Rebecca and Julianne Rhoads share their career advice as mother and daughter.
(Photo courtesy of Raytheon)As a mother and daughter who are both navigating the engineering field (where only 9% of the workforce is female) we have overcome obstacles to get where we are. When you are in the minority, there is often a struggle for acceptance and advancement. According to a recent Bain & Company study, women launch their careers with more ambition and aspirations for the C-suite than men, but after a few years, that ambition drops an astounding 60%. And in technological fields, the hurdles tend to be even higher.
So how do women blaze their own paths and stay motivated in a working world that is not gender-balanced? We have received plenty of advice on this along the way, and we have found that some seem to resonate across multiple generations and levels of professional experience.
So, whether you are heading to college in the fall, graduating this month and starting your first job or seeking advice at any stage of your career, we wanted to share the following top ten lessons we’ve lived and learned. We believe in paying it forward and we hope you will, too.
1. Don’t lose confidence just because the “professional stretch” leaves you with sore muscles. Remember: no pain, no gain. Those sore muscles are helping you train for the next opportunity. It is the only way to grow.
2. Know the difference between asking for help and being rescued. Neither of us have been damsels in distress, but we have asked for help. There is a difference. Collaborating with others builds a reputation for problem solving: simply allowing yourself to be rescued does not.
3. Tough situations and problematic assignments build a richer network and strong foundation of valuable experiences. You set yourself apart from the crowd (men and women) when you take on the tough jobs.
4. A crisis is a terrible thing to waste. Don’t just survive it — use it to learn, teach and grow. The most valuable life lessons often come by working your way through the hardest situations.
5. Be bold, embrace change and be a lifelong learner. This bit of advice is particularly important for people at all life stages. The world is changing fast and if you do not keep up, you will be left behind. Keep your skills current, and never stop learning.
6. It’s not personal — it’s business. Be passionate about what you are doing but take on difficult moments with grace and poise rather than losing your cool, or worse yet, hiding and licking your wounds.
7. Share knowledge and develop your people or you will become indispensable in your current role. Being really good at your job is expected, but to advance, being able to share knowledge and train others sets you apart as a leader.
8. Understand the challenges that your boss is facing and understand the expectations of your role. You are in it together, so own the difficult parts and get in the trenches. If you share in the challenge, you will share in the success.
9. Be accountable for delivering results. Gain trust, confidence, credibility and influence through your delivery. When you consistently get results, the rest follows. This builds your reputation and gets you noticed.
10. How we spend our days is how we spend our lives — work/life balance is dynamic and personal. There will never be a perfect 50/50 “balance” in work/life, but it is important to know how to stay balanced. There is a difference. Taking care of yourself will make you happier and more productive at work and at home.
