20+ Smart Women Share Career Tips They Wish They'd Known Sooner

Happy Women’s History Month! One of the things I think a lot about is the idea of Early Friends Club–how do we let everyone in on the best secrets to career success sooner? Often, the advice we have access to comes from a small circle, one that we can widen if we share more freely and reach beyond our existing networks. Let’s talk about our salaries and share the lessons we’ve learned the hard way!?

So today, I’m pleased to bring you the top pieces of advice 20+ women across multiple continents wish they’d known earlier in their careers. These women work at top tech companies, startups, and leading business universities, and their advice is fire. Let’s be friends! I’m betting you see or hear yourself in some of these scenarios and tips–and what would you add to this list?

On Negotiation

Hilary Headlee , Head of Global Sales Ops & Enablement at Zoom: “When I was interviewing for new roles, I would be asked: "What are you making at your current role?" And I would answer honestly.

My fear was they would call my current employer and make sure I wasn't being dishonest. Honesty is very important to me, so this went against my values. What was happening though, is that I was keeping myself in the same pay range, when changing jobs is THE BEST time to make a leap in your compensation.?

In order to align with my value of honesty, I started answering the question of what I make with: "What I would need to make is $$$."?

Did my voice shake when I asked? Was I nervous? Did my armpits sweat? All answers are YES. Did I start seeing big increases? YES. Was I better able to support my growing family? YES.?

Change the question: ask for what *you* need. The worst they will say is ‘No, but we can do this amount.’ And then you know.”

Aura Roy , Senior Customer Success Analyst at LinkedIn: “One tip I wish I knew and implemented was the power of negotiation. I feel I learned it too late and took whatever was offered. Now that I have found my voice to ask for what I deserve, I love how empowering it feels! Women especially have a tendency I feel to be okay with whatever is being offered and feel they are getting so much at certain times. But the reality is so different even till now.”

On Charting the Right Path for You

Harpreet Kaur , Global Product/Technical Engineering Program Leader at Microsoft: “I wish I would not have spent time to just fit in and cover early in my career. I tried to fit in with others. But I never could, and I never can. Then I realized I have my own unique strengths and superpowers and that’s the best quality which I have and can shine through. In every project/team at work and even at home, I try to live by “Why blend in when you are born to stand out”. Live life urgently and keep learning. Believe in yourself, and you will shine. Those who think you are nobody will be asking for your autograph one day!”

Almeera Jiwa Pratt , Content Manager for Nanolearning at LinkedIn: “I’ve always been a planner–I’ve had my life and career mapped out since I was 16! What I wish I could tell myself is “trust the process”. I spent (spend) an unnecessary amount of time worrying about my career and next steps that I forget to enjoy everything I work for. You can prepare, plan, strategize, etc., but none of it matters if you are not having fun along the way!”

Nora Agbakhamen , Head of Partnerships & Communications at Inspire Consulting: “Professional development is not linear. I saw courses and trainings I was passionate about, but kept tossing them away because I felt the need to have a straight career path.

The magical moment in my career was when I began upskilling and investing in learning the things I was passionate about. I began to truly enjoy my work and had positive feedback from everyone I've worked with.”

Kaleigh Fago , Manager of Escalation Operations at LinkedIn: “I wish earlier on I understood that everyone has a different journey and that society’s perceived milestones shouldn’t affect how we measure our accomplishments. We should never be ashamed of OUR story. It's not about climbing a ladder of success but rather defining YOUR success. Understand that life's obstacles are only temporary.? Give yourself grace, live in the moment, and have the courage to use your voice. Your perspective is valuable at all stages of your career.”

Charu Sharma , Cofounder & President at OsanaSalud: “Everyone tells you to build your social capital –who you know, and who knows what you know. But the most important capital to invest in, that no one tells you about, is your identity capital: how *you* view yourself and what *you* believe you are capable of. "

Fiona Trayler , Sr. Director of Global Content Production at LinkedIn: “For me success has never been defined by anyone but me. Success is a combination of my very specific personal and professional goals. Both should be driven by what you are truly passionate about and will evolve over time. Be intentional, be kind... and remember to laugh. You deserve it!”

On Making Bold Changes

Laura Lee, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist: “I studied biology, and now I’m a therapist. You can change your mind. You get to grow and change.”

Ute Sprenger , Senior Instructor Contract Administrator at LinkedIn: “I am a university trained language translator and interpreter. I always was (and probably still am) really, really good at it. And yet, I never liked doing it (particularly the written translation part - the interpreting part where I'd be sitting with my headphones on during a conference was more to my liking). One day I made the decision to not pursue that line of work anymore, even though I was so good at it! And that choice brought many, many doubts with it. The advice I'd have loved to receive earlier is: ‘Just because you are good at something doesn't mean you have to like it and/or enjoy doing it.’”

Tatiana Kolovou , Senior Lecturer at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business & LinkedIn Learning Instructor: “Don’t fret about the continuity of your career path. Diversity and diversification of skills may create your special sauce. I made a bold move and shifted into a field I was not an expert in ten years after my first job. It was painful at first, but I grew and developed in so many ways. Don’t be afraid of change; it builds character!”

On Setting Boundaries

Melissa Lalum , Sr. Manager of Content Production at LinkedIn: “Early in my career, I was eager to do any and all work. Looking back, I see that I established a pattern of taking on projects as expected, but also all the 'housekeeping' duties. These tasks can fall to the women on the team and my tip is to be mindful to share the work with all your colleagues.”

Juliane Maier , Manager of Content Analysis at LinkedIn: “You're not winning anything by working over hours every day to meet your deadlines. In fact, you're killing your productivity and your work-life balance including damaging your health and mental well-being.

While you might think you're proving your dedication to your job and impress your manager, there’s a chance he or she is also on a busy schedule and doesn't even notice. On top, they might pass additional work onto you, as you seem like you can handle it, and here we go with a never ending circle.

Instead, learn how to prioritize! Start with your wellbeing and your work-life balance! Embrace your downtime after work instead, trade extra workload when necessary, communicate on time!”

On Speaking Up

Fatima Abulawy , Project Manager at Peloton: “Vulnerability can be a form of self advocacy. By being vulnerable in the workplace, it allows you to build stronger relationships that can lead you to more opportunity exposure while also giving you the comfort within yourself to advocate for what you feel makes sense for you and your growth.

Frequently, I’d feel afraid of voicing concerns or decisions that would benefit both myself and/or my job. As I continued to push the vulnerability boundaries, I began to realize that a supportive team/workplace will only lead to positive consequences that allow you to continue being confident with your voice.”

Brandi Shailer , Manager of Content, Technology at LinkedIn: “You're not a burden. So many women I talk to don't get the advice, coaching, or mentorship they need in their career because they don't want to ask for someone else's time, so they try to figure it all out by themselves. It took me a LONG time to flip this switch. In my experience, when asking for someone's time, be clear about what you want to get out of it and give them an out (an easy opportunity to opt for a future month/quarter or refer you to someone else for a conversation). You don't have to figure it all out from scratch; plenty of people are happy to lend you their time and advice.”

Megan Leatham , Manager of Content, Business Skills at Linkedin: “Listen and ask. Doesn’t matter if it's a promotion, salary increase, new role, etc. Listen and gather the information you need to ask the question and influence the answer. As they say, you never know unless you ask.”

On Going for What You Want

Pegah Shariari , Attorney & Content Strategist at Relyance AI: “You don’t need to know how to do the job before you start the job. In fact, it can be beneficial to your employer and the work itself if you bring a fresh perspective. Instead of feeling intimidated, combat imposter syndrome by viewing it as an exciting challenge to grow, and remember that your skills are more transferable than you think!”

Saray Palmisano , Product Marketing Leader at LinkedIn and Holistic Career Coach: “Early in my career, I was very focused on getting things right, about not making any mistakes. What I’ve realized over time, is that it’s some of the “mistakes” I’ve made at work that have been the best teachers.?

As a life and career coach, I encourage my clients to experiment in their careers, learning from what works, and what doesn’t. This type of self-observation can lead to deeper insights about areas of growth, or even, what your best career path may be. This is especially true for those looking to make a career transition. There are infinite opportunities to learn from yourself and others around you. Start today—take a moment to think about the week ahead: what types of projects truly light you up and fill you with energy? When you reflect on these projects, is there anything they have in common? Conversely, what types of work do you find exhausting or tend to avoid. Observing patterns like this intentionally, to discover more about yourself, reveals important information you can use to guide you to a truly fulfilling career. What do you do if you feel like nothing currently lights you up??

In these situations, I advise setting up mini-experiments to explore new areas of work, roles, or industries. This can look like taking a course in something you’ve always been interested in, completing an internship, or even reaching out to an expert in a new field to ask for their advice and learn from their experience. Always keep in mind that the purpose of these experiments is to provide you with helpful signals to shape your career path—and remember, even a negative result (I tried this and didn’t like it) is valuable data. ?Treating your professional journey as a series of experiments designed to help you learn about yourself and what truly makes you happy at work, builds a successful and fulfilling career.”

Lauren Zekiri , Global Client Partner at LinkedIn: “Don’t hold yourself back from applying for a role you want simply because you aren’t 100% qualified. Get comfortable applying for roles you aren’t 100% qualified for and identify your areas of opportunity and how you would plan to fill those gaps prior to/once you’ve started the role. The magic happens during the growth phase!! Too often I held myself back because I wasn’t 100% qualified and have since learned men often apply for roles they are 50-75% qualified for. No reason why I and other women shouldn’t do the same.”

On Communication

Tiffany Poeppelman , Director of Business Leadership Program at Linkedin: "One of the best career tips that I can offer is to develop frameworks that help you structure ways to prepare and problem solve.?

?For example: A great framework that I use when preparing for a meeting with partners and senior stakeholders is to identify three things in advance:?

·?????????One question I'd like to ask them

·?????????One fact they may not know about their business that I can provide insight on?

·?????????One team accomplishment or recent success I’d like them to know about?

Whether it’s an executive call or a monthly partner meeting, the above areas help me structure?the content to weave in?naturally in the conversation. Consider other frameworks that can help you be your best self and prepare for anything that comes your way!"

Jolie Miller, Director of Content at Linkedin: “Early in my career I was filled with the hubris of my early 20s and had some intractable opinions–such as I’m only going to adapt to a manager who adapts to me or I’ll only make time to be a great partner if I see the effort from the people across the table. Over time, it became clear that the path to getting the most out of a meaningful career with other smart people is to become adaptable where you can up, across, and down the org, not just when people have earned your trust or respect. Adaptable to working styles, change, new needs, opportunities, etc.

If you do your work across the board in a way that meetings and interactions with you are successful and leave people feeling heard and in a good mood, it’s so much easier to get work done, build a strong network, and minimize conflict. With practice, adaptability gives you time back. And let’s face it–rarely are circumstances perfect, so now is a?great time to experiment with making your corner of the world better.”

What would you add to this list? Please tell us in the comments and tag another inspiring woman who you've learned from. See you next time!