Breaking Career Barriers

The saying “It’s not what you know, but who you know” still holds true for career progression, but for women, building those all-important connections comes with extra hurdles. Research published in the Academy of Management Journal, highlighted by Harvard Business Review, shows that women face greater barriers than men when it comes to forming high-status networks. One striking finding? Women are 40% less likely than men to form strong ties with senior leaders after face-to-face interactions. Traits like assertiveness and confidence—often linked with leadership—are judged through a traditional gendered lens, which means women's and other marginalised genders contributions can be overlooked. So, what’s the solution? Women can leverage third-party introductions, which often carry implicit endorsement and help sidestep these biases. In fact, the research shows women are more likely than men to succeed in building high-status networks through shared contacts. Organisations also need to step up by creating network sponsorship programmes, where leaders don’t just mentor women—they actively advocate for them, opening doors and making introductions that help women advance. It’s time for organisations to rethink how they approach networking. By fostering more inclusive, proactive strategies, we can break down barriers and create a level playing field for women to build the connections that will drive their careers forward. Let’s turn "who you know" into an opportunity for everyone. #Networking #GenderEquity #ThreeBarriers

Skilled veterans are being turned away from jobs - not because they lack the skills, but because of paperwork. It’s time we talk about a hidden barrier that’s keeping top-tier talent out of critical roles: regulatory requirements. At a recent career fair, I spoke with a leader from an aviation manufacturing company facing a common problem. They see qualified veterans with the exact skills they need - engine mechanics ready to do the work now. But FAA certifications prevent them from hiring these skilled candidates right away. Many veterans walk away from these potential jobs because getting the required certifications is too costly and time-consuming. The good news: Some companies are challenging the status quo. That same aviation company is now in talks with the FAA. They’re working to launch an apprenticeship program, allowing veterans to start working while earning their certifications. It’s a win-win: Veterans get a job. Companies get the talent they need. Many other industries face similar barriers to entry. Veterans have the skills, but certification requirements deter them from pursuing the work. Imagine the talent gaps we could fill if more industries worked closely with regulatory bodies to make these transitions smoother. The solution is industry-led change. When employers partner with regulators, creative paths emerge. Ones that recognize real-world skills - and make the transition smoother. The talent is here. Let’s make it easier to bring them in.

This one simple line changed everything for me! “You have to create opportunities for yourself” This is something I strongly believe in. I went from pharmacy tech to landing product management internships without a tech degree. Not because I had the perfect resume. Not because I got “lucky.” But because I got strategic. My degree was in healthcare. I was working long shifts in a pharmacy, counting pills and printing labels. Most people saw that job and thought, “That’s not tech.” But I saw it differently. I wanted more. More creativity. More ownership. More room to grow. So I built my own opportunities. Here’s what helped me break in 👇 1️⃣ I started a podcast. I didn’t have connections so I made an excuse to talk to people doing what I wanted to do. I invited PMs to chat about their work. I asked questions. I listened. That podcast became my education and my network. 2️⃣ I networked the right way. No long messages. No vague asks. I sent cold DMs that showed I’d done my research and asked for 15 minutes of their time. Some of those convos turned into referrals without actually asking for one. One turned into a mentor. 3️⃣ I studied job descriptions like textbooks. I found the gaps in my experience and built mini-projects to fill them. No one asked me to. I just knew I had to show - not tell - what I could do. Those internships changed my entire trajectory. They taught me how to bet on myself even when I didn’t fit the mold. 🎯 Real talk: • You don’t need permission to start • You don’t need the “perfect” background • You just need to show up and stay consistent What’s one unconventional move that helped you break into your next chapter?

The biggest career lesson I have learned isn't about resumes. It's about access. A few years ago, I believed that if you were qualified enough, opportunities would naturally find you. I was wrong. I have met talented professionals who were overlooked not because they lacked skills, but because they lacked access. → Access to the right networks. → Access to global opportunities. → Access to information others took for granted. → Access to employers willing to look beyond geography. That's what led me to build InclusivelyRemote. What started as a personal frustration became a mission to help talented professionals access opportunities that would otherwise remain invisible. But this lesson extends beyond hiring. Whether you're building products, designing services, creating policies, or leading teams, one question matters: 💡Who are we unintentionally leaving behind? The best products and companies create access. Also, I have found that the most meaningful work happens when we stop asking, "How do we reach more people?" and start asking, "What barriers prevent people from reaching us?" That mindset is what shapes innovation and makes opportunities accessible to the people who need them most. #FutureofWork #Remotework #Productstrategy

I just watched another talented professional turn down their 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗝𝗼𝗯 The reason? A $15K pay cut to switch industries. Three months later, they're still stuck. Still scrolling LinkedIn at lunch, wondering "what if." Here's why most career transitions fail—and what actually works: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘀 (𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮-𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗱) 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴. 27.7% of Canadians struggle to meet basic financial needs. When you're stretched thin, betting on yourself feels impossible. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗴𝗮𝗽 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴. 56% of Canadian businesses say their workforce lacks needed skills. Meanwhile, 40% of workers globally don't have what future roles demand. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱. Career change ranks 18th on the Holmes Rahe Stress Inventory—alongside major life traumas. Fear, self-doubt, anxiety. We're supposed to just push through? 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲. 80% say it's crucial. But 49% can't maintain connections—no time. Yet 85% of jobs are filled through networks. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀 1️⃣ The people who successfully transition don't have more money, time, or confidence. 2️⃣ They just refused to let barriers become permanent walls. 3️⃣ They got clarity on what mattered. Identified 3-4 critical skills. Built networks in micro-moments. Redefined success on their terms. The newsletter focuses on strategic career ownership—the framework that helps you navigate these exact obstacles. It covers: → How to define success when everyone else is defining it for you → The 3-4 activities that actually move careers forward → Why your "side gig" might be more valuable than your day job → Building your identity through action, not endless planning 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 If one year from now you're still exactly where you are today—same role, same frustration—what would you do differently this week? If you're stuck, tag someone who needs this. If you've navigated a transition, drop 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄. Let's make this thread the networking moment someone needed today. The best time to own your career was five years ago. The second-best time is right now. #CareerTips101 #CareerDevelopment #CareerTransition

Fewer than 30% of C-suite roles are held by women. That’s an improvement compared to a decade ago, but we’re still far from parity. The biggest barrier isn’t just the glass ceiling anymore — it’s the broken rung: the first step up into management. For every 100 men promoted to manager, only 81 women are. Progress is possible. In this McKinsey & Company article, four strategies stand out for helping women build experience capital and move forward: • Escape shrinking industries • Explore growing ones • Consider new roles entirely • Turn yourself into a technologist But structural change matters too. To truly fix the rung, we need: • Affordable childcare • Equal, meaningful paternity leave • Clearer pathways into management • Supportive, inclusive workplace cultures It’s not one silver bullet — it’s sustained effort on multiple fronts. https://lnkd.in/eCkfV2xA

𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 "𝐈 𝐂𝐚𝐧'𝐭" 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐩 ⦿ "I can't quit until I get that promotion." 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸: Promotions are not guaranteed, and your happiness and growth shouldn't depend solely on them. ⦿ "I can't quit because of the benefits package." 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸: Benefits can be replicated or negotiated at a new company. ⦿ "I can't quit because I'm afraid of failure." 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸: Failure is a natural part of growth and learning. ⦿ "I can't quit because I don't have the right qualifications." 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸: Skills can be learned and developed through training and experience. ⦿ "I can't quit because I'm comfortable in my current position." 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸: Comfort can lead to stagnation and missed opportunities. ⦿ "I can't quit until I've explored all my options." 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸: Overanalyzing can lead to inaction. Sometimes, trusting your gut is enough. ⦿ "I can't quit until I've made a significant impact on the company." 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸: You can make a difference in any role, regardless of your position. ⦿ "I can't quit until I've found a new job that meets my expectations." 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸: The perfect job may not exist, but there are many opportunities out there. I know these thoughts well. I've been there, trapped by my own self-imposed barriers. We cling to these excuses, believing that leaving our current jobs would be disastrous. But the truth is, the cost of staying in a role that doesn't fulfill us is far greater than the cost of leaving. 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞'𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝: ❋ 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐬: While promotions are desirable, they shouldn't be the sole reason for staying in a job. ❋ 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐩𝐭: Your team will likely continue to function effectively even in your absence. ❋ 𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐲𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐜: Companies are constantly evolving, and your role may become obsolete over time. ❋ 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞: While no one is truly irreplaceable, your skills and contributions are valuable. 𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫, 𝐢𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐢𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮. It's about elevating your entire team and organization. By breaking free from self-imposed limits and pursuing your career goals, you're setting a positive example for others and inspiring them to do the same. 𝐈𝐭'𝐬 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬. We can tame the inner voice that tells us we can't leave. We can break free from these self-imposed limits and pursue our dreams. ❗Consider scheduling a coaching session to explore your career options and develop a personalized plan. Preethi Guruswamy - Executive Coach for Tech Leaders Vision of Wisdom 2024Gems116 #CareerGrowth #CareerStrategy #PreethiAnubhavaChakra