The Voice of Job Seekers

Mark Anthony Dyson ★ Career Writer ★ Speaker ★ Thinker ★ Award-winning Blog & Podcast! ★ "The Job Scam Report" on Substack! ★ I hack and reimagine the modern job search!

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Advice for the Young Career Woman

Advice for the Young Career Woman

 

Photo by: Pixabay.com

Editor’s note: Today’s post is authored by Gloria Martinez. Her bio is at the end of the article. 

Today’s job search requires you to keep both hands on the wheel. Any passive approach to finding opportunities fails. It doesn’t work. You must remain engaged throughout your career or face significant challenges shifting gears.

Advice for the Young Career Woman—

Dear strong, intelligent, and independent twenty-something:

You have what it takes to make it to the top. This world, that company, and those business leaders have been waiting for you to walk through the front doors and change everything. You are a woman with all the skill and personality necessary to change the face of business and will conquer all that you set out to accomplish. It will take a little determination and elbow grease, but you will get there because you have the heart and passion for making it happen. There are just a couple of things to keep in mind as you move your mountains: count your gender as a strength, don’t be afraid to take strategic risks, and continuously press forward.

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” -Eleanor Roosevelt

We live in a time in which women are gaining more attention than ever before, not just in the workplace but the world. Don’t let the stereotypes discourage you; your gender is one of your greatest assets. The fact that you are a woman is a strength for problem solving and business strategizing. It is no surprise that according to a reputable forecast for 2017, there will be a record number of female CEOs leading businesses listed as Fortune 500 companies. Who is to say that you won’t be the next leader on that list? American businesses owned by women who hold at least 51% of the company, actually get unique opportunities and special advantages. So count your gender as a strength, and start that climb to the top of the ladder.

“And the trouble is, if you don’t risk anything, you risk more.” – Erica Jong

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What is your dream worth to you? Is it worth long hours, lost sleep, or shed tears? If it is, then it is certainly worth all of the strategic risks, as well. It might be as simple as asking your boss for more responsibility to show them you are willing to handle it. Perhaps you decide to risk it all by giving your two weeks notice at your current office to change careers to the one you’ve always wanted. History is full of women who took a leap of faith and landed at the top of their career. Scarier than the thought of failing, would never be allowing yourself the opportunity to try it at all, and if you happen to fail, you will gain the insight for how to do things differently in the future.

 

“A common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.” – Alice Walker

Do not let anyone look down on you because of your gender, your age, your height, or any other quality that speaks loud and clear to who you are. Press forward, and prove your ability by your work ethic. Surprise your boss by your bold, intentional dedication to the company. Set the standard high and become the representation of a model employee. This way, you will eventually earn your seat as a leader in both position and reputation.

When things get challenging, write your favorite motivational quote on a sticky note to leave on your desk. Play an inspirational song on the way to work. Find a way to encourage yourself all the way up that mountain, expecting to make it to the very top. Your career doesn’t have to be limited to the dimness of the lingering so-called “glass ceiling. “Shatter it all together, and make your future as bright as you are.

 

Ms. Gloria Martinez believes that while women have made many advancements toward “shattering the glass ceiling,” there is still much to be done. It is her aim to help increase the number of women-led businesses by educating others about the topic at womenled.org.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

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Giving Women Courage in their Career Development

Giving Women Courage in their Career Development

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Giving Women Courage in their Career Development

Women desire to differentiate themselves through making an impact with their ideas. There are innate character traits women have keeping them from speaking up. Gia Ganesh is a  career strategist who helps mid-career professionals discover and move into meaningful and fulfilling work.

What are you career development challenges? You can add your voice to the discussion in one of three ways:

  1. Call and leave a voicemail at 708-365-9822, or text your comments to the same number
  2. Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press the “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen and leave a message
  3. Send email feedback to [email protected]

 

In addition to her role as a career strategist, Gia is a member of the Forbes Coaches Council, and her career advice has appeared in Forbes, CareerBuilder, and Lifehack. The basis for our discussion comes from her article,

Top 5 Career Must-Have’s for Women

    Here are some highlights from our discussion:
    • Gia shares how passionate she is about career development for women
    • We discuss the issue of men and women handle emotions
    • Although men take longer to react, when they do, it’s more forceful
    • How does emotion matter in his or her career trajectory
    • Interviews are much more pressure and questions demand more energy
    • More scrutiny required as the process has lengthened
    • Preparation is essential for interviews at all levels including the entry level
    • Gia challenges her clients to map out want they want in their careers
    • When your values are unfulfilled, your career might be unfulfilled
    • Speaking up is a differentiating factor for women
    • Around 20:00 as I was wrapping up she shared about women are most hard on themselves
    • She discussed her take-a-way from talking with Marshall Goldsmith
    • This sparked more discussion about how unfair expectations are put on women from men
    • We discuss “perfectionists syndrome”

Need help with your career goals, directions, or efforts? Do you need coaching or instruction? I am here for it!

Also, join our Linkedin community! You’ll enjoy some of the insights shared by community members and other career pros!

If you’re a career pro and love giving career advice, let me know. Thanks for being among the thousands who listen every month. There’s so much more to come so stay tuned!

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.

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A Negotiating Strategy for Women Only

The follow article is reprinted from the  Ivy Exec  blog with their permission as part of our content exchange. 

Women don’t negotiate as much as men do.

Study after study shows women are less likely to push for a better salary offer. The common explanations: women lack confidence and women are socialized not to speak up. Those may be part of the problem, but there is more to it.

What if the reason is that women are correctly assessing that asking for more might actually harm them?

Women who negotiate often suffer negative consequences, a phenomenon that researchers call “social cost.” In studies in which people rated their impressions of employees who negotiate and those who don’t, and then determine who they would most wanted to work with, researchers found that people were less inclined to work with someone who has negotiated. The effect was greater for women than men, sometimes significantly so.

According to the paper, “Male evaluators penalized female candidates more than male candidates for initiating negotiations; female evaluators penalized all candidates for initiating negotiations. Perceptions of niceness and demandingness explained resistance to female negotiators.”

Interestingly, women who were negotiating for other people were evaluated more favorably than those who are advocating for themselves.

A Negotiating Strategy for Women Only

So what is the solution? One of the researchers, Hannah Riley Bowles of Harvard’s Kennedy School, advises in HBR.org that women use a “relational account” —that is, an “I and We”strategy. The idea is to approach negotiations by asking for what you want while also showing the person on the other side of the table that you are also taking their perspective. Beyond the classic win-win, the strategy is not just about both sides winning, but winning together.

The key is explaining to your negotiating counterpart why — from his point-of-view — it’s legitimate for you to be negotiating. Sheryl Sandburg, for example, has written that in her negotiations with Facebook, she legitimized her stance by reminding them that being a good negotiator would be necessary to succeeding in the role they wanted her to fill. “Show you care about your relationship,” writes Bowles. Prepare for your negotiations by scripting the conversation to highlight the importance of your relationship—how much you value it—with the person across the table.

When a woman’s reasons for negotiating were perceived as legitimate, the strategy worked to lessen negative repercussions. The same was true when she communicated concern fororganizational relationships. Using that formula “helped women both get what they wanted andmake the impression that they wanted to make,” writes Bowles.

Interestingly, negotiating using an outside job offer was not as successful; perhaps because it defeated the “we” aspect of the strategy that emphasizes an ongoing relationship. It’s hard to convince someone to give you a raise when you have one foot out the door.

About the Author

Susan Price has been writing about careers, entrepreneurs and personal finance for more than a decade. She’s been an editor at BusinessWeek, Money, and iVillage.com, among others.

About Mark Anthony Dyson

I am the "The Voice of Job Seekers!" I offer compassionate career and job search advice as I hack and re-imagine the job search process. You need to be "the prescription to an employer's job description." You must be solution-oriented and work in positions in companies where you are the remedy. Your job search must be a lifestyle, and your career must be in front of you constantly. You can no longer shed your aspirations at the change seasons. There are strengths you have that need constant use and development. Be sure you sign up to download my E-Book, "421 Modern Job Search Tips 2021!" You can find my career advice and work in media outlets such as Forbes, Inc., Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, Glassdoor, and many other outlets.