Research finds this is the most important factor in being successful in work

We go to college, take on internships, work our way up the career ladder – and sometimes still don’t feel as successful as our male counterparts.

When we asked our readers in our Slice of Ireland survey if they felt like being a woman stood in their way, we were shocked to hear 73% of Irish women only felt equal to men in education. When it comes to politics, career opportunities and salary, we feel men have the upper edge. New research has now proven though if we want to get ahead we shouldn’t just be focusing our attention to LinkedIn and extra courses. Studying a series of companies, UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business found that women who adopted mentors in their workplace, were seen to have more social skills, networking authority and were more likely to be seen favourably by their peers. Simply put, stop connecting with contacts on LinkedIn and develop a real relationship where you can benefit from advice and experience from someone you trust. Speaking about the results, Assistant Professor Sameer Srivastava explained: “… being publicly affiliated with a high-status mentor, appeared to benefit women more than it did the men in the study. “In this company, as in many other comparable companies, technical employees tended to build relatively small networks, mostly within their own groups. Senior leadership believed that the people who did well in the organisation were those who had not only depth but also breadth of social capital.” So how do you pick a mentor that’s right for you? Srivastava says picking a mentor you admire in your field is a strong start, but make sure you’re gaining new insight and skills from your mentorship. If you need to work on aspects of your skill set, research people of excellence in the field who you can realistically reach out to. Don’t be afraid to contact these women either. You can return the favour to another ambitious lady when you’re the head of your field.