Although great strides have been made by women in business, it can still be difficult for them to forge ahead with their careers. This can be because of raising children, but more often than not it is because of a male-dominated world of work that is prejudiced against them. However, it does not have to be this way, and there are ways for women to make it more likely that they will be successful in their chosen career path. Here are just 5 strategies that you can implement today.
Keep stress levels low
High powered jobs usually bring stress with them, but you need to learn to control your stress levels so that they do not interfere with the quality of your work. Lifestyle is important for managing stress. You should eat healthily and not live off takeaways or junk food. You may feel you are too busy and too tired when you get home after a hard day’s work to cook something healthy. The answer could be to spend a few hours at the weekend preparing meals that can be left in the fridge or freezer and then you will just have to heat them when you want to eat.
Exercise is vital as it makes your body produce endorphins and these send feel-good messages to your brain. This does not mean you have to go to a gym or anything like that; you can simply walk up the stairs instead of taking the elevator or walk part of the way to work each day. If you prefer to do some exercise at home, that is fine too, just don’t let yourself become a couch potato as you will soon start to feel low and work will be harder to cope with.
The average adult needs 7 – 8 hours of sleep each night, but the quality of sleep is important too. Make sure you have a mattress that allows this, and not one that will cause you backache. Be sure to find one that offers the firmness you want so that you get a good night’s rest.
Choose something you enjoy
Human nature means that if you are working in a job you enjoy, you will produce a better product than if you hate the work you are doing. Women, more so than men, are expected to be committed to the job they are doing, and this is much simpler to do if you are happy to go to work each day. You will put more effort into the tasks you are completing, and this will show in your work.
Keep up to date
Always be aware of new technology or legislation that could affect the industry you work in. When you are in a meeting are discussing tasks with colleagues, you will be able to show that you have the answers to their questions. This is a great way to impress senior management and help you move up the ladder.
Show-off
Women tend to be much more reticent about blowing their own trumpet, where men will do it without a second thought. Let people that matter know what qualifications you have, what experience you have gained and what accomplishments you have achieved. Never be nervous about letting anyone know how good you are.
Prioritize
You need to prioritize things in your life to ensure that you have the time to devote to your career that is needed. There will always be important family matters to deal with, but sometimes there are things that could be missed. You need to be honest with all of your family and let them know that you will be at important celebrations but might not be able to go for lunch in the middle of the week.
There is no reason at all why being a woman should stop you from getting to the top of your industry; you may just need to be a bit more organized and forthright than a man would be.
