Online dating apps have encouraged women to behave more like men. Apparently that’s not such a bad thing when it comes to your job...
Looking to up in the ante in your career? Then why not treat it like you would online dating.
Punch above your weight How many times have you read a job description and not applied because you can’t do a couple of the listed things? Never do that again. Take a tip from the men of Tinder and leave your modesty and self-doubt at the door. If you’ve ever had a message from a really unsuitable chap online ‘askn fer yr numbz bbe’ you’ll know that having a crack anyway is the way forward in life and especially in your career. Slightly underqualified for a role? Give it a go, don’t look back, and if it doesn’t work out? Next. Play the numbers game Pity dudes. They generally have to make the first approach when trying to get a date, and each advance could be returned or violently spurned. That’s why (male pals tell me) men often message lots of women in one go – to manage the disappointment and play the law of averages. If you labour over a single email or job application, that amount of energy means you’re expecting an outcome. The result? It’s either a new job or abject misery. Do yourself a favour – send out multiple applications and like a bad date, erase it from your memory.
Get a wingman Part of the Tinder process is deciphering man-speak. A male friend once told me that a non-committal ‘date’ means ‘you’re my back-up plan.’ Ouch. At the start of my career, two of my mentors were male and getting their advice was an eye-opener. When I thought I wasn’t good enough to apply for a job, they just couldn’t understand it. Or when I knew I deserved a promotion, they questioned why I wouldn’t just ask for it. My main realisation? That we (women, generally speaking) undersell ourselves massively. Chatting to a man gives you a different career perspective.
Don’t give up How many times have you had the same guy message you over and over again? You’ve got to admire his persistence right, or rather, replicate it. Men are excellent at being bloody-minded about a goal, rather than being wounded by any initial rejection. If they go for a promotion and don’t get it, they’ll see if the same position is on offer somewhere else. But be wary of trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. if you’re striving for something and it’s just too hard and all-consuming, it could be the universe telling you it’s just not right for you. And the same could be said of that hottie who just won’t get back to you on Tinder. Sack, it, off. Need some inspiration to shake up your career? Come to Marie Claire @Work Live. Hear an amazing line-up of speakers, including Anita Rani, Isy Suttie, Laura Bates, Stella Creasy MP, Sophie Kinsella and a host of inspiring businesswomen and entrepreneurs on Saturday 23 April at Altitude, Millbank, London SW1. Grab one of the last-remaining tickets at marieclaire.co.uk/atworklive
