Women in Male Dominated Career Fields

Women graduate from college 3 to 2 over men and make up almost half the workforce. But there are still many male-dominated career fields including law, biotechnology, publishing, and corporate business to name just a few.

Women are the fastest growing population of entrepreneurs but they still need to play catch-up in many career sectors to be recognized along with their male counterparts. Mireille Gingras, CEO and President of HUYA Bioscience International offers five tips for women trying to get established in career fields where very few other women hold executive titles. These words of wisdom come from a piece by Elizabeth Wilson who writes for WomenEntrepreneur.com

Commit to building and growing your career. Find your career passion and dedicate yourself to opportunities that lead to growth so you can play to your strengths and earn promotions.

Know your industry, and look for opportunities that play to women’s strengths. Do your due diligence and know the nuances of your industry and become keenly aware of who is being promoted and why. Many women tend to be successful working on and leading teams. Analyze your strengths and position yourself for growth based on what you do well.

Move away from your comfort zone when networking. It’s easier to cultivate a network of women but you must spend just as much time, if not more building professional relationships with men so you can be visible and recognized for your accomplishments and potential.

Maintain balance between drive and patience. The drive and initiative to get things done vs. the need to be thoughtful and patient when dealing with challenges can be a struggle. Evaluate when one can be more beneficial than the other.

Speak directly and with confidence. Take a seat at the table, literally and figuratively. Speak with ample volume, declamatory statements, and self-confident body language to set up your professional persona as a woman who commands the room.