Women are gaining more space in the job market each year. Although there is a large evolution in the percentage of working women, it is still men who dominate numerous professions. They make up the staff of construction, industry, technology, and the senior positions of large companies. They are also the ones who still have the best salaries.
According to IBGE statistics, women make up only 46% of the economically active population and focus on services considered for women, such as domestic services (almost 95%). In contrast, men dominate environments such as construction, with over 94.9%, and industry, with 63.6%.
For those women who want to insert themselves in male-dominated environments, it is important to know some tips and know what you can do to be heard, valued and always guaranteed space even among so many men who often do not give due value. to the talent of women.
10 ways to survive in male-dominated environments
Inessa Franco, a coach specializing in emotional intelligence, and Marcia Karelisky, a consultant in interpersonal communication, listed some ways to survive, stand out and be heard in work environments where men are the majority. They show the way for women who want to excel in fields such as engineering, information technology, etc., even though they are the only women in the company.
1. Be assertive
In the midst of so many men, it may seem difficult to stand out and be heard, so being assertive, knowing your potential, and not being afraid to ask for raise and promotion helps to chart a path toward success. ? Everything has to do with the form of communication. The way the woman positions herself, speaks, conveys her ideas. The way to communicate is fundamental to earn respect and appreciation ?, says Inessa.
Read also: 10 Things Successful Women Do Different
It is characteristic of women to be afraid to ask for a raise or promotion, often because they do not believe in their potential and sometimes because they think the request is too pretentious. • When asking for a raise or promotion it is important to show the earnings to the company, what was done and the results obtained. And then show what can be achieved as a result of the promotion and why it is important to the organization as well ?, explains the coach.
Already Marcia declares that having an attractive communication is a task for lionesses. ? Often, we worry only about? What ?, that is, the theme, the words, but we forget? The shape? How do we express ourselves, what voice do we use, whether or not our body is congruent with our speech ?, points out the consultant about the importance of nonverbal communication when asking her boss for something.
2. Value yourself
It's important that you know its value and demonstrating that you believe in it in the workplace is a sure step to stand out. The way to break paradigms is to start valuing from the inside out, internally and externally. Internally, is it the woman to believe that she has the same competences and abilities as men, regardless of the organic and brain particularities of each gender ?, points out Marcia.
Inessa agrees that to be valued by others one must first value oneself. “The first person she needs to convince is herself. Once this happens, others will naturally recognize her value if she has a consistent mindset and effective and constructive communication.
3. Highlight your qualities
Everyone has numerous qualities, some of which are very useful for the company. ? Anyone should always enhance their qualities. There are several ways to do this. Like everything else in life, it is possible to do it constructively or arrogantly. People are inspired and want to be close to successful and fulfilling individuals. Isn't there anything attractive about being smaller or failed ?, says Inessa.
Read also: 3 Essential Activities to Make Your Resume More Attractive
"When we have good qualities and security in what we do, our own actions already speak for themselves", reveals Marcia. For the consultant it is important that their qualities are aligned with the values required by the company. "Having the alignment, we diagnose which technical and behavioral skills the professional should have for that position / function," explains Marcia.
4. Show that you deserve as much as man
Even in professions that are considered more masculine, you must show that you deserve as much as any man. For Inessa, even today, the higher the position, the lower the participation of women.? This picture becomes even more inaccessible when we come across more 'masculine' professions, a purely cultural aspect in our society, since there are more women than men in university benches, even in engineering, medicine, dentistry and information technology. which in the past were practically dominated by men? says Marcia.
For the consultant, the woman, to be recognized in these environments, needs to do more. First, we need to show and believe in their capabilities, trust is everything. It is noteworthy that we convey to others much more through our nonverbal message (body and voice) than through our verbal message. Just saying that deserves the job and having a body posture already defeated, does not lead us any way ?, completes Marcia.
5. Networking
Maintaining a network of contacts is super important for getting new jobs and having a powerful customer base. However, it is a fact that women do less networking than men. For Marcia, one of the reasons why women do not maintain so much networking is the housework. • The couple or family that is structured with household chores and child-rearing strikes a better balance between personal and professional life. This way, the woman can circulate as much as the man ?, affirms.
Already Inessa suggests some tips for networking. • It is important to keep in mind the gains from there and where it might lead. Being aware of this is easy to invest in this activity. There are several forms of networking. Going to the bar after hours is not the only one. Can using creativity to play with this be productive, interesting and fun ?, the coach lists.
6. Not giving way to machismo
Some companies still have habits that reinforce machismo and insist on putting women to make coffee, organizing company parties, among other activities that reiterate the custom of thinking that women are submissive to men. In this case, you need to position yourself and show your real value within the company. "Being herself, acting despite machismo and not listening to the macho voice", are some of the tips that Inessa gives to escape machismo.
For Marcia, it is important to show its relevance within the business scenario. Women who put their ideas and points of view assertively, concisely, specifically and with a generous degree of communication will be prominent in corporations.
Often, however, macho behavior comes from the woman herself. • Often the woman exhibits chauvinistic behavior, as in her work team she still faces inappropriate behavior from her work partners. Investing in behavioral training only brings more engagement and leverage team results ?, explains Marcia.
7. Enhance Your Essentially Feminine Qualities
Some feminine qualities are essential to the progress of a corporation. So to stand out, instead of acting like a man, reinforce your qualities as a differential within the male-dominated space. “A woman who mimics a man's behavior for respect in the corporation will not achieve her goals. The orientation is for both sexes, we must learn what was positive in the opposite sex and merge with our own skills ?, reinforces Marcia.
"Women have wonderful innate skills and that's what makes them so appropriate and more competitive for certain roles," adds the consultant. For Inessa, women must be themselves. “And because she is who she is in a certain position. Women don't need to change their way of being? Reiterates the coach.
8. Know how to compete
Not all women are competitive, however, this is an innate quality of the people who achieve success. So if you want to stand out, it is important to compete on an equal footing with the men in the company. "Habitual corporate behaviors are difficult to change and for years we have been in the process of valuing, especially in selective processes and internal promotions," says Marcia.
Therefore, women should use all their qualities, have confidence and show that they can as much as men perform that function within the company. If you are in a dispute where you are the only woman, show why you deserve as much as your competitors.
9. Set priorities
Women's priorities are not always the same as men's. Many have the main purpose of life to form a family and this can disrupt career plans. • Setting priorities is an important way to achieve the desired goals. If you don't set priorities, people and life set them for you, and your priorities end up in the background ?, says Inessa.
So that motherhood doesn't get in the way of your career, it's important to know your priorities. "Knowing what to be in life, what you want to leave behind and where you want to go is key to helping you set priorities and redefine values, if any," comments the coach.
"Structuring the family routine and looking for companies that can hire people who fit the reality and values of the company and present practices to take care of their employees", is the tip that Marcia gives to women who want to be mothers and also succeed in their careers.
10. Glimpse the top
It is not enough to have the qualities to reach the top if you do not want it. “At the top, the air is thin, not everyone can breathe up there, so it's a place for a few. If you are willing to pay the price, simply keep acting and doing what needs to be done to get there, keeping in mind your goal and making it clear to others as well ?, details Inessa.
One of the qualities to reach the top is focus. ? Focus is key to leveraging each of the skills we need to develop. And if women want to reach leadership positions, they need to focus even more on the required skills, such as communication, teamwork and negotiation, so do men ?, concludes Marcia.
Reports:? I work in a male dominated environment?
Elsa Ferreira
Women who work in male-dominated environments can help those starting their careers in a male-dominated profession. One such example is Elsa Ferreira, DHO internal consultant in the Business Partner Development area. According to her, the area of Information Technology is still dominated by men, despite noting an increase in the number of women.
• For a woman to be valued, she needs technical skills, collaborative and ethical behavior, and especially an open mind to constantly learn new things. Coupled with this, maintain the feminine characteristics that help to stand out in a world still dominated by men ?, teaches Elsa.
Working in a majority-male environment is challenging, intense, and fun, as the internal consultant lists. “Challenging because as a woman we always have to prove our competence. Fun for socializing and? Study? of the male universe, since women are observant and detailed. And intense for the daily challenge ?, says Elsa. For the consultant, however, it would be best if there were a mix between male and female employees. It makes any work environment better by enabling the sum of the characteristics of both to be exploited for better solutions and results.
Failing to be seen as fragile and emotional is the greatest difficulty in working in these environments. "If the woman stands out in any way is classified as lucky, the man is always competent," reiterates Elsa. Another point is that feminine qualities are hardly valued. "We still live in a chauvinistic world, but slowly and with our persistence, competence and results, combined with the demand and competitiveness of the market itself, this scenario will tend to change", concludes the internal consultant.
I don't pose myself as a disadvantaged woman. I simply pose as a professional, regardless of gender. The work needs to be done and the results achieved.
According to Elsa, prejudice exists, but it is veiled. "We have evolved a lot, but there is still prejudice in, for example, leadership positions for women." Wage equality is another battle not yet won by women. There is still a higher appreciation for a man than for a woman in the same role or role, with equal results. In addition, sometimes we accumulate various functions ?, points out the consultant.
The tactics she uses to stand out in the company is to position herself as a competent professional, regardless of gender. “I don't pose as a woman who is disadvantaged. I simply pose as a professional, regardless of gender. The work needs to be done and the results achieved ?, he says.
Talita Lombardi
Another professional that is always around many men is entrepreneurial Talita Lombardi. For her, to be valued within a profession of male dominance is important to understand that men and women are complementary and not enter a competition between the sexes.
• Appreciation comes with the results. If the company you work for does not value, it is very interesting to look for another company that can see this as an opportunity. One day, macho executives will naturally understand how much they lose by discriminating ?, emphasizes the entrepreneur.
For Talita, working in male-dominated environments has good and bad things. “It may happen that men underestimate women's potential, and as we are challenged, we end up working harder to prove that we are better than they think. The good part is that they are often more careful when it comes to "catching the eye", they are gentlemen, etc., he adds.
The biggest difficulty with having one of these male-dominated professions is not understanding your own potential. “Before any external judgment, we need to be well internally, even to make decisions, such as resigning. When we impose ourselves, they do not face it.We have to argue with results, not in the scream?
Prejudice, for her, still exists. Is that why throughout my career and even today as an entrepreneur I try to sift through? every external judgment and trust my cue. But there are times when you want to scream and run ?, Talita exclaims. For her, feminine qualities help in the development of the company. We have two amazing things: intuition and charm! Besides being able to do several things at the same time and take better care of our teams as mothers.
However, it makes a caveat. Men and women are complementary beings. The big thing is understanding each other's ability to build an amazing team. To be respected and listened to, she makes herself present. “I work, focus on results and impose myself on it. Is there no better answer and argument than hands-on?
It's always a challenge, we need to work hard and show a lot of results to be recognized in the male environment.
For Fabiana Reinert, commercial manager, to stand out in a male-dominated environment is important to have dedication, involvement, trust, knowledge and ethics. ? It is always a challenge, we need to work hard and show a lot of results to be recognized in the male environment ?, points out.
For the commercial manager, the biggest challenge is to overcome prejudice. “The feeling is that we are always at a disadvantage because of being a woman. Do we need to overcome ourselves often and show value daily? Regarding feminine qualities, she believes that women are more dedicated, focused and committed. This is advantage in any position.
At meetings she says she is very hard to hear. Especially when it is the first contact or the first meeting. To impose on these moments, she has some tactics. I try to study, update myself, seek knowledge and dedicate myself to work. In addition, I try to speak directly and firmly so that people hear me ?, concludes.
Giovanna Haupenthal
Giovanna Haupenthal is an account manager for integrator 2s Technological Innovations and also works for a male-dominated company. "I believe women should increasingly invest in training to enhance their knowledge and demonstrate that it makes a difference in a company."
The account manager points out that working in an environment surrounded by men can be even better than workplaces with more women. "It's better for me than in a female environment, where work issues are often taken personally and in a predominantly male environment that doesn't happen."
However, she stresses that there are still major difficulties in being one of the few women in the company. ? One of the difficulties is the career plan and remuneration, which are not egalitarian ?, summarizes Giovanna. As she works by committee, she states that there is no such difference in her work.
For better performance, she still uses her feminine qualities. I believe that often in customer service the woman achieves loyalty. Being more delicate and attentive, she knows how to win the customer better, especially in more heated discussions. When the client will be opposed, can we have more waist play ?, details Giovanna.
“I believe women today need to have a more global vision that goes beyond their job market. For example, when starting a conversation need to know the best time to demonstrate that you understand not only business, but also politics, economics, environment, among other subjects?
The opinions expressed by respondents do not necessarily reflect the position of Le Baragosse.
How do I succeed as a woman in a male dominated corporate world? (April 2024)
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