In the past year, I completed an MBA with distinction while working full time in a fast-moving insurance software business undergoing major transformation, and stepped into my first director role in technology.
It has been a lot, but it is what I wanted. More importantly, I have always told my employer exactly where my ambitions lie. In my experience, women are often less direct about what they want, and that is a mistake. It may feel uncomfortable or pushy, but this is your career and your livelihood. If you do not say it or ask for it, no one will know.
Some call it being vocal. There’s nothing wrong with that if you have something valid to say and contribute. I saw the benefits of this approach early in my career when I noticed that the people who moved fastest were often the most visible and clear about their ambition. So, from then, when I reached a point that the role felt too comfortable, I would tell my manager where I wanted to go next, even when it felt a little presumptuous. I still do it now: four months into a director role, I am already thinking beyond it. I know when it is time to move. When I am confident in a role and no longer need real support to make decisions, I start looking for what is next.
Of course, being vocal only works if you can handle what comes back. Feedback, especially the kind that stings, has been as important as asking for opportunities. Honest, difficult feedback is a way to learn and grow, it’s not personal and not a verdict on my ability.
Along with speaking up, early on, I built a list of the skills I wanted to develop to support my career ambitions. These comprised hard skills such as strategy, finance and marketing, and softer skills such as presenting well and showing up at industry events. I have worked through it methodically, taking the opportunities available rather than waiting for the perfect one.
None of this works if you don’t recognise the impact of your career trajectory on others and the opportunities it opens up. I am already thinking about my successor because having one frees me to move. People listened to me and helped me to get here, so I want to help someone else too. I try to bring people up with me by sharing what I have learned, being honest about what roles demand, and making sure others have the chance to be seen and heard.
My advice to any women forging a career in technology is the advice I still give myself: step outside your comfort-zone when work is no longer challenging, take all the feedback positively, build your skills list, and say out loud where you want to go.
