Though women in business are certainly starting to evolve, we cannot overlook the fact that women often have to work a lot harder to get where they want to be. Aside from having the personal responsibilities of caring for the household, women also have to overcome the various stereotypes and challenges in the workplace.
The good news is that there are plenty of role models for us to look up to. There are plenty of successful females in the corporate world who have worked their way from the bottom to the top of the corporate ladder. Though they too likely faced a few struggles along the way, the realized their dreams and decided that no one would stop them.
Take, for instance, head executives like Susan Itzkowitz, currently working as the president of Marc Fisher Footwear. She is thought to be one of the inspirational driving forces behind the company. Marc Fisher shoes are quite prevalent in many retailers both online and in stores. It is also important to point out that Susan Itzkowitz of Marc Fisher LTD helped the company sign a licensing deal with Tommy Hilfiger. If that’s not impressive enough I don’t know what is.
Anyways, this just goes to show that with a little preparation and determination, you can have it all. Below, you’ll find a few pointers on how to make your way to the top in the world of business.
Create a Plan
First things first, failure to plan is planning to fail. So unless you really have no intention of reaching your goals, then you need to map it out. You don’t want to bounce around your career for the rest of your life hoping to somehow stumble across your dream job. You need a blueprint that will guide you along the way. Start by creating a short and long term career plan. Things that you want to accomplish and steps you will need to take to get there. Sure your plan might get altered along the way, but it is a foundation from which you can refer to when necessary.
Get an Education
One thing that can never be taken away from you is your knowledge and understanding. If you’re going to make it anywhere in business you need to continue to educate yourself as often as possible. If you don’t have any college education, now is a great time to consider returning and taking up a degree in the field of your choice. You can choose to take up an online mba, which maybe be convenient if you’re already working and need to balance time for your job and classes. If you do have a college degree, look into taking additional classes that might be beneficial in getting you to where you want to be in the next few years.
Start Networking
Even if you currently have a job, you need to be networking every chance you get. You represent your own brand, and in order for others to take you seriously, you need to show them what you’re made of. Start touching base with other female leaders in the industry you’re interested in working in. The more quality connections you have, the better it will work to your advantage in the future. There are plenty of opportunities to network whether you’re online or in person, so research some methods that might work best for you.
Go Above and Beyond
No matter where you’re working now, whether you’re a secretary at a law firm or a sales representative at a retail location you have got to put your best foot forward at all times. Remember, you are your own brand and you have to do everything you can to market yourself. Don’t just punch in and punch out each day, do what you can to stand out from everyone else. Be the one who goes above and beyond to get the job done. This is how you build a reputation and a relationship with others.
Think Beyond Where You Are Now
Job descriptions can easily confine you to one line of work. However, in order to make it to the top of the corporate ladder or even to own your own business one day, you’re going to need to know the inner workings of an organization. Start branching out and to see if you can’t learn other tasks. Sit in the accounting department and learn how to generate a report, ask a coworker to explain what they do in their spare time, ask your supervisor about taking some training that come available. Whatever you can do to enhance your knowledge will work to your advantage in the future.
Become Indispensable
If you’re going to be the best at what you do, you have to prove resourceful to those around you. This essentially means that on the daily basis, you should be doing what you can to expand upon your own skills and abilities. The more you invest in yourself, the more valuable you become to others.
Getting to the top is certainly going to have its bumps along the way but that is no reason for you to feel discouraged. By creating a plan and executing it to the best of your abilities you are sure to see the fruits of your labor in no time. So if you have dreams that far exceed where you are today, tell yourself that you can do it, and with time, you’ll truly see that anything is possible.
