Taking Charge
of Your Career
In a marketplace defined by complexity, disruption and change, today’s most successful enterprises are those that bring diverse perspectives and experiences to each new challenge. While it is the organization’s responsibility to provide the right development opportunities and platform for women, it is equally each woman’s responsibility to help herself and other women. Here I outline three critical facets for building a strong career: Take ownership of your career path. Decide what your career should look like, and be specific and focused. This requires being clear about your true motivations, wants and needs. Be a student of business - meaning, understand it from all angles. You need technical and business acumen to be successful in a role. Read to understand more about the position than just what your job requires.
Also, it is really important to meet and exceed all of the expectations in your role. Make your aspirations known, ask for feedback, be open to feedback, and do something with that feedback. Work on getting the skills you need to achieve that position and don’t hesitate to ask for support.
Be risk-taking. According to the latest Women’s Leadership Study from KPMG, seven in ten women are open to taking small risks to further their career, but far fewer are open to taking the bigger
risks associated with career advancement. “Nothing ventured, nothing gained”. We all know this, but fear of failure can sometimes prevent us from taking that critical next step. So, work on your mindset. Get comfortable with
the idea of failure and develop strategies to build credibility so a failure won’t derail you. Think like an athlete: they face failure every day but quickly learn to recover and move on. Remember: the more risks you successfully navigate, the more confident you’ll become, and the more risks you’ll be willing to take. It’s a virtuous cycle.
What personal actions and behaviors
working woman believe will drive their
careers forward : working women 25-64
Be confident in
your capabilities
Be confident to ask for
what you deserve
Don’t let your gender
limit your view of what
you can accomplish
Don’t let your gender define
your future opportunities
Own your success
Make gender
a non-issue
in the workplace
Know you are
meant to have a
seat at the table
Take risks
Other
It is important to take smart risks and step outside your comfort zone if you want to progress your career. Get involved in projects in areas that are new to you, pitch new ideas and see them through to completion.
Finally, be resilient. Work with
a mentor or leader you trust to identify your professional goals, work hard to build your capability for it, step up to new challenges and never give up.
Here is an excerpt from KPMG’s Women’s Leadership Study that lists out actions and behaviors that working women in the age group of 25-64 believe will drive success at work:-
In a world where the attributes of the most effective leaders include the ability to generate collaboration, effective communication and respect,
it seems only logical that the path to leadership should be characterized by the same qualities. Feel free to reach out to me or my team if you would like to have a detailed discussion on shaping your career path and the support and development that you need.
