Top female exec’s five tips for women looking to break into top jobs ahead of International Women’s Day
DESPITE seven in ten women working, some sectors still show a shocking lack of opportunities for females.
Tuesday is International Women’s Day, which wants to #BreakTheBias in the workplace.
Women are half as likely as men to work in high-paying roles in energy or finance, but a third more likely to have careers in social care or education, studies show.
Today Kirstie Donnelly, the first female chief exec of City & Guilds Group, shares her advice for women.
- THERE’S NO SUCH THING AS A “WOMAN’S” OR A “MAN’S JOB”: Many industries are seeking to address the gender imbalance in their sectors so women should consider empowering themselves to explore all career opportunities – including those within sectors typically perceived to be male – to help break gender stereotypes.
- BE CONFIDENT IN YOUR ABILITIES: There is a well-known gender confidence gap in the workplace: women are more likely to lack confidence in their skills and performance. To boost your confidence, look at the skills you have, and identify those that could be transferred to a new role or sector. It will also show you where you need to upskill.
- BE PROACTIVE: Reach out to other professional women in male-dominated fields. They will often be keen to support you on your journey. Looking for women’s networks or women who could act as a mentor in your field is often a good start if you want to change career direction.
- MAKE YOUR PRIORITIES CLEAR: Over the past couple of years, we have seen huge changes in the way we work. And these are still taking place. Women have an opportunity to lead the charge in rewriting what the modern workplace should look like. By asserting your needs and preferences, you can ensure your voice is heard and these changes are taken into account as workplaces are reconfigured.
- BE A ROLE MODEL: We have a role to play in inspiring the next generations of female workers. Women should empower young girls, whether by going into schools, offering work experience or simply talking to and motivating children and young women close to them.
TWO in five tradeswomen say they are not taken seriously because of their gender and women typically earn just 72 per cent of their male counterparts, .
Leah Carney, 30, from Greenwich, London, is a plumber aiming to change people’s perceptions. She said: “I’ve experienced sexism and gender discrimination several times.
“These experiences have just made me more motivated to show them how skilled I am so they change their views.
“My end goal is to set up an all-female business that focuses on promoting the incredible work done by tradeswomen, while providing a great service.”
Most read in Money
Spread the love to staff
DO YOU feel loved by your boss? Today is Employee Appreciation Day and to mark the moment, we have teamed up with engagement expert Hedda Bird, author of The Performance Management Playbook, for her top tips on how to show staff you appreciate them and their efforts.
SMILE. When did you last really smile at your employees as if you were pleased to see them? A welcoming face makes the day start well.
SAY THANK YOU. Acknowledge even small moments of going “above and beyond”. Yes, people are paid to do a job. But saying thank you shows you noticed the extra care they took or that a task was executed particularly well.
GIVE PRAISE. It is nice to be told, “Well done”. It is even better to hear what it was you did well. If your employee handled a difficult customer nicely, say what they did that made the difference. Show them what good looks like.
TAKE YOUR TURN . . . at making the tea, or team chores.
LISTEN UP. Everyone likes to feel listened to. Invite people to share ideas on any issue that concerns them and simply listen. You don’t have to commit to action if that is not appropriate. Listening is useful in itself.
JOB SPOT
OIL and Gas Technical Apprenticeship Programme OGTAP has 60 places for new recruits at .
Looking after pups is simply paw-fect
THE nation’s most sought-after job has been revealed – and it pays just £24,000.
Despite offering the lower-than-average salary, pet sitting roles have the highest application rates.
A study from jobsite Adzuna analysed more than 3.8million vacancies to see how many people applied for each one.
Along with top choice pet sitter, animal handler and animal groomer featured in the top 30.
The pandemic also saw a spike in interest for frontline healthcare jobs, with NHS call handler as the ninth most popular.
Farm manager roles featured at number 27, after the success of TV hit Clarkson’s Farm.
Paul Lewis, chief customer officer at Adzuna, says: “The most sought-after jobs in the UK are roles where workers are doing what they love or giving back to the community, rather than scoring high salaries.”
JOB SPOT
BUILDERS’ supply giant TOOLSTATION is recruiting for 300 permanent roles across the business. Search at .
Finding the balance
TEMP work used to be seen as a stop-gap on the way to a permanent role but more and more people are choosing it to gain work-life balance.
Forty per cent of temp staff juggle three or more jobs as they prioritise having the flexibility to fit work around their schedule, a new study has found.
Novo Constare, co-founder of employment platform Indeed Flex, which carried out the research, said: “With a record number of vacancies, jobseekers are spoilt for choice.
“But for many, achieving a better work-life balance has become a top priority.
“For them, temporary work allows them to fit work around their lifestyle, rather than forcing them to fit their life around work.”
Help young people find work
SUPPORTING someone who is starting out in the world of work can be tough, so take advantage of National Careers Week.
Running all next week, the event will see schools and colleges across the UK highlighting career choices for young people.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Help on offer includes a Future of Work Guide steering parents and teachers through new job roles they may not even be aware of yet.
See nationalcareers for more details.
JOB SPOTS
- HOME BARGAINS has warehouse, logistics and shop roles available nationwide. See .
- CO-OP FUNERALCARE has 350 vacancies for both full and part-time roles. Search at .
- Care specialist ANCHOR needs 25 apprentices in catering, housekeeping, HR, customer service, finance and administration. See .
- JET2 needs 70 apprentices in legal, customer services, procurement and HR. See .