Tips for Women to Achieve a Successful Career
Talented women are everywhere. They are in leading countries, designing new projects, managing teams, caring for children, writing bestsellers, discovering drugs, starting new companies. But not every gifted woman reaches her full potential. The question is how do you as a woman advance your career to a place that you regard as the benchmark of success?
The definition of a successful career woman is a combination of achieving a reasonable level of financial stability, while doing a job you enjoy, and being happy with your life and career choices too. (forbes.com)
Women's career paths are often bumpy – pay inequality and the ever-present glass ceiling continue to be barriers to women's career advancement.
There is advice that must be considered when a woman wants to advance her career.
Many companies have announced commitments to gender diversity, but these commitments have yet to translate into meaningful progress overall. Progress isn't just slow, it's bogged down.
Many women gradually become more successful in the workplace. There is, of course, career advice for women, and some of it is good news.
Women have been represented in a larger share of the workforce than ever before, and hold a higher percentage of executive and managerial jobs, than in the past. There are more and more women-owned businesses nowadays.
How to Achieve Higher Career Levels
For women who wish to advance their careers, consider several factors to achieve this career success:
Embrace what you think you can't.
If there is an offer as your first job, but you think that you don't have the skills to do it. Give it a try, who knows you can actually do it.
Remember: If it doesn't work, there's always a plan B – and you always have a plan B or C,D,, etc.
Think about who you can be and what you will contribute. You need to think about the decisions you make as part of your path to develop as a person and as a professional.
Define your career success goals.
Have a plan and know what you want to achieve in 5 years.
It's likely that your goals will change and evolve over time, but being strategic and focused on where your career is going will help you stay on track, and be able to manage the day-to-day distractions that pop up along the way.
Know what is important in your life, and at work your goals and future plans, so you can make a plan to achieve them; otherwise it can be a tough and lonely road.
Have a Recent Resume
Without a well-written and organized resume, you will not be able to take advantage of the opportunities that come your way. Important career advice for women is this: learn how to write a good resume, one that will make you competitive in today's market.
You can seek the help of a professional career counselor. These guys will guide you step by step through the modern resume building process.
To complement your cover material, a professional cover letter builder can help you write a cover letter that emphasizes the most impressive credibility on your resume.
Believe in your own abilities and potential
All things being equal: skills, abilities, and performance. There is an opinion that women tend to underestimate themselves, and men tend to overestimate themselves.
Research has shown that women are three times more likely than men to belittle their position with superiors and coworkers.
Why is this your weakness? The natural result of low self-confidence is indolence. When you hesitate because you're not sure, you hold back. The reality is that to be successful, self-confidence is as important as competence.
Persistence
Never give up, if you really want that job or promotion. Fight for it! It all comes down to one simple question: 'How big do you want it?'
Set goals for yourself regularly. You will probably zigzag there, but stay focused on what you want. Always focus on your own path, don't get distracted by what other people are doing.
Listen to your own conversations
What you tell yourself is important. It affects how you listen to others, how you react, what you feel, and even what you wear. Be best friend to yourself.
Pay attention to how you spend your time
Track your time throughout the week – all of it, professional and personal.
Pay attention to the large uses of time, and how you can reduce it and increase the things that can improve your career, income, as it will impact your well-being.
Expand your mindset
Mindset is the key to staying focused on your goal, and not letting setbacks discourage you. It's important to have hope and an optimistic view of experiences, and always look for what you can learn, even on bad days.
Never stop learning, develop your talents. It's not about something you have or don't have. You can increase your talent with practice and perseverance. The key is practice, improve something that interests you, experiment.
Don't take it personally
When people make demeaning remarks about you, let it pass you by. Focus on why you're there. Don't give up, don't worry about being disliked.
Develop a strong personal brand
One of the best career suggestions for women is to develop a strong personal brand.
A strong personal brand and reputation can put you on the radar for attractive career opportunities.
Being recognized in your field will help your chances of getting another job quickly if you get laid off.
So put yourself out there and make sure that you know exactly what your unique skills and achievements are.
You need to be able to tell your career story in a short and interesting way.
Build your network
Network both within and outside your organization, so you have options if your situation changes. You certainly want your name to be remembered when an interesting project is being discussed.
Building a strong network is worth the time and effort - this is career advice for a woman or a man.
'It's not the "what" you know, it's the "who" you know. Get to know the right people, and impress them with your work.
People are always paying attention to what you do, so take your time to build a strong network.
Never feel that you have to dress less femininely to be respected by other people.
Your appearance doesn't have to be relevant in a professional setting. This is your personal preference. The leader may wear pink.
Keep it simple and professional and the rest is up to you.
Never feel that your general appearance is more important than your gender. It should have nothing to do with the confidence you have in career situations.
- Don't be embarrassed to ask for help.
- Write thank you letters and e-mails.
- Be friendly with everyone in the workplace.
Being kind to your co-workers not only creates a more positive environment for you to work in, but it is also very important for you to get along well with other people, if you want to be successful.
Communication is the Key
Communication is very important for many aspects of our lives, be it personal, social or professional.
There are certain aspects of communication in the workplace that are generally frowned upon by women. Known for having empathy, interpersonal skills such as being a team player can be possessed by some women naturally.
There are other areas, however, where some women may fall short. This usually stems from a lack of self-confidence and an unwanted habit of second-guessing oneself.
Whatever the case may be, it's hard to break the glass ceiling, and reach the top with poor communication skills.
Take up the challenge
Sometimes if you ask successful people what catapulted their careers, they'll tell you it's the project, or situation, that makes them most nervous.
It would be something no one would want to try, because as hard as it is, they would have to step out of their comfort zone to do it.
You tend to underestimate your abilities, but when thrown into the deep end, you are sure to be surprised at what you can do. So, get out there, and accept the challenge.
Find a "Careerbuilder" Mentor
The majority of women who have been successful in their careers, and attained positions of influence, credit their participation in some kind of mentoring effort that got them to where they are today.
The best mentors are often senior women with whom you are in a relationship, and then they end up being a sounding board for you.
Put yourself out there, and get to know the older women in your organization, and if they reciprocate your interest, you can build a relationship.
Summary
Take pride in advancing your career, show you're up for a challenge, and stay networked. Remember that your co-workers are a great source of knowledge.
Connect and talk to them about your career goals, your organization, and ask them about their experiences, and they will help you on your way.
Do you have additional tips to advance your career? What will you offer women struggling to commit to their career goals?
If so, just do the tips above, and you can say, "I'm a career woman now."
