SFE YP Blog | Reflections from our #IAmRemarkable Event

Amy Paterson is a Vice President in the Chief Risk Office of Barclays UK and the Deputy Chair (Edinburgh) for the SFE Young Professionals

I was delighted to be invited by SFE Young Professionals to join an #IamRemarkable workshop on Thursday 24 March, in celebration of Women’s History Month.

The intimate and interactive workshop was designed by Google and tied in closely with our current skills theme, Career Confidence. Having been designed to provide us with some tips to improve the self-promotion, motivation and skills of women and other underrepresented groups, across the session we learned about the importance of self-promotion both in our personal and professional life, whilst challenging some of the common taboos which surround the subject.

The event was hosted by Angela Benson, the newly appointed Head of Glasgow Finance at Morgan Stanley. Angela is an Executive Director and has worked at Morgan Stanley for 16 years in New York and Glasgow. She is a Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA) and is passionate about the #IamRemarkable program, having been a Google trainer for 2 years, running Global sessions for a broad range of attendees.

This was my first event in my new role as the Deputy Chair of the network and what first struck me as I dialled in to the session, was what a diverse group of young women we had on the call. We had attendees from right across the financial services industry, with delegates working in banking, legal, pensions, digital and risk, and I was proud to see representation from right across the central belt of Scotland. I was really looking forward to pulling on the wealth of knowledge within the virtual room and hearing about the views and experiences of the group. It was clearly going to be a very insightful session.

My own journey in getting to grips with self-promotion has proved extremely difficult. I remember joining a new company in the financial services industry around 10 years ago, filled with enthusiasm. I was in London for the week and thrilled at the prospect of all the exposure I would have with senior leaders - I couldn’t wait to share my ideas with them. Filled with confidence (and a couple of white wines) I saw my chance at a networking event on the first evening. I was really enjoying myself and was pleased that the conversation was flowing, when I was abruptly pulled aside by a very senior manager who told me I was ‘suffocating the room’ and to let my work do the talking. To say I was mortified is an understatement.

I headed home with my tail between my legs and spent the next few years shuddering at the thought of ever having to talk about my ideas or achievements again. Whilst I thought I was letting my work do the talking, in reality this was to my detriment, stopping me from putting my hand up and seeking opportunities to progress. My peers were doing the opposite and in turn I watched them being rewarded with fantastic opportunities and promotions.

The morale of the story… I wish I had this workshop then. Whilst I still felt vulnerable talking about my own experiences, the opportunity to self-reflect and share with others was invaluable and helped me see that I’m not alone. That leads me to my top tip for self-promotion. Get out there and get yourself a sponsor. Yes, this should be someone who recognises your potential and would be there shouting about you when it mattered with bells and whistles on – like a hype man, you know the DJ there to get the crowd buzzing for Beyonce? But it is just as important that it is someone you trust enough to share your fears with, and your doubts.

To break it down into a more relatable example, consider the common perception that when looking at a role profile, women are more likely to think about the things that they can’t do, than those that they can, often talking themselves out of applying at all. I am definitely in that bucket. In that situation, my sponsor has been a sounding board, helping me get out of my own head, providing encouragement and giving me the confidence to put myself out there again. A problem shared is a problem halved and when it comes to self-promotion I don’t think that point could be more true.

At the end of the session, we were each asked to put down on paper in one sentence, why we were remarkable. Examples could be from your professional or personal lives and I was touched at how honest and open the group were. With the support of Angela and the group, I left not only proud of what I had accomplished, but motivated to inspire others through my role with SFE Young Professionals.

I have shared some of the responses from the group below, with the hope that the next time that self-doubt creeps in, you might be inspired to give it a go yourself. Trust me – it’s worth it…