Dear HR,
I have been following your articles, I must say I enjoy every bit of them. Today, I am next to seek your guidance. You are the best person to help me with my dire situation.
I am a young career woman in my mid 30’s. I am building a career in sales and marketing in the real estate industry.
From where I sit, I see a very bright future ahead of me, yet one thing that keeps boggling my mind is how to manage challenges along the way as I build myself as a career woman.
Currently, I intend to have a family of my own but I am afraid, it may stall my career.
I need your help on how to manage challenges and how to build a career I will be proud of, as a woman. Waiting on your advise.
Your worried employee,
Naa Dede
Hello Naa Dede,
Thank you for reaching out to us. Let’s go straight to the point.
As a woman trying to build a career in a family at the same time, definitely there will be challenges, yet we assure you that you can make it happen with proper planning and focus.
First of all, let’s touch on the various challenges career women like you face in their pursuit of higher heights. Here are 5 most talked about challenges women face when building a career.
- Gender Pay Gap
- Sexual Harassment
- Unsupportive Spouse
- Starting a family
- Lack of mentorship
1. Gender Pay Gap
According to the workplace equality gender agency, the gender pay gap measures the difference between the average earnings of women and men in the workforce. The gender pay gap is an internationally established measure of women’s position in the economy in comparison to men.
Research conducted by PayScale indicated that men tend to get higher salaries than women in the same industry and this issue is still persistent and it affects women’s health.
2. Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment is one of the prevailing factors affecting women in the workplace, no matter the level. The worst part of thisis that when such advances are coming from a superior in the workplace. This has a negative impact on women’s mental health and it affects their attitude toward work.
Some women are bold to voice it out, and others also go quiet on it and decrease their motivation toward work.
Note that other women take advantage of the flirtatious behaviors of their male counterparts, as a strategy to get ahead in their careers, but this is never the best. Women who adopted these strategies have had it come back to bite them. So this is a NO! NO!
Rather rely on your skills and capabilities and have a plan for your career. That is a sure way to move up.
If you have such sexual harassment encounters, this is what you must do. First of all, report the issue to your HR department so it is addressed ASAP.
3. Unsupportive Spouse
Lack of support from your spouse hinders your potential and sabotages your desire to achieve your dreams as a woman.
Some women have had to let go of their dreams as a result of unsupportive husbands. It causes a lot of problems and becomes difficult to solve such issues.
Being ambitious in building a fulfilling career needs careful planning and effort to get there.
At a point, you may have to make a choice that calls for some sort of sacrifice to be made. That is when you need a support system.
Having a supportive spouse is one of the best things to happen to every woman, is to have for yourself a spouse who believes in you and supports your dreams. This will allow you to be focused and build the future you desire.
As a woman with the desire to build a meaningful career, be mindful of what you are willing to give up, not to give up, and comprise.
And choose a partner who understands you and supports your dreams.
4. Starting a family
It becomes difficult for some women to advance in their careers when they have a family to take care of.
It becomes difficult for some women to advance in their careers when they have a family to take care of.
Most employers have the perception that especially expectant mothers cannot maintain the same professional footing as compared to their male colleagues or women who do not have children.
This in the long run affects the earning potential of the woman. Some women take long breaks to raise their children, which sometimes affects their careers because of the rapid changes in the job market.
So while taking a break to take care of your family have a plan to stay abreast of industry trends and adapt to the latest developments in your industry.
5. Lack of Mentorship
Mentorship is one of the ways to accelerate your career and build yourself as a professional. Lack of mentorship for the young generation especially women affects their overall development in the workplace, as well as in their career trajectory.
Most corporate firms have a high percentage of men in leadership roles. In recent times, women are beginning to break the bias and contend with their male colleagues for C-Suit roles.
Most women when given the opportunity are able to scale higher heights yet perceptions and lack of direction affect their decisions to take up leadership roles.
To be successful in the corporate world as a woman leader, you must be determined, focused, knowledgeable, and resilient.
Key take away.
- Have a plan for your career.
- Constantly learn and upskill.
- Have a balanced life.
- Build a social network and leverage on your support systems.
- Choose a supportive partner.
- Speak up when need be.
“Life is full of challenges. How you handle these challenges is what builds character. Never be afraid to be who you are.” — Erin Brockovich
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