People would think in this modern day and age, the glass ceiling is nonexistent. However, the truth is most people just choose to ignore its presence. Although women do manage to get to the top, it’s just not at par with the numbers of the men who are on top. This means that at this rate, it will take women extra awareness and effort to make that happen. In light of this, here are a few things that you can do to make sure that you do manage to climb the digital ladder effectively.
Make yourself valuable to the company
Try to find your niche and add value to your company. By doing this, it will be easier to get a raise or find another job if you do choose to leave. Ideally, this should be something that other people in your team aren’t good at so there isn’t any internal competition. You can also develop areas of skill set that you think may be valuable to your company later on. I figured out that I was good at spotting startups that our company could work with for new digital initiatives. Seeing that this was a valuable skill that no other team member really took on board. I always offered to help find new startups or partners when the opportunity arose.
Get a mentor and don’t be afraid to ask for advice
Whether official or unofficial, having a mentor can only be a good thing. My mentor has helped me put my career in check and pointed out areas I could improve in. It also helps having someone to bounce off some ideas when I am not quite sure how to handle a situation. When I had a technical issue at work that I wasn’t quite sure how to solve during the time when my boss was away on holiday, I called a friend of mine knowledgeable in that field for confirmation.
Think long term
Sometimes it might be tempting to go for an opportunity that provides a higher short term return of investment. This may come in the form of higher salary, shorter hours, longer holidays, etc. However, it would be better to put in the hours and develop yourself professionally while you still don’t have any dependents. You might need to ask for flexible working hours or work shorter hours when you have kids in the future.
Always be professional
No matter what happens at work, act professionally. In the digital space, things usually have a faster turnaround time and developers or clients may cause you grief. However, people who keep calm and rational in troubled times are the ones who will stand out in a good way.
This article was first published on Issue 56 of adobo Magazine.
