UK
Working as an auditor I found financial services firms fascinating. As I trained with a mid-sized firm the challenge for me was to get into a larger organisation – which I did through specialising in regulation in my early career. I then built the commercial part of my skillset through looking for opportunities within the finance function to move horizontally to similar level roles, that required different skillsets.
People's willingness to "allow you" to have a varied career. I regularly encountered managers who thought you should have a traditional career path, i.e. want your manager's job and wanted to control your next move. I have always taken the approach that I would like as broad a skill set as possible, and sometimes made sideways moves to broaden my perspectives and skillset, often against the advice of my manager at the time. That said, I have also had some wonderfully supportive managers
I find people can often be more protective of women, and this can lead to patronising behaviour. I tend to counter that by generally ignoring the help offered and just getting on with the job. That can lead people to think that you don't ask for help – as with everything in life, it is a balance!
This is something everyone wrestles with. Communication is key!! I don't see it as a weakness to let people know when you have conflicting priorities. It happens to us all. So I may miss one of my children performing occasionally as I have an important meeting or event at work, but I make sure the kids know I sometimes miss important work events to see them perform at other times. Conversely, if I miss a meeting or have to leave early for something personal, I am quite comfortable in openly explaining why. I think it is good to set an example that work is not always a priority, but equally, it has to be a priority sometimes as it pays for holidays and fun!!
Interestingly, I have never had an issue with this specifically. As an individual (not just my work self), I do tend to be quite open with my opinions, and I have, on occasion, taken on less than harmonious teams. They have sometimes taken a while to come around, but I have never attributed that to being female.
There are too many to pin down to one. In your early career, your views are somewhat shaped by your parents and your more limited experience. I definitely learned from my dad to constantly anticipate challenges (things almost never go as you planned!) but just shrug it off and make a new plan. "roll with the punches"… as he says. As I have developed through my career, I have found others are happy to share advice. You just need to ask and then reflect on whether you can use anything they have shared.
In general, there are (and have been for the last 20 years at least) as many females who qualify as accountants as males. The working environment dynamics in more recent times have shifted so that males as well as females can and do openly prioritise their home lives occasionally.
I would still like to see more open minded to recruiting senior roles on 3 or 4 days a week and trusting that people will juggle as they need to. I think as employers we should be much more open to trialling these types of working arrangements.
Also there seems to be a perception that people need to act in a certain way to be good leaders – I think we should give more weight to those with softer skill sets that maybe get things done a little differently to how you may traditionally expect. More role models like this would inspire a wider pool of people to the top jobs and with increased diversity at the top comes better decision making!
I think diversity within a team is extremely important, and I wholly subscribe to the belief that a diverse team will result in better decision-making. The company where I am currently has a compulsory interview with members of the Corporate Responsibility Committee to give the person recruiting a different lens on the candidate, and this has been extremely helpful as a tool in decision-making and popular with candidates who can then see how important we taken diversity and inclusion.
Don't be put off purely because it is male dominated. In my experience people welcome the diversity of a female perspective and a female leader. If you think positively, believe in your ability, and are flexible in how you get there. If "they" can do it, why not you?
I'm not sure about accomplishment exactly. I am still here!! Which in a career spanning over 20 years is not to be underestimated.
I do see it as part of my role to demonstrate positive behaviours in the workplace and encourage others to also do so, not least that because women who have done well in their careers are often stereotyped as "alpha female", I do what I can to avoid that and lead with compassion and balance. I also see it as part of my role to make anyone, particularly women, feel welcomed into the workplace. We are all different and have our own paths.
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Lou Corbally has just under 20 years experience recruiting into Financial Services in London. Over nearly two decades, there have been incredible changes in the industry. One of the most significant shifts has been the growing emphasis on diversity and inclusion (D&I). To better understand these changes, she has been meeting and interviewing senior female leaders working in Financial Services as part of the series, Breaking Barriers: She Means Business.
