Growing up, singer, songwriter, and "Man In The Mirror" co-writer Siedah Garrett occasionally was a guest singer at churches, but it wasn't until she was in junior high school that she knew she had to be a singer. A guitarist at her school wanted to participate in a talent show, so he asked her to sing while he played. She says the next day she received rave reviews and praise for her performance.

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In her 20s Siedah worked as a backup singer for Sergio Mendes, but got her big break at an open audition for producer Quincy Jones. In a room full of producers and songwriters, she sang the demos from several songwriters. Siedah joined one of Quincy's bands as a singer and went on to become one of his songwriters.

Tasked with finishing Michael Jackson's album, Quincy asked his songwriters to come up with new songs for Michael. Siedah says her songwriting partner Glen Ballard started playing a chord progre

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By Jenna Goudreau, Forbes Staff

Ilene Gordon, 59, has never done anything simply because she was expected to. When she was in junior high, she lobbied the principal to take shop class with the boys rather than bake muffins with the girls. In high school, she was the only girl to take physics, and she later went on to attend MIT when the student ratio was 10:1 women. That was all good preparation for a pioneering career in the food and packaging industries, serving as the first female officer of Tenneco and leading $6.5 billion Alcan Packaging from Paris-all while raising two kids in Chicago.

Today, Gordon is CEO of publicly traded Ingredion, formerly Corn Products, a global ingredient manufacturer that works with food companies like Nestle, Kraft and Unilever, and one of just 21 women leading a Fortune 500 company. Since taking the helm in 2009, she has implemented a new strategy, grown the market cap from $2.2 billion to over $5 billion, and increased sales to $6.5 billion. She rece

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Like the first day of school, the first few days of a new job can be absolutely nerve-racking. Among the butterflies of a new job, like what to wear or where to park, making a good impression probably tops the list of anxieties. Colleagues' opinions are often set early and can greatly impact your achievements at work. So, how can you set yourself up for success on day one? Here are four tips on how to make a good impression in a new job from four successful women.

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1. Be curious It's not enough to come early, stay late, dress nice, and act polite, says Kat Cole, Cinnabon president. "You don't stand out if you do that," she explains. "You do stand out if you're naturally curious, respectfully curious." She advises to ask questions and inquire why things are done a certain way.

2. Eye contact, a smile, and a good handshake "Brave" producer Katherine Sarafian explains that it seems so simple, but not enough people do

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Lauren Sherman

You know you've earned it, now you've just got to go in and ask for it. Here's how.

Make the first move: Always keep this in the back of your mind: If you want a raise, you have to ask for one. "Believing that if we work hard we'll be rewarded for it is naïve," says Karen J. Pine, Ph.D., co-author of Sheconomics, a guide to finance for women. "Be proactive and make the first move."

Do your homework: "Talk to friends in similar industries to see what they're making, and read up on averages for your industry and level of experience on sites like Payscale.com and Salary.com," says Nicole Lapin, a financial expert and founder of Recessionista.com. The great thing about these sites is that they allow you to search geographically-salaries often vary depending on where you live.

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Aim realistically high: Don't go in with a "take what I can get" attitude-that kind of thinking only leads to disappointment. "You might have to negotiate downw

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