A few years back, I had the opportunity and privilege to transition for a corporate career to an academic one. While at the time, the shift was terrifying, it proved to be one of the most fulfilling and purpose-filled experiences of my life. Through this transition, I’ve learnt the power of reinventing your career at any age, and the wealth of possibilities that come with it. I’ve also learnt, by trial and error, the strategies that can make such a move a truly empowering and successful one.
Fast-forward a few years, in the middle of a global pandemic, and many of us are re-thinking our priorities like never before. As working women and moms carry the brunt of the burden of the pandemic, both in terms of job losses and household responsibilities, it’s never been a better time to also think about reinventing our careers. As working women, the concept of career reinvention is certainly not foreign to us. As we age into the workforce, our 40’s and 50’s bring with them the constant and harsh reminder that we may no longer be welcome in positions now bestowed upon the youngest and freshest of this world. Along with ageism, working motherhood also confronts us with the tough reality of having to scale back our professional ambitions for a time, take a break from work, or even leave the workforce entirely, not to mention the stigma of being perceived as less competent in the workplace just because we are mothers.
Truth is, career reinvention is scary to many, if not most of us. Aside from threatening our sense of stability, along with our financial and social foundation, it also carries the risk of shaking us to our core, from our most innate beliefs to our perceived place in the world. As women tend to be more risk-adverse than men, they also tend to stay put longer in careers and professional environments that may not be the best fit for them, may undervalue them, and downright damage their changes at growth and advancement.
Career reinvention does not have to necessarily translate into a change of industries or jobs. As a matter of fact, it should be a constant process of self-improvement, personal development and professional mastery. Staying at the same company, or even at the same position, should not become an exercise in stalled progress. Instead, it should be a constant wake-up call to innovate, do things differently, as we incorporate all the facets of our own growth as individuals into your work.
Here are 7 strategies to re-invent your career at any age as a working woman:
Frequently take your own career pulse
How often do you take your own career pulse? How often do you ask yourself if you’re still fulfilled at work, or if you’re falling into a rut?
Taking your career pulse at least every quarter will let you get back in touch with how you truly feel about your work. It will also inform you as to what has changed in your work dynamic, in yourself and in your environment, if anything, and what can be improved along the way.
Re-visit your why periodically
Why do you do what you do? Is it for the money, for the passion, for the purpose of it all? Or have you not been able to put your finger on it?
Even when you’re able to pinpoint your why, it may not be what you would truly want it to be. Maybe you’ve been doing this work for a while now for the money, yet it leaves you empty every day. Or you may just not have found what fills you with a sense of purpose yet, and need to spend some time discovering it…Whatever the case may be, re-viding your why will help you put your career, and by extension your life, into the perspective needed to continue to grow and evolve as a working woman.
Fight your own mind
Too often, our minds get in the way of making any changes, even if positive, to our lives. The simple reason behind this is that our brains are wired to protect us from any discomfort or what can appear to be a threat. This is where reinventing one’s career can also turn into an exercise in fighting our own minds.
What are the negative beliefs embedded in your mind that block you from thinking about your career in a fresher way? What mindsets are standing in your way when it comes to re-inventing your career? These are the mindset and thought patterns that you may need to fight in order to re-invent your work.
Yes, you do need support!
Career reinvention can be a process that requires you to change the way you’ve not just been working, but also living. For some, it’s taking some time off from work, or take a lesser paying position, which may challenge the financial stability of the family unit. For others, it may be taking on more responsibilities and spending more time at work.
Whatever it may turn out to be, support will be needed, especially from your nearest and closest ones. Don’t be afraid to ask for the help you need as you go through this process. Use your village!
Create your own reinvention plan
Everyone’s career reinvention plan and process is different. Create your own plan to re-invent your work, according to who you are, your environment, and most important priorities. Most importantly, refrain from comparing your own transition to others’, we’re all on different paths.
But be flexible
While you may have your own plan of action when it comes to re-inventing your career, be flexible as to the methods. I had to learn to use the tools at my disposal, and be flexible as to the results and patient with outcomes. This is a marathon, not a race. It takes time to grow one’s career and transform it into its best version.
Constantly re-define success for yourself
Last but not least, define and re-define what success truly means for you when it comes to your work. Is it more flexibility? Is it a certain type and amount of responsibilities? Is it more freedom, more money or the ability to impact people? Or is it a combination of all these?
Crafting your own definition of success is important. Re-defining it as you change as a woman, an individual and a professional is even more crucial.
All in all, career re-invention for women should no longer be seen as an option for women, but rather as a necessary and exciting prospect that is part of our evolution as individuals and professionals.
How have you or how are you planning to re-invent your career?
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While so many teachers and professors have been accustomed to teaching in person for most of their careers, the past few months have taught us all to adapt to a new remote environment that is probably going to become the new professional norm, or at least part of it. Teaching remotely requires different skills, technologies, and mindsets to be effective, and even more so for women. While teaching remotely may appear on the surface to be a more convenient or flexible option to teaching in person, it also takes away some of the advantages of in-person learning, including physical cues, body language, and just the incredibly important human aspect of sharing knowledge and exchanging perspectives…
In this context, here are 7 proposed tips for women to successfully and effectively teach remotely:
Prep your mindset!
The lack of physical proximity, body language and human contact inherent to remote teaching can make it challenging on the emotional and mental level for instructors. One of the main reasons so many instructors choose teaching as a vocation is related to the impact they can make on students and how they can help the latter strive in and out of the classroom. When said students are permanently reduced to screen corners and words on the chat section of a Zoom meeting, the resulting lack of human connection can be daunting to say the least.
This is why it’s so important to prepare oneself mentally for the prospect of remote teaching, especially as women who already face an uphill battle in terms of the gender inequities. This may entail educating oneself about effective methods of remote instruction, talking to other professionals about the best ways to connect with students remotely, and investing in consistent self-care as well.
To this end, scheduling some time with the IT department can go a long way towards avoiding future technical snafus, and optimizing online teaching techniques as well. Taking some time to practice and prepare ahead of time is also a non-negotiable for successful remote teaching.
Set clear goals and objectives
With remote teaching especially, setting and implementing clear goals and objectives is paramount. While it can be easy to get distracted in a remote environment, especially as working women and moms carrying most of the household and childcare burden at home, having already set objectives to refer back to can be a life-saver.
Prioritize clear communication
In the absence of physical cues and direct communication, setting protocols and standards of clear communication, even if remotely, can be a game-changer for effective remote instruction. This is especially relevant considering the heightened level of expectations placed on women instructors.
Clear communication can take the form of daily emails recapping and reinforcing daily deliverables, or detailed weekly schedules prepared ahead of time, for instance. Whichever method is used should focus on keeping the relevant information as crystal clear as possible.
Remember time is of the essence!
Time, especially for busy working women and moms with so many outside demands, is of the essence. This is why strategizing remote instruction in an effective and less time-consuming way is so necessary. For some, it may be dedicating the bulk of their time to advance preparation. For others, it may be choosing the right balance between synchronous and asynchronous teaching. Whatever technique or strategy one may decide to use, making wise use of time, both at the instructor and the student’s level, should be a priority.
Find your sweet spot
Teaching remotely can feel a bit mechanical and impersonal after a while. However, finding one’s sweet spot and rhythm can make all the difference. Do you teach remotely better with case studies and practice exercises than though straight lecturing? Are you more inclined to favor remote group works, or would you rather schedule one-on-one sessions? Are you more a fan of synchronous or asynchronous teaching?
Defining your style and pinning down your sweet spot can bring an added level of effectiveness to your remote teaching, while also increasing your motivation and engagement, as well as that of the students. Showing up as who you truly are as an instructor is always the best recipe…
Don’t forget about self-care
Last but not least, don’t neglect your own self-care. Teaching is a magnificent vocation. It’s also one that requires a lot of dedication, investment and energy. This is why it’s crucial to consistently devote some time to self-care, from bubble baths, to exciting novels and/or cardio sessions.
What would you add to this list? What are your best tips for effective remote teaching as a woman?
In these pandemic-ridden and politically ripe days, avoiding the topic of politics at work is all but practical or possible. In an era where politics come knocking on our front door and invade every area of our personal and public lives, what with COVID-related restrictions, incidences of police brutality, and flaming racism, politics have become part of the fabric of our society. So have become the expected differences in political views and opinions, seeping into both personal and professional relationships.
A few years back, talking about politics at work was considered a taboo. Fast-forward to a drastically different and polarized time, and the taboo itself has been silenced, replaced with a rampant call for more justice and equity from kitchen tables to meeting rooms. Adding to it the stress of an increasingly remote work environment, precarious economic conditions, not to mention a raging pandemic and historical political elections, it becomes virtually unfeasible to keep employees from being vocal their own choices and views. An October 2019 survey by the Society for Human Resource Management reveals 42% of U.S. working individuals have dealt with political disagreements in the workplace, while 44% have borne witnesses to such disagreements. 1 in 10 Americans is reporting differential treatment due to differing political views, while one third of workers describe their workplaces as not inclusive in terms of political differences.
As a working woman and mother, these differences can be even more impactful in this season, as working moms have been shouldering the brunt of the childcare crisis created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, more women than men have lost jobs as a result of both the pandemic and the childcare crisis that ensued. For many women, fundamental rights to our bodies and vital healthcare are also at stake during this political period and elections. In additional, many, if not most women working virtually, are seeing the gender inequities of traditional work environments being perpetuated and even accentuated in remote environments. As the stakes grow higher, so do the chances of being faced with difficult conversations and interactions at work around the topic of politics.
Here are a few ground rules that can help as a working woman at work:
Establish your own rules of engagement and set clear boundaries
Where do you stand when it comes to discussing politics at work? Are you open to it? Is it a complete no-no on your end? Are you open-minded, but have clear boundaries as to where to stop? Or are you not clear as to what is allowable and what is not in terms of political discussions in the workplace? Do you even have the emotional and physical bandwidth to engage in or cope with political tension at work?
Each individual has their own set of questions, reservations and thoughts as to this. This is why it’s so important to set one’s own rules of engagement. Consider these your non-negotiable ground rules to abide by. For some, it may be politely declining to engage into any political conversation. For others, it may be allowing themselves to be open about their political views but cognizant of differences with others. Whatever your stance is, you may abide by it, and stick to your own ground rules, granted they are also respectful of others’.
Respect is key
Speaking of ground rules, respect is and should always be key, especially when there is political tension involved in a professional environment. Part of emphasizing respect is understanding that others have a fundamental right to not share our views, as long as there is no harassment, hostility or retaliation involved.
Another element of respect in this context is the understanding that the very act of voting is a personal one. Voting privacy should be respected, especially in the workplace, which also means refraining from gloating in case of win or complaining in case of loss of one’s preferred electoral candidate.
If and when these basic rules of respect are infringed upon, involving Human Resources may be necessary.
Practice self-care at work
In an intensely charged political season like the one we’re currently in, self-care is essential. For most working women and moms, waiting to get home or to have a free minute to practice self-care is just impractical. The alternative is to make time, even at work, to take some time for self-reflection and care.
Take your lunch break. Take a quick breather and walk around for five minutes to clear your head. Walk away from difficult and unproductive interactions. Call a trusted friend during your lunch break. Play some uplifting music. Whatever it is that can allow you to catch a break from the tension, even while at work, do it.
All in all, political tension at work, especially in this season, is hard to avoid. As a matter of fact, it may even be counter-productive to avoid, and necessary to foster a more inclusive and diverse work environment. Setting your own rules of engagement and healthy boundaries, practicing and requiring respect, as well as taking care of oneself at work, can help in the process.
How are you dealing with political tension at work?
Who told you being ambitious made you less a good mom? Whether you heard it from a well-meaning friend or family member, or implicitly understood it from society’s not-so-silent silent messaging, you’ve consciously, or unconsciously, tried to contort yourself to adapt to it. So you’ve kept your ambition a secret, masking the hunger of your Purpose behind futile attempts at being accepted and fitting in with the others, the seemingly “good moms”…
So you changed your conversation to conform to the latest trend in disposable diapers and juiciest town gossip…
So you refrained from discussing your latest business venture, your crazy entrepreneurial ambitions, even your latest ideas, for fear of being cast away for sounding like a brag…
So you learnt to put up with the ridiculous disdain you felt at being perceived like a shallow, ambitious working mom who favors books rather pie baking…
Directly or indirectly, you’ve been spending so much of your time apologizing for being exactly who you are, doubting your own instincts, second-guessing your decisions, hiding from yourself and others…
Yet, all along, your daughter has been looking at you as a hero, as this superwoman going after her dreams…
All along, your son has been learning through your example that girls are brave, girls can go to work, girls can build companies and write words that change the world, and still kiss you on the forehead at night and make up fun, mismatched stories of African princesses and princes hiding in closets…
All along, your very difference has been inspiring others to honor their own difference, to live the lives they were made to live, and make the choices that only belong to them…
All along, you’ve been apologizing for the very thing that makes you you, that makes you unique, that makes you the force of nature you are…
All along, you’ve been feeling guilty for your dreams, but dear mama, your dreams never invalidated anyone’s, they were free to be yours all along…
Dear Working Mama,
If you’re reading this, folding laundry as you’re coming up with your next big business idea, your next crazy venture, I hope you keep being exactly who you were made to be. I hope you ditch the guilt, the disdain from those who gave up on their own dreams and want you to do the same, the hurt of rejection, and all the obstacles standing in your way…
I hope you keep going, you keep pushing, and you keep achieving your purpose….
And I hope you take your kids along the way, and teach them it’s ok to go after thir dreams…
And I hope you take other women with you, and whisper in their ears it’s ok to accomplish your purpose, whether it’s being a stay-at-home mom or closing deal…
But most of all, I hope you stop apologizing for being a daring, earth-shattering, brave mama…
Being visible and heard as a working woman during meetings is already a challenge as it is. Between instances of “mainsplaining”, constant interruptions and the well-known imposter syndrome, the obstacles preventing women from being heard in meetings are numerous. The situation actually worsens during virtual meetings, which can be even more challenging, especially for working moms with children at home. This has been even more prevalent during the pandemic, as many, if not most companies, have resorted to having their employees work remotely.
In a recent Catalyst survey, 45% of women business leaders recognize it’s difficult for women to speak up during virtual meetings. One in five women admit to being overlooked or ignored by colleagues during video calls.
it is possible for working women to increase their visibility during virtual calls. Here are a few tips to get started:
Be clear about what you want to get out of the meeting
Identify at least one goal you may have as related to the meeting, and have a clear view as to what you hope to accomplish. This will help devise an approach in advance to accomplish this, including using some of the other available functions including private and group chat, as well as side-bar messages.
Use the technology to your advantage
Technology plays a critical role in virtual meetings. As a woman at work, you may use it to your advantage and to assert yourself by positioning the camera for easy and direct eye contact. Arranging your microphone so you can be heard more clearly can also help.
Develop non-verbal communication skills
Virtual meetings require different sets of skills than in-person meetings. Since non-verbal cues make up over half of online interactions, it becomes crucial to learn how to read and give non-verbal communication cues.
Wear formal business attire
Dressing professionally is not just for appearance’s sake. It also provides a mental boost, especially when working from home. On virtual calls as with in-person meetings, it also projects confidence and professionalism, and helps to stand out.
Stand through important video calls
Standing up when speaking or presenting not only helps in projecting your voice, but also helps boost one’s confidence and assuredness. This may come especially handy during online meetings where you’re presenting, or on calls you may be feeling nervous about.
Get your colleagues’ buy-in
Enlisting the support of your colleagues, especially for high-stake decisions, is not only an effective way of managing office politics, but also a powerful way of commanding attention during the meetings in which these are discussed. The more your colleagues may know about an issue you’ve consulted them on, the more attention you may be able to command.
All in all, virtual meetings may work to working women’s disadvantage, however they don’t have to. Using strategies like the ones listed above to increase your visibility during online calls can help in alleviating the structural and professional barriers standing in women’s careers’ way.
What has been your experience as a working woman during online calls?
In these times of pandemic and economic uncertainty, many, if not most workplaces, have resorted to remote interviews to hire employees. This also means that new criteria and different techniques are now being added onto the interviewing process, which can be intimidating and confusing for some. For working women, this adds an additional layer of complexity to a process that already tends to discriminate against and disadvantage female candidates. Whereas in-person interviews are unfortunately riddled with gender bias according to the research paper by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, remote interviews can amplify this bias as a result of the distance and lack of personal touch in the process.
When recently coaching a student of mine prepping for an upcoming interview, it was clear that the interviewing process has changed from what it traditionally has been. For working women, this translates into yet more adjustments as we tackle a new work normal. This includes handling the technology appropriately, leveraging your environment, and maintaining the human touch:
Master the technology before-hand
One crucial and new part of interviewing remotely is the technology involved. At the time of scheduling, inquire of the video platform that will be used and test the link provided. It’s also wise to obtain the interviewer’s information if you have any questions as you test the technology, or encounter any issues prior to or during the process.
Whether it all happens on Zoom or on a different platform, you want to make sure that you are prepared accordingly . This means testing your technology before-hand by ensuring your camera is ready and your audio is working, ensuring that your tools are available, charged and ready for the set time, and confirming all logistical details with the interviewer. Rehearse before-hand and if necessary, ask a loved one or friend to help you practice, so they can provide you with feedback as to your appearance and how you sound.
The more technologically prepared you are, the more chances you have at lessening some of the gender bias that inevitably gets perpetuated during remote interviews.
Leverage your environment
Since you will be appearing on camera, your environment is bound to play a crucial role. Start with your appearance first, and ensure you look professional without being awkward. While you may not necessarily need to wear a suit jacket, you may want to show up with a professional attire. While I suggest avoiding distracting details such as dangling earrings or noisy accessories, you should nevertheless not shrink from showing your own style and personality as authentically as possible.
Consider your background next. In most cases, a neutral background works best. As much as you can, try to avoid virtual backgrounds that may look inappropriate or distort your image in the camera. While you may prefer sitting down, you may consider standing up as you’re being interviewed, as it will allow for your voice to project better, and will help you sound and look more energetic and engaged. Last but not least, inform other members of your household, especially children, about your upcoming interview so they don’t barge onto the screen unannounced.
Maintain the human touch
Remote interviews can feel quite impersonal. This is why it is so important to maintain the human touch through the entire process. Begin with your own mindset, and mentally prepare to have a positive outlook and mindset. As there are less non-verbal cues to build up on during remote interviews, it can be easy to feel and show some discouragement. However, mentally equipping yourself for a positive outcome, whether by using affirmations, mantras, or meditating prior, can make a world of difference.
Another way to show much needed humanity during a remote interview is to inquire of the interviewer on a personal level. This is not about getting too personal or inquisitive. Instead, and especially in the current pandemic and dire economic circumstances we’re facing, it’s about showing some concern and warmth during difficult times.
Last but not least, add a touch of humor to the process. We’re all human, and we all make mistakes. So what if one of your kids runs across the room in the middle of the interview? Or if your camera stops working for a few seconds? Life happens, and we’re only human…
What other tips would you recommend for working women to ace remote interviews?
