STOP HANDICAPPING YOURSELF: TIPS FOR YOUNG WOMEN IN THE WORKFORCE

There has been a lot of buzz lately about women in the workplace, caused to a large degree by Sheryl Sandberg’s recent book Lean In, which encourages women to “lean in” to their ambitions and to speak up so their voices are heard. Much of this advice is beneficial to minorities also.

According to Barbara Pachter, a prolific seminar leader for women and coach of numerous female executives on career advancement, “Many women could benefit from ‘leaning in.’” Patcher is the author of ten books, including The Essentials of Business Etiquette: How to Greet, Eat and Tweet Your Way to Success, published in August 2013 by McGraw Hill.

“Many of the career-limiting factors that I began speaking about in seminars more than 20 years ago are still evident today, in a new generation of young women,” notes Patcher.

Before women can take control of their lives and their careers, they have to recognize how they handicap themselves. Here are Pachter’s suggestions to help women ad vance in the workplace:

1. Don’t set limits on yourself. Be open to opportunities. Aim high. More and more women are advancing in the workplace. You can be one of them.
2. Don’t limit your options based on an unknown future. No one knows what the future will hold. There will always be obstacles, regardless of your choices. If you are smart enough to advance, you will be smart enough to find solutions. There are a number of career women who successfully balance having children and a career.
3. Appreciate history. Learn about the struggles of women in the past. Had it not been for the efforts of women before you, many of the opportunities that you have today wouldn’t exist. Oprah Winfrey said, “I have crossed over on the backs of Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman and Fannie Lou Hamer and Madam C.J. Walker. Be cause of them I can now live the dream. I am the seed of the free, and I know it. I intend to bear great fruit.”
4. Learn from others. Have role models and mentors. What have they done that you can incorporate into your career? One woman in attendance at a seminar had four young sons, worked full time, and still found the time to earn her MBA. To help her manage family and career, she had a to-do list that included weekly family meetings to discuss the upcoming week’s activities.
5. Pick the father of your children wisely. Once you have children, life gets more complicated. You will want someone who is a partner in every sense, someone who supports you and your career.
6. Present yourself assertively. Learn what you are doing, verbally and nonverbally, that detracts from your power. Speak up and let people know your opinions. Ask for what you want.