I find myself with links and thoughts in honor of that professional time of year in Wellington, NZ – quite a few of my acquaintances are looking for work, as departments get reorganized and contracts change around.

Two weeks ago, at the NetHui conference, I learned what burlesque can provide to professional women: the philosophy of total conviction during public appearances. No apologies, no disclaimers, no breathiness. Librarian and wit Moata Tamaira has more to say in encouraging women in tech to have a voice.

Lately I have had my Professional Communicator Mentoring Hat on. It’s very becoming. Amongst other things, I am a board member of the Technical Communicators Association of New Zealand. We have a mentoring scheme available for our members, and I am one of the mentors.

I was very interested in this article, Stop Telling Women To Do Startups. I had one start-up experience, and it was the not-good version. The extremely irregular work cycles drove me crazy – proposal all-nighters one week, crickets chirping the next. I’m childfree, and I didn’t enjoy it. The author, Penelope Trunk, has plenty of cool-hearted, thought-provoking pieces about women and careers on her blog.

I’m a long-time reader of Corporette. This blog combines style advice for the office with career advice and discussion – many of the comment threads are career gold.

When Grace La Belle rocked a vintage blazer recently, I was blown away by the combination of retro style and subtle authority. This winter, I’ve been living in a wool ponte blazer that I dressed up with vintage buttons – it makes my favorite slim pants look professional.

Lastly, an alt classic: “Short Skirt, Long Jacket.”