Career Advice - That helps you break through the door or the ceiling...

As many of you know, I recently decided to go back to work full-time at my area community college. While it is a full-time position, I am fortunate to have a boss that believes in work life balance and is goal oriented versus time oriented. As I explore my career paths, I ran across an interesting video that explains why women may not move up the career ladder like men do.

Conventional advice has failed us. We think breaking through the glass ceiling is tied to confidence or leadership skills but one expert believes that a key part of that formula is our inability to understand and master "business strategic financial acumen" aka understand the numbers and speak numbers to influence others.

Don't get me wrong, the soft skills (working well with others and the ability to get things done) is important but is not the most critical. Men are naturally coached and required to understand and be strategic about the business aspects in order to move up. For women this is secondary. We must ask for mentors and take the initiative to continue developing our financial skills.

Take a moment to review this video. For those just starting out on a career path check out the video at 7:22. Our expert has provided a great list of valuable skills that any business will be seeking regardless of their industry.

We naturally understand the business aspects of running our homes. Even when starting out in a career entry position, why do we shy away and act as though we don't have the business financial confidence? Running a home is running a business.

• Budgeting, balancing the checkbook and managing income are all examples of managing financial principles on a small scale.
• When you do an evaluating on the cost of hiring support (maids, nannies, child care, yard maintenance, camps, SAT Prep) it is in the same realm as reviewing profit and loss.
• Your mastery of tracking bills, paying bills (A/R) and understanding your total expenses is a great foundation.
• Forecasting your household income 2-3 years out against expenses to get you there is a skill that employers will value.

Share your financial experiences with an employer in terms that they will understand and watch the door open.

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