Three years’ ago I ran the ‘Springboard‘ personal and professional programme for female professional services staff at Warwick. 18 women took part, and after the programme ended I stayed in touch to find out what happened next. 17 of the 18 participants (94.4%) had successfully progressed in their careers. The majority had progressed within the University with others securing promotions externally. Impressively, almost all the staff who progressed internally had also leapfrogged a grade.
When I recruited to the current Springboard programme, participants wanted to know how the earlier cohort had been so successful. So I asked them. Many were very generous with their tips which I duly shared. There was so much good advice that this is one of three posts on this topic.
This post is for women working in administration roles in particular but much of the advice is applicable to anyone looking to progress. My thanks to all the fabulous Springboard graduates who contributed.
Preparation tips
- Think about, note down and take stock of things you have taken ownership of within your roles. They don’t need to be big, or entirely yours (small things can have a big impact and can demonstrate your approach) – projects, process improvements, innovation, problems you’ve solved creatively.
- Find tangible examples of those things you’ve done and think about how to explain them in terms of the measurable impact (stats, numbers, feedback) they’ve had, and the ways the things you’ve done have met strategic aims (could be tying in to local strategic goals, or bigger Uni ones).
- Make the call!! If they offer an informal chat on the job ad, get in touch! It helps you see if you really want the role, it helps you make the application and will definitely at the very least make them remember your name. It shows proactiveness and enthusiasm.
- Follow people on LinkedIn. There are 100s of articles, blogs and videos about applications and interviews.
- Follow people on topics that interest you and you’ll find yourself keeping up to date with developments without feeling like it’s any effort. For example, EDI, organisational development, career coaches, female empowerment specialists. It’s amazing the tips, free courses and policy updates you digest without even realising!
- Prepare using the STAR technique so you’ll have a ready bank of scenarios/answers for different competencies.
- Start to observe/research, even if you’re not quite ready to move on yet, to build up your awareness of roles out there, different departments, grades etc, and as a way to check with yourself. What are you really interested in doing next? What excites you when you read it? What makes you think “ooh, I don’t fancy that!” Explore why.
- Start to build up a few contacts in different departments. Go to networking events. Get talking to people (have a short summary or ‘elevator pitch’ ready; focus on you/your skills/what you are seeking rather than the job title you currently have).
- Don’t talk yourself out of applying for a role if you don’t meet all the criteria (men don’t tend to do that!).
Paying it forward
The collective wisdom of the many was so valuable that we wanted to share it more widely. We hosted an ‘Inspiring Women’ event and invited four successful Springboard graduates to a Q & A panel event which more than 60 staff attended.
Subsequent posts will cover tips on applications and interviews.
By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail. Benjamin Franklin
