To mark International Women’s Day in March, we hosted a Young Professionals Networking Breakfast in London. Our brilliant panel of alumnae left the audience feeling inspired and empowered as they shared their experiences and advice. We asked each panellist if they ever felt underestimated in their industry and if so, how they turned that into momentum instead of treating it as a setback. Here’s what they had to say:
Nicole Rixon, (BA Drama and Theatre Arts, 2014)
‘It’s common to feel underestimated and to be overlooked a little bit in the industry, especially as women, and particularly in the video production industry as it’s very male dominated. The way I’ve combated that is actually by just knowing my stuff. I have a lot of experience and I deserve to be in these spaces. Telling yourself those mantras is really useful as is surrounding yourself with people who lift you up and make you feel empowered, finding your tribe and just knowing you deserve to be there. You’ve done the work.’
Renka Gaddu (BSc Mathematics, 2016)
‘In my first few years as a manager, I did feel underestimated. Starting a new job, going from another company where I felt I had earned my stripes and worked up the ranks so to speak, it was tough to then move organisations and industries. Being quite a young female manager as well, I really felt I needed to put in that extra graft to show who I am and what I could bring to the table. I didn’t see that as a setback for me it was an opportunity to place myself into a new area out of my comfort zone and build up my confidence. I approached my manager and said: ‘Give me the meatiest, most challenging thing on your plate right now and let me go away with it and show you what I can do with it’. That was a way I could showcase my experience and show how I would approach it and deliver the end result. I felt that was really positive as we got to a point where people understood who I was, they were coming to me for advice and it felt like we were in a really good place. t spurred me on to become a better version of myself.’
Kirstie-Anne Woodman, (BA International Relations, 2020)
‘I have quite often felt underestimated in the industry or in my career in general. The way in which I’ve turned that into momentum is by reminding myself that I wouldn’t be put into the rooms that I am in if I didn’t deserve to be in them. As women that is something we need to remind ourselves. Very often men don’t ever suffer from that imposter syndrome in a corporate space, they always feel they deserve to be where they are, because they do, the same way we do as women. I would really advocate for and encourage women to believe in themselves. You are in that room because you worked very hard for it and you deserve to be there, so show people that and just continue to keep showing up.’