Whilst male and female rowers in the boat race enjoy the same billing these days, it is unfortunately not the case when they step out of the boat and into their work shoes after graduating. According to HECSU's research, even if men and women have the same qualifications, female law graduates can expect to earn 28% less than men at the start of their careers. They earn just over £20,000 on average – nearly £8,000 less than their male counterparts. This was despite that fact that more women than men applied to study law at university, out of those surveyed.

Ahead of our Impact for Women course on the 26th of April, we spoke to our Academy Director, Rupert Wesson, about what is holding women back at work: residual inherent prejudice, social conditioning, support and confidence.

Understanding the impact of the first three of these factors will have a positive impact on the last.  But there are other ways to impact positively on confidence (and impact) in the workplace:

Communication

• Adopt a language of certainty rather than apologising. Don’t say “I think” when you “know” and don’t apologise for disagreeing (it is perfectly possible to disagree with someone without apologising and not start an argument)

Aggression

• Deal with aggression positively. Aggression on someone else’s’ part is usually a sign that they are under pressure or they are uncertain.   That doesn’t mean that you should capitulate or argue back. Pause, breathe and then provide a measured response.  You are then more likely to find yourself in the driving seat of a particular situation.

Support

• Support other women. To quote Madeleine Albright: 'There is a special place in hell for women who don’t help other women'. When networking for business always think 'how can I help this person?' You will be amazed at how productive this selfless approach can be.

To book your place on our full day Impact for Women course and discover more about how to get ahead in the workplace, book online here. Alternatively, call us on +44 (0)203 950 5240