Emily Bazelon recommends thinking. This, I must admit, is what I’d hoped for when I called one of the founding editors of the popular magazine Double X, a not-just-for-women web space that facilitates discussions about everything from sexual politics to dry shampoos.
A little strategic thought is what makes Double X a magazine founded by women for everyone, a site that doesn’t marginalize women but allows for readers of any sex to discuss, as the site puts it, “The problem that has no name.” According to Bazelon, the dangers and benefits of speaking about women as a collective are topics that come up in the internal discussion of the magazine. Bazelon emphasizes, however, that the site serves as a supplement to Slate: “There’s an intertwining of the two sites, but Double X allows for a different sense of community.” It is this sense of virtual connection—through an emphasis on blogging and reader comments—that allows for Double X to be more than just an XX-oriented shadow of its parent site.
Women may not need more help in the career arena right now (female readers would be encouraged by the headline of a recent article in the Wall Street Journal: Why This Recession is Hitting Men Harder), but Bazelon’s advice for aspiring female professionals applies to everyone, anyway: “be savvy about how what you like to do can translate to the market.” In other words, think. Rather than recycling the usual advice about doing something you love (“…love what you do”—that helpful saying), Bazelon emphasizes a more considered approach. Do what you love—strategically.
The Savvy Way involves incorporating tidbits of knowledge about subjects or programs seemingly unrelated to the job at hand. Working knowledge of internet-based photo and video tools, for example, is an asset to an aspiring journalist, as is an interest in marketing (brand yourself!), blogging, and niche subjects (when the head honchos need someone for a story on the Samoan Tofa Soifua, let me know). As Bazelon concludes, “The recession only adds urgency to the need to be smart about the market.” The Savvy Woman nourishes her inner math-nerd, or studies those obscure subjects that get her up in the morning—and figures out where to sell what she has to offer.
