Finding your voice: how to be a successful woman in finance

By Natasha Dhar, Portfolio Director, Vanquis Bank

As a senior leader in financial services, I look around boardrooms and can see I look quite different from most of my peers. Research from the Financial Conduct Authority found only 17% of managers in financial services are women. This figure drops quite a lot when you narrow it down to BAME (Black, Asian and minority ethnic) women. Hailing from an under-represented group has at times felt like a hurdle and now in my position as Portfolio Director at Vanquis Bank, I want to use my experience and position to enable and empower women who are making their own journeys in the industry. I have realised my race and gender is not a drawback, but a strength that enables me to bring a different perspective to the table.

Be your own voice

One of the most significant learnings I have had is the importance of finding and being your own voice in the workplace. What’s key is that you feel confident enough to express your own opinions, even if it goes against the status quo. Believe that your knowledge, your opinions and your feelings hold value. And give them a voice – yours. It’s always helpful to have a champion or sponsor at work, but you can’t always rely on someone else to get yourself heard. A strong belief in myself and my abilities, and expressing my opinions in my own authentic way, has not just benefited me in my career, but also the companies I have worked for – as attested to by seniors who I’ve had the privilege of working with.

Instead of asking WHY, ask WHY NOT

Early in my career, I considered applying for a role in which I had most of the skills but didn’t tick all the boxes on the job advert. I chose to apply and succeeded in landing the role, showing that you should take risks when it comes to putting yourself forward for new work opportunities. LinkedIn research found women apply for 20% fewer jobs than men. This trend could be interpreted as women being more selective with job opportunities, but it may indicate women are less likely to put themselves forward for roles that they don’t consider themselves a perfect fit for. As a result, women are missing out. When you want to take the next step towards your career goal, be it applying for your dream job or simply approaching someone to be your mentor, and you are hesitant to take the plunge, just ask yourself ‘why not?’, ‘what is the worst that can happen?’ You may find that the barriers you thought existed in your path are largely self-imposed – a result of either limiting beliefs or a fear of failure – when instead, there is nothing to lose and everything to gain. Be bold and take charge.

Be proactive

To reach your full potential, it is important to be proactive. If you want to work for a specific company or team, approach them, even if there is no specific job being advertised at that time. This also applies to work within your current team. Sometimes your work will not simply speak for itself, you need to speak up if you want a promotion, to lead a new project or be put forward for a training course. Many women can suffer from imposter syndrome in these circumstances. However, you should consider what your fellow colleagues are doing. Are they waiting to get noticed? Or are they putting themselves forward for opportunities? Don’t be left behind waiting to get noticed.

Speaking up should also apply to any discrimination you come across, whether that be because of someone’s gender, sexuality, or race. It’s important for us all to not let such issues slide and be proactive when speaking out about issues we face. That way, we can help the organisations we work for be more inclusive and therefore get the best from their colleagues.

Network, at ALL levels

Many people are often looking to work with a mentor or sponsor and it is of course beneficial to learn from someone more senior and their experience. But all too often people neglect networking and forming bonds with their peer group. This is an important network as you progress in your career. As a peer group you readily share challenges and learnings, and ultimately grow together. You also never know where these people will end up and the opportunities they may open for you. Remember to build on your networks once you have found them. For example, there are various women in credit and payments networking groups to join, such as The Female Lead or Women in Data. Once you have built your networks, take time to check in with your peers could be the key for unlocking new opportunities for you in the future.

Pay it Forward

And finally, I cannot stress this enough – pay it forward. Use your learnings and best practices to help other women progress in their own careers. We succeed together and not alone.