How I got here
“As leaders, we all have the responsibility to understand the challenges different groups may face, during different phases of life. Responding to the fears and pain points with integrated, holistic solutions will nurture inclusive cultures and empower employees to successfully integrate caring responsibilities and career aspirations.”
Deborah Croft, Co-CEO & co-founder Thriving Talent
What was your dream career as a girl?
As a girl, I changed my mind about my career several times, from pilot in the Royal Air Force, to Prime Minister (although I think that was fed by my grandmother’s belief in me!) and dancer on the West End stage?! My reality is that I only found my dream career in my late thirties, when I took a leap of faith and completely redesigned my career, although I am incredibly grateful for my professional journey until that point.
What was your aha-moment when you realized that gender stereotypes may (or do) have an impact on your career development?
How did you deal with it?
I never felt held back by my gender. I was given the opportunity to develop and my motto of ‘work hard, play hard’ was effective. Although working in a fast paced, male dominated environment, I had senior female role models and gender wasn’t the obstacle. In fact, choosing between a healthy work life balance or being expected to work 24×7 as a Director, is what made me question the definition of a ‘successful’ career.
Witnessing too many professionals having to choose between ‘caring’ and ‘career’ shocked me when I moved to Switzerland in 2010. How did I deal with it? I make it my mission to change ways of working through setting up businesses to help organizations pull levers to enable caring and career!
What is your number 1 advice for career aspiring women?
Ask yourself every quarter, “if I dared to imagine it was possible, what do I need to ask for and from whom?” Invest in networking, internally and externally, because you will never regret increasing your sphere of influence.