On the bigger stage, the women’s movement has won hard fought gains including the ‘right to work’, greater equity and opportunity, and let’s not forget the ‘right to vote’.
At the personal level, the enduring challenge for women to ‘give it a go’ and pursue opportunities is lack of self-belief, confidence and courage to act. For all my years working in career development, these issues persist across the generations. Women defer not only to men, but also other women, or simply choose not to act, regardless of career stage, age and experience. Believing in ourselves needs constant attention and this was Sandy’s key lesson.
After working in casual employment, Sandy (located in a prosperous regional centre with a range of industries) was interested in returning to a more permanent office job – but had been holding herself back. With the perception that employment prospects would drop when you get to a ‘certain age’ and also not feeling completely confident in her ability, Sandy was ready to ‘accept’ her current work situation instead of pursuing her goal. An opportunity presented for Sandy to join a personal development program, which took a leap of faith. She found the program to be hugely beneficial, not only the practical elements of job seeking, but also the personal coaching to focus on identifying and leveraging her strengths and building confidence. Finding the courage to apply and secure a new job has helped Sandy also see the advantages of her considerable experience.
“Don’t let age be a barrier – believe in yourself and what you bring to the table.”
Sometimes you just need that someone ’on your side’ to believe in you and provide dedicated support to ‘give it a go’. Many of us have our trusted inner circle to lean on, however there is great benefit in an independent trusted adviser. A personal career guide is totally dedicated to you, providing a confidential space to explore self, and opportunities, including an action plan for career goals and next steps. If you want to take those steps for yourself, visit my website and get in touch.
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