In celebration of Women’s History Month, SPS faculty members answered the question, What career advice would you give to women in your field, or women hoping to break into your field?
Even in the most difficult moments, focus on your goal of breaking into the industry and lean on your support system. There are more female allies in sports than you may think! Don't allow self-doubt to overshadow your capabilities."
Remember your roots, write your own story, and always be confident!"
Women can do everything they put their minds to. Finding good mentors and allies is crucial for a successful career. Create a network of other female scientists that can support and give you advice; that has really helped to keep me balanced through the years. Plus it has the bonus of leading to interesting collaborations with other women in your field and beyond."
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Even if you believe that you are the only person who does not know the answer, ask the question anyway. Wealth Management professionals love to use acronyms; if you don’t know what the acronym stands for, speak up and ask."
Pursue a career that plays to your strengths and energizes you. Cultivate strong relationships, take calculated risks, and accept that most of the time career paths are not linear."
Know what you enjoy doing and assume the mindset of a person doing it. If you know what you enjoy, there will be many ways to do it and the only thing that will prevent it is your own mind."
The word networking is thrown around casually and seems easy, but networking is hard! Introducing yourself to strangers is uncomfortable but can be invaluable. Find the time to connect with a few people each week, and make sure to follow up in a few months to check in and provide updates. It sometimes takes months or years to build a relationship, so don't give up."
Find your passion, then translate that passion into your purpose, and focus that purpose on doing something that matters to make your mark on the world. If you live a life of consequences, you will accept a lot of nonsense. But if you live a life of purpose, you will make your mark on the world."
If you want to do it, do it, and do it your way, even if it looks like nobody else is doing it like that. Sure, there might be people who don’t like it. But with so many challenges in the world, and the potential of science to help address them, we need everyone on deck, with all their variety of ways of doing things!"
The quality of a leader is reflected in the standards they set for themselves."
Women make great financial advisors. Embrace your strengths and help all of your clients to do the same. Women see financial planning and its power in unique ways, which is of high importance and value. Invest like a woman!"
Female leaders do not need to adapt to the style of a man. Women can and often do lead differently than men, and their approach can be quite effective. Mimicking anyone else's style of leadership dilutes your genuineness, as well as the unique traits that allow you to best connect with your team. Here's to celebrating women—and genuine female leadership—not just this month, but throughout the year!"
Believe in yourself, don't take no for an answer, and find people or a network that can help you with tough questions."
With each challenge presented, you look for opportunity, and with each ambiguity, you adapt to the situation."
The sports industry thrives on innovation, so forget about what’s already been done. Everyone else wants to follow 'traditional' paths, so plot your own creative course or be willing and ready to walk into unchartered territories or roles that you never dreamed of."
Believe in yourself; remain undefeated. Forge ahead as no effort goes wasted."
As women, working hard, dedication and continuous learning are often a given. A skill that is rare but learned is emotional intelligence! Learn to read your audience, and adapt your message to navigate difficult conversations!"
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of any other person or entity.
