Career Confidence: Women in the Workplace

Posted on: 6 October 2022 by Samantha Riella in Events & News

As part of Employability Day and its theme of career confidence, we’ve asked some of our current students, graduates and staff for their top tips to help you develop your confidence and achieve career success!

Here at Careers and Employability, University of Liverpool, we want you to feel more confident about exploring your career options and to also address the challenges that employers face in attracting a diverse workforce. You can come to us here at the Career Studio to learn more about building your personal brand, communicating with confidence and feeling confident in the workplace.

Ellis Ewin 

I am a second year psychology student at the University of Liverpool. I currently work as a Career Coach in the Career Studio.

One thing I have learnt being a woman in the workplace is to never be afraid to speak up, communication is key. Being underestimated in terms of skills and capabilities are barriers which women face in the workplace. I have found that showing you can display these skills has helped overcome the stigma.

I would say to the next generation of female students and graduates to not let anyone make you think that you can’t do something just because you’re a woman. Jobs don’t specify gender requirements for a reason, you are just as capable as your male colleagues, it’s all about how you use your skills and experiences.

Women can empower each other, celebrate achievements together, collaborate with other women and be positive.

Zuzanna Nawrocka

I am a Career Coach at the University of Liverpool. We help students explore career pathways, connect and network with employers, and offer resources to aid in applications for jobs. I am currently a final year Microbiology student at the University.

Self-confidence is key. My experience at work and personal well-being had improved vastly once I started believing in myself and my own abilities. By focusing on myself, I was able to learn my strengths and improve my skills. As a young woman, I started to feel as though I did have a voice and my ideas can and should be heard!

Speak up and express how you feel. The role you play in your workplace does not determine the amount of respect you should receive, as everyone should be treated with respect. Challenge stereotypes and discrimination by celebrating women's achievements. Only a quarter of leadership positions are held by women. Successful leaders come with all types of personalities, backgrounds, and approaches for change.

An important skill to gain is to lead with influence, rather than authority, to truly engage your team and other women in the workplace. This could also aid development of your management skills in daily life; whether those are time, planning or interpersonal skills.

I have definitely experienced the feeling of imposter syndrome. Sometimes I fear that success is out of reach, or that I am not competent enough despite showing competency. In those moments, I reflect on the successes and challenges I had faced to get to my current position. I understand that I can't be great at everything but I tried by best and did it with heart, for which I am proud!

Do not be afraid to share your successes and encourage others to do the same. Empowering others and becoming a role model can inspire many young people to start their journey. Give it a go! Whether that's submitting an application, joining a club or asking questions; stay open minded to new opportunities, even if you're doubting your own abilities.

Robyn Canavan

I am currently a Career Coach at the Career Studio and studying French and Italian.

There’s no thing as too much. Get yourself out there, experience things you’d never experienced before, be confident! Confidence to me is a major problem for women as we’re afraid we’ll come across as too uptight or bossy but I think you should just go for it regardless of the outcome!

I always experience imposter syndrome in everything I do, it’s a big problem for me. However I always tell myself I am clearly in this situation for a reason, and try and tell myself what my worth is. Don’t let anything hold you back, especially society. If you want something that bad then you go for it. Who are they to tell you what to do? It’s your world they’re just living in it!

Xuange Zhang

I am a Career Coach at the University of Liverpool and study Mathematics. I will graduate in 2023.

Always thinking that you are not the best doesn't help with your work at all. I would try my best to show my ability at work as well as telling myself that doesn't mean you are not good enough. Love and trust yourself no matter if other people judge you.

Women can help other women by building their confidence and offer advice.

Lily-May Edwards

Currently, I work for the University of Liverpool, Careers & Employability team as a graduate intern digital content creator. My role involves planning and creating social media content for the @livunicareers Instagram and TikTok, as well as coordinating these channels. I graduated from UoL in 2022 and studied Law with Philosophy.

One thing I have learnt whilst working in relation to career confidence is that it is always a good idea to challenge yourself. I know it's easier said than done because we all like to stick to what we know and what we are good at, but challenging yourself is so important for learning new skills and to improve your self-confidence!

Do not let fear get in the way of your success or of your choices. From my experiences, I chose to go into a career which was completely out of line with my law degree. This was a big risk for me and was stepping into a completely different territory. But so far, it has been the best decision that I have made, because I absolutely LOVE my job. So, don't be afraid to take risks and be confident in your ability.

We should always encourage women to go for it, women tend to doubt themselves so by other women encouraging and believing in them in a massive confidence boost for them. We should also always celebrate women's accomplishments and make sure that women's voices and ideas are being heard in the workplace.

I think women can make their mark by always being up for putting themselves out there. Whether that's sharing their ideas in meetings, to always taking any opportunity that is given them. I think showing this eagerness and willingness is what can definitely help them make their mark.

Aditi Gupta

I am a graduate intern at the University of Liverpool's Careers and Employability team. As part of my job role, I focus on employability of international students and graduates from the University of Liverpool. I have also recently completed my postgraduate degree at the University of Liverpool Management School. I studied MSc Occupational and Organisational Psychology.

I feel as a woman in the workplace, I have a tendency to heavily police my behaviour at all times. I was always extra conscious of workplace surroundings, making it my mission to ensure I was not messing up at any cost. I realized that I did not need to spend so much effort to be confident in the workplace. I learned that I could be confident in my natural self and stopped being so harsh on myself.

As someone who has not worked in the western context for a long time, I feel it is unfair to generalize my experiences to the context of Western workplace. However, I have experienced that workplace and workplace members tend to place high(er) standards on women than men. Similarly, women themselves may also put high standards on themselves. This is also commonly noted in behaviours where women may not apply for a job because they do not match one point in the job description! I feel I have just consciously started to not care a little about these standards, knowing that I work hard enough.

When you think you are not working hard enough, stop and reflect. I recently finished my dissertation where I explored the workplace incivility experiences of women leaders/managers. I realized that a lot of women subordinates were instigators of workplace incivility towards women leaders/managers. This (most likely) primarily stemmed from a sense of competition.

I feel that women can support other women in the workplace by just being more supportive of each other. Just celebrating every small win of fellow women can go a long way!

Jen Foden-James

I am an Employability Officer at the University of Liverpool, delivering careers and employability lectures and modules as part of the HLS Faculty.

One thing I have learnt whilst being a woman in the workplace is don’t let the inner imposter win and do not be afraid to reach for better things. Grow your self-belief and remain positive about your learning journey. Don’t believe everything you think, especially if you struggle with self-worth. The evidence of your achievements is all around you, let them speak louder!

I think women can support other women by mentoring and supporting each other’s targets and goals, lifting each other up when we need it and celebrating successes.

Don’t forget we offer lots of opportunities for you to explore future career pathways, connect with employers and upskill yourself!

We have employer networking sessions with top graduate recruiters who are looking for a diverse workforce. Our Career Coaches are also here to give you one-to-one support on your CV, applications and finding suitable part-time work, internships and graduate roles. If you head over to Handshake, you’ll find a range of resources that give advice and insight into how to make the most of employer activity on campus, explore a broad range of industries and how to be confident during your studies and once you have graduated.