5 Things That Every Woman Should Do If They Want To Get Ahead In Business

To get ahead as a business woman it is both hard and easy. The latter simply because more people (men) are happy to give you a hand, provide valuable advice and if you are extra lucky and know the art of batting your eyelids - open some doors. On top of that, there is this religion that is based around a belief that there is a "glass ceiling" and all women should stick together and help each other become successful because supposedly, no man is going to help.

I am not one throw stones at other women, but I have always been of the belief that anyone can be successful, as long as they put their mind to it and believe in themselves and what they are doing.

To get ahead, there are a few things that I believe all women should consider. What do you think?

5 Things That Every Woman Should Do If They Want To Get Ahead In Business

1. Take an acting course. I remember my very good friend Mahika Melwani saying to me once that her mentor Andrew Banks (from Morgan and Banks/Talent 2) encouraged her to take an acting course. At first, I thought that the idea of wasting money and time on an acting course is ludicrous because there are not enough hours in the day. However, he is very, very successful, and this is the advice that he has given - so some consideration should be given to that. Of course, after much thought and after watching her develop after taking the acting course, I am an avid believer that EVERY woman who wants to get ahead should do this. It builds confidence, teaches you how to communicate, tackles the fear of public speaking and if you need to sell, then it teaches you how to "act" out your sales messages to get the right reaction from the audience in front of you.

2.  Read body language books. To be successful you have to sell something. Right? So knowing how your subject is thinking will help you tailor your pitch to them and get the results you are looking for. Allan Pease wrote a great book "Body Language in the Workplace" and "Questions and Answers" which are both good reads. "Master the Art of Cold Reading" by Angel Harper and "Cold Reading: How to be good at it" by Basil Hoffman is good too.

3.  Take 7 Saturday's out of your life and do Oceanbiz Leaderships Diploma in Management/Leadership (http://www.oceanbiz.com.au/aboutus.html) - You never know who you may meet while you are there. The people that you meet on the way up are usually ones that will be with you when you are at the top. All my journo friends from Townsville are now heads of news in major newspapers or television news programs. Invaluable. BUT... the main reason is to learn the art of being a good leader because this will mean the difference as to whether you succeed to the top or stop short of reaching your objectives. Encourage the company you work for to pay for this Diploma as it is a recognised Government Funded Diploma of Management.

4.  Start work before everyone else. The work you get done before everyone walks in the door will make the difference as to how your day unfolds and how others perceive you. Don't be fooled in thinking that turning up at 9am each day to work is satisfactory. Do the hard yards early so you can take it easy when you reach your goals.

5.  Get a shrink. All women are nuts. They have to deal with hormones going through the roof once a month, emotional imbalance and the impact of men in their lives. Don't be afraid to find an independent shrink/psychologist who you can sit down with once a week and blurt out how you feel. See the difference immediately in how you relate to others at work and in your personal life.

Do you have any tips worth mentioning?
Mellissah Smith, Atlanta.