CAREER
LESSONS
FROM
THE
DRESSING
ROOM
When it comes to our careers, we all face
setbacks. The reality is that our career
paths are never as plain-sailing as we
imagine. But fear not because difficulties
that we experience at work are key to our
development and growth.
Durham WFC captain Sarah Wilson,
Sheffield United WFC player Maddy
Cusack and Reading FCW player Gemma
Davison have all faced a great deal of
mistakes and setbacks during their careers,
but that’s only helped them become the
successful women they are today.
By Chelsea Harper
S
Sarah Wilson
it
g o
n
i
t
n t h e sid
e -l
in
es
Getting
turned down for
a promotion or any job
opportunity for that matter, is never
a great feeling, especially if you’ve
been dreaming about it for some time. And
not being selected for the team can be just as
disappointing. “I can remember being left out of
a squad and having to warm up the goal keepers,”
Wilson admits. “At the time I was absolutely gutted, I
cried all the way home from the away game!
“I can remember being so angry and frustrated,”
she recalls. “But it made me want to know why and made
me want to know how I could do things better. That was
the first time I plucked up the courage to speak to a
manager about what I could do to develop.”
So, the next time you’re told that you didn’t make
that promotion, take a moment to reflect, have
a good sulk and then ask ‘why’. Requesting
feedback from our employers is never a
bad thing, yet it’s something we
all need to work on.
If there’s one thing we can take from these successful women, it would be
that setbacks are indeed a good thing. They can help us improve, give us motivation
and remind us that at the end of the day, we’re all human. Even the best of us make
mistakes, but it’s what we do with these mistakes that determines our success .
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