Job search sucks. There, I said it out loud.
It particularly sucks for women.
The longer I work with women, the more I see how the system blocks them from owning their accomplishments, their voices, their power, and their value. How do you find a great opportunity without them?
This behavior is endemic in companies that still elevate white patriarchy with every metric based on white men.
Every day, my clients are talked over, their ideas are stolen, they’re gaslit (that wasn’t so bad; that didn’t really happen; you misheard that; you’re overreacting), and they’re subjected to bullying through both micro and macro aggressions.
I’ve found only one thing that helps women repel those companies and that behavior: taking back ownership of their work and themselves.
Here’s How It Works
My clients and I spend most of our coaching sessions digging into this. I don’t label the work as reclaiming their ownership, instead we talk about their personalities, their experiences, and their accomplishments in ways that allow them to remind themselves of their value.
A huge part of this work is developing a new, powerful (targeted, specific, and nuanced) language to describe themselves, their work, their accomplishments, and their power. I’ve worked with women who are outwardly confident. Some are at senior levels, having been promoted repeatedly.
As we work together, I help them uncover the true value of their work. And, trust me, they are not being valued or compensated for the true value of their work. But, as we move through the process, pulling their experience and achievements apart and examining them closely, evaluating potential opportunities, and visualizing the environment they want to work in, something shifts.
I Can’t Do That!
At the beginning of our trek, as we poke around in new roles at higher levels, I find myself constantly countering their claims of “I can’t do that” with examples of how they’ve done it, and done it well. As we move through those “I can’t do that” moments, I reflect the power of their work back to them through powerful and specific language.
And, slowly, sometimes reluctantly, the women begin to own those words. They learn to reframe their work accomplishments in powerful, strategic language. And, since I don’t spoon feed it to them, they begin to truly own the language. They can feel it in their heads, their hearts, and their guts. It becomes an integral part of who they are and how they talk about themselves.
When that vocabulary becomes integrated into their thoughts, along with their vision for their work, and the power of their work, they repel those patriarchal companies – they don’t even click on them on the job platforms. Instead, they’re drawn to companies that value diverse people and opinions. They feel confident from head to toe. They find unexpected opportunities in serendipitous conversations. They reclaim their ownership of themselves and their work.
Ally Leadership
Even better, their leadership sharpens and widens. Wherever they find themselves, people recognize their undeniable belief in themselves. Their language attracts and supports people who want to be in their sphere.
Other women see that confidence, hear that language, and understand that before them stands a woman who can help them do the same thing.
That’s what ally leaders do. They move through the world with confidence, empathy, and a deep understanding of what it is to be human. They’re transparent because they’re not afraid of who they are and where they’ve been. They’re supportive because they know it takes massive support for people to move from where they are to where they want to be – particularly when they’ve been systematically overlooked and erased.
The women (and men) who’ve worked with me come to me with leadership potential. They come with some understanding of their special powers and magic. Mostly, they come with a desire to become more themselves, so every facet of their lives reflects the power of who they are.
I’ve watched happen over and over again. I’ve seen people flourish and rise up to unexpected heights of work success. And nothing makes me happier.
You know where I’ve also seen this happen? In the bootcamps and groups I’ve facilitated for the last 10 years. A group of women, most strangers to each other, gathers to figure out their individual value. And, in the process, they lift each other up. It’s pretty hard to say, “I can’t do that!” with 5 other women telling you that you can and why you can.
Women Empowering Women.
Sometimes I forget the vast power of a group of women working together to reclaim their voices, value, and power.
Women empowering women is a truism. When we’re able to find a group setting where it’s safe to move out of our heads and into our hearts and our guts, women empower each other.
So, to facilitate the magic of women empowering women, I created the From Overwhelmed to Own Your Way Workshop for mid to senior women leaders, which happens next Saturday, May 17th.
It’s an intentionally designed safe space to reconnect with your voice, your story, and your leadership—in the company of other women who get it.
From Overwhelmed to Own Your Way
Join this 4-hour workshop if
- your confidence has gone into hiding.
- you’re tired of the frustration of job search on your on.
- you’re a mid to senior level female leader.
- you’re ready to spend 4 hours focused on you in the company of 5 other female peers.
You’ll leave the workshop with
- your confidence restored.
- a powerful, practical, flexible job search plan.
- examples that we discover and create together and optional homework.
- strategies to powerfully articulate your experience.
- a new community of female peers.
Join us on Saturday May 17th, from 1pm – 5pm in Alpharetta for an afternoon you have to experience to believe.
I’ve extended Early Bird pricing of $350 through Friday May 16th. Use code “gottheworm.”
Bonus: Each participant will receive 2 free, 1-hour, 1-on-1 follow-up sessions with me, a $700 value.
Here’s the link to register (including a tentative agenda):
https://beckyberrycoach.com/programs/from-overwhelmed-to-own-workshop-women.
If you’d like more information, click here: https://beckyberrycoach.com/contact.
We are the women we’ve been waiting for.
I see you. You are the woman we’ve been waiting for.
Take good care.
Becky