How Can I Advance My Career as a Woman?

In a highly competitive job market, career advancement can feel difficult. Research shows that women face additional challenges, thanks to well-documented displays of gender bias — like the likeability penalty, and the motherhood penalty — that are still common in the workplace.

While there are strategic ways to position yourself for success at work, there are also some factors outside of your control. Lean In’s 2025 Women In the Workplace report found that only half of companies are prioritizing women’s career advancement, a stat that has unfortunately been trending downwards for a few years. This is correlated with an ambition gap, where women are less interested in being promoted than men, unless they’re working at a company that provides the same career support for all genders.

Despite these barriers, there are ways to increase your chances of getting that next raise or promotion.

Key Takeaways

• The biggest barrier to career advancement for women is gender bias in the workplace. While this is often out of an individual’s control, there are steps women can take that have been proven to help them overcome these biases.
• Build and show your leadership skills by identifying one or two things you want to be known for, then find ways to demonstrate them consistently.
• Having a sponsor is associated with much higher rates of promotions, but these connections must be authentic relationships.
• When asking for a promotion, focus on how your accomplishments have benefited the team or company.
• Stretch assignments — work outside of your usual job description — are important for growth, but you should have a clear understanding of how the assignment will benefit your career.
• In some cases, you’ll need to leave your current company in order to truly move up. If less than a third of senior leadership at your organization are women, that’s likely a sign that they don’t prioritize women’s career advancement.

What is the biggest barrier to career advancement for women?

The biggest barrier to career advancement for women is workplace gender bias, which particularly affects people at the earliest and latest stages of their career, Mary Noble-Tolla, Head of Education at Lean In, says.

Entry-level employees of all genders have shorter track records, but studies have shown that there’s a longstanding assumption that entry-level men have more future leader potential. “As a result, entry-level women are less likely to be offered not just promotions, but also things that ladder up to promotions, like stretch assignments or access to mentorship and sponsorship,” Noble-Tolla says.

At senior levels, women often face likeability bias, where women leaders are viewed more negatively if they’re assertive and take charge at work — something studies have found men do not experience. “That makes it hard for women to get out of mid-level management,” Noble-Tolla says.

At senior leadership level, this contributes to a glass ceiling that makes it more difficult for women to get to the top. At entry level, this contributes to the broken rung: a term coined by LeanIn.Org and MicKinsey & Company that refers to the gap in promotion rates between men and women at the first step up from entry-level to manager. According to the most recent Women in the Workplace study, for every 100 men, only 93 women are promoted at entry level. It’s worse for women of color: Only 60 Black women, 82 Asian women, and 82 Latina women were promoted for every 100 men.

“This is shocking, because women are getting degrees at very high rates,” Noble-Tolla says. This is a systemic issue, not something an individual should be expected to solve on her path to career advancement. “We're trying to give women advice for working within a broken system,” Noble-Tolla says. Here, some of that advice.

5 Strategies to Advance Your Career as a Woman

How do I build leadership skills at work?

No matter where you are in your career, demonstrating leadership skills is a key way to show your manager you’re ready to move up. Research has shown that “executive presence” — defined as having decisiveness as well as confidence and poise under pressure – accounts for 26% of what it takes to get promoted.

In an article for Lean In, Noble-Tolla advised women to identify one or two things they want to be known for — like your area of expertise or ability to solve problems quickly — and find ways to demonstrate them consistently. This means you’ll need to get comfortable promoting your own wins, particularly to your manager. Speak up in meetings, especially ones that are about your areas of expertise, and contribute to projects that involve multiple departments. A good leader always considers how a project would benefit their team’s goals, something you can start practicing even before you manage another employee.

How do I find a sponsor at work?

Having a sponsor at work — that is, someone senior who advocates for your growth — can be a huge advantage when it comes to advancement. The Women in the Workplace study found that 65% of employees with sponsors had received a promotion within the last two years, compared to 35% of those without one. But the study also found that women were far less likely than men to have sponsors, especially at entry and senior levels.

While some companies have formal sponsorship programs, typically a sponsor isn’t noted on a company organizational chart or made official via signed documents. These are genuinely formed relationships with senior employees.

“Try to forge authentic connections with more senior people,” Noble-Tolla says. “You want it to be a real, collegial relationship, not something transactional.” She advises researching what projects the senior level people around you are working on, and reaching out to the people leading initiatives that sound interesting to you. “If you get to work with people who are more senior, just try to really nail [the project] so that you’re on their radar as someone who’s a good prospect [for advancement],” Noble-Tolla says. This means doing things like hitting deadlines, bringing concrete ideas and solutions to problems to meetings, and double (or triple) checking your work.

It might sound nerve-wracking to strike up a chat with a director or VP at your company, but remember: They’re just people. As long as you’re respectful of their time, they likely want to hear your perspective.

How do I ask for a promotion or raise?

The dream scenario is that you do a bunch of hard work and your employer surprises you with a promotion and big raise at the end of the year — but that isn’t always how advancement goes. It’s quite common to have to broach the conversation about more money or a higher title yourself.

Even though this is an expected part of the employer-employee relationship, women often face pushback. “Women face this double bind,” Noble-Tolla says. If they ask for a raise or promotion, “it doesn’t always go well,” she continues. “People expect women to be nice and communal and not self-promotional.” But if you don’t self-promote, you risk getting left behind.

To avoid this catch-22, “whenever you’re asking for something, always make it clear how it benefits the team [and/or] the organization,” Noble-Tolla says. “That's not bad advice for men, but it's more necessary for women because of bias.”

This is a research-backed approach: One study found that “negativity directed at successful female managers … was mitigated when there was indication that they were communal.”

Keeping a clear record of your accomplishments will help make these conversations go more smoothly too. Have regular meetings with your managers so you can share your progress and make sure you’re aligned on goals. “This makes your manager feel like you’re acting communally and it makes them super aware of what you’re actually doing,” Noble-Tolla says.

How do I take on stretch assignments for career advancement?

Taking on stretch assignments — that is, work that is outside of your job description and usually done by more senior employees — is important for career growth. It shows your manager that you’re eager to learn and, if the project is done well, that you’re ready to move up to the next level. But you don’t want to fall into a situation where those stretch assignments suddenly become a part of your everyday job without any additional compensation.

If you do take on stretch work, “make sure you understand how they're going to get recognized and when,” Noble-Tolla says. That doesn’t mean saying, “If I take on this project, I expect a promotion within three months.” Instead, you can say something like, “It will help me stay focused if I know what it will mean for my career when I complete this project.”

Since a promotion is never guaranteed with these types of projects, it’s also worth thinking about whether you believe it will genuinely benefit your individual career. Maybe you’ll get to learn a skill that could look great on a resume, or have the opportunity to work closely with a senior colleague you’d like to build a sponsor relationship with.

If you find you’re getting asked to take on stretch projects repeatedly with no talk of growth, it’s OK to ask for a more formal conversation with your manager. “If you're ever in that situation for six months, then you should be asking to get promoted into the role,” Noble-Tolla says. Again, keep the focus during those conversations on how this would be good for the team or company. “Tie your ask with your manager’s goals, the company’s goals.”

Do I need to leave my current job to advance my career?

Due to many factors — gender bias, budget limitations, a lack of open senior positions — you could confidently do great work, find a sponsor, take on stretch assignments… and still not get a promotion or raise beyond cost of living. If this happens year after year, you may want to consider looking elsewhere in order to advance your career.

An early sign that your company might be in that group is a lack of women in leadership roles. “If women are a third or less of senior leadership, that’s not a good sign,” Noble-Tolla says. “If you don’t see women getting promoted around you at a good clip, that’s not a good sign.”

When searching for your next move, try to seek out companies with plenty of women in leadership—then ask around about company culture and policies. “Does the company care about its employees?” Noble-Tolla says. “Because if they care about employees in general, it will likely be good for women.”

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a mentor and a sponsor?

A mentor is someone who gives advice, while a sponsor actively advocates for your advancement. A sponsor has a higher level of influence at the company; they can recommend you for new opportunities and promotions, and connect you with other decision-makers.

How do I build the case for a promotion?

Track your wins — like positive metrics and completed stretch assignments — and note how each one created tangible positive outcomes for your team and company.

How do I ask for a promotion if I’m not sure I’m ready?

Speak with your manager to understand what their goals are for you and the team. Gather evidence about what you’ve done to contribute to hitting these goals. This will help you understand if you’re actually ready for a promotion, and make a strong case to your manager.

Do I have to leave my company to get to the next level?

There are many reasons why you could be a high performer at work and still not get promoted. If this happens year after year, you may want to consider looking elsewhere in order to advance your career. An early warning sign that your company might not prioritize the advancement of women employees is if a third or less of senior leadership are women themselves.