What one thing really helped your career?

[verybighouseinthecountry]

Just that really. Trying to teach DD to work smart rather than just work hard. Please share one thing that you think helped you.

I think being able to speak and write well always helps. I don't mean with a posh accent, I
mean good grammar etc.

Being made redundant from a job I massively disliked in 2008.

I slept with all the right people!

Half joking 🙃

Having large well-known names on my CV opened a lot of doors, as did speaking a foreign language.

What didn't help was low self esteem and anxiety. I now know that was down to neurodivergence. It would have been a massive help (for my career and all other aspects of my life) I had had the diagnoses and treatment.

DD1 started her first proper job as a scientist just over a year ago. She says that her male peers are ridiculously over confident but she thinks that it works well for them and will be good for their careers. I tend to agree.

Doing my work to the best of my ability, and looking for extra opportunities.

Finding a really strong and wise mentor early on in my career. I so admired her and everything she'd achieved. She gave me practical advice, guidance, confidence and the occasional well timed kick up the backside. I definitely would not have got where I did without her.

One key thing she taught me was that perfection isn't always required but completion almost always is. It's better to do something and get it done than delay for fear of not doing it perfectly. I became known as the person who reliably and promptly got stuff done and that served me well. Without that advice I would have kicked the task around in my head for a week or two and probably not achieved a better end result.

Speaking a 2nd language and important names on CV (in financial sector)

Good grammar. Being good looking and slim. Sleeping with the right people.

Sad. But true.

Great replies, thanks. Hopefully as time goes on sleeping with the boss will be a thing of the past 😭

Bump