How do I get my boss’s job?

Dear Aunty B,

I keep hitting the glass ceiling. I did a marketing degree, went into HR and then moved to several large consulting firms in that role trying to progress up the ladder. But I am now in my early 30s and think I will have to leave again.

I don’t know whether I am facing discrimination or if I just don’t have the right skills.

Help!
Stuck,

Dear Stuck,

Here is what you must do. Get in early one day and go and sit in your boss’s chair. Swivel around a few times, enjoy the view and think! How did your boss get the job? What was the trajectory? What was their last job and the job before that? What training did they do? What attributes do they have? Who are they networked to? Who are their mentors? What is their management style? How aggressive are they? How hard do they work? What sports do they watch/play?

Now stop swivelling, go back to your office and make a to do list.

I always believe that if you are being discriminated against, you can see it – (unless you are a die-hard victim, in which case get therapy).

At some stage in your business career you reach a level where it is the opposite of discrimination – you are competing head to head against men who are highly aggressive, well networked and skilled at scampering up the greasy pole.

There are only so many highly paid jobs – and lots of people who want them. So get smart, get strategic and get aggressive.

Good luck!
Your Aunty B

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