Amelia Fidler, Customer Security & Investigations Manager for TPG Telecom, has this sage advice for women thinking about their careers.

“Don’t be afraid to ask. Back yourself and ask the question. The worst that can happen is the answer is no. The best part about no, however, is it gives you the opportunity to ask what you can do to get there. If you don’t ask, you’ll never know.”

According to the report “Do Women Ask?” women are far less likely to ask for a pay rise or promotion. Women are also less likely to apply for a job if they don’t tick every single criteria box.

This reality is disheartening, but also plain to see when you find out women make up 47.4% of the Australian workplace but hold only 14.6% of chair positions as of 2021, according to Accumulate Australia.

The 8^th of March marks International Women’s Day (IWD). It’s a day we celebrate every year at TPG Telecom to recognise and reflect on women’s social, economic, cultural, and political achievements. A thank you for the women of yesterday and today, paving the possibilities of tomorrow’s women.

TPG Telecom are committed to encouraging, supporting, and retaining female participation in our workforce. We’re doing so by setting ambitious targets of 20% of women in STEM roles by December 2024, 35% of women in our Australian workforce by December 2024 and 45% of women in strategic leadership roles by 2026.

To bring awareness to this day, a diverse selection of women who work at TPG Telecom shared their thoughts and experiences as a woman in the workplace. #InspireInclusion is the theme of this year’s IWD.

Here’s what our respondents had to say.

Kate Farrell is a copywriter for TPG Telecom and a strong supporter of celebrating International Women’s Day (IWD) in the workplace.

“I believe it’s beneficial for everyone to celebrate IWD every year both in the office and outside of it. Why? Because women in history, and even today, must work hard to prove themselves in their careers and in society.”

“IWD is a day of reflection, awareness, and of course, female empowerment,” said Kate.

“As a proud feminist, I believe in equality amongst all sexes, gender identities and cultures in the workplace. I am proud of who I am, thankful for what the women of yesterday fought for, and excited to witness the possibilities unlocked for the women of tomorrow.”

When asked what advice she had for women thinking about their career options, Sarina Goches, a TPG Telecom Graphic Designer, had 8 invaluable nuggets of wisdom.

1. Find a good mentor and never stop learning.
2. Be yourself, know your values, set boundaries, and know your worth outside of work.
3. Get work experience in your chosen field, even as an intern for a little while. Work experience is invaluable to a future employer considering you as an ideal candidate.
4. Understand your strengths, cultivate confidence, and celebrate your successes.
5. Understand your opportunities for growth and develop your skills.
6. Never hesitate to try and fail, especially in the beginning. That’s how you learn.
7. Know when it’s time to move on from an unhealthy workplace or one that isn’t supporting your career growth.
8. Take calculated risks and pursue a job you enjoy. Take charge of your career.

On experiencing and overcoming barriers and challenges in her career, Marketing Analyst for TPG Telecom, Danica Santos, had this to say.

“I overcome barriers and challenges by speaking my mind, going for opportunities, and taking everything as a learning experience.”

“I have great leaders and supervisors who encourage me to speak and ask questions no matter how small, weird, or obvious they may seem. It is great practice for me, and I am now able to apply this to all aspects of my life,” said Danica.

“If there's unfairness, I speak my mind. If I was wrong, I apologise. There's no use in overthinking. Just go for it, take the credit where it’s due and take accountability for your actions.”

As a Senior Manager of Risk Governance for TPG Telecom, Kim Hardwick has noticed a trend when it comes to women in leadership roles.

“What I’ve seen through interview processes and managing younger employees, is that there are issues with how young women interpret their own skillsets and experience, demonstrating an inability to recognise their skills & strengths as leadership qualities.”

Kim suggests, “the idea of a leadership role can feel big and audacious to many, but often the journey of female leaders is anything but linear. It is important to profile our women leaders and other notable women in business doing exceptional and worthwhile things, to share their stories, specifically focussing on their journeys.”

Why is this important?

“This destigmatises road-blocks, makes the leadership career path feel more relatable and attainable, and supports upcoming leaders to recognise the skills, strengths, and capabilities of existing leaders, to support their own personal and professional development goals,” Kim said.

Every day but especially today, we encourage you to recognise the women who work beside you, share a life with you and make your life that little bit better. Mums, partners, sisters, daughters, grandmas, and co-workers – thank them for all that they are and all that they do.

As an organisation, we acknowledge the sacrifices and successes of our female employees this International Women’s Day.  We hope you join us in doing so, too.