Aspire to reach the top? 8 career tips for young women to become the boss
“It’s a man’s world” and the women of today are not just surviving in it but thriving.
Women have come a long way since the time they were looked upon as just the loving nurturing mothers and housewives. Yet, when we look at the top level, we see a very small number of women there.
As Rightly said by Sheryl Sandberg, COO, Facebook, in her book Lean In , despite the fact that “women are getting more and more of the graduate degrees, more and more of the undergraduate degrees, and it’s translating into more women in entry-level jobs, even more women in lower-level management. But there’s absolutely been no progress at the top”.
Women like Kalpana Morparia, Chandra Kochhar and Shanti Ekambaram are among those few who have long since broken the glass ceiling and reached the top. Yes, all you working women out there if reaching top and being the Boss is your goal, then it’s time to step up the game with these 8 tips.
Publicize your name
Women usually are not comfortable about promoting themselves at the work place. Since childhood women are encouraged not to speak out, they are groomed all through their formative years to work hard quietly. But that isn’t good enough nowadays.
Women need to learn to speak up, voice their opinions and suggestions and they need to do this with the perspective to assist in the growth of the organisation and in doing so highlight themselves and get noticed.
It’s vital not to be afraid in sharing thoughts and ideas even if you are in an intimidatingly large group of people, your ideas might be rejected but you will be noticed nonetheless, way better than just being a silent observer.
Make a Note of all your Achievements
It’s good to keep an account of all that you have achieved over the years as a professional. Not only will it come handy when you are lined up for a raise or a promotion it is usually what will get you a good position in a good company.
Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for More
Christine Lagarde, Managing Director, IMF said women need to fight for “higher salaries and bigger bonuses in performance reviews”.
Women need to learn to negotiate for what they deserve; after all they have been slogging for just that. Women are very inhibited in asking for higher salaries and bonuses and they need to make that extra effort to break this mind set if they want to rise in their careers.
Mentors and Sponsors are Important
A mentor is someone who will be your beacon of light and guide you through your career path. You can seek guidance from seniors in your current work place, or may be an ex-boss, anyone to whom you look upto and share a good chemistry with.
These days it is highly recommended to align yourself with a sponsor. A mentor will be there to advise, a sponsor on the other hand will go that extra mile to open new doors of opportunities for you and usher you to towards them.
Don’t Shy Away From Risks
Sheryl Sandberg, in her book writes, “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”
Women are averse to taking risk; it’s been ingrained in our minds to be cautious and to play safe. Studies have also shown that women have a tendency to underestimate their calibre and qualifications when applying for a job unlike a man who would give the position a shot even he met only half the prerequisites. Women need to be more confident about themselves and its time they stopped second guessing themselves.
Prioritise Your Work
Women need to learn to be selective of what work or projects they take on. They have to focus on quality over quantity. Women have to be true to themselves and take up what they can do well in and shine. Before taking up a new project, it’s good to ask yourselves whether it’s a good idea to go ahead with the project. Will it help advance your career? If the answer is no, then let it go.
Be Assertive
If you want to be heard, it’s time to be a little assertive. Assertive doesn’t mean being rude or shouting at people, it’s shown in the way you speak and in the way you use your body that you appear confident and in control while interacting with people. Being assertive involves being positive and proactive. Everything from how you speak to your body language will help you get the attention of your boss and your peers. It’s all about appearing confident in front of others. A good eye contact while you are in a discussion with others is a way of being assertive similarly a good posture puts you across as a confident individual. Excessive use of words like ‘sorry’ and ‘please’ can be mistaken for lack of confidence.
Don’t Lose Confidence
Women tend to lose confidence when they hit a road bump in their career path, they over analyse their failure and question their credibility. That’s the worst thing to do. It’s good to analyse the situation and see where you went wrong and take it as a life experience. Women want to be perfect in everything that take on, be it at taking care of their children or at work and when they fall short of the high standards they have set for themselves, they lose confidence. Then is the time to ‘hit the pause button’, gather yourself d then move on.
Women are built for handwork and they are learning and adapting to the ways of the world and it’s only a matter to time before they are seen excelling in all walks of life.
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