For anyone who's ever won. For anyone who's ever lost. And for everyone who's still in there trying....

Er, you may (or your memory may have blocked it out) remember this as the tagline for the er, classic* 'Working Girl'. One of those things (alongside The Breakfast Club and every episode of Moonlighting / Dempsey and Makepeace) that had a deep impact on me in my formative years. Though I can't for the life of me remember why.

So, I tracked down a copy, found some unwilling company and forced them to watch it with me (they may not admit it but they were hooked after seconds, though they almost made a bolt for the door when Carly Simon's rousing theme song started up).

Well, I still don't know why I liked it as a kid (and I'm sure at the time I didn't find it funny) but I haven't laughed quite so much for a long time - from the moment Joan Cusac's** character appeared in the opening shot. Unbelievable gravity-defying backcombed, hairspray-laden - words fail me. (You wonder what would have happened had she gone anywhere near a naked flame during filming) and she wears all of the most vibrant shades of eyeshadow known to womankind - all at once. (Little wonder Harrison looks like he's putting up some resistance).

Have taken some top 'Working Girl' tips. Of course there's the problem of whether I want to take advice from Signourney as the venomous idea-stealing boss with a shabby obsession with fame, power and money or Melanie's cutsey girl-next-door brimming-with-ideas...

Anyhow, some starting points for the 'The New Work Me':

1. Backcomb my hair and buy 2,300 cans of Wella ShockWaves Ultra Strong Power Volumising Spray
2. Invest in some shoulderpads, perhaps some leopardskin too.
3. Start wearing really scary eyeshadow - several bright colours, all at once
4. Learn how to speak German (badly)
5. Look colleagues in the eye with a steely gaze and say things such as "That's not going to be a problem is it?"
6. Always wear high heels to work [I'm quite tall already - and generally only wear heels if I'm in a threatening mood - take note if you know me]
7. Buy a snooker table-sized desk. Or perhaps seeing as some folk are on holiday, steal their desks and fuse them to mine. Strut around my new huge desk.
8. Smoke an eighth of a cigarette while sitting at my new huge desk
9. March around the office when I turn up at work and make sure that everyone is silent when I walk in

10. Apologies to UC for only coming up with nine things. Letting the list side down, I know.

Next - well, other onscreen role models for women office workers. Not overly inspiring:Bridget Jones - scatty yet endearing chracter led by a desire to lose weight and find a man - er, no comment. Dolly P in Nine to Five???

* I say classic, though really there's very little of the 'class' element in this. So more of an 'ic'.

** Yes, John's sister. I bet she's really sick of people asking her that. She won an Oscar for this supporting actress role.