Make your voice heard, don’t be invisible !

RIFKA ZIYARD

COLOMBO : Entering the corporate world is a milestone and the journey to the top of the career ladder is never easy. Colombo Times conversed with Lakshika Weeramundage who an International Marketer by profession is working at a leading company in the FMCG sector, who shared her experience, learnings and insights as a successful career woman in her chosen field. Lakshika is a past pupil of Methodist College where she completed her primary and secondary education and has over 02 decades of work experience in the corporate Sector and holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Southern Queensland, Australia.

Career women

“I have been working for over 20 years now. You meet different people at different walks of life, you learn, you obtain new experiences but at the end of the day what matters is the value you bring to the table” says Lakshika sharing moments and experiences from her career journey.  

If there was one piece of advice, she would give her younger self in making career decisions, she said it would be to “Take more risks. Get yourself exposed to new experiences and be aware of what else is out there. This is something that might be easier to do in the early part of your career, so you should make the most of it”.

Further she explained “When opportunities present itself, be bold enough to grab it. I started travelling outside Sri Lanka alone as a young, ambitious school leaver due to the demands of my job role, which ultimately paved the way for my career in International Marketing. It was a new experience and intimidating at the time, but I took it up. Now I enjoy travelling and gaining new experiences, meeting new people and it has helped mold me to be the person I am today”.

“Irrespective of your gender, one needs to be aware of your self-worthiness. The contributions, value additions you make and what you bring to the table is vital as you keep going up in your career ladder” she added.

Make your voice be heard and enhance your self-worthiness

Discussing the challenges faced by women today, Lakshika shared that “Challenges are faced by everyone and working women certainly have our share. In my opinion, some of the challenges faced by women is due to social stigma, culture and the attitude of others A woman even in 2021 still has to earn her place, prove herself a little bit more than the next person. It’s almost like swimming against the tide. You might be qualified, you may be working effectively but a woman still has to prove herself  consistently. It may be the reason that some women are compelled to make a choice between work or family but it should never be the case. I would never insist that women be given the first place, but instead, women should be given the rightful equal place they have earned, be it in the household, society or in the corporate world and I think todays expectation from a career woman is not to be labelled based on gender but to be treated as a ‘valued employee’”.

Based on her experience, Lakshika shared few words of wisdom for young aspiring ladies who are keen to achieve success in their careers, “Make your voice heard. One of the biggest mistakes  we make as women is thinking that being a woman is an entitlement. This mind set and attitude needs to change. If you are entering  the corporate world thinking that you will get everything on a platter since you are woman, well, you are walking into a mirage. If you walk in with such expectations you are bound to feel victimized.  The Corporate Sector today is competitive. All young aspiring personalities irrespective of their gender should aim to start from ground zero and you need to build on it”.

She further added “Also, we should stop looking over our shoulders at what the other person has and has not. Be thankful for what you have, since at any given point of time you are in a better position than someone else out there. If you are already employed, you are in a better position than a person who is out there still looking for an opportunity. So you need to look at yourself, build up your strengths and make your voice be heard. If you aspire to go up in the corporate ladder, do the self-assessment, identify the gaps and improve yourself. You are never too young or old to learn something new. It may be a skill or a qualification but continue to improve. Apply yourself and have your work speak for itself. Enhance your self-worth”.

Changing trends

Lakshika explained how corporates today are more sensitive to gender equality and work towards building an environment where all work in harmony. She explained “Today, gender equality has been accepted by many organizations in the corporate world. There are objectives set and corporates are making a conscious effort to create gender balance and inclusivity. What is important is that this blends into  the corporate culture and hopefully in the future, a woman being given her rightful place would become a norm   rather than a project”.

She further added “In my view when you are working in an organization it is about collaboration and working together as a team irrespective of gender. It is important that one contributes, brings value, and also have your self-identity in place. I have never been afraid to ask questions. I ask questions to learn and improve. That has helped me to build my career.

Lakshika shared her thoughts on the importance of paving the way for others to succeed, “I think as women we should ensure our voices be heard and that we stand up for what is right.  I would consider myself successful if  I manage to pave the way for someone else after me. I strongly believe I am where I am today because someone else paved the way for me”.

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Interviewed and compiled by Rifka Ziyard MBA, FCMA, CGMA, FTII, B Com

Rifka is the Director – Tax and Regulatory at KPMG.