Sex & Violence – News Syndication

David Elkins jumped through a lot of hoops before Becton, Dickinson & Co

. hired him as its chief financial officer in December 2008. After eight interviews with company officials, he underwent an executive “assessment.”

The day-long process included a business-simulation exercise involving role playing, a two-hour session with an educational psychologist and online personality tests that gauged key traits such as strategic thinking. Becton says it assessed 95 internal and external prospects for executive posts last year, up from six in 2008. (The increase was not related to additional executive hiring.)

“Getting the right people is paramount to what we’re trying to do now,” explains Thomas Ruddy, vice president of talent management at the medical-technology concern. Becton expanded its use of assessments after gaining confidence in their value, says Colleen White, a company spokeswoman.

Management assessments are booming again as companies scramble to find the best leaders amid a hiring rebound. “Our U.S. executive-assessment business increased more than 30% in 2010,” says Matt Paese, a vice president of Development Dimensions International. The human-resources consultancy is a major provider of assessments for picking or promoting top managers. Major rivals such as PDI Ninth House describe similar recent gains.

About 72% of 516 employers now use assessments to help make executive promotion decisions, nearly twice the proportion doing so in a 2010 survey, reports Aberdeen Group, a market-research firm. Those polled this year said their evaluations comprise a variety of cognitive, behavioral, simulation and motivational tests.

Assessing a C-suite candidate can cost up to $30,000 and last two days. Outside experts typically handle assessments. Their psychological interviews probe deeply into a person’s strengths and weaknesses. “It’s far more comprehensive than any job interview,” says Stuart Crandell, a senior vice president of PDI Ninth House, a leadership consultancy in Minneapolis.

During a simulation, an individual plays the part of an executive of a fictional company who must deal with a pretend boss, subordinate or customer to solve a difficult dilemma. Participants almost never get eliminated solely due to poor performance on online tests, typically taken from home. Employers receive written reports about the evaluation.

Nonetheless, prospective executives can easily veer off track. Managers sometimes knock themselves out of the race because they mistakenly try to “ace” a process where there rarely are right answers.

Experts say candidates should do their homework about the screening process, the assessor and their roles in deciding the outcome. They also should ask upfront for feedback regardless of the outcome,

Prospects eager to “learn about themselves through these exercises are prone to be viewed stronger than others,” notes Stephen P. Mader, a vice chairman of recruiters Korn/Ferry International

. He feels that the ability to learn fast represents an important factor in the success of a leader in a new role.

Earlier this year, Mr. Paese of DDI

assessed an applicant hoping to become a regional executive for a global management consultancy. The man didn’t request feedback, so he never learned that he lacked sufficient experience handling clients with difficult demands, according to Mr. Paese. He didn’t land the job.

Careful preparation counts at Becton, too. Mr. Ruddy says he encourages aspiring executives to spend six to eight hours getting ready for the simulation portion of an assessment. Mr. Elkins prepared over a weekend after he received a broad overview of his simulation exercise.

His simulation: figuring out whether a fictitious consumer-products company “had the wrong people executing the right strategy.” Complicating things, role players unexpectedly supplied additional details on the day of his exercise.

Potential executives should try to keep their cool during a simulation because companies prefer bosses “who don’t get anxious in a situation like this,” notes Dan Zdon, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Liberty Diversified International Inc. in Minneapolis.

Easier said than done. Mr. Zdon says he felt too nervous to eat lunch during his first Liberty simulation in late 2000. But he did fine anyway. Since then, he has used assessments to fill 50 executive positions for the diversified manufacturer over the past decade.

Three years ago, a middle manager seeking a C-suite promotion at a conglomerate abrasively challenged the outside assessor, recalls John Beeson, principal (CQ) of Beeson Consulting Inc., the New York firm that screened him. “Losing composure under stress cost the person the job,” Mr. Beeson says. Maintaining poise during a stressful assessment can be more important than an individual’s answers, according to PDI’s Mr. Crandell.

Stretching the truth during the psychological interview also could crimp candidates’ chances. “The best thing you can do is not fake people out,” advises Steve Kelner, a leader of the executive-assessment practice at recruiters Egon Zehnder International. He sometimes sees introverts “try to come across as extroverts,” while other executives claiming to be change leaders simply follow orders.

Trained as a motivational psychologist, Dr. Kelner assessed the sales vice president of a U.S. biotech company for a possible promotion a few years ago. She exaggerated her ability to coach lieutenants, according to Dr. Kelner. Three subordinates told him, “She’s a great leader. Just take her word for it.,” indicating they didn’t view her as a great leader.

Dr. Kelner says he warned the woman’s boss that “she is not as good as she thinks she is,” and cited her high staff turnover. The sales executive soon took early retirement.

It’s equally difficult to walk the fine line between answering honestly and divulging irrelevant personal details during an assessment. Asked about their leadership values, some executives describe being abandoned by their parents at a young age, says Sandra Davis, chief executive of MDA Leadership Consulting in Minneapolis. “I am not looking for personal, private stories.”

Dee Soder, managing partner of CEO Perspective Group in New York, has assessed executives who mention a romantic affair as the reason they quit a job. “Don’t tell me you had an affair,” she warns. “It’s going to set off all kinds of alarm bells.”

On the other hand, a senior executive disclosed the challenge of growing up with an alcoholic mother during her six-hour assessment interview for the No. 1 spot at a financial-services company in 2009. “I let it all hang out,” she recollects.

The revelation apparently made a positive impression. The company offered her its CEO job. The executive turned down the offer, however. “The fit wasn’t quite right,” she says.

Write to Joann S. Lublin at joann.lublin@wsj.com

By RUTH MANTELL

Karen Chopra knows all about the dangers of “first-offer-itis.”

It’s a condition in which job seekers itch to take the first position they are offered, says the Washington, D.C.-based career counselor. And in this time of high unemployment, more people are inclined to do just that.

But rather than letting her clients succumb, Ms. Chopra will discuss a position’s pros and cons with them to figure out how much they like the job versus how much they just want to stop searching.

Jason Greenberg

“Most people hate the job search,” she says. “It’s an anxiety-producing time. But there are real dangers to taking a job that is not a good fit.”

If you’re in a job you dislike, for instance, you may not perform well. And if you leave the job after a few months, there will be a short stint to explain on your résumé.

While there can be a tremendous amount of pressure to rejoin the ranks of the gainfully employed, experts recommend that seekers try to curb desperation. “You are planning your career as opposed to just getting another job,” says Randy Miller, founder and chief executive of ReadyMinds, a Lyndhurst, N.J., provider of online career counseling and coaching. “Take a step back, be clear on what you want to do. Otherwise, you will be in the same position six months later.”

Of course, you must calculate whether you can afford to pass on an offer. Job seekers without any savings may not be in a position to say “no.”

For those who can afford to be pickier, here are five tips on what type of offers to take a pass on and what warning signs to watch out for:

A Big Step Down

With more than six million jobs lost since the recession began, many job seekers have less leverage when it comes to salary. Nonetheless, a real low-ball offer is a red flag, Ms. Chopra says.

It can be tough for workers to figure out how low is too low, Mr. Miller says, adding that job seekers should stay strong as long as they know they are worth more than a company’s low offer.

“In today’s times, the employee is asked to do a lot more,” he says. “If you are not making the money you are supposed to, you will probably be miserable.”

Job seekers also should be wary of taking a title that’s too far below their most recent position, says Allison O’Kelly, chief executive of Mom Corps, an Atlanta-based staffing firm specializing in flexible employment.

At least temporarily, a salary can be less important than a title, Ms. O’Kelly says, because “it will be hard to get back into the higher role.” She adds that “people looking at your résumé will wonder why you were willing to take such a low-level position. They will think you should be more resourceful and able to find other jobs. I would prefer seeing that you are earning a little less, but that your title remains at a higher level. You will be better off.”

Too-Quick Offers

Jobs that are offered very quickly may be worth passing on, says Walter Akana, a career strategist in Decatur, Ga. “It could be a sign that the company has lots of turnover and [is] desperate on some level as well,” he says.

While it can be unnerving, waiting awhile for an offer isn’t necessarily a bad thing, Mr. Akana adds. “The company is under pressure to fill the position in the best way possible,” he says, “so sometimes the process can take time.”

No Written Offer

Companies that don’t provide a written offer may be worth avoiding, says Mr. Miller. And that’s particularly important during times when many firms are struggling.

Verbal offers “mean you really have nothing to stand on because the employer can renege,” he says. “If it’s a legitimate job offer, everything should be in writing.”

A contract with a specific description of the job could protect you from having your position radically altered.

“The more you have in the document, the more it could protect you, it’s minimizing your risk,” Mr. Miller says. “You still run the risk of getting laid off. But it’s better to have the piece of paper than nothing at all.”

Too Few Answers

A potential employer’s reluctance to answer questions should give you pause, says Ms. Chopra. Employers who are worried that a position may not be attractive to a particular candidate may try to conceal or avoid certain specifics, she says.

Another giveway: when employers won’t allow job candidates to speak with a prospective supervisor.

“You can work for a great company, but have a miserable supervisor, and that determines how you feel about the company,” Ms. Chopra says. “The supervisor determines your day-to-day happiness.”

Unpleasantness

If company insiders are difficult during negotiations, you may want to take a pass on a job, Ms. Chopra says. “Generally speaking, your treatment is not going to improve once you are hired,” she says.

Write to Ruth Mantell at ruth.mantell@dowjones.com

Q: I enjoyed your column on the value of an undergraduate college degree. My daughter is considering attending law school. Do you have any research on the value of a post-graduate degree? —D.J.R., McLean, Va.

A: People with master’s degrees post median annual incomes almost twice as high as the typical full-time worker with only a high-school diploma, says a 2007 study by the College Board, New York—$61,300, compared with high-school grads’ median annual earnings of $31,500. Compared with bachelor’s degree holders, the master’s degree premium is 20%—$61,300, compared with $50,900. Median income for people with professional degrees in such fields as law, medicine or engineering was $100,000, more than three times that of high-school graduates and 96% more than bachelor’s degree holders.

Over the course of a lifetime, the ratios are similar. People ages 25 to 64 who have master’s degrees tend to earn 93% more than high-school grads over a 40-year career, and 20% more than bachelor’s degree holders, the study shows. And those with professional degrees earn 187% more income than high-school grads over the course of a 40-year career, and 78% more than bachelor’s degree holders, says the study by Sandy Baum and Jennifer Ma.

Q: I saw your recent column on people having positive midlife crises. I am a 37-year-old manager and am wondering whether I am having one. In the past two years, I have started taking martial-arts training and am close to earning my black belt. I also began to learn to play the piano. How can a person tell whether he or she is having a midlife crisis? —A.F., Far Rockaway, N.Y.

A: Midlife crisis doesn’t bear defined clinical symptoms; it is a popular label for a time of psychological transition. Researchers have offered various definitions: It is seen as a period of self-reported emotional and personal turmoil or psychological change; a time of taking stock of one’s life so far and one’s goals for the time one has left; a turning point, where one’s life takes a different direction and views about relationship commitments and life roles undergo a change; or a time of personal turmoil and sudden changes in personal goals and lifestyle. Midlife crisis is often triggered by a realization of aging; family events or problems such as a death, divorce or extramarital affair; problems or disappointments with children; career setbacks, health problems, or worries about losing one’s attractiveness.

Whether you define the changes you are going through as a midlife crisis depends on the significance you assign them, the psychological power they have, and the outcomes you foresee. Most people would probably not define new pursuits as a crisis if they were merely alleviating boredom or pursuing longtime personal goals. But if you feel you are going through a crisis, consider getting counseling or seeking advice from a trusted mentor or friend to help you keep perspective and restraint through what is often a turbulent time.

Q: Regarding your column on the link between the amount of housework people do, and the frequency of sexual relations in their marriages: How can I find the study you cited? —N.W., Ithaca, N.Y.

A: The article was published online last October in the Journal of Family Issues under the title, “Who Has the Time? The Relationship Between Household Labor Time and Sexual Frequency.” The full article is available by subscription, or through one-day online access for $25, on the journal’s Web site; it can be found by typing “Who Has the Time?” into the search box.

Write to Sue Shellenbarger at sue.shellenbarger@wsj.com

By ELIZABETH GARONE

Many workers who lost jobs in the hardest-hit sectors of the economy are now looking to change careers. But crafting a résumé that shows the benefits of hiring an industry outsider can be challenging.

In this installment of The Résumé Doctor, three recruiting experts critique a résumé from a job hunter eying a move into facilities management from commercial construction.

• The Job Seeker: Mark Peterson, 47, of Woodbury, Minn., was laid off in July from a senior project manager/sales position at a small commercial-construction company where he had worked for 19 years. Though he was hired in November as a senior project manager for a rival firm, the contract job is commission-based and doesn’t include medical or other benefits. He says the position is unlikely to yield a salary anywhere close to his prior annual income of around $125,000.

• The Objective: Mr. Peterson is seeking a mid- to senior-level executive position in facilities management. Mr. Peterson would like to stay in the Minneapolis metro area and is seeking a minimum annual salary of $85,000, significantly lower than his previous salary but on par with what he expects in the current economy. If the economy were to improve, he says he would be looking for $100,000 to $125,000.

“Any company that has a large campus or multiple buildings to manage could work well for me,” he says.

• The Experts: Offering feedback on Mr. Peterson’s résumé are Ken Rose, a senior client partner in Chicago for executive-search firm Korn/Ferry International Inc.; Nanci D’Alessandro, a vice president and national account executive in New York for commercial real-estate firm Grubb & Ellis

; and Julia Hicks, director of human resources at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn. Universities are one of his target employers because of their many buildings to manage.

• The Résumé: Mr. Peterson has kept his fairly standard résumé to one page. He leads with his contact information, followed by a summary statement and 11 areas of expertise. The résumé goes on to describe his career in reverse chronological order with bullet points and concludes with details of his education and training.

• The Positives: Our experts were impressed with some of the accomplishments cited in Mr. Peterson’s résumé. They also gave it kudos for being clutter-free despite its short length.

• The Advice: Much of the information that hiring managers want to see—such as the size and scope of projects he worked on and certifications he holds—is there, our experts agree. What Mr. Peterson needs to do is revamp the layout so it is more pleasing to the eye and easier to quickly scan, they say.

Right now, the résumé is formatted with a significant amount of white space in some areas and in other places, text is bunched together. Most of all, he needs to direct his résumé away from construction and more toward facilities management by highlighting his transferable skills when describing his former positions.

“Quite frankly, I would have overlooked this résumé, and it would not have made my list,” says Ms. D’Alessandro. “The résumé is still very much geared to construction.”

For starters, our experts recommend Mr. Peterson get rid of the “Management Professional” title at the very top. “There’s really no point to giving yourself a title or categorizing yourself,” says Mr. Rose. “Your professional experience and training should stand on its own.”

Likewise, our experts agree Mr. Peterson should revamp his summary statement. As it is, it is unclear and it doesn’t even mention facilities management, they say. “It needs to be more focused on what he is trying to achieve and it should show his strengths,” says Ms. D’Alessandro.

For Ms. Hicks, the summary statement “needs to be more specific about what he can offer and not what he is seeking from an employer.”

Mr. Rose usually counsels his clients against including a summary statement. But he says he would make an exception for someone looking to change careers. “Otherwise, the person looking at his résumé is going to ask, ‘Why is this drywall guy sending this to me?’ ” he says.

The next section of Mr. Peterson’s résumé features a list describing his areas of expertise. Ms. D’Alessandro and Ms. Hicks said they both like it, but they said it should be shortened to six bullets from the current 11. They suggest formatting the section into two or three columns rather than one to make it more visually appealing. “When the list gets too long, the reader loses focus on the most important skills he is trying to convey,” says Ms. Hicks.

By contrast, Mr. Rose considers the list “a waste of valuable real estate” and suggests deleting it. He says he prefers résumés that highlight strengths with tangible accomplishments in the work-history section. “There really is no value-add in a list like that,” he says. “Hiring authorities don’t really trust your assessment of yourself.”

While there are mixed feelings among the experts about including a list of skills, all agree that when used, it needs to be concise and contain only those skills that can help a candidate stand out from the competition.

For the section that lists past employers, our experts want to know more about Mulcahy Inc., where Mr. Peterson spent 19 years. This is especially important for job seekers who have experience at a small or midsize firm that might not be known outside of its particular state or region. “What kind of company is it?” says Mr. Rose. “It could be a multinational, or it could be Mr. Mulcahy, his son and Mark.”

Our experts also want to see more details about what Mr. Peterson did at Mulcahy. “Did he hold the same position for all 19 years, or was there career progression while he was there?” asks Ms. Hicks.

“If there were multiple positions, you would want to show that,” says Ms. D’Alessandro.

She suggests adding subsections under a particular company. Even if Mr. Peterson held only one or two positions at Mulcahy, he should still break up his time there in order to show the breadth of his job as well as career progression, she adds.

Our experts also didn’t like how Mr. Peterson’s résumé displays his past accomplishments. He lists seven, single-spaced bullet points, each packed with responsibilities and accomplishments, for the time he spent at Mulcahy. “They need to be spread out more with additional bullet points, so they are not just a mass of verbiage,” says Mr. Rose.

Further, Ms. Hicks says that Mr. Peterson could have done a better job of explaining his major career accomplishments.

For example, rather than listing the companies he had contracts with by name, she says she would have liked to see the different industries they’re in, because this would show his breadth of experience.

Perhaps most important, our experts say he is missing out on an opportunity to highlight experience that would prove highly relevant to a job in facilities management. In two of his early positions, he mentions the field in bullet points that describe his responsibilities but doesn’t elaborate.

“A lot of people make the mistake that if it happened 20 years ago, no one cares about it,” says Mr. Rose. “But you accomplished things back then that show career advancement.”

Including early stints can be especially important for prospective career changers, he adds. Mr. Peterson “should leverage some of that experience so he won’t come across as a complete newcomer,” says Mr. Rose.

In the education and training section, our experts were critical of Mr. Peterson for citing uncommon acronyms for all but one of the certifications he listed. Instead, they would have preferred to see these spelled out. Ms. Hicks also suggests Mr. Peterson show when he obtained the certifications, especially if he got any in recent years. Including dates would also show that he’s “up-to-date on what’s going on in the industry,” adds Ms. D’Alessandro.

Further, our experts noted that Mr. Peterson should have gone into detail about what may be the most valuable credential he has for a job in facilities management—Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. Having a LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) designation demonstrates significant knowledge in green building practices and would transfer well to facilities management. It could also mean the difference between Mr. Peterson’s résumé going to the top and bottom of the pile, says Ms. D’Alessandro.

Finally, our experts said that to fit the extra information, Mr. Peterson may need to expand his résumé to two pages from one, and that doing so would be acceptable for such a senior-level job hunter.

“With 25 years of experience, you cannot articulate the depth of your experience in a one-page résumé,” says Ms. D’Alessandro.

Write to Elizabeth Garone at cjeditor@dowjones.com

By SARAH E. NEEDLEMAN

Angela Winfield began losing her sight around age 4 and was completely blind by her sophomore year at Barnard College. But she went on to graduate from there and completed her JD at Cornell Law School prior to passing the New York state bar exam. Today she’s an associate at Hiscock & Barclay, a 210-attorney firm, specializing in commercial litigation, torts and product-liability defense. Wall Street Journal reporter Sarah E. Needleman spoke with Ms. Winfield about her career path. Edited excerpts follow.

Courtesy Hiscock & Barclay

Full name: Angela Winfield
Hometown: Newburgh, N.Y.
Current position: Associate, Hiscock & Barclay
First job: Office assistant, summer youth employment program, Newburgh Free Academy
Favorite job: Current one
Education: B.A. in political science and human rights from Columbia University’s Barnard College; J.D. from Cornell Law School
Years in the industry: 2.5
Age: 25
How I got to here in 10 words or less: Hard work, determination and fearlessness.

What inspired you to go into law?

When I was growing up and could still see, I used to watch “The Cosby Show.” Claire Huxtable was one of the few African American women on TV. She was an attorney and I wanted to be like her.

You joined Hiscock & Barclay in Syracuse, N.Y., right out of law school. How did being blind impact your job search?

My approach was to not mention it and to demonstrate that I could do the job. I attended school-sponsored job fairs and interviewed with a number of firms.

I remember one interviewer who just couldn’t figure out how he would be able to do his job if he couldn’t see. Because he thought he wouldn’t be able to do it, he just didn’t see how I could. My response to him was that he knows himself better than I do and perhaps he would be helpless if he were blind. But knowing myself better than he did, I was certain that I could not only do what was necessary to practice law, but excel at it. The interviewer was a little flustered for a moment and then awkwardly asked me a few more questions and wrapped up the interview. I don’t remember if the firm extended an offer, but if they did, I certainly rejected it.

The only offer I accepted was Hiscock & Barclay’s and one of the many reasons why was because of the ease and comfort in which the interviewing attorneys interacted with me. I know I am not the traditional applicant and I wanted to affiliate myself with a firm that relishes those sorts of opportunities.

What does your job entail?

I do mostly trial-preparation work, which involves lots of research. I use commercial legal databases such as Lexis-Nexis and WestLaw, as well as public sources. I also prepare motions and depositions and work alongside partners on issues that come up with clients. Ideally, I’d like to spend as much time as possible in the courtroom, but the vast majority of cases settle before trial.

How do you do research and other tasks without being able to see?

I have a software program called JAWS, short for “job access with speech.” It reads everything on my computer screen to me. But because of security issues, you can’t use your own software to take standardized tests. When I took the LSAT and the bar, I had to have a live reader and was in a separate room so that I didn’t disturb the other test-takers. I would either type my answer using JAWS with security software or dictate my answer.

When I joined the firm, one of the things I did was work with a mobility instructor, who’s trained in helping blind people get around. We walked through the office to get familiar with where my desk would be and places I would need to go.

I also have a seeing-guide dog named Ogden. He’s a Labrador and Golden Retriever crossbreed. He’s a got a bed by my desk.

What’s your schedule like?

I’m usually in the office from around 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays. But between bringing work home, serving on the boards of two not-for-profits, doing community work and starting my motivational speaking business, Blind Faith Enterprises LLC, I put in about 70 hours a week.

Are clients ever surprised to learn about your disability?

No, but there are times when the opposing counsel or judge will think I’m the client. Once I did pro-bono work for a client who was also blind. She said she felt very fortunate to have someone who understood her situation.

Have any advice for blind professionals looking to follow in your footsteps?

First and foremost, you need to learn to live and travel independently. You don’t need to be ambivalent and never take help, but you need to be absolutely confident that you can do things on your own. You also need to learn when and how to ask for help. After that, figure out what it is that you not only enjoy doing, but are good at. Then take every opportunity you can to develop the skills necessary to do what ever that is. And when I say every opportunity, I mean every opportunity, even ones that seem scary. Research, plan, prepare, practice and then face your fears and do it repeatedly until you’re not afraid.

What’s next for your career?

I have my eye on partnership. I probably won’t take the traditional route there or be your traditional partner, but I hope to carve out a suitable place for myself in the partnership ranks. I plan to practice law indefinitely even while I pursue motivational speaking. One of the keystones to that is talking about how I have — and continue — to overcome obstacles every day. In other words, I’m not just talking; I’m walking the walk, as well.

Write to Sarah E. Needleman at sarah.needleman@wsj.com

By TERI AGINS

Q: I am male, one of 15 vice presidents—half are women—at a large medical supplier, where we are preparing a video for training the new members of our sales team. We want to dress in a way that will project authority and professionalism, but we don’t want to come across as “the suits.” Our usual office attire is business casual.

—D.M., New York City

A: I vote for the dressiest version of business casual for your training tapes. That means a sport coat and woven open-collar shirt without a tie for the guys and a nice blouse and skirt or casual dress for the women. This will telegraph professionalism without looking too stiff.

Tim Goldman

As Webcam meetings and video training have become popular, more businesspeople are taking cues from newscasters, who have mastered on-camera dressing. Study the relaxed look of the hosts and guests on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” The men tend to wear shirts in French blue, pink or lilac, instead of white, and the women don solid-colored dresses or blouses that cover their arms, as well as light makeup and earrings.

Also, consider stagecraft—such as a potted plant to make the room more inviting. Your colleagues should rehearse at home in front of their Webcams to sharpen their speech and improve eye contact with the camera. Everyone should smile from time to time and minimize hand gestures. That way, the executive team will look confident and in control.

—Email questions to askteri@wsj.com

By EMILY GLAZER

Making a move from years in the clothing industry into the art world took designer Sigrid Olsen back to her roots.

Paul Lyden

Full name: Sigrid Olsen
Age: 55
Hometown: Gloucester, Mass.
Current position: owner, SIGRID OLSEN art
First job: Worked at a health food store
Favorite job: Working at Sigrid Olsen – building a business over years.
Education: B.A. from Montserrat College of Art
Years in the industry: 30 years in clothing, six months in art
How I got to here in 10 words or less: I went back to my roots as an artist.

After learning in January that her clothing line and stores would be closing–after the brand’s owner, Liz Claiborne Inc., said the brand had been losing customers and revenue for several years–Sigrid Olsen wanted to turn what was a difficult situation into a positive experience. She used the same motifs — leaves, birds, seashells — she carved 30 years ago out of potatoes to create SIGRID OLSEN art. Her company, which had already been around for about five years, is primarily focused on stationary and painting, although Ms. Olsen is still experimenting with various products. Whether it’s updating her Web site and blog, planning inspirational retreats or creating custom-design work for loyal clients, Ms. Olsen is keeping the business small and says she’ll wait to see what direction it will take. Reporter Emily Glazer spoke with Ms. Olsen about her career and move back to art. Edited excerpts follow.

Q: What was it like to start your own company after the January announcement that the Sigrid Olsen brand would be discontinued?

A: For the most part, it felt great to have a little more fluid schedule so I could focus on the things I wanted to do at the time I wanted to do them. I do most of my work between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. so I could get up, think straight and get my work done and then take a break to go to the gym, go to my yoga class. It could’ve been devastating but I wanted to turn it around and take care of myself and explore some different avenues. Immediately there were investors (for SIGRID OLSEN art) — I spoke with all of them but I decided in the long run I wanted to take my time and not just jump on the first thing that came along.

Sigrid Olsen

Three Mugs: All of Ms. Olsen’s hand-painted ceramics are original, like Three Mugs (above). There are no two that are alike.

Q: What do you do now?

A: Typically, I’ll set up in my studio to paint for the day — watercolor artwork that is sold on the internet and in my gallery. I do special orders for customers who request certain colors or sizing.

Q: Why did you go into stationary and painting?

A: Those are the categories that I’m allowed to do under Liz Claiborne. (Ms. Olsen is under a non-compete contract with Liz Claiborne Inc. — which purchased Sigrid Olsen from Ms. Olsen and her three partners in 1999 — that limits her from designing clothing, accessories and home furnishings until January 2010. After that, she is free to make anything, although Claiborne still owns the trademark for the Sigrid Olsen brand.) I was painting before I was designing clothes so it was the logical way to go. It was the textile design that led me to the clothing business. It was very easy for me to fall back on that. I had wanted to get the stationary business going but hadn’t focused on that.

Q: Are there any similarities between now and when you started Sigrid Olsen 25 years ago?

A: I’m recalling now the feeling of knowing that the time I’m putting in now is going to pay off in the future. I’m not counting every penny that I make every day because that’s not what this is about. This is about a testing ground for new ideas that will blossom into a business in the next three- to- five years.

Sigrid Olsen

Aquatic Journey, painted in Summer 2008: Aquatic Journey (above), is iconic of Ms. Olsen’s work, focusing on island and natural elements. “I always love the combinations of the aquas and blues with more neutral sand colors,” she says.

Q: What were some obstacles you initially faced?

A: The isolation. I have to constantly calculate how I’m going to stay connected with all of the powerful and interesting people I met in New York while I was doing the clothing line. I want to keep that connectedness going. Being an artist you can easily just get wrapped up in doing your work and staying in your studio. I don’t want to do that, I want to balance that with staying connected.

Q: How did working for Liz Claiborne affect your career?

A: I think it was a very vigorous training ground for an entrepreneur to go into a large corporation and navigate through (it). (But), the uniqueness can get lost. Now that I’ve had that training and I’m going back into being an entrepreneur again, I feel much better equipped to go into business at any level.

Q: How did you get involved in the fashion industry in the first place?

A: When I graduated (from art school) I knew I wanted to be involved in textiles. I started weaving and then developed a print process. I started a business called Sigrid Olsen hand prints; textiles launched me into the apparel business. Once I got into it, it took over my life.

Q: Artists and designers always say that something inspires them. What inspires you?

A: I still get inspired by the customers through their special requests. I really enjoy doing that because they decide for me the room it’s going in and I try to imagine how the art will go in that room. Just like any other artist I don’t look at the end product as my goal — one painting leads to another. There’s one technique, a color combination that evolves in one painting.

Write to Emily Glazer at emily.glazer@wsj.com

As companies begin unveiling their workplace benefits for next year, many employees are learning they will have to dig even deeper into their pockets for health coverage.

Such price increases have become a fact of life during open-enrollment season, when workers sign up for their health plans. But the jump is expected to be steeper in 2010 than this year, as employers struggle with the impact of the recession and continually rising insurance costs. Employees will pay $4,023 on average in premiums and out-of-pocket charges next year, up 10% from 2009, according to a projection from Hewitt Associates, a benefits-consulting firm. In dollar terms, it’s the biggest boost since the firm started keeping track of the data a decade ago.

For workers, that will mean larger payroll deductions, as well as spending more on co-payments and other fees tied to care. Companies also are expected to prod more employees into cheaper coverage by getting them to sign up for high-deductible health plans. And many employers are trying to rein in the expense of covering workers’ families, sometimes by making insurance for kids and spouses pricier.

As a sweetener, some companies are offering new benefits, such as life insurance and long-term-care insurance, that employees can opt to buy for themselves. But workers need to look closely at such offers, because some people may be able to purchase these benefits more cheaply on their own.

Workers like Katha Rogers are already feeling the pinch. Ms. Rogers, 46, is a customer-service representative for Burton Metal Finishing Inc., a small family-owned company in Columbus, Ohio. She and other employees started paying sharply increased premium contributions this July. The firm had to ask them to chip in more because its health-insurance costs have been going up 10% to 20% a year, while the economic downturn hit its revenues, says co-owner Victoria Burton.

Ms. Rogers and her husband, who also works at Burton Metal Finishing, now pay $120 a month combined, up from nothing two years ago. They also face bigger co-payments and deductibles. Partly because of that, the family is trying to save money, including not taking any vacation trips. They’ve also canceled some doctor visits to avoid the new $50 co-pay. “You have to decide where you’re going to cut next,” says Ms. Rogers. Still, she says, she’s grateful to have coverage in this difficult economy.

No matter where you work, you will almost certainly be paying more for your coverage. But you may be able to choose between plans that boost your payout in different ways—mainly through higher paycheck withdrawals, or mostly in the form of increased deductibles, co-payments and co-insurance. Some companies are also offering reduced premiums in exchange for certain wellness activities, like taking a health-risk assessment.

You should take a close look at the options and not just focus on the premiums. Make sure you understand all the charges in the plans, including the maximum you could be responsible for paying out of pocket in a year. Check the details of the drug benefit, since employers are expected to get even more aggressive in cracking down on pricey brand-name medications.

Simulating a Claim

One helpful exercise is to think about a procedure or type of care you may need and try to pencil out how much it would cost you under each plan, says Sally McCarty, a former state insurance regulator who now consults with patient groups. Employees may even be able to get simulated claims scenarios processed by an insurer.

Eric Fein, 34, a Web developer who works for Affinity Federal Credit Union in Basking Ridge, N.J., this year got to choose between two plans, one with higher premiums and lower co-pays and deductible, and the other with lower premiums but more out-of-pocket charges. Mr. Fein says he opted for the bigger premiums, because the monthly costs weren’t much higher, and he didn’t want to find himself facing big bills if a back problem he had before cropped up again. “That way, I know I’m covered fully,” he says.

Paying for Basic Care

For Michele Butler of New York, any extra premium payment seemed like a waste. Ms. Butler, who is in her 40s, says she never sees a doctor beyond basic checkups like an annual mammogram. Her employer, the U.S. unit of London advertising agency Dewynters Ltd., decided this year to offer a choice of plans through HealthPass, a nonprofit insurance exchange. The company would pay the full premiums on one of the basic options, but workers could add their own money if they wanted a more expensive plan. That seemed like “an unnecessary extra expense,” says Ms. Butler, a manager at the firm.

Around 60% of employers are expected to offer some form of high-deductible plan paired with a health-savings account or health-reimbursement arrangement, according to a survey by consulting firm Towers Perrin Forster & Crosby Inc.

Some companies that already had these plans are making changes that may merit another look by employees who rejected the options before. 3M Co.,

for instance, will make its high-deductible plan more attractive by trimming employee premium charges, while slightly raising premiums on its standard plan, says Jack Arland, director of benefits. 3M will also make its full contribution to employees’ HSAs early in 2010, instead of parceling it out monthly, giving workers quicker access to the money.

If your family is on your plan, you should watch for changes that will affect their coverage. Benefitfocus Inc., which provides benefits software to more than 300,000 employers, says around a third of them are trying to trim spending on dependents.

The most common tactic is an audit to root out dependents who don’t qualify for the plan. More employers are expected to do such audits this year, according to Mercer, a consulting unit of Marsh & McLennan Cos. If your employer hasn’t done this before, you may want to check you’re complying with its rules. Be ready to produce documentation such as marriage certificates and birth certificates.

Some companies, like engineering and planning firm Kimley-Horn and Associates Inc., are adding a monthly surcharge for workers enrolling a spouse who could get coverage from another employer. The Cary, N.C., firm, which has more than 1,600 employees, also is boosting workers’ costs for family coverage by a bigger percentage than for individual plans.

The company’s rich benefits were luring family members who had other options, adding to Kimley-Horn’s costs, says Chief Executive Mark Wilson: “We’re subsidizing, in effect, other companies.”

Hits Against Families

If your employer is spending less for your children and spouse this year, it may make sense to rethink how you divide up your family’s coverage. Two-career couples should carefully evaluate both employers’ health plans.

A few employees, like Elaine Williams, an orchestra teacher in Lawrence, Kan., choose the individual insurance market. The 54 year old purchased coverage this September for her 20-year-old son, instead of including him on her workplace insurance. The school district pays the full premium for her plan, but she would have had to spend around $360 a month to add her son. His new plan cost about $100 less a month for more generous health benefits, she says. “What I was looking mostly at was the bottom line.”

That strategy won’t always work. Some family members with pre-existing health conditions will find it tough to buy their own plans. And employer-sponsored insurance often offers better value than plans purchased individually because of favorable tax breaks and richer coverage.

Big insurers Assurant Inc.,

MetLife Inc.

and Unum Group

all say they’re seeing employers offering more insurance benefits that employees can choose to pay for themselves. A new employer survey conducted by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans found 84% were providing such so-called voluntary benefits—most commonly life, vision, long-term care and long-term disability.

Benefits That Cost You

Brookdale Senior Living Inc.

of Nashville, Tenn., has previously offered its 35,000 employees a range of voluntary benefits. Mark Mielenz, the company’s senior director of benefits, says a new option will allow workers to purchase policies to provide extra help if they get serious conditions such as cancer. He says the added coverage could help offset increases in recent years in out-of-pocket charges in the workers’ health plan.

Employees should take a close look before buying any new benefits. Check whether pretax dollars can be used to pay the premiums, which is possible with certain benefits but not all, according to MetLife.

And ask if the plan is portable if you change employers. Shopping around is worthwhile, since some people may find cheaper or more customized choices if they buy their own plans.

Write to Anna Wilde Mathews at anna.mathews@wsj.com

By AMY HOAK

When unemployment is high, job-seekers may need to go where the jobs are, “to make ends meet, to get on with their lives,” says John Challenger, CEO of outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

But don’t move with the herd.Before workers decide to relocate, career counselors advise making sure they understand the local economy they’re going to, and what they’d do if the new job doesn’t work out as planned.

Also, make sure you understand what kind of help, if any, your new employer is prepared to give you for moving costs.

Companies typically have standard relocation packages. Often, companies will provide lump-sum assistance to employees or help in selling a home.

“Make sure you completely understand the policy,” says Rich McClure, president of UniGroup, parent company of United Van Lines and Mayflower Transit. “It’s important for [employees] to understand exactly what they’re getting.”

“Our very recent experience has been that companies are less likely to enhance offerings related to selling real estate, overcoming deficit equity or loss on sale situations, or offsetting the cost of temporary living/duplicate housing expenses as a means of capitalizing on this trend,” he says.

Before accepting a position in another location, make sure you do some homework on your new home, and know what you want out of the new job. “People react and grab anything … I don’t think it’s bad to relocate for a good opportunity, but understand what you’re trying to do first,” says Deb Bailey, a transition coach in New Jersey Understand how this move will advance your career, and also think about what you would do in the worst-case scenario: You accept a job in another place, move, and for whatever reason, the job doesn’t work out, she says.. Ms. Bailey’s advice: Ask yourself, are there other opportunities in the area? Or would it be worth it to stay in your current town, perhaps selling your home for a loss or living with a roommate and accepting a lower-paying job until the local job market improves?

On the other hand, “You really have to be in a career-management mode. If you’re unemployed and the opportunity is in Oshkosh, if it’s a good opportunity go to Oshkosh,” says Dale Winston, CEO of Battalia Winston, an executive search firm in New York. “Otherwise, you want to base yourself in a center of opportunity.”

And if it’s only a home holding you back from a job that could move your career forward, it might be time to cut your losses. “If you made an error in judgment in terms of overleveraging yourself, get out of it and move on. It’s like credit-card debt… pay it down and don’t do it again,” she says.

When conducting a national job search, your willingness to move should be made clear upfront, says Tim Johnson, managing editor for Relocation.com. Today, that also may mean indicating that you’d make the move with or without a relocation package.

To keep costs down, get at least three quotes before hiring a moving company, and have each actually see the items you need moved, Mr. Johnson says. “It’s the only way to get a precise quote.”

For the average cross-country move with full moving services, including packing, loading, driving and unloading, the cost is roughly $6,000 to $8,000, Mr. Johnson says.

“If you choose to do packing on your own, it’d cut the cost to roughly $3,500 to $5,500,” he says. In that example, the movers would load and unload the truck, as well as drive it to the destination.

A self-service move would be roughly a third of the cost of full moving services, or about $2,000 to $3,000, Mr. Johnson says. That would require the individual to pack, load and unload items, leaving only the driving to the movers.

Write to Amy Hoak at amy.hoak@dowjones.com

Printed in The Wall Street Journal, page A21

By SARAH E. NEEDLEMAN

Last year, employers filled more than half of job openings with existing employees, a new study to be released Friday shows.

Internal transfers and promotions accounted for an average of 51% of all full-time positions filled in 2009, up from 39% in 2008 and 34% in 2007, reports CareerXroads, a staffing-strategy consulting firm in Kendall Park, N.J. Survey respondents included 41 companies that employ a combined 1.8 million U.S. workers. Last year these firms collectively filled 176,420 positions.

For the 49% of jobs that were filled with external recruits, referrals accounted for the most hires — 27% — and about the same number as in 2008. On average, these yielded one hire for every 15 referrals received. Meanwhile, company Web sites and job boards accounted for 22% and 13% of external hires, respectively.

What the findings indicate, says Mark Mehler, co-founder of CareerXroads, is that networking is the most effective strategy for landing employment. “Job seekers should use job board and corporate sites to find information about openings, but they should use their network to apply,” says Mark Mehler, co-founder of CareerXroads.

Among the job boards that respondents credited for netting outside talent, CareerBuilder.com came out on top, accounting for 42%, however one respondent claimed a significant portion of these. Monster.com netted 12% of external hires, while aggregate job sites, which advertise openings from multiple job boards, hooked 10%. Classifieds provider Craigslist.org accounted for 2.8% of external hires.

Survey respondents also said outside talent was found via job boards that specialize in advertising open positions in specific categories. For example, Dice.com, a job board for the technology sector, netted 0.8% of external hires, as did TheLadders.com, which lists only positions paying salaries of $100,000 or more. All other niche job sites that employers identified were collectively credited with bringing in 27% of external recruits.

Going forward, the survey found that 48% of respondents expect to increase hiring in 2010 compared with last year, while just 11% predicted they’d reduce hiring. The remainder said they expect to make no changes to their head counts.

Meanwhile, the Labor Department reported Thursday that there were 2.5 million job openings on the last business day of December 2009. The seasonally adjusted job openings rate increased just slightly to 1.9% from 1.8% the month prior.

Write to Sarah E. Needleman at sarah.needleman@wsj.com