Career

Women in the world of today are no longer considered as fairer beings and are an equally as resourceful and integral part of the workforce as men are. They are CEOs, members of the political parties, are serving in the army, are playing different sports like archery, Mixed Martial Arts, Judo, marathons, gymnastics, shooting, and many other sports that were only known because of male players. Women today are capable enough to excel in the field of business and technology and explore new horizons of life.

One of the things that led to the current wave of women empowerment is social media platforms, the internet, and many other strong women in the society who changed the way our society perceived women and the infinite opportunities that they can get in the world of business. The opportunities are infinite for women with a vision, ambition, and determination, and if you are a woman who has limited resources and an affordable internet connection like the ones offered by Spectrum then you need not worry about the administrative issues of your business.

Also, Spectrum offers Spectrum specials that can facilitate you with news channels that can make you aware of the business world and other factors of production so that you have a clear vision of your business.

Let’s have a look at the different powerful women in the world and discover their secret sauce to success:

“Be stubborn and thick-skinned. Because I think even if you’re passionate, and even if you’re really good at what you do, I think you are likely to be subject to preconceived notions of who can do what.” (Anab Jain, Co-Founder, and Director at Superflux)

Anab Jain is one of the most successful people in the world and her secret ingredient to success was to be a thick-skinned individual. This is very useful for women as on many occasions they are criticized for doing things that only men can do and even when they are with their families, they have to go through criticism and different types of negative comments.

According to her, one should let go of all the “noise” going around them as those things will exist where they are but you must not waste your addressing or even suffering for such negative things and perceptions. If you are confident in your work and your capabilities then nothing can stop you from going towards your goals.

“I was once afraid of people saying ‘Who does she think she is?’ Now I have the courage to stand and say, ‘This is who I am.’” (Oprah Winfrey, actress, American talk show host, philanthropist, television producer, and author)

Oprah Winfrey is one of the renowned icons and figures that are part of American culture. There are so many people around the world who might not approve of who you are or what you do. This can be someone from your immediate family or a close friend who might think that your ways are not good enough and when you will try to correct them, they will say a lot of negative things about you. But you know that you are an exceptional individual and you have your own ways to do things. Nobody should tell you or change you for their satisfaction. You should stay on your path and prove everybody wrong with your success.

“We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes — understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.” (Arianna Huffington, Co-Founder of The Huffington Post and founder and CEO of Thrive Global)

Arianna Huffington is one of the most influential people who got featured in the Forbes as Forbes Most Powerful Women list, and her influence as the Co-Founder of the most followed Huffington Post and the Thrive Global, she has outmatched the success of men in business. She considers success as a journey that will keep on changing its dynamics and you will come across circumstances where things might not go in your favor and sometimes you will be on top of the world. Even if you come across a few obstacles in life, you shouldn’t be the end of the line for you but should work as a bridge between you and your success.

Key Takeaways

In the end, one can say that women have realized their true potential and are working alongside their male counterparts in almost every walk of life. If you are someone who wants to get some motivation in life you can follow these and some other amazing women who started off with almost no courage and are now making a difference in life. All you need to do is live a positive life and give out positive vibes that can motivate you and others to achieve more.  

Aiming for professional advancement and thinking of ways to progress in your career is a healthy sign that you want to expand, refine your current skills, and never stop improving. It’s an admirable desire reflecting how you’re determined not to stay stagnant and that you want to use your knowledge for good.

Importance Of Thinking About Your Promotion

Most people would dedicate a large portion of their lives working, so it’s natural for most employees to dream and set goals to progress and achieve career success.

The opportunity to get promoted doesn’t only give you a better salary. With more responsibilities and duties, you’ll continuously be challenged to seek effective ways to deliver your best work. Also, a higher position gives you the chance to enjoy various learning opportunities. All these can help meet your professional and engagement needs, boosting your productivity and improving your morale. 

Additionally, setting goals for promotion helps you stay motivated and provides you purpose. It gives you a reason to give your best and show up for work. This can offer you direction and a clear outlook of where you’re planning to go in your career.

Realistic Ways To Progress In Your Career

Surely, you’re not the only one in the company who’s aiming to be noticed by your employer. Most employees want to be promoted and gain better opportunities. If you’re healthily competing against your co-workers, you need to have a strategic career scheme that’ll fast-track your promotion.  

To help you, below are three no-nonsense tips to move up the corporate ladder:

1. Pursue Post-Graduate Studies

To improve your chances for promotion, you need to make yourself a resource in the company. While your current skills and knowledge are enough, you might need to enroll yourself for further education to prepare for the position and grasp a better understanding of how to set systems and manage the company. Pursuing higher studies will equip you with the skills, abilities, and techniques that you need to succeed in your respective line of work.

As you skim through the general COO Job Description, you’d notice how most businesses require their potential candidates to proceed with their post-graduate studies. The skills, knowledge, training, and academic experiences you’ll gain will become handy as you lead your people and manage the operations of a big company.

Moreover, enrolling yourself in higher education won’t only provide you with insights on how to improve the company, but this can also contribute toward your proficiency. In graduate school, you won’t only gain job-related skills, but you’ll also earn valuable skills you can apply in your chosen niche. Consequently, this can increase your credibility in your field, opening up more professional opportunities and making you an expert.

At the same time, these professional opportunities don’t have to end within the company you’re working in. For instance, completing your graduate studies can boost your chances for mentoring possibilities in other companies. All these will enable you to be a great asset, making you an ideal candidate for vacant positions.

2. Preserve Integrity

Big companies aren’t simply looking for someone who has all the professional background to fill in a vacant leadership role. The management will also look for someone who has firm and sound moral character. If you’re pursuing a potential leadership role, you need to have integrity. You can’t simply talk about something important and act against it.

Make sure that your actions speak louder than your words. When you’re able to show this even when you’re still an associate, this will allow your managers and peers to notice you. It’d be easy for you to establish rapport and develop trust within the employees in the company.

Moreover, this is one character that can build a business from the ground up. An ethical, sound leader would want to preserve the great reputation of the company and would make decisions that’ll be in line with the business’s brand. This can help you gain the respect of others, minimize conflicts, and eliminate guesswork.

3. Expand Your Professional Network

Expanding your network and building connections isn’t limited to the company you’re working in. Meeting new professionals from similar businesses and getting acquainted with them can help you land more opportunities to move up the ladder.

Also, associating yourself with credible experts can help you gain the impression that you’re one of them. This is essential, especially in your resume’s character references. A few employers would count on the fact that you’re strongly associated with a reputable professional in the industry. Nonetheless, make sure that you truly are someone who can be trusted and have the credentials to keep up with their expectations.

Initially, you need to prioritize meeting professionals within your industry as these people will become relevant to your career outcomes. They can provide you practical tips, mentoring possibilities, and even solid support for your career plans. These can help you incorporate and come up with new ideas you can share in the workplace.

Moreover, when you’re able to strengthen these connections, you can build long-term relationships that’ll increase your chances of success. These people can inspire you to spark action in your career, exchange ideas with you, and more. To solidify these connections, make sure you also have something to bring to the table. For instance, you can help them in addressing work-related challenges and share effective practices to boost employee engagement.

When they see your potential, they might even offer you career advancements within their company, fast-tracking your way up in the corporate arena. With all these, leverage your network and be open to mentoring opportunities. Attend conferences, seminars, training, and avenues where professionals in your field tend to gather around. Many employees have attained their corporate success because of the strong networking channels they’ve fostered over time.

Additionally, don’t stop building your social and professional web when you already landed your dream job. The more people you know, the more opportunities you’ll encounter.

Final Thoughts

Moving up the corporate ladder will take a lot of strategic planning and dedication. While this pursuit can be demanding, all your efforts will be worth it once you land the job. By following the tips above, you’ll be able to fast-track your way up in due time.

The ability to communicate with others is a skill set that many do not possess. However, it has been proved that people with good communication skills are most likely to succeed in life. Studies show that 85% of corporate success comes from effective communication, while 15% of corporate success comes from knowledge and technical skills. This makes it important when you are in business.

What makes a Good Speaker?

It is worth mentioning that you cannot learn to communicate effectively; you are either born with it or not. However, effective communication skills can help you to stand out among other colleagues, quite profoundly.

It is a very famous saying that ‘Communication works for those who work at it’. Communication skills do not only deal with speaking effectively. It encompasses all forms of communication, including body language, gestures, and symbolic signals. 

Ever wondered why some people tend to stand out among others. Communication might be the key. The ability to communicate with others in a professional manner distinguishes them from others. No matter how much knowledge you have, if you cannot effectively convey it to others, you will never be able to become a good speaker. Contrarily, if you have good communication skills, you can always add more flavors to your topics, regardless of your knowledge requirements.

Communications at Professional Level

To improve communication skills at work, it is imperative to know about your company’s organizational structure. We have highlighted some points that can enable you to become a good speaker.

7 Significant Attributes of Having Good Communication Skills Include the following:

Be a Good Listener: Understanding what other people say is a vital tool to become a good listener. If you cannot understand what others people tend to say, you will never communicate with them effectively. People that can become good listeners can become good speakers. You certainly don’t want to bulldoze people with tons of words; otherwise, it will make a wrong impression on the audience. 

Speak in a Professional Manner: You certainly want to use a professional and ethnic mode of language that suits the corporate structure well. However, care must be taken that one should never lose his professionalism while working. This develops a wrong impression among work staff and colleagues. 

Gather all the Required Knowledge: Your presentation’s content must be thorough, complete, and precise. Irrespective of your grasp of the English language, you must always consider that you must be well versed with the topics you intend to speak. 

Be Confident: Being Confident in your commutation skill can help you deliver your presentations more appropriately. Good speakers often tend to maintain eye contact with the audience that involves the audience in the conversation.

Speak in a Positive Attitude: The tone of your conversation must be very healthy and positive. If you speak in a shaggy and fragile way, it will make the audience bore and uninterested in your discussion. 

Avoid Harsh Words: When in a professional environment, never use harsh words to make people upset or angry. Instead, try to be polite and gentle as you can be. Try not to use words that can trigger abrupt emotions in people. 

Maintain a Suitable Tone: When communicating with others, never try to use a monotonous tone. Instead, alternate your tone between high and low pitches to attract the attention of the audience. 

All Gains for Good Communication

Words are an excellent option for expressing your thoughts and desires. When in a corporate structure, extra care is required. This sets the basis for a more involved communication method that can enhance the performance and productivity of the workforce. Apart from maintaining a well-spoken professional environment, it also adds more traits to your personality and charm.

For most of us, the regular 9 to 5 job is not enough to buy a dream car or a big home. We always wonder what extra we can do that can help us to put some extra bucks in the pocket. Some guys who have some excess mileage get on with entrepreneurship and freelancing, part-time job, or business opportunities that can help them to utilize their time more fruitfully.

Everything Depends on Idea

It is worth mentioning that any idea that can generate revenue streams is worth it, no matter how small or insignificant it might be. Interestingly, all the ideas that have evolved to become large corporate structures started with a personal level of brainstorming and deciding what to do, it is important. The best example is Uber, which began when the Uber parents did not find a cab.

How Does No Money Investments Work

Worth mentioning that you do not require to put your own money to start up an entrepreneurship plan. Many platforms of financing schemes and start-up are available that can invest money into your business. Even, college students who are unemployed can take loans and start anything they want. Gradually, as the company begins to gain some pace, you decide on a rate for mutual profit sharing.

The main advantage of entrepreneurship is that it does not require a conventional office setup. All you need is a good business idea, and the rest will follow you. We have listed here a few food business ideas that need very low investment. 

Nowadays the banking sector has also got involved in the entrepreneurship business. Via different channels including government platforms, special loans are available for entrepreneurs that work on easy payback terms.

Easy Steps To Become An Entrepreneur

We have listed down all the significant steps in a sequential order that can help you to become a successful entrepreneur. The main emphasis is to highlight those things that get the best Idea out of your mind.

Go Through A Thorough Research: Idea is everything. It must be strong enough that can attract the potential investor. The main crux is to find a unique idea or, in some way, a plan that improves the existing process. 

Maintain Specificity: Those who have attended start-up sessions already know that, generality is the biggest enemy of your idea. You have to conceive an idea that is very specific and focuses on a specific target segmentation.

Develop the Idea: After doing all the hard work on preliminary analysis, develop your Idea. Make it flexible as it can be. Get it checked with some start-up guru. Subsequently, develop a business plan of your Idea and get it checked with someone in the business domain.

Brainstorm on the Idea from Every Angle: It is essential to get your Idea checked from every angle. Ever wonder why start-up plans fail often. It is because the Idea lags in one way or the other. Since you want to become an entrepreneur with no money, your Idea is everything you have.

Find The Right People in the Market: After developing an Idea, the next step corresponds to finding the proper target segmentation. Locate the people around you, make some visits, and get listed with good start-up companies. 

Pitch Your Idea: The last step of the process is pitching. Make sure that you pitch it to the proper segmentation. Your presentation must be simple, precise, and concise. All financial requirements, loopholes, and profit-sharing mechanisms must be shared before signing the contract. Commonly, it is often observed that investors tend to polish the Idea in their way before bringing it to the masses.

Again everything is the Idea

An idea can change your life But you will have to make it the best one. See, big giants like Facebook, Ali Baba, and Apple started from one room set up to become what they are now. Also, remember that millions of start-up ideas are made every day, but often fail as they lag the intention and depth of working.

Life never follows a straight line. It is a blend of good and bad moments. The decisions we make in life induce strong ripples that have far-reaching consequences. A decision no matter how small it is, can have a dynamic impact on your life.

Decisions Every Second

We make decisions every day that range from household to the corporate level. Based on the gravity of situations, some decisions should be based on consultation, while some decisions should be made on an individual level. Make sure that the decisions you make should satisfy your heart in one way or the other. Otherwise, you might not stick with it.

Decision Drive You

It is a very well-known saying that ‘Once you decide, the whole world conspires to make it happen’. Basically, you just need an idea in your life that will govern your actions. So if you can figure out the source of this idea, you can get very close to finding true inspiration. Decisions just fire up the idea. They just remind you that you have a made commitment to yourself.

Sometimes decisions can work as a great tool to remove doubt. People often get confused about selecting what is best for them. Deciding at the right moment gives you the confidence and the desired willpower to go for it. Making a no-decision will leave you baffled and clueless about what you have to do.  

The Real Importance of Making Decision in Life

Channel your Life: Ever wonder when growing up how much time you have wasted on some useless things that resulted in nothing but negative energy. If somehow you had made the right decision at the time, you would have gained something that would have benefited you.

Removes the Doubt: Decision-making can help you to clear your doubts in mind. Once you have decided in your life, you stick with it, no matter the consequences. It also gives you peace of mind that you are going in the right direction.  

Effective Time Utilization: Deciding early in life can help you to utilize your time effectively. Since you have a good idea about what you intend to do in life, you don’t waste your time searching for things. Instead, direct your attention to achieve set goals.  

Better Utilization of Resources: A person that has decided about his set goals and objectives promptly can make great roads for success. This enables him to utilize his resources effectively, smartly, and particularly aligned in one direction.  

Frees you from the Guilt: Sometimes, making a decision in life can help you accept all the responsibilities. Instead of blaming it on others, you admit your faults. It relieves you from all the guilt and gives you the strength to move ahead.  

Makes Others Aware of your Plans: People that make an early decision in life make themselves and others well aware of their plans for the future. It creates a source of responsibility and information among people around you so they can guide you in a more predetermined way.  

Gives you Confidence: It also develops inbuilt confidence that gives you the thrill to achieve goals. Having a mind without confidence will always result in reduced results and inefficiencies.

Decisions Direct You To Do More

No one can teach you how to make good decisions in life. It depends upon you. It is often observed that people do not make a definitive decision, rather continue to try multiple things. As they say, ‘A Rolling Gathers No Moss’, similarly, people that do not have a solid idea in mind cannot make any tangible progress unless they channel out directions in the right direction.  

The best careers for MBA graduates are in vocations where an MBA qualification continues to deliver value over time. Here is a list of eleven handpicked roles for MBA graduates where the degree offers a substantial competitive advantage. For detailed job titles in each career stream, see this article by Mallory.

Account Executive

Entry-level to senior management jobs are available as an account executive. The role involves selling activities where you need to increase the company’s client base, manage existing accounts to ensure repeat business, and find new customers.

Your career progresses as you move towards more significant key accounts, secure strategic leadership positions, and sell more high-value products. You have to be sales-oriented and a clever communicator.

Business Consultant

Appearances matter a lot in the consulting world, and an MBA degree commands a high value there. Your MBA degree helps generate demand for you to give expert advice to clients in management, development, and business administration issues.

To gain the confidence of clients and attract new business in the process, you should demonstrate expertise and ability in the subject you specialized in at university or the graduate business school.

Business Development Manager

As a business development manager, your job is to grow the company. You do this by identifying and capturing new business opportunities. You may be required to take on varied roles, such as that of a marketer, networker, and strategist. Examples of things you might do on a daily basis are to market products, improve your company’s digital presence, tap into new markets, or find new customers.

An MBA degree helps you to develop business strategy skills to add value to your organization. To succeed as a business development manager, you definitely want people to pay attention to what you have to say.

Entrepreneur

You may argue that MBA does not help you to become an entrepreneur. If you have invented a gadget or a new technology with worldwide applications, perhaps you need not bother with formal studies. But you need proper business skills to be an effective entrepreneur, and MBA can be a good idea.

Studying for an MBA allows you to develop key skills, especially with a course geared towards entrepreneurship. Holding an MBA can also help you win the confidence of business partners and prospective investors. An online MBA may be a good option if you want to save time on travel and tuition fees.

Finance Manager

If you enjoy understanding numbers and accounting concepts, this role of a finance manager could be for you. You can use your financial insights to guide business investment decisions. With an MBA degree, people will trust you for your strategic financial management skills.

General Manager

The role of a general manager involves leading people, managing and supervising them – typically when you are senior enough to “manage” other managers. Leadership and general management are core subjects in any MBA program and management principles are a central focus.

Completing an MBA reinforces your commitment to general management skills. Graduate business schools cater well to busy professionals and often design their online MBA programs to be ideal for senior managers.

Industry Specialist Manager

When you reach a quiet point in your career, you may find yourself questioning your prospects for a higher salary or promotion. Generally speaking, management skills and industry knowledge rather than technical skills are the major assets you need to keep progressing.

An MBA can help you grab senior management roles by demonstrating management skills. An MBA program will build your business administration skills to be an influential Industry specialist manager.

Marketing Manager

As you rise the ladder in the marketing profession, you devote more time to planning, leading, and budgeting instead of doing campaign jobs. Marketing is a core subject in almost every MBA program, along with management and leadership. Consequently, an MBA with marketing units is a fantastic booster degree for a career in marketing management.

Operations Manager

As an operations manager, your job is to oversee business operations, typically looking after service delivery or manufacturing processes. An MBA helps you shift from running routine operational activities to taking lead roles. Studying for an MBA better equips you to manage teams and formulate business strategies.

Product Manager

As a product manager, you have to optimize profits by ensuring that your product meets customer needs, is cost-effective, and follows high production standards. An MBA helps you develop business and teamwork skills. You come away better able to work with different people ranging from senior executives to production workers.

Program Manager

Specific activities require a separate budget, distinct from other business aspects. This is where the job of a program manager starts. You have to be adaptable because programs often vary and may be unique. An MBA provides a broad skill set, including business administration and team management skills, essential for program management roles.

Sales Manager

If you can mentor and coach your team to reach higher sales and have a knack for selling, the role of the sales manager could be for you. MBA holders have a competitive edge in recruitment and promotion processes as they have important skills. For example, resource allocation and strategic planning commonly feature in MBA programs and are also required for effective sales management.

During the coronavirus pandemic redundancy rates increased faster than during the 2008-09 economic downturn, with the global uncertainty resulting in many workers losing their jobs.

The Bank of England expects the unemployment rate to peak at 5.5% this autumn, with the government’s furlough scheme set to finish at the end of September.

While lockdown restrictions have eased significantly over the past months, the future remains uncertain for the portion of the population that was unable to work through the pandemic.

Becoming a freelancer is a way back into the job market for those people. We’ve put together a few handy tips to help those looking to go it alone get the most out of their decision.

What is a freelancer?

The number of freelancers in the UK grew slightly to 2.2 million in 2020, according to the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed (IPSE).

When you’re a freelancer, you can work for any number of companies and invoice them for your services. However, you’ll need to register as a sole trader with HMRC and take care of paying your income tax and national insurance contributions. That may sound daunting, but you can file your self-assessment tax return online and government-approved software like GoSimpleTax makes it easier than ever.

Companies are responsible for the health and safety of freelancers they employ, though. However, they do not have to afford them the same rights as permanent employees. For example, a full-time member of staff would be provided with replacement equipment if theirs malfunctioned or stopped working – a freelancer wouldn’t.

To protect yourself from potential issues that can threaten your ability to work, it could be a good idea to take out a business insurance policy. That way you know your back is covered if unforeseen circumstances arise.

Before you get started

It’s important to make sure it’s clear what services you are offering and the industry you are focusing on before you try to find work as a freelancer. Identify your key skills and select the one you want to put forward as your primary offering.

Once you’ve done that, set up a professional profile on online platforms like LinkedIn, Bidvine and Upwork that can help you find work. Try to find out if there are any such services dedicated solely to the niche you are looking to freelance in or the skill you are offering.

For example, contently is good for writers, OnSite caters to people who work in the digital realm, while IT contractors can head to Elevate.

If you can showcase pieces of work from a previous job, create an online portfolio that you can direct potential clients to. They’ll be able to easily see the standard of your work and it could help turn potential leads into paid work.

It’s simple enough to register as a freelancer, but by following our tips you’ll hopefully find it easier to find potential clients and start earning on the terms you set.