Career strategies for women shows her the ropes so that she too can grow in her career

Proper career strategies for women are extremely important if they are looking for success in their careers. Women have made great strides in all walks of life over the last decade. Their participation in managerial and executive jobs has risen significantly. Women-owned businesses have also grown over the last few years.

Ironically gender disparities do remain. The disparity in pay and the omnipresent glass ceiling are some of the major obstacles to the career success of women. However, women have ample opportunities to deploy and arrange their special strengths.

Here are some career strategies for women that you can adapt to make the workplace a level playing field:

1. Acquire maximum education and training as you can: 

Education is an important factor that almost all organizations in the corporate world pay attention to. Till the ‘90s, a majority of Indian women didn’t have access to college degrees. The same trend was visible in the case of post-graduate and doctorate levels.

According to the 2011 census, 65% of women are literate. The number of young females working professionals opting for professional degrees has significantly gone up as a result. Therefore, to make a steady career growth, acquire the highest degree possible.

Thanks to the presence of financial aid from banks, you can deal with issues such as lack of money. You may opt for distance learning if you wish to pursue a course while doing a job simultaneously. This is a great way to resolve the issue of lack of time.

2. Be tech-savvy:

If you rise to higher managerial positions, then having high academic qualifications cannot be the guarantee. You need to be proficient in the use of the internet also. Professionals who are more efficient in the use of the internet spend less time surfing as they know what they need to look for.

Across the world, ladies are already making efficient use of the vast amount of information that the internet offers to them. In an era when the internet is the major medium of information, a knowledgeable professional with high technical proficiency is likely to get quicker promotions.

The main point that we want to emphasize here is the fact that career strategies for women can maintain their cutting edge through sustained dominance of the internet and taking maximum advantage of online learning opportunities.

3. Improve your communication and interpersonal skills:

Many studies have found a difference in the way of interpersonal communication between men and women. Though women’s way of communication may not always be better than their male counterparts, they can be better suited to newer styles of management.

Specific ‘’feminine attributes’’ like the ability to build relationships with customers and communicate with suppliers are gaining precedence within the business.

4. Greater team-based work enhances customer contacts & demands

To deal with these changes in a successful manner, you require a different type of knowledge and technical experience. High proficiency in interpersonal communication is a vital necessity for organizational success at present.

Generally, being an extrovert helps a woman earn better feedback in their annual assessment report cards. Therefore, you need to use your strong interpersonal and communication skills at each opportunity and make your presence felt at the office.

5. Think about your career:

Career strategies for women for planning are vital for any professional. But women usually have greater issues to deal with on their way to success as compared to men. Women usually come across many obstacles that may hinder their progress.

Create flexibility in your career plans to make yourself adapt to the changing situations. Your plan may require you to make changes to adjust to your life. But your main plan should be to make yourself completely prepared when it happens.

6. Improve your network:

An outplacement and career management consulting firm which was covered by Workforce magazine has shown that women are better than their male counterparts to look for their next job through an ad. In contrast, men use networking to look for jobs.

Women have normally been expected to devote more time to the family and domestic responsibilities and therefore lack the time required to build numerous contacts as men do. To be highly competitive in networking, women may need to devote more time to making contacts. They may also ask their spouses to take a greater share in handling work and family life.

7. Look for a mentor:

A mentor is usually in a high position and has the connections and clout to help you reach a similar position. A good mentor doesn’t hesitate to engage in constructive criticism.

Try to look for someone whom you admire and test the person by asking for advice. Be sure to reveal as much as you can of yourself. Mentors are more likely to look for people in whom they can find some attributes similar to themselves. That is the major reason why you should not look for a mentor too desperately.

You have to express your desire to receive future guidance as well. Though the mentor will have to contribute a lot more than what you do to the relationship, be sure to state that you value and appreciate his or her guidance.

8. Cultivate and project confidence:

Women often suffer from a lack of confidence at the office if the environment is intimidating to them. As suggested earlier, creating a career portfolio will help you in a great way to strengthen your confidence. You can also increase your confidence by tracking your accomplishments.

9. Promote yourself:

Once you have increased your confidence, you need to show your prowess to others. In the present work environment, one of the major factors to your success lies in your ability to let others be acquainted with what you are offering and how you can create a difference within the organization. They also can adapt to a work atmosphere that is regarded as men’s domain.