55.7 F
San Diego
Tuesday, Mar 19, 2024
-Advertisement-

Women Are Taking Initiative in Moving Careers Forward

While the career ladder may be a steady climb for men, the ladder represents an entirely different challenge for women. Women step off the ladder at times, and when we get back on it, we are sometimes not sure of our footing.

While that isn’t exactly news, what is news is how women are approaching their career paths. Women are realizing that they can’t rely solely on company or management programs to move ahead. A woman’s ultimate success comes down to her own ability to move her career forward.

In a recent survey of 1,500 businesswomen, conducted by KPMG LLP and Pink magazine, 47 percent of the respondents reported that they did not have to postpone or put career goals on hold to have a rich personal life. That’s the good news. However, a larger percentage , 53 percent , said they had to postpone or put career goals on hold, either permanently, “somewhat” or “temporarily.”

What that tells us is that, unlike decades ago, corporate America has recognized the travails of women. Because companies value diversity within company management, they are now offering formal and informal programs to help retain women.

Formally, that means establishing programs that assist in work-life balance, such as flex-time, telecommuting, and compressed work schedules. Informally, that can mean being more sensitive to family obligations.

However, while there’s no question that these programs help, women can’t sit back and wait for a corporate handout. More women are realizing this, and are proactively taking steps to ensure they are positioned for the next step of their careers.

As a first step, a young businesswoman should identify someone who has risen to the top while also enjoying a rich personal life. How did this achiever make it? What pitfalls did she incur?

If it is someone who has raised a family, how did she effectively manage home and business affairs? Young women owe it to themselves to seek out all the information they can find about that role model and use it on their path to someday filling her shoes.

The next step they can take is to find a mentor. One doesn’t get very far today without mentors, and women are successfully identifying mentors to help them navigate their career paths. According to the KPMG/Pink survey, only about 12 percent of respondents had not participated in a mentoring relationship, serving as either mentor or the one being mentored.

Not only should young women avail themselves of any formal mentoring programs that a company may offer, but they should also identify other mentors outside these programs. Choosing the right mentor is also very important. Women should not look solely to other women for mentoring , men have a very different perspective on an organization and its culture, and it can be very educational to see things through their lens.

Having two, three or even four mentors gives a woman a variety of perspectives which can help her form her own approach.

In addition to mentoring, women are also helping themselves by forming their own support groups. These groups not only serve as a forum for women to discuss timely issues, but can offer professional development through guest speakers and educational seminars as well. These groups also help women network, which is valuable at any stage of a woman’s career.

And don’t underestimate the value of continuing education. While this may seem applicable to both sexes, it’s critical for women in a competitive business landscape. Especially in cases where women may have had to put their careers on hold, continuing to develop skills and stay in the loop with business trends will be crucial for a successful transition back to the work force. Also, whether it is fair or not, women can be judged more critically than men. Women should therefore ask themselves: How can I improve myself so that I am as well-rounded and marketable as possible?

Last but not least, it is essential to get support from home. A woman won’t get very far in her climb without it.

Of course, husbands and wives need to be on the same page when it comes to work-life balance. But women should also communicate openly with their greater family, such as parents and siblings, about career ambitions. Open communication among all parties creates less stress, and helps women feel they are making the right decisions.

That also includes children. Children should also be intimately familiar with what their mothers do when they’re away from home, through talks and even visits to the workplace. Children should also recognize and respect the time needed at home for work when those occasions arise.

There’s no question that the corporate world is different from even 10 or 15 years ago. Women today benefit from the struggles of previous generations of businesswomen, and companies recognize that one-size-fits-all policies don’t work.

But even as more headway is made on this front, young women today need to realize that they hold the power to their own success. The top of the ladder is in sight , it’s up to each woman to find a way to make it there.


Denise Thompson is a partner in KPMG LLP’s audit practice, based in San Diego.

-Advertisement-

Featured Articles

-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-

Related Articles

-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-
-Advertisement-