MBA gender gap: tips on career advancement

Jacqueline Brito, assistant dean at Rollins College Crummer Graduate School of Business, believes in taking advantage of all opportunities in life. Here are her five top tips on how women can move forward in their career:

1. Get over it – women tend to fear rejection, which ultimately holds them back. It is time to stop worrying, get over it and go after what you want. If rejected, who cares? Dust yourself off and try again.

2. Understand your value – knowing your worth in any environment will make for successful growth in the classroom and in your career. Do not be afraid to be confident and compete with other candidates and classmates. Getting an MBA is not easy and if you don’t have the confidence it will show.

3. Show what’s important – maximise your strengths while spending less time focusing on your weaknesses, unless there are areas you perceive as opportunities that you want and need to develop to reach your goal.

4. Know your own personal value proposition – be prepared to communicate what differentiates you from others. Your inability to do so could result in severe losses – one being a career opportunity.

5. Be confident – metaphorically speaking, stop asking for a seat at the table. Instead, bring your own chair with your name on it. This simple assertion can yield high dividends.