How mentoring helps women advance in their careers
Every woman is born with innate talent and potential, yet not all of them discover and realize their full capabilities. There is a common thread that differentiates successful women. The distinguishing factor is they have had mentors, who played a pivotal role in their personal and professional growth.
Mentoring is not just an ordinary process, but a profoundly essential and influential component of achieving success in one’s career.
Ahead, we shall see, how mentoring helps women advance in their careers.
Why mentoring?
Women in most societies are degraded and underestimated by others, even by their own kind. The words and thoughts of women are undervalued and their opinions are suppressed by people in power over time.
Worldwide, for many generations, the collective consciousness of women has undergone suppression, oppression, underestimation and lots of “tions” that are not positive.
As a result, women suffer from a concrete mindset that their thoughts are invalid and incorrect.
This also creates learned helplessness and limiting beliefs that they are weak and meek. Other popular limiting thoughts that restrict women are, that they are only meant to give birth to children and nurture the home. Last but not least they are meant to cook food.
But all these are far from the truth. Women possess more potential and capabilities beyond these roles. They can cook up, nurture and give birth to innovative ideas like Chandrayaan 3, and can make significant contributions to organizations, even entire nations.
To make women realise their potential and channel it towards their career growth, they need mentoring to light their path and boost them to their full capability.
How mentoring helps:
As we know, Mentoring plays a crucial role in helping women advance in their careers. It mainly provides a supportive and nurturing environment where women can develop their skills, gain confidence, and overcome obstacles. Let us further explore how mentoring benefits women in their professional journeys, to reach new heights.
1. Development of Skill
Development of skills is one of the basic ways that help women advance in their careers. Mentors Provide knowledge, guidance and expertise that can be invaluable to their mentees. They help women to analyse themselves to identify their strengths and weaknesses and provide directed guidance to enhance their skills. This can be particularly essential in male-dominated fields, where women may face additional challenges in gaining the necessary skills and experience to succeed.
2. Clarity and Confidence:
After skill development, women need confidence and clarity to apply their skills. Mentoring provides a safe space for women to express their thoughts and concerns.
Women feel anxious and hesitant in the professional world when they are in the minority, but having a mentor changes the scenario. A mentor who provides encouragement, constructive feedback and listens to them with empathy will boost their confidence and increase their clarity. When women gain such confidence and clarity, they pursue opportunities and take risks in their profession, which will obviously result in career advancement.
3. Overcoming Obstacles
Women frequently encounter gender bias in the workplace, which is a major obstacle. Mentors can help women face these challenges by providing advice on how to address bias and discrimination. They can share their own experiences and strategies for breaking through gender-related barriers. By this, mentoring empowers them to advance in their careers on a higher level.
Conclusion
Mentoring is a powerful tool for helping women advance in their careers. It provides them with the skills, confidence, and support needed. It also addresses the unique challenges and obstacles they face in the workplace, to reach their full potential.
Mentoring contributes to a more diverse and inclusive workforce, benefiting both women and their organizations. As we continue to champion gender equality, mentoring remains a crucial avenue for women to overcome barriers and achieve their career goals.