Most employees feel professionally successful despite the high unemployment and shift to work from home caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, women are twice as likely to be dissatisfied with their careers than men. Our survey provides expert insights on how to strategize for professional success
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2020 has been a tough year for the American worker. Rising unemployment, the shift to remote work, and concerns about health and childcare have tested employees. Still, most American workers (86%) felt professionally successful in 2020, according to a survey from The Manifest, a business news and how-to website.
Gender gaps exist in professional success. Despite most employees feeling professionally successful, dissatisfied employees are more likely to be women.
Twice as many women (17%) than men (8%) feel slightly or not at all satisfied with their careers.
Being professionally successful means doing interesting, fulfilling work while gradually earning more responsibility and a higher salary. The Manifest surveyed 501 employees on the top six strategies they use to maximize professional success:
- Networking with other professionals (23%)
- Mentoring a less experienced worker (20%)
- Being mentored by a more experienced worker (15%)
- Requesting different responsibilities at work (15%)
- Negotiating a higher salary (8%)
- Meeting with a career coach (4%)
Networking and Mentoring — Trusted Tools for Success
Just as succeeding at a job requires working well with other employees so to developing a fulfilling career requires building your professional network.
More workers reported pursuing networking with other professionals (23%) than any other professional success strategy.
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Mentoring boosts the professional success of both mentors and mentees. Fifteen percent of employees (15%) have been mentored in the past year, which experts believe provides significant benefits.
“The benefits of having a mentor are priceless,” said Luke Smith, founder of We Buy Property in Kentucky.
Smith believes having a mentor is especially valuable when the mentor held similar jobs and responsibilities in the past. This way, a mentor can serve as a living roadmap for career success.
Mentorship also benefits the mentor, but only one in five employees (20%) reported having mentored a colleague in the past year.
Dorota Lysienia, community manager at LiveCareer, a professional resume service, said, “…Mentorship teaches mentors how to actively listen and bring their workplace relationships to the next level.”
Experts Say Lesser Used Strategies Can Improve Professional Success
Despite only 4% of employees reporting meeting with a career coach, experts believe it’s likely to become common as workers realize its benefits.
Jessica Bedenbaugh, owner of Call it Moxie, a consulting firm specializing in women’s professional development, coaches women leaders on preparing for interviews and salary negotiations.
With coaching, her clients have a better chance of landing an exciting job with a good salary.
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