‘The Female Voice’ Panel: Top Tips for Career Progression, Career Change and Entrepreneurship.
As part of our women-led initiative ‘The Female Voice’ we hosted an event designed to empower women and foster connections within professional networks. Family law expert Zahra Pabani was joined by a panel of exceptional women, including Rosie Ginday MBE, Marcie Shaoul and Carly–Marie Llewellyn to discuss top tips for career progression, changing careers and entrepreneurship.
The diverse panel members, drawing from their professional backgrounds, provided valuable insights and inspiration to attendees. They shared personal stories, emphasising their determination to follow their passion as a key factor in their achievements. Their top tips included:
1. Embrace Your Journey: Zahra Pabani, emphasised the importance of stepping out and being brave. She advises to not to overthink and just step out of your comfort zone. Marcie, who changed career from journalism to coaching, highlighted the power of coaching in making confident decisions. Marcie also stressed the importance of doing something you enjoy; If you’re not passionate about your work, it might be time to reconsider your career path. Rosie, who founded Miss Macaroon, said she believes in absorbing every experience and using it to develop a vision.
2. Take Small Steps: Carly, who ventured into the ice cream business, advised to take small steps every day towards your goals. Even small actions can lead to significant changes over time. Zahra recommended simplifying challenges and going back to basics. Using a coach can be transformative, as it helps in moving forward with clarity.
3. Build Your Network: Zahra and Carly both highlighted the importance of networking. Zahra’s mentor played a pivotal role in her career, while Carly used her existing network to grow her ice cream business. All the participants highlighted the importance of not being afraid to ask for help when needed.
4. Be Honest with Yourself: Marcie advised everyone to be honest about their environment and think about whether it aligns with your passion. Small steps and gaining experience in different areas can help in finding the right path. Marcie suggested turning failures into constructive feedback by removing emotions; when emotions are high, logical decisions are hard to make. Bringing yourself into the present moment helps in making rational choices and taking advantage of the feedback received.
4. Use Your Skills: Rosie’s journey shows that learning your skills in various roles can lead to unexpected opportunities. She worked in different fields before finding her passion in the macaroon business which allowed her to grow Miss Macaroon into the successful company it is today. She also advised that change does not have to be sudden or radical. While building her Miss Macaroon business she continued to work full-time in an international company, which allowed her to learn her skills and grow the business with a safety net of full-time employment.
Summary of the event
Attendees left with practical advice to both progress their current careers as well as how to turn their attention to trying something new.
This event underscored a broader, women-led initiative at Irwin Mitchell called “The Female Voice” which aims to bring women together from professional networks and beyond. The firm is the only top 50 law firm with more than 50% of the partners and 75% of solicitors being women, which is almost double the industry average; across the board, only 30% of partners and 19% of equity partners are women.
Find out more about future Female Voice Panel activity and events.
