much information your manager really needs. At the end of the day, she wants to hear your recommendations, not every single detail you’ve gathered along the way. That’s what gets you promoted. Welcome to Ask Your Work Wife, a new podcast...

What do Vanessa & Holland love more than PTO? Taking a vacation without using PTO.  It can be done, and you should know how to do it because whether you have two weeks of PTO or unlimited, you want to make the most of it. Welcome to Ask Your Work Wife, a new podcast where Vanessa & Holland answer your real questions about real work in corporate America. Covering topics from quitting t...

Is remote work the silver bullet everyone thinks it is? Vanessa & Holland agree with Elon Musk: the answer is no. Given the choice, we’d trade growth in our careers over leggings and Zoom calls any day. Plus, now is not the time to be making demands in your job hunt. Tens of thousands of laid off roles are not getting rehired. So get a job, work where you have to, and prioritize career growth...

We know, we know… Burnout is a total buzzword. But it’s a real thing that can affect your whole work life, and it’s important you know where it’s coming from so you can address the root cause. In this episode, Vanessa & Holland break it all down. Welcome to Ask Your Work Wife, a new podcast where Vanessa & Holland answer your real questions about real work in corporate America. Covering to...

Vanessa & Holland get tons of questions about LinkedIn on the daily: How do I send LinkedIn messages without being weird? Should I use the #opentowork circle or nah? What’s the deal with LinkedIn Headlines and the About section? And that’s just the start. In answer, the Work Wives present THE seminal LinkedIn episode (a.k.a. how *not* to look like an a$$hole or an idiot on LinkedIn). We'r...

So… Your management says your company is a family? Are they also putting your needs above the company’s? Willing to lay down their lives for you? Committed to employing you no matter what? Didn’t think so. In this episode, Vanessa and Holland break down why companies that are “families” are toxic and what to look for instead. Welcome to Ask Your Work Wife, a new podcast where Vanessa & Holland...

Recruiter screening calls can be scary, especially if you haven’t interviewed in a while.  But even though recruiters are the gatekeepers between you and what you want, they have the information you need in order to ace the next interview.  So take the Work Wives’ advice to make the most of every recruiter screening call and use every interview to get what you want out of corporate Ameri...

Vanessa & Holland love internal transfers because they’re a streamlined way to make your next move within corporate America, and mean you walk into a new role knowing a whole lot more about your new team, your new manager, and the opportunity ahead than you would with a net new job. So take the Work Wives’ advice and make sure you’re doing your internal transfer the right way in order to avoid...

You found your dream job. You applied for your dream job. You got your dream job. Congratulations! But is it still your dream job 2 months, 2 years, or 2 decades in? Vanessa & Holland say the answer is no because corporate America only wants to crush your dreams. So kill the concept of a dream job and extract value from corporate America, not the other way around. Welcome to Ask Your Work Wife...

It feels a-ma-zing to walk into a room and tell people you work at Google, Nike, Apple, Wall Street, or one of the Big Four. But what happens when that job is no longer serving you and it’s time to leave, especially when everyone is telling you that job is exactly what you should want? You have to keep you, your goals, and what you want front and center, and know that prestige is not everything it...

Welcome to Ask Your Work Wife: College Edition, where Vanessa & Holland go back to school to answer top questions from college students who are headed into corporate America. If you’re in college or even high school, you need to ask yourself: why do I want a 4-year degree, is that the only way to get what I want, and is it the cheapest way to get what I want?  And remember, there’s a diff...

Welcome to Ask Your Work Wife: College Edition, where Vanessa & Holland go back to school to answer top questions from college students who are headed into corporate America. Vanessa & Holland get asked all the time: should I go back to school for a second degree?  We’ll tell you right now: the answer’s no. Ask Your Work Wife is a new podcast where Vanessa & Holland answer your re...