Women in Business


We’ve found the students eager to learn, and at the end of the programme in March they will receive a formal certificate to mark their achievements which is a great asset on their CV when going for interviews. At Brunel we are already hot on employability, not least through the success of our award-winning Placement and Careers Centre, which picked up the prize for ‘Best University Placement/Careers Service’ at the National Placement and Internship awards in January, and the speakers who run the workshops are very powerful women who have fought their way to the top. The message to our students is that if these women can do it, so can they, and there is lots of very interesting emerging insight from the programme.


Firstly, our students are learning about career planning, which is not an activity that the majority of people undertake - as many of us do not have a clear idea of where we want to go. The trick is to recognise opportunities that can move us up the career ladder in a direction that, at a particular time, is appropriate. Being proactive at work, approachable and professional, and developing a reputation for not just ‘doing the job’ but going over and above expectations, will often bring opportunities.


Friends, family and other networks are also a source of information about what is going on and where opportunities might arise. The key is to be aware of what is going on and if there is an opportunity to consider what it offers; more responsibility, a chance to try something new, a way of improving existing or developing new skills, or a means of being in contact and networking with people who can ‘open’ other doors. The ability to recognise and take opportunities, even if they are not leading to where we initially think we want to go, is vital.


Also, the key to career progression is finding appropriate role models (and mentors) and the development of strategies to help us deal with the knock-backs that we will inevitably face as we move through our careers. Many of the women delivering our workshops still have mentors who


women still find themselves competing in a male workplace (sometimes to their detriment).”


they consult and bounce ideas around with - mentors keep them focused, on target. A lot of organisations now run mentoring schemes for their staff, and that can be a good place to start, but sometimes this raises concerns that what we say could be fed back to our boss (although in a genuine mentoring relationship conversations are confidential).


An alternative is to network, talk to people, and be brave enough to ask. A mentor does not have to be far more experienced - they can be a peer who is on a similar journey where experiences can be shared. A mentor is not there to give advice or tell the mentee what to do, their role is to enable the mentee to set goals and develop an action plan in order to progress in their career. It should also be noted that a mentoring relationship is not for life, it is for a specified period of time, and many of us will have a number of mentors during our careers - each bringing the skills and experience that we need at particular times.


It is often felt that women frequently suffer from a reluctance to say ‘no’ in the mistaken belief that by being all things to all people they will progress more rapidly - or because they feel


“Despite the ongoing drive for equality, many


that if they say ‘no’ people will think less of them. As a result, we often take on more than we can cope with and can end up working long hours, or performing poorly - to the detriment of our health and career. We need to learn how to get our voice heard, how to say ‘no’ gracefully, but firmly, and if we do feel obliged to say ‘yes’ how to negotiate effectively to still end up in a win-win situation.


Saying ‘no’ can be difficult, it requires a calm and reasoned response, delivered politely and firmly (but not aggressively) with empathy and, wherever possible, an alternative solution. Using the word ‘no’ backed up by positive body language is far more effective than saying “I don’t think so” or “I would rather not”. But above all the advice is to remain calm, don’t let emotion (e.g. guilt) or pressure cloud judgement and colour responses - remember it is always acceptable to ask for time to think things over. And if we do say yes - well, we are back to being calm and reasonable and asking the question “okay, if I do this, can xyz help me with that?” or “really happy to do this for you, but it does mean that I will be unable to do that, can you suggest a way forward?”


Images: Brunel University 47 entrepreneurcountry


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