We asked the BuzzFeed Community to tell us the career tips they thought every woman should know. Here are the results.
1. Change up your vocabulary.
2. Don't apologise for doing your job.
"My boss once said to me, 'Don't apologise for doing your job.' As in, 'Sorry to be a pain, but I need XYZ info...' You don't need to apologise for doing your job. If someone owes you something, why are you apologising to them? Do what you need to do to get your job done, and if other people are holding you up, escalate it to your boss or theirs." – Aubrey Walter, Facebook
3. But do know when to apologise.
4. Introduce yourself.
"Don't let anyone introduce you. Stand up, shake their hand, and introduce yourself. That impression will resonate more with the person meeting you. This is a surefire way to make that person feel more confident in your ability, ultimately because you are showing them you are proud of yourself and what you do!" – Courtney Lester, Facebook
"When meeting anyone in business, look 'em dead in the eye and give them a firm handshake. Exert confidence and a sense of power/strength. That move has never let me down yet." – ActorAnon
5. Report all inappropriate behaviour.
6. Never follow orders blindly.
"Ask questions. Just because your boss tells you to do something, it doesn't necessarily mean it's OK to do. If you don't feel comfortable doing it, don't do it, but you better be able to articulate to higher-ups why. 'I didn't feel like it' won't cut it. 'He was trying to get me to violate federal laws because he didn't understand them.' That's a better excuse." – Bexi McGee, Facebook
7. Sort out your budgeting skills.
8. Keep personal records of your achievements, failures, and everything important.
"Keep copies of everything important on a personal computer or drive. I did an internship where they asked me to stay on a month past the date of the internship ending, and said they’d pay me a full salary for the duration. Naively, I took them at their word and it never crossed my mind to make sure I kept a personal record.
"When I left a month later, they cut off all contact, deleted my email account, and never paid me. Without access to my emails or work computer I had no proof I’d worked at the company after my internship ended, let alone that they'd said they'd pay me. Keeping personal records of everything means that if something similar ever happens to you, you can always provide hard evidence." – Emma Cooke
"It helps me to send an email to myself and save it to a certain folder when I make a mistake or do something outstanding. That way you can have a list handy when your boss asks you to toot your own horn for a promotion." – sarahc4f707250a
9. Don't drag other women (or anyone, for that matter) down.
10. Be kind.
"Be kind to everyone you meet in a company, from the janitorial staff to the CEO. You never know whose help you may need along the way. Also, if you have an interview be extra kind to the receptionist. They’ll tell the hiring manager if you’re rude." – lauries4946d4c02
11. Remember that no woman is an island.
12. Be transparent about how you work.
"Transparency is key. Whenever possible, be transparent about your expectations and ask your boss or co-workers what their expectations are. My co-worker and I frequently butted heads when we worked together. At first I thought she was intentionally being difficult, but now I know it's just because we have completely opposite working styles. It took me sitting down with her and each of us explaining what we expected from each other to be able to work well together. Now she's my work wife." – Kinsey McMurtry, Facebook
13. Dress for the job you want.
14. Humility is as valuable as confidence.
"Our society values leaders who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty. Don't be afraid to pull your own weight simply because you think you might get 'stuck' with menial tasks. Everyone will only appreciate you all the more, and in a reasonable environment, you'll come out light years ahead of any man who acts too good for the job." – Julie Magliocco, Facebook
"Be confident, know your value, but also be humble. I once worked at an oil company for a while and let things get to my head a little too much, despite having a bottom-of-the-pyramid job. Know your worth and role within the company, but also check yourself before you burn bridges or make a fool of yourself by not being humble." – lauries4946d4c02
15. But know when to say no – there's always a limit.
16. Make sure you have a fulfilling life outside of work.
"Make sure that you have a life outside of work. Even if you work all the time, it will help you keep it balanced. If work has you down then you have something to lift you up." – victorial47d83d4a7
"Be selfish – learn to say, 'No, I’m going home on time!'" – katiep4576175d2
17. Try to stay positive.
18. It's OK to have empathy and feelings.
"Everyone at work is a human being too. Your boss wants to get along with you and be accepted too. Your boss’s boss might be going through a personal struggle. The kid that delivers the mail might have dreams of being a writer or a lawyer, or something big.
"Don’t forget that our occupations, our promotions, our paychecks do not make us who we are, and that when each person leaves the workplace, they do not cease to exist; we all have lives, feelings, struggles. Professional doesn’t mean dead inside." – SarahMysterious
19. Don't be afraid to speak up, and don't let people talk over you before you're done.
20. Fake it till you make it.
"Don’t be afraid to have the answer. Never, ever, ever forget, nobody knows what they’re doing. Female or male, we’re all just making it up as we go along. With that said, you might as well be the one to make up the best story." – t480549621
"Carry yourself with confidence. If you don’t feel confident, fake it till you make it (IT REALLY WORKS!)." – lucyt410579ade
21. You don't have to please everyone.
22. Don't let anyone intimidate you.
"This goes to anyone, not just women: Don’t let anyone in the workplace intimidate you. Not your boss, not your boss’s boss, not the CEO. At the end of the day, they’re all PEOPLE, just like you! They go home and watch Netflix in their undies too." – caseyo5
"A good boss will NEVER need to yell at you or make you feel stupid, even if you made a mistake. If it does happen, put your big-girl shoes on and nip it in the bud privately." – catherinedugrs
23. Don't stay in a job you hate.
24. Try not to take things personally.
"Don't take things too personally. If your supervisor makes a face while you're talking, don't lose your cool. It might be because she's thinking of her annoying kids at home – nothing to do with you." – Olivia Burrell-Jackson, Facebook
25. Stay out of office gossip.
26. Stand by your ideas.
"Don't just compromise or back down from your idea the minute someone questions it. Think it through before you go along with the alternative option – sometimes they're just making another option so they appear useful, or sometimes it's well-intentioned but it's just a worse idea than yours. Especially if they're older or male, your first instinct is to give way, but don't be so quick! Is their idea actually better?" – Michelle la Nola, Facebook
27. Ask for more money if you deserve it.
28. In fact, if you know you need or deserve something, ask for it, full stop.
"Don't wait for someone to hand you things on a platter. If you want something, go out and get it. Whether that is starting your own business, pitching a kickass project you'd love to run to your boss, or asking for a raise because you bring mad value to the company, the only person in charge of your life is YOU. In 99% of all cases you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by going for it." – Milou Van Roon, Facebook
"Ask for what you need to do your job. Do you need an extra monitor? Access to some information you can't get at? A software update? Don't limp along with crap resources; walk up and ask for that thing you need! Nobody else knows what you need, so you have to request it." – Bonnie Cleveland Evans, Facebook
"A great boss I had once told me 'the worst they can say is no'. I was very lucky to have worked for this woman for a little over one year and I am very lucky to still remain in contact with her. From her I learned to be unapologetically myself. She never asked for permission; she never apologised for knowing her worth and her knowledge."
– Manny Martinez Arce, Facebook
29. Always be open to opportunities.
30. Every experience is a chance to learn.
"Make it a point to learn something from and pay attention to every person you come into contact with, no matter their position in the company. The janitor at your company deserves the same respect as your boss does.
"When it comes to leadership, I've learned as much from my bad bosses and managers as I have from the good ones. Bad leaders can teach you everything you need to know about how *not* to treat people, and learning lessons from their mistakes can strengthen your character and leadership abilities. It's hard (really hard!), but don't just get frustrated and write them off – learn from the experience." – Liz Dommer, Facebook
31. Define your own success.
32. You don't need to be everything, you just need to be yourself.
"The temptation when you get increasingly senior positions is to modify and conform to what you think is a 'stereotypical' boss. However the qualities you are trying to suppress, such as a sense of humour, warmth, or empathy, are the things which got you where you are. There is nothing better than being authentic and any person worth their salt will know if you are not." – Nicola Browell, Facebook
"You don’t have to be everything. You don’t need to be the nice boss and the tough boss, the quiet and the loud one, the charismatic and the reserved one. There is a problem in society where women need to be everything all at once, and not too much of one thing or another. Be who you are, and own it. There are many great ways to be a boss, but you don’t need to be all of them." – jiannaraem