And I always thought it was “get in the position he wants to get in the position you want.” Silly me.
For many, a job opportunity with Merrill Lynch is a dream come true. It’s a respectable company with competitive employment opportunities, and they even give out books to female trainees, teaching them how to seduce and manipulate men in the workplace to get ahead. They’re so considerate!
As part of the training program, women were expected to answer phone calls, maintain “perky,” and “bubbly” personalities, and attend “Dress for Success” meetings, none of which their male counterparts were expected to do. The most important part of training, however, was reading a book called Seducing the Boys Club: Uncensored Tactics From a Woman at the Top.
The book’s author, Nina DiSesa advises that women use their feminine wiles to get ahead in the workplace. They are to offer criticism alongside compliments, so as not to bruise the fragile male ego, act either as a “little sister” or “den mother,” and “play on their masculine pride and need to protect the weaker sex.”
DiSesa gives advice on how best to butter men up in the workplace, and how to manipulate them in order to ensure you’re included in important decision-making processes that might often be discussed over lunch at Chipotle, or beers with the boys — things a woman might typically miss out on. As the only woman in an office of 11, soon to be 12, I can assure you, this struggle is real, and I think if some other woman has already figured out how to get around it, then that’s great (see also: I’m buying the book the second I leave work, reading half of the first chapter, then letting it collect dust on my nightstand for four months before it falls under my bed, never to be seen again). To mandate that all female employees read it and interact with their male co-workers by means of seduction and manipulation, however, seems to have been problematic.
Three women are currently suing for Merrill Lynch for gender discrimination, a case, I’m certain they’ll win. As long as, when they name the figure, they sugarcoat it with “because you’re so rich!” I’m sure all will be well.
[via The Cut]
Image via Smooth Transitions
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Veronica Ruckh
Veronica (@VeronicaRuckh) is the Director of Total Sorority Move for Grandex, Inc. After having spent her undergraduate years drinking $4 double LITs on a patio and drunk texting away potential suitors, she managed to graduate with an impressive GPA and an unimpressive engagement ring -- so unimpressive, in fact, some might say it's not there at all. Veronica has since been fulfilling her duties as "America's big," a title she gave to herself with the help of her giant ego. She has recently switched from vodka to wine on weekdays. Email her at veronica@grandex.co
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