Women: 10 tips to boost your career

Communicate about your successes, use your networks or gain influence... Here are our 10 tips to boost your career.

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Show yourself!

Yes, you are doing a great job! But to know is not to let it be known. It is (very) good to have talent and to be successful in what you do. It is better when this talent and these successes are known and recognized by your peers. By being recognized at your fair value, you will be considered as a competent professional, likely to go to territories other than those that you have previously explored.

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Dare!

The famous glass ceiling... which is slow to break, still too often. Nevertheless: by giving yourself the right to dare to ask for a raise or a promotion, by daring to start a business, by ceasing to doubt yourself and by believing — at last! — in your abilities, you will take the biggest step that could lead you to success.

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Be clear in your requests

Whatever your request, in order to have a chance of being heard, and fulfilled, it is necessary that it be in line with your needs and your ambitions. For example, before asking for a raise, be confident in your ability to meet the expectations that will undoubtedly be required if a positive response is received. Remember to choose the right time to talk to your interlocutor about it, and do it face-to-face.

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Integrate networks

Networks are not the preserve of men! Thanks to the advice and opportunities they regularly provide, networks (Linkedin, Twitter, etc.) can play an essential role in success. Learn to use it and to network “smartly.” Networking could be the boost your career needs.

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Take risks

Advancing your career means playing by established rules, but it also means knowing how to take risks at times. Play with the lines, flirt with the limits without going over them, go as far as possible without crossing the red line. A company is made up of many individuals, and it is important to take into account relationships in order to integrate into it, and to change the established rules.

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Be political

Women in power don't always feel very comfortable with power. If they feel legitimate about the responsibilities they are taking on, they are not always comfortable with the idea of being in the limelight. It is therefore a question of learning to integrate a lucid and positive vision of the political game that sets the pace for all human relationships within a company. Understanding the rules, listening to the various actors who make them up, taking into consideration their projects and situations, will allow you to de facto increase your capacity for influence and your political sense.

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Challenge yourself

Opportunities are seldom due to chance. Provoking them will make it easier to grasp them when they occur. Relying on your skills, your successes, and your ability to fulfill goals that are deemed impossible to apply for a new position is the assurance of being noticed and of getting a good start.

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Have fun!

Between what you have to do, and what you love to do, it's about finding the right balance. To maintain your “good” energy, listen to your own pace and needs. Don't spend an entire day doing exogenous tasks without giving yourself time to rest with activities that make you enjoy.

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Take care of yourself

You pay attention to your vocabulary and have integrated the codes of conduct inherent to your leadership role. So be it. But the appearance, the way you are going to be perceived by your collaborators or your team also matters. Depending on your shape and the appointments that must be honored throughout the day, choose your outfit carefully. What your personality expresses also depends on what you show.

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Release the pressure

Women often feel they have to prove more than men. However, taking on all challenges, accepting all files, wanting to achieve perfection is a pipe dream. A dangerous pipe dream since, inevitably, the pressure will continue to increase. In these circumstances, do not hesitate to ask for help and to use the skills that surround you. Who on a difficult file, who on a project at standstill, who on a meeting to prepare... And, if despite everything, the pressure does not lessen, turn to professional support, whether a coach, psychotherapist or psychiatrist. Your energy is precious: learn to preserve it!