自信缺失，英国职业女性须学习美国同行

    相比其他许多行当，当时营销似乎为女性提供了更快获得升迁的机会，而且入职之初，我有幸遇到了两位好上司。他们不仅为我提供了大把的机会，使我得以学到新的技能和经验，不断提升自我，更重要的是，他们很乐意看到我的这种表现。

    28岁的时候，我通过管理层收购买下了之前两年里聘用我的那家公司。我有这么做的经验吗？当然没有！我是否已有足够的自信，觉得至少应该好好试一试？当然。

    我们必须认识并领会到，如果英国在男女平等方面要想赶上美国（美国也不是完美典范——按营收排行最大的200家美国公司中，女董事所占比例约为20%，可比起英国来还是遥遥领先），就必须创造公平的竞争环境。对女性职业发展的期待、相关的教育方式和行为模式都必须改变。灌输自信心和坚定信念不是一时半刻就能做到的，对任何女士来说，自信心都必须从娃娃抓起，然后在整个职业生涯中不断培养与塑造。非如此不足以取得成功。

    多米尼•佩蒂法是英国dnx marketing公司联席董事总经理，该公司专长于企业与企业之间的营销与沟通。

    译者：小宇

   Marketing seemed to present more rapid career advancement to women over many other professions and during my early career I was lucky enough to have two senior bosses who not only gave me ample opportunity to step up to the mark and gain new skills and experience, but importantly were happy for me to do so.

    At the age of 28 I conducted a management buy-out of the agency that had employed me for the previous two years. Did I have the experience to do so? I most certainly did not! Had I gained the confidence that I should at least give it a really good shot? I certainly had.

    What we really need is the realization and appreciation that if the U.K. is to emulate the U.S. (not the paragon of equality--female board representation at the 200 largest companies by revenue is about 20%--but streets ahead of the U.K.) then the creation of a level playing field is essential. Career expectations for women, along with the education and behavioral agenda has to change. Imbuing confidence and self-belief is not a short term fix; for any woman it has to start in the cradle and continue to grow and build throughout her whole working life. Nothing less will do the job.

    Domini Pettifar is joint managing director, dnx marketing, a U.K.-based agency that specializes in busines-to-business marketing and communications.