Since the eighties there has been a migration of women into positions previously dominated by males. Industries such as engineering, finance, construction, etc. have seen an influx of women that are succeeding in these industries. Success for women in these male dominated industries takes hard work. Are you a female currently working in a male dominated industry who is looking for ways to get ahead or stand out from the crowd? Consider the following tips.
1. Understand The Importance Of Communication.
2. Beer Is For Bonding
The best career opportunities often come out of interactions outside the office, often over a beer. The guys you work with will grab beers all the time, and you have to quickly learn to join them, whether or not you felt like drinking that particular night.
3. Avoid Being Too Easily Offended.
Men have this thing at work called the Circle of Trust. You gain entry when they know they can be themselves around you, without being reported to HR. Prepare yourself to hear every disgusting story there is to tell and stay cool. You will eventually became part of the group.
4. Don’t Be Anyone’s Coffee Or Lunch Getter.
How many successful men in the workplace do you see picking up their boss’s lunch or coffee? If you’re not someone’s assistant, do not get in the habit of acting like one. Sure, maybe there are special exceptions when your boss is in fire drill mode or decides to treat a group for getting his coffee but don’t make it a regular thing.
5. Be Assertive.
In this industries there’s tremendous pressure to work hard and keep an overflowing plate. Lunch and coffee runs aside, it’s all too easy to say yes to every project as you strive to be a good employee, but if you never say no, you’ll ultimately just hurt both yourself and your company. It’s important to stand up for the projects you really want to work on, and then push back at other times when you don’t have capacity.
6. Play To Your Strengths.
Whether it’s listening, emotional aptitude, empathy, socializing or just being the den mother, if you have these strengths, play to them. They’re good qualities to demonstrate as a rising future leader, and, particularly in a workplace where those skills are in short supply, they’re also not a bad way to get noticed.
7. Get A Mentor.
A mentor is someone who will promote you within your organization, who has your back, and who will tell the rest of organization, including the senior leaders how great you are and how much you deserve recognition. Start building relationships with your boss and other senior leaders from the beginning, and pay particular attention to cultivate those relationships with the individuals who believe in you and publicly support you.
8. Have Confidence.
You need to be very confident at what you are doing because already you are outnumbered. Regardless of your role, to support the creation of mentors for women from the first day they enter the organisation, women tend to sell themselves short. The males on the other hand are brimming confidence and want to formulate strategies to make their big dreams a reality.
9. Be Committed
There is no such thing as in between. If you gave up the first time a male colleague berated you or made you feel unwelcome,you will be discouraged. Remind yourself not to sweat the small stuff and to remained focus on the broader goal. Commit to making your industries and workplaces better.
10. Creativity
Invest in yourself and make your own luck. It is very likely in today’s male dominated industries that you won’t have female role models in the jobs you aspire to do in the short to medium term. But always viewed this as an opportunity. And there remains lots of great opportunities for talented driven women.
