Reserve your place now for WAM Theatre’s Claiming Her Place benefit on Sunday, June 30 at 7:00 pm.
Victoria May is a WAM board member and Assistant Vice President and Manager of Marketing at Greylock Financial Credit Union. Here’s how she claims her place.
How do you define claiming your place? Can you tell me about a time when you claimed your place in your profession?
For me claiming your place especially in the work environment means to make your presence known and your voice heard. In today’s world, where women are still striving to been seen as equals with men in the workplace, it is even more crucial that women continue to prove themselves as the intelligent and capable professionals that they are.
What advice would you give to women who are just starting to establish themselves in their careers on how to claim their places confidently?
There’s nothing you can’t do. Don’t be intimidated by men or anyone for that matter. Always be respectful and gracious for anyone giving you opportunities to show your skills but know that any opportunity you’re given is well deserved. Have confidence in your abilities and others will have confidence in you to do a great job. I think the more women we have in professions like business, engineering, law enforcement, or medicine the better! Little by little we all help to break down the stereotypes of what women are “supposed” to do.
Is there a quote–from a song, movie, book, poem, TV show, etc.–that seems relevant to the subject of claiming your place and facing challenges in your working life?
Two quotes from Eleanor Roosevelt really stand out to me.
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
This is probably her most famous; this quote really shows that you need to stand for what you believe. When you’re hired for a job, you are qualified so you should never let someone make you feel inferior. Never doubt yourself or your abilities.
“A woman is like a tea bag; you never know how strong it is until it’s in hot water.”
A stereotype of women is that they are overly sensitive or can’t handle pressure situations. This shows that if women are given the chance to rise to the occasion, they can become stronger than they ever thought possible.