By Jessica Kmetty, President & CEO
In a world where women are consistently redefining success on their own terms, confidently navigating career changes, asking for raises, and re-entering the workforce after a break are some of the most powerful moves we can make. Yet, these moments often come with a cocktail of doubt, fear, and uncertainty. Let’s unpack how you can meet them with confidence, clarity, and courage.
Salary Negotiation: Know Your Worth, Then Add Tax
One of the most empowering things a woman can do is ask for what she deserves. Yet studies show women are less likely to negotiate salary than men – and when they do, they often ask for less. That ends here.
Tips for Confident Salary Negotiation:
- Do Your Research: Know the market rate for your role, industry, and location. Use tools like Glassdoor, PayScale, or professional networks.
- Practice Your Pitch: Know your accomplishments, quantify your results, and rehearse your ask with a trusted friend or mentor.
- Start Strong: When asked about salary expectations, don’t lowball yourself. Offer a range based on your research, and aim high.
- Don’t Apologize: Asking for fair compensation isn’t “asking too much.” It’s business, not charity.
💡 Power Move: Frame your request around impact. Try: “Based on my contributions in [specific achievement], I believe a salary adjustment of [specific range] reflects the value I bring.”
Why does it seem like asking for a raise is harder for women?
Asking for a raise is often harder for women due to a mix of social conditioning, systemic bias, and workplace dynamics.
From an early age, many women are subtly (or overtly) taught to be agreeable, avoid conflict, and prioritize relationships over self-advocacy. This can lead to discomfort with assertiveness, a key trait in salary negotiations, because it clashes with how society expects women to behave.
“Be nice, not demanding.”
“Don’t rock the boat.”
“Gratitude over ambition.”
These messages, ingrained over time, create internal barriers even before any negotiation begins. You can read more about the new rules in my blog: Breaking the “Good Girl” Money Rules: A Guide to Bold Financial Decisions
Career Transitions: Pivot with Purpose
Changing industries, roles, or starting a new path altogether isn’t a setback, it’s strategy. Whether you’re chasing passion, flexibility, or growth, career pivots are a chance to step closer to alignment.
How to Pivot Successfully:
- Identify Transferable Skills: What you’ve done matters. Leadership, project management, communication, analytics, these skills are gold in almost any industry.
- Tell a Compelling Story: People hire stories, not résumés. Frame your transition as a deliberate evolution, not a random detour.
- Upskill Strategically: Take courses, certifications, or attend workshops in your new area. Show initiative.
- Leverage Your Network: Connect with people already in your target field. Informational interviews can unlock hidden opportunities and boost confidence.
💡 Power Move: Create a “pivot statement”: a 1-2 sentence summary that confidently explains why you’re shifting and what value you bring.
Re-entering the Workforce: Comeback Like a Boss
Taking time away, whether for caregiving, health, travel, or self-discovery, doesn’t make you less employable. In fact, it can make you more resilient, strategic, and self-aware.
Re-entry Game Plan:
- Refresh Your Resume: Highlight recent learning, volunteering, or freelancing. Don’t hide the gap, frame it with purpose.
- Update Your Digital Presence: A polished LinkedIn profile and even a short blog or portfolio can show you’re serious and ready.
- Build Momentum with Small Wins: Part-time work, project-based consulting, or mentorships can help you regain confidence and credibility.
- Reclaim Your Narrative: When someone asks about your time away, answer with strength and intention: “I took time to [focus on family/health/growth], and now I’m bringing that clarity and drive to this next chapter.”
💡 Power Move: Join communities of returners, online groups and local networks focused on helping women re-enter the workforce with support and strategy.
Why does it matter how much you earn? Does being at the lower end of a salary range vs. being on the higher end of a salary range really make that much difference?
Yes!
Where you fall within a salary range can have a massive, compounding effect on your lifetime net worth and financial potential. Being at the higher end versus the lower end doesn’t just impact your current paycheck; it influences every financial milestone after that.
Most raises and bonuses are based on a percentage of your current salary. If you start at $65,000 instead of $85,000 in a role with a $65K–$90K range, every raise, 3%, 5%, 10%, is smaller from the start. Over a 30-year career, even small differences grow dramatically.
Your salary can also affect your benefits, retirement contributions, borrowing power, and wealth building capacity. What if you took home $2,400 more dollars a year and could use that money to buy back time? Perhaps that’s help around your home, like a laundry service, housecleaner or yard maintenance. Perhaps it’s a vacation or two that restores your mental clarity for a more powerful performance after a recharge. Perhaps it’s help with your children or other caregiving need. Even the smallest increase can make a big impact.
💡 Power Move: Get some practice with these scenarios with an AI service, such as ChatGPT. These services can be a powerful tool for role-playing career advancement scenarios by simulating conversations, interviews, or workplace challenges.
Your career is yours to define. It may seem like the workforce is a crazy place to navigate, but you’ll probably find that to be true in any stage of life. There is room for great teammates! Whether you’re negotiating a raise, shifting paths, or making a grand return, own it. Ask boldly. Pivot wisely. Return powerfully. And remember: confidence isn’t something you wait to feel. It’s something you decide to practice.
You’re not starting over. You’re starting stronger.