Women, please give me your tips for how to fast-track your career

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am an ambitious POC currently working as a Program Manager. I am in my middle thirties. How can I get promoted and move up? I grew up LMC so corporate politics is very new to me.

Don't have kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's actually not too hard -- just be hyper-competent.

Be the most reliable employee at all times. Always show up prepared. Deliver projects early. Have a good attitude. This is a weird thing I got from Machiavelli, so it's got a kind of ugly origin, but it helps: never complain, and never admit to struggling or feeling tired. Know your stuff. I remember once my boss came into my office and asked me a question and I answered it -- he went to leave and then turned around and said to me "You are the only person here who always knows the answer any time I have a question." Make so that you are the one to rely on.

Thank don't hesitate to let people know you want to move up. I remember when a job opening came up that would have been a dream job for me, but I was years away from having enough experience for it. My Dh, who had worked there longer than i had encouraged me to apply anyway -- because it "puts you on the radar." I interviewed, and, as expected, didn't get it. A year later, another cool position came open -- and I got it. It was a big deal. I never would have even been considered for it if I hadn't applied to the other job that I would never have gotten. You want to move up? You have to show that ambition. You have to show that enthusiasm for the work.

I agree with this. But it only works in a competent, well ran office. I am very good at my job and people noticed. I take pride in smoothing things over, making my complicated job look as easy as possible. To my benefit I took over a complete disaster and made it a fantastic program immediately. People who were there before noticed, new people don’t really understand how bad it can be when my program messes up.

I feel like my path is the hard path though. And the one most women take. Do a good job and hope people notice. I think that it helps when you’re stylish, well put together and well spoken.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t get married. If you want to have kids, do it as a single parent. Never tell the father, ever. If you can, have you mom move in with you a provide childcare. If you can’t do that, get an amazing nanny, and pay her amazingly well to keep her.

Whaaaat? Why is it better to have kids without the support of a spouse to help raise them? My parents are super helpful but it is different from having a spouse in the home.

“Don’t have kids” is fine advice though. I remember discussing our weekends with a female colleague who is a similar age, with similar age kids, but several rungs above me. Her response - “worked on XYZ” and meanwhile I had an awesome weekend with my kids and didn’t touch my laptop. I suddenly was grateful for the $300k pay difference between us!

Right?! My spouse is 10x more helpful than my parents (and my parents are wonderful!). I would instead say: marry well. Marry a man who is helpful and is a full partner.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fastest way is to move jobs every 2-3 years and make sure you get title and comp increases at each one.

Agreed. I am not typically judgmental, but I look at younger people sideways who stay in jobs for more than five years. Stay long enough to learn just enough to be well-rounded and move on. Becoming a SME is unnecessary.

SME = subject matter expert?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fastest way is to move jobs every 2-3 years and make sure you get title and comp increases at each one.

Agreed. I am not typically judgmental, but I look at younger people sideways who stay in jobs for more than five years. Stay long enough to learn just enough to be well-rounded and move on. Becoming a SME is unnecessary.

SME = subject matter expert?

Yes

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am an ambitious POC currently working as a Program Manager. I am in my middle thirties. How can I get promoted and move up? I grew up LMC so corporate politics is very new to me.

Kamala Harris managed to do this. It's pretty much public information as to how.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The fastest way is to move jobs every 2-3 years and make sure you get title and comp increases at each one.

Agreed. I am not typically judgmental, but I look at younger people sideways who stay in jobs for more than five years. Stay long enough to learn just enough to be well-rounded and move on. Becoming a SME is unnecessary.

SME = subject matter expert?

Yes

Interesting. I'm mid level and thought I should grow to understand the subject matter to wow people, even though I'm not very technical myself (marketer in STEM company). I'd say my boss is SME and I don't want her job and not sure what I should be doing or what direction to gain skills in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What if you are a woman in an office of women?

x100000000

+1

What of you literally have no mentors? I have had bosses promiseb the world when onboarding, then nothing.

[Anonymous]

WTF does POC have to do with anything. You are looking for the easy way. The best way is to be the smartest, pro-active, polite, go getter. The slowest worst way is to use your color status.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am an ambitious POC currently working as a Program Manager. I am in my middle thirties. How can I get promoted and move up? I grew up LMC so corporate politics is very new to me.

What does POC mean?
Are you an American in the first generation sense or has your family been here awhile?

Because realistically, that will also determine so of your accession.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am an ambitious POC currently working as a Program Manager. I am in my middle thirties. How can I get promoted and move up? I grew up LMC so corporate politics is very new to me.

What does POC mean?
Are you an American in the first generation sense or has your family been here awhile?

Because realistically, that will also determine so of your accession.

Unfortunately, there are different answers depending on what the C is in POC. black women face different challenges and stereotypes in the workplace than East Asian women, who face different challenges than Hispanic women, who face different challenges than Arabic women...

OP needs to learn what biases favor and disfavor her in her company and industry and play to those biases. Unfortunately, some of the answers are more about relationships rather than work ethic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Be the single point of failure. And by this, I mean knowing all the answers to every part of your job so much so that if you leave, the entire system will fail. I don't know if this fast-tracks but it will def make you the go-to person.

That makes you hard to promote.

Second this. I have vendors left because they are too competent it’s hard to have them do something else.

+2

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:WTF does POC have to do with anything. You are looking for the easy way. The best way is to be the smartest, pro-active, polite, go getter. The slowest worst way is to use your color status.

Assuming OP is already smart and a go-getter, race and class and gender can be a big difference depending on the field. It can make people distrust you or want to promote you. If you’re say, a small Asian woman you’d be perceived differently than a tall Black woman, and if you’re working with all middle age WASP men, you certainly have to figure out the game. How can you be so ignorant of the politics of getting ahead?

[Anonymous]

Apply to jobs. Why limit yourself to the company you’re with currently? I apply to a higher position every two years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am an ambitious POC currently working as a Program Manager. I am in my middle thirties. How can I get promoted and move up? I grew up LMC so corporate politics is very new to me.

Kamala Harris managed to do this. It's pretty much public information as to how.

Don't get married until you're well -established. Never have children.