We all know and love International Womens Day for the ways it celebrates and acknowledges the contributions of women everywhere, across all parts of our society and workplaces.
But let’s face it: there’s still a long way to go when it comes to the gender-equal society we all desperately want.
At Explore Careers, every day is a celebration of an incredible team of women, kicking goals and raising the bar.
International Womens Day 2023
The theme for IWD 2023 is #EmbraceEquity.
Equity and equality are words that often get used to mean the same thing but have quite different meanings – especially in the workplace.
The IWD offers this great distinction between the two words:
- Equality means each individual or group is given the same resources or opportunities.
- Equity recognises that each person has different circumstances and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome.
The IWD 2023 #EmbraceEquity campaign theme seeks to get the world talking about why “equal opportunities are no longer enough” – and can be exclusionary rather than inclusive.
This is something that is regularly highlighted in the gender pay gap. Only focusing on equal pay is not enough when women face several barriers to equity in the workplace, especially regarding their financial capacity.
And while we love a day to celebrate women worldwide, the truth is the contributions of women everywhere are so much more than a single day. Many organisations simply wouldn’t exist without the hard work of their female employees.
Explore Careers is no exception!
Celebrating the Women of Explore Careers
For IWD 2023, we wanted to highlight our growing team of kickass women!
There’s a LOT behind the scenes here at Explore Careers HQ, and it all comes down to this team striving to implement bigger, better ideas and boost the landscape of early careers for young woman everywhere.
To celebrate them and their journeys, I asked them to share the top advice they’d give to young girls everywhere when looking to create their own success career stories.
Here’s what they had to say:
SAY YES!
“Say yes to every opportunity that is presented to you. You never know where an opportunity may lead you. Hard work gets noticed, so don’t be afraid to put in the hard work.”
– Harriet Cooper, Acting General Manager
“Work hard, don’t rely on anyone else – it’s up to you! Say yes to every opportunity even if it scares you because it could end up changing the course of your life!”
– Rebecca Stoneman, Project Director
SUCCESS IS A COMMUNITY!
“Success is a team sport! Don’t be afraid of putting yourself out there and connecting with a wide range of people within the business, especially those outside your business unit. Not only will you make a friend or have extra support should you need it, you’ll be exposed to a variety of perspectives and insights that challenge you and your way of thinking that can help inform decisions you make within your role!”
– Laura Maneckshana, Partnerships Manager
FOCUS ON YOUR VALUES
“Identify your workplace values and find a job that aligns with them. Research your potential boss and look for a mentor in the company, then take the time to learn and grow in your role. Remember that finding the right fit is important for career success and job satisfaction, so don’t be afraid to ask questions and pass on offers that don’t feel right.”
– Georgia Mastromatteo, Sales & Partnership Manager
“Don’t compare yourself to others, compare yourself to yourself. Basically, to always improve on who YOU were yesterday but don’t waste time on trying to be something you’re not or aiming to be like someone else.”
- Sarah Haycraft, Director of Partnerships
CHANGE IS GOOD!
“Don’t stress over finding the perfect career immediately. You will learn a lot about yourself, what you want to achieve and what you like in the coming years, and possibly go down several career paths and do many career u-turns before you find something you love. And that’s ok!”
- Claire Kirwan, Partnerships Manager
“Try absolutely everything, and if you’re not in love with something after starting it, there is no harm or shame in quitting and trying something else.”
– Maddie Barwell, Social Media and Marketing Coordinator
DON’T LIMIT YOUR POTENTIAL
“While our careers are super important, they are not the whole part of who we are and everything we have to offer. If you’re struggling to find what this part of your life could offer you, my advice is to take the time to figure out what you do and don’t like, what your strengths and challenges are and to take advantage of the creative, informative resources available to you. Trial and error is a part of learning; if you ever feel like you’re on the wrong path, you are completely welcome to pick another one.”
- Danielle Westbury, School Communications Manager
ENJOY THE JOURNEY
And a little piece of advice from me: enjoy the journey!
We often think of our careers as something we have to rush towards and find success as quickly as possible. But when we do this, we often let all the subtle lessons our experiences have to teach us slip by. You’ll make some great friends in the workplace and learn so much about yourself – but not if you’re always rushing from point a to b.
If we want to understand what fulfils us and gives us that great sense of purpose in our work, we have to slow down, pay attention, learn from the lessons, and put them into practice.
From all of us at Explore Careers, we wish you a fantastic International Womens Day 2023!
