Work Smart Among The Boys

Women now make up nearly half the labor force, and never have they been better prepared for the big time. In 1994, women received 35 percent of all MBAs and 42.5 percent of all law degrees. Still, less than 5 percent of the senior managers at U.S. companies are women. The female to male ratio is only slightly better outside the corporate world. Peek into any four-star kitchen or Nobel laureate’s laboratory—odds are you’ll find a man in charge.

■ DO EXPECT TO BE HAZED
To enter a male-dominated profession, you will probably have to tolerate the workplace equivalent of fraternity hazing. Men are only doing to women what they’ve always done to each other.It’s not antifemale stuff going on. You’re a rookie, and the rookie gets hazed.
Focusing on getting to do the work you love will also help get you through. During her seven years of neurosurgery training, recalls Dr. Isabelle Germano, director of the epilepsy, movement disorder, and brain tumor section at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, men made it clear they didn’t think a woman could handle the stress of cutting into the cranium.

■ DO NOT GET IN YOUR OWN WAY
Self-doubt can trip up even the most gifted of women. Aim twice as high as you think you should you may get what you want.
Some women gain their guts by working for women who’ve already made it to the upper ranks. “I was nurtured in an environment where women were revered,” says Mary Lou Quinlan, CEO and first woman president of the country’s oldest advertising agency, she started out at Avon Products and worked for women bosses during her ten years there. By the time she crossed over to the mainly male world of advertising six years ago, she had built a strong foundation of can-do confidence: “When I see a situation, I don’t look at it with that ‘Oh no, how am I going to get through this’ attitude—I just assume I can do it.”
If you can’t manage a genuine ego boost on the spot, fake it. Get into the characteristically male habit of acting as if you are the best one for the job, suggests Connie Glaser, coauthor of Swim with the Dolphins: How Women Can Succeed in Corporate America on Their Own Terms. “Men tend to overstate their qualifications and project an aura of confidence,” says Glaser. “You can do the same.”
If your lack of security comes from a dearth of available role models, seek them out.

■ DO PROMOTE YOURSELF
All work and no strategy might win you the office workhorse award but not necessarily a impressive position. Don’t think that someone will come along with a magic wand and make you CEO. Self-promotion makes all the difference.You don’t have to show off, but you’ve got to get the word out.
Working your personal PR outside the office pays off too.

■ DON’T BE ALL BUSINESS
If the men in charge aren’t comfortable with you, you’ll find yourself locked out of the informal circle within which much business is transacted and important info traded. But how do you become a pal if you can’t bat around the latest baseball stats? Find other common ground. “I’m not totally up on sports,” says Kate White, editor-in-chief ofRedbook and author of Why Good Girls Don’t Get Ahead But Gutsy Girls Do, “so I found another bond with my boss.” She discovered that he loved detective fiction, something she knew plenty about. Soon they were trading their favorite books. “Find a connection,” says White.
Rather than steering clear of your superiors, you find excuses to give them suggestions and helpful information—daily, if possible. Then you’re on their radar screen all the time.
When you’re serious about your job, it can be difficult to lighten up and reach out—but you should.
Humor, a gentle touch, and a persistent, not nagging, approach works best. Becoming a better buddy can be a shrewd career move.

■ DON’T BE AFRAID TO BAIL
But if, despite your A-l efforts, the men in the driver’s seat aren’t won over, your best move may be to hit the road and find a more promising post—if you can.
How can you tell when you’ve hit an unshatterable ceiling? Career consultant Connie Glaser says the typical red flag is when promotions you thought were headed your way go to less qualified men.
You may be able to avoid bad situations by doing your homework before committing to a particular field or company. Read up. Flip through such resources as The 100 Best Companies to Work For in America and the annual reports of places you’re interested in to see if any women hold top posts—a good sign your efforts won’t go unrewarded.

■ DO GET SUPPORT
Senior-level female executives now are moving up faster on the job than men, but women’s stress levels are skyrocketing too. To stay sane, working women should establish a good support network—one customized to their needs.
Women have shown that they are serious about their careers, despite the inevitable demands that motherhood places on them. According to Bureau of Census statistics, women are working longer into their pregnancies (78 percent work into the third trimester) and coming back sooner (71 percent of new mothers return to work within six months where maternity benefits are available) than ever before. In response, companies are finding ways to lure and keep talented women executives who don’t want to forgo a family, by providing child care and generous maternity leave.
The bottom line? Never have opportunities been so good for women who want to be the best and have the stamina to stick to their goals. Says New York’s Aqueduct Raceway’s leading jockey, Julie Krone, “I’ve broken my back, but you just keep showing up, and if you’re good, they’ll notice you— whether you’re male or female.”
People are willing to judge you on your performance and see past whatever makes you different from themselves.”

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This entry was posted on Thursday, May 3rd, 2007 at 12:38 pm and is filed under Self Improvement. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.