Women face numerous challenges when growing their careers. They have to wear different hats of being a wife, a mother, and a successful career woman. According to Avani Desai, president of Schellman & Company, women in the workforce can still become wives and mothers while still attending their demanding careers.
Desai had to look for creative ways to strike a balance between her career and family life of a husband and two children. Traditionally, she was supposed to quit her position as a director of risk consulting to concentrate on her growing family. Desai started working for KPMG immediately after graduating from college.
Instead of giving up on her demanding career, Desai sought another role that could allow her to take care of her kids while still progressing her career. Schellman & Company, a renowned CPA firm, offered worked flexibility that Avani needed.
Desai believes that, as corporate women, they have a responsibility to help young girls to expand their scope. She believes that girls should be exposed to critical and creative thinking as early as primary school. Here is Desai’s piece of advice to young women in higher learning institutions.
1. Look For Mentors
Desai advises young women to seek out mentorship and guidance from reputable leaders. She encourages college students to seek advice from dedicated members of the Executive Women’s Forum. Additionally, she calls out girls preparing to join college to participate in Girls Who Code.
2. Leverage Free Online Courses
With the pandemic posing numerous challenges to women in leadership, Desai encourages corporate women to strengthen their skill set by taking advantage of free online courses.
Now that many people are working from home, she urges women in the workforce to utilize time previously dedicated to commuting to pursue short courses through AWS, Microsoft, LinkedIn learning, and OCI.
3. Develop An Enabling Work Environment Through Understanding, Engagement, Flexibility, and Vital Resources
Women in leadership are called to support fellow women by understanding the difficulties they endure in the workplace. The support includes providing employees with mental health resources, giving female caretakers flexible work hours, provide women with career development programs and access to career coaches.
Avani Desai urges women not to give in to societal expectations. They should innovate ways of parenting while still developing their careers.