Article by Melitta Campbell, Communications Consultant and Business Coach
For some this may involve a career change while others make the decision that this is the year, they are going to get that long awaited promotion or pay rise.
Climbing the career ladder takes dedication and a real desire to reach the next level and keep going. There is rarely one clear and consistent path to the top but there are some useful strategies to ensure climbing the ladder is successful.
Here are my top tips, taken from 25-years of building my own corporate career and coaching women in success, on how women can successfully climb the career ladder and achieve their goals this year:
As an introvert, speaking up wasn’t something that came naturally to me. I joined a Toastmaster Club to help me build my confidence when it came to presenting my ideas. I soon found myself not only speaking up more in key meetings, but also being listened to. This built my credibility and reputation and I started to be offered regular promotions.
Knowing how to share my ideas clearly and engage others not only made a big difference in my career, but it has also helped me to build my confidence in other areas of my life and work too.
Climbing the career ladder will always require that you are known, liked and respected by others, so mastering your personal communications is a must for anyone with ambition.
Having a strong set of networking tools and strategies, along with growing confidence, can help people to thrive in any situation. As mentioned, I’m an introvert, so the idea of networking initially terrified me. But, as my career started to take off, I realised that I had to get comfortable networking, especially when my career took me abroad.
I read every book I could find on networking and asked my peers for advice. But none of the advice I read or received addressed the inner fear I experienced. So, I decided to create my own rules of engagement. I broke down and embraced my quiet strengths and created what I called my VICTORY formula. This allowed me to confidently venture into the ‘networksphere’ and create genuine connections while being 100% myself.
My VICTORY formula, set out rules of engagement, and enabled me to embrace my natural abilities as an introvert, grow in confidence and shine while networking. This formula has been key to me developing a supportive network and supported my business growth and success. I shared full details in my book: A Shy Girl’s Guide to Networking, but here is an outline of my formula, feel free to make it your own too:
V is for vision – understand what you really want to achieve in your business, the bigger and brighter your vision, the easier it will be to talk passionately and get over your fear of networking.
I is for intention – decide what you want most and where your energy should focus, because ‘where attention goes, energy flows.’
C is for courage – undertaking any new venture takes courage but stepping out of your comfort zone and being brave will build your confidence.
T is for True – become your best self by understanding your core values – what do you really stand for and care about? This will help you network and meet people as your authentic confident self.
O is for Obstacles – create a backup plan for when things don’t go to plan and learn skills like conversation starters and rehearse strategies to manage tricky situations such as not knowing anyone in a room.
R is for Rules – Don’t worry about making mistakes, seek out opportunities that scare you and celebrate all your successes.
Y is for Yes! You’ve Got this! Having the vision, intention, tools, and strategies in place will give you the courage and confidence to turn networking into an enjoyable and successful experience.
When it comes to achieving more, our first instinct can be to do more. But this only leaves you with less time and focus to get things done to the standard to which your colleagues and clients expect, leaving you with less energy and more stress. The key, therefore, is to focus on doing less but doing it really well.
However, if there is one thing I would recommend people do more, it’s letting people know you’ve done a good job. This doesn’t mean you need to brag, no one likes that, but be sure that you highlight your results, and the results you’ve helped others gain. This will really help build credibility.
Over the years, many of us have learned to distrust our instincts. However, I realised that those times when things went particularly well for me, or particularly badly, it was when I had, or hadn’t trusted my instincts.
It’s important to remember, that no one else has your vision for your business or career, and so they will never be quite so in-tune with its needs as you will be. And your instincts aren’t random. That gut feeling you have is based on a lifetime of knowledge and experiences, so it’s worth listening to.
Working with a mentor or coach can help you reach a lot further in your career and faster. They will help you to see the strengths and opportunities you may be missing, and support and encourage your personal and career growth.
A coach may not have experience of your work or industry but will have powerful tools and frameworks to help you create clear, motivating goals for your life and career and achieve them. They will guide you in tapping into your inner wisdom and knowledge and consistently build your confidence. The lessons, insights and growth you gain from a good coach will stay with you for a lifetime.
A mentor, by contrast, will usually be someone senior to you who has already trodden the path you aspire to. They will be invaluable in sharing their wisdom and experience with you, as well as connecting you to the people that can support your journey.
Overall, it’s important to remember as you build your career, that you have more power and control than you may realise. Don’t leave your future in the hands of your boss or the HR department, but take proactive steps to keep moving forwards, and remember that success doesn’t come from our moments of brilliance, as much as our small consistent steps along the way. Enjoy the journey!
Melitta Campbell is an award-winning business coach and certified mindset coach who is passionate about helping women confidently build and grow a profitable business and that has an impact they feel proud of.
Her expertise comes from 25+ years of experience in communication, marketing, and leadership, including more than a decade of running her own businesses. This allows her to coach her clients on the inner-game of success as much as the practicalities of starting and running a thriving business.
Melitta is also the best-selling author of A Shy Girl’s guide to Networking, international speaker, and host of the Driven Female Entrepreneur podcast.
Originally from Swansea in the UK, she now supports her global client base from her home in Switzerland, where she lives with her husband and two daughters.
If you’ve ever wondered how some people network so effortlessly, while you feel awkward and out of place, this book is for you.
Written from a shy girl’s perspective, in this book Melitta Campbell shares the exact steps introverts can take to master the three phases of networking, both online and in person, to build powerful and lasting relationships.
As an introvert herself, getting out into the ‘networksphere’ was always a battle for Melitta until she created her innovative VICTORY Formula. This laid out her own rules of engagement, enabling her to embrace her natural abilities as an introvert, grow in confidence and shine while networking. In learning this formula for yourself, you’ll be able to enjoy the same results.
Melitta’s network has opened exciting new doors and enabled her to grow beyond what she felt possible, leading her to conclude that, ‘networking is the ultimate shortcut to everything you desire in business, and in life’.
If you are ready to achieve the next level of success in your business, A Shy Girl’s Guide to Networking will help you get there.
February
25feb09:0017:30International Women's Day Conference & Exhibition 2025 | ThinkFest IWD
25/02/2025 09:00 - 17:30(GMT+00:00)
Millennium Point - Birmingham
Curzon Street, Birmingham, B4 7XG
Join us for a kick-ass International Women’s Day Conference & Exhibition, celebrating and empowering women from all walks of life! International Women’s
Join us for an inspiring and empowering event celebrating women’s achievements and promoting gender equality. The International Women’s Day Conference & Exhibition will take place at Millennium Point – Birmingham. This in-person event brings together influential speakers, thought-provoking discussions, and a vibrant exhibition showcasing the talents of women from various fields. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and be inspired by remarkable women from around the world. Come and be part of this incredible celebration of women’s accomplishments and the journey towards a more inclusive society.
The Event is split in two, a ticketed Conference and a free to attend Expo.
FREE TO ATTEND EXPO – This part of the event will feature a number of exhibition stands as well as seminar stage delivering content to individuals, small businesses and young females. This is completely free to attend and we have content running throughout the day.
For more for more information about all of the sessions we are running, please take a look at our website. www.IWDExpo.com
We look forward to welcoming you all there, don’t forget it’s not just for women, we need more men in the room to create a greater alliance for gender parity.
10:00 AM Welcome & Introduction
10:30 AM Motivational Networking
11:00 AM How to Start and Scale Your Business
11:30 AM The Magic of Writing Your Book
12:00 PM Funding Females
12:30 PM Mental Health & Wellbeing
1:00 PM Women In STEM
2:00 PM Women in Media
3:00 PM Empowering Girls for Career Success
4:00 PM Building Your Personal Brand
4:40 PM Monetise your Passion
5:10 PM Finish
PAID TICKET CONFERENCE – The content delivered at the conference will be targeted towards senior leaders across business and corporate as well as third-sector organisations. We will be exploring a range of different topics, looking at key issues that women face and what we can do to improve the experience for women in the workplace. A key part of the conference will focus on how we increase the number of male allies for females and have a dedicated panel of speakers discussing this. To top it all off we will be hearing from fashion entrepreneur Karen Millen OBE, founder of Karen Millen.
25feb10:3011:30The FTSE Women Leaders Review | Report Launch Tuesday 25 February 2025
25/02/2025 10:30 - 11:30(GMT+00:00)
We are delighted to extend to you a special invitation to the live broadcast launch of the FTSE Women Leaders Review report on Tuesday 25 February 2025 from
The FTSE Women Leaders Review has made remarkable strides, with the FTSE 350 achieving over 40% women’s representation on boards ahead of the target. However, our work is far from complete. Achieving gender balance and diversity on boards and leadership teams has never been more crucial to harness the wealth of experience, expertise and skills essential for business to navigate complex issues successfully.
With just one year remaining to reach our recommendations, realising genuine equality and enabling further progress will require a united commitment from us all to achieve the 40% women in leadership target and to drive more appointments of women into the ‘four key roles’; the Chair, Senior Independent Director, CEO and Finance Director.
We therefore warmly invite you to join us for the 2024 report launch, where we will share new and exclusive findings on the progress made in achieving gender balance during the year. We are delighted that the Secretary of State for the Department of Business & Trade and the Minister for Women & Equalities will be sharing their support for the Review, and we are excited to host a panel of distinguished guests who will share insights on how they are accelerating progress.
Our panellists include:
– Allison Kirkby, CEO BT Group Plc
– Lee Chambers, Business Psychologist, Speaker, Author
– Yetunde Hofmann, Non-Executive Director Cranswick Plc
– Mary Ann Sieghart, Author of ‘The Authority Gap’
Please confirm your attendance at this virtual event by completing this registration form. If you encounter any difficulties during the registration process, our team is available to assist you at [email protected]
This year, our event will be exclusively a live broadcast, and so we encourage you to share this invitation with your network.
27feb08:3014:00Clarity Connect International Women's Day Conference | Clarity Leadership Ltd
27/02/2025 08:30 - 14:00(GMT+00:00)
Bloomsbury Ballroom
Bloomsbury Square, London, WC1B 4DA
Ahead of IWD2025, please join Clarity Leadership as we hear from leaders and generate discussion around the key themes of gender equality. Ahead of International Women’s Day
Ahead of International Women’s Day 2025, please join Clarity Leadership as we invite you to join us for an open and inclusive morning of presentations and lively debate. To follow the IWD 2025 theme, #AcclerateAction, the speakers will be generating discussion and debate around female leadership, gender equality and the creation of an inclusive and more gender-equal world.
We will be joined by two exceptional leaders, Lee Chambers, Founding Director of Male Allies UK, and Riham Satti, Co-Founder and CEO of MeVitae, Creating Fairness in the Workplace. They will share their experiences, challenges, and the obstacles they’ve overcome in their efforts to create a more equal world.
We also invite you to hear research, experiences, and views from a group of leaders who identify as women from several leading organisations, including Pfizer, Microsoft, Vodafone, Reckitt, and Bayer. The speakers join us from all over the world and around the UK, providing a global perspective on their discussions. This is the culmination of six months’ work by 16 leaders who identify as women, who have been through our Women in Leadership Programme. The final part of their journey has been the design and delivery of this event.
This is an event for everyone and we look forward to welcoming you!
Free
27/02/2025 12:30 - 13:30(GMT+00:00)
We are delighted to be joined by Laura Bates, Best-selling Author, Keynote Speaker and Founder of the Everyday Sexism Project.
Laura will be setting out the existing and potential ways in which emerging technologies can have unintended negative impacts on women and marginalised groups, both in and outside the workplace. From the metaverse and deepfake technology to AI and adult robots, these technologies are fast becoming the building blocks of our future societies, so it is vital that we understand the risks and act now to prevent them from reinventing existing forms of inequality in our brave new world.
Laura Bates is a best-selling author, keynote speaker and founder of the Everyday Sexism Project. Her books include Everyday Sexism, Girl Up and Fix the System, Not the Women. Laura writes regularly for the New York Times, Guardian and others, and is a frequent media commentator and consultant for TV productions tackling issues around gender inequality.
She works closely with government, schools, businesses, police forces and bodies from the United Nations to the Council of Europe on sexism and inequality.
In recognition of Laura’s work surrounding sexism and gender inequality, she was awarded a British Empire Medal in the 2015 Queen’s Birthday Honours List and has been named Woman of the Year by Cosmopolitan, Red Magazine and The Sunday Times Magazine. She is also an Honorary Fellow of St John’s College, Cambridge, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Please note, this event will be hosted as a Teams Town hall. Please register your place on Eventbrite and we will share the Teams meeting link.
We look forward to seeing you!
free
27feb18:0020:30Planning and Goals Workshop | WeAreTheCity
27/02/2025 18:00 - 20:30(GMT+00:00)
Nomura
1 Angel Lane, London, EC4R 3AB
Join Dr Vanessa Vallely OBE to discover why and how to create your career strategy and plan in order to
This interactive session is aimed at injecting the “va va voom” back into your career.
Dr Vanessa Vallely OBE, CEO of WeAreTheCity, will share why leaving your career solely in the hands of your line manager is no longer enough. Vanessa will provide insights on how to take charge of your career, create a strategic plan, and actively seek opportunities to propel your professional growth.
The workshop focuses on why and how to create a career strategy and plan, to unlock your potential and path to success. This session is not about theory, science or blue sky thinking, it is about a realistic look at what you want to achieve and actions to take in order to get where you want to go!
Session includes:
By the end of this session, participants will have the foundation of a career plan they can continue to develop and implement throughout 2025.
We will close the evening with networking and drinks/canapés.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Please note that on arrival at Nomura guests will be asked to provide photographic ID, a passport or driving licence.