Shanti has worked hard to make a career for herself. She works as a “Cluster Manager - Ops” for the Baroda cluster in a leading Life Insurance company. But Shanti has held this position for the last three years. She was sure that she would get promoted to the “Regional Manager” position last year. But the guy from the Ahmedabad cluster got promoted instead. This year has been no different! Shanti is regarded as a dedicated and hard working employee by everyone in the organization. But she keeps getting overlooked when promotions are handed out!

Many women in the corporate world face a similar challenge. In spite of working hard and putting in their best, women often get overlooked when promotions are handed out. The simple reason is that men often perceive women to be incompetent and unprofessional. No matter how committed a woman is to her work, men tend to ascribe her success to her womanly attractions! Men can be silly…we all know that!

So what is the secret to speeding up the corporate ladder? It is no secret that women need to be twice as smart and hardworking as their male counterparts, to be able to taste similar success. But, there are a few career strategies that can help you ensure that your sex does not stand in the way of your success in the corporate world.

Aim For A Career: When you begin your work life, start with a plan. Write down your targets i.e. where do you want to be in 2, 5 and 10 years? Do not think of work in the terms of “JOB”. Think in the terms of “CAREER”. Even when you apply for a job, do try to find out how your future will shape up in that organization. Most importantly, do what you want to do. Do not take up a job just because it is available. When you do something you want to do, you will always be high on motivation – that helps you know!

Network: Networking is one tool that men use far better than women in the corporate world. So whenever there is an office party, picnic or weekend getaway meet – do not make excuses. These are opportunities for you to interact with the big bosses of your company. Use this opportunity to make a favorable and positive impact on the powers that be. Most importantly, always be on the good side of your boss, because he is the one who will decide on your appraisals, increments and promotions. Hey, this does not mean that you have to be his/her “yes-girl”. Just be good at your job!

Delegate At Home: Delegation is not just a skill at work. You need to delegate your home responsibilities as well. If there’s any task that can be delegated to domestic help, do it. Always remember that a work-home balance can be achieved only if you have support of family and domestic help at home. The final responsibility of your house and children does fall on you anyway. So make a list of “TO Dos” every Friday and make the most of your free weekends at home.

Get Noticed: Working hard is one thing, and being noticed for it is quite another. Many people get promoted just by pretending to be committed! On the other hand, some people are denied promotions just because they never appear to be busy. Always remember, appearances matter! So you need to highlight your achievements and make your work noticed.

Negotiate: Negotiation starts when you apply for a job. You should know your worth and negotiate accordingly. First you need to negotiate for salary, perks etc. Then you need to renegotiate these things after every appraisal. Remember, a good negotiator is one who is firm and convincing. Do not let anyone convince you that you are unworthy of what you are demanding.

Most of all this is plain common sense, but then common sense is the most uncommon thing in the world! Jokes apart, one often gets so caught up in a job that these things are forgotten. But to be able to rise in your career, you need to develop and use these traits successfully.