Straight from the Top

Job lessons learned from High-Profile New Yorkers By [Lorraine Duffy Merkl] May everyone have a job in 2011. To become/stay gainfully employed in the New Year, let"s resolve to learn from ten New Yorkers whose professional lives made headlines in 2010: Cathie Black, Schools Chancellor Despite the fact that in the field of public education she has no experience or training, nor has ever demonstrated interest in that sector, she got the job. If positions in your actual area of expertise are not in abundance, be encouraged to look outside your industry. Talk up your transferable skills and keep insisting you be given a chance to prove yourself. It also might help if someone of influence at the firm has your back. Melissa Petro, Elementary School Art Teacher The beloved educator with tenure was yanked from her classroom because she blogged about her past sexploits. Think of her next time you start sharing TMI (Too Much Information) by the water cooler or in the recruiter"s office. As my colleague Mac advises: Talk less, listen more. Eliot Spitzer, Talk Show Host Not that you want to model your career after his, but you have to give him props in the bouncing back department. His view on getting depressed over setbacks as told to New York Magazine: â??What"s the point? You don"t accomplish or change anything or have any fun. He says you have a fundamental choice of how to react. He chooses the it"s a new day, let"s get going, what"s ahead route, then goes and does it. Try it. Your second chance could be televised's like his. Carl Paladino, Republican Candidate for Governor Being outspoken (Aka letting everything that pops in your head fall out your mouth) can make you amusing, until it makes you look crazy. Edit yourself. Andrew Cuomo, Governor-Elect Stand next to the crazy guy. You don"t have to say anything earth-shattering or do anything monumental. Just stand there and you"ll be perceived as dignified, sane, rational and capable. Davina Reeves, Miss New York She stole the spotlight from Miss USA by pushing past security and crashing the â??Pep Rally float in the Macy"s Thanksgiving Day Parade. She only made it a few blocks, but it was the talk of the town for days. To get noticed, you have to make your presence known. Kirsten Gillibrand, Senator According to an academic study, â??plain-looking female job applicants are granted more interviews than their attractive counterparts. Apparently, the junior Senator paid heed, snagged Hilary"s gig by presenting herself as an unthreatening, full-figured gal, then dropped the pounds, got a makeover and landed on the pages of VOGUE. Food (or lack thereof) for thought. Derek Jeter, Yankees Shortstop Everyone wants to think they are the best thing since sliced bread, and businesses (especially now) want to cling to the maxim: It"s a buyer"s market. As someone close to the talks between the Bronx Bombers and their captain said, â??[They] need to drink the reality potion. The Yankees gave more. Jeter took less. Learn to negotiate. Charles Rangel, Congressman He was convicted of 11 House ethics violations as well as failing to list at least $600,000 in assets in a series of wealth disclosure forms, and report as income cash earned by renting out his Dominican Republic beach villa. The take-away: Let"s save ourselves a lot of trouble and just follow the rules. George Steinbrenner, former owner of the Yankees His philosophy: â??Work as hard a you ask others to. Strive for what you believe is right, no mater the odds. Learn that mistakes can be the best teacher. Model George, and you too might be called â??The Boss. _ Lorraine Duffy Merkl"s debut novel Fat Chick, from The Vineyard Press, is available at amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.