Ask Women and Work

Question: I’m starting a new job in a corporate setting. How can I show up authentically while also positioning myself for long-term growth and success?

We asked Kathrin Forrest, equity investment director, Capital Group Canada, to tackle this one:

In more structured, corporate settings, success often hinges on understanding and working within the system while finding ways to thoughtfully stretch its boundaries. Here are some key tips I can recommend:

Understand the formal and informal rules. Structured environments often come with defined processes and hierarchies. Learn how decisions are made, who influences them and what’s expected at each level. And, beyond the how, who and what, tune into the why: the culture of the organization, it’s values and customs. Understand the things that define your company, and how you align with those.

Be consistent and reliable. In highly organized settings, consistency is absolutely critical, because what you do often forms building blocks for others. Delivering on what you have promised builds trust, and over time, can open doors to new opportunities.

Invest in cross-functional relationships. Structured environments can create silos. Break them down by building networks beyond your immediate team. Collaboration across departments is not only rewarding, but it can also make your work more impactful as you create opportunities to solve more complex issues and connect more with a bigger picture and overall purpose.

Find mentors and sponsors. Mentorship offers guidance, but sponsorship is about advocacy. Seek both. A mentor helps you navigate and can offer up different perspectives compared to your peers or direct superiors; a sponsor champions your growth in rooms you’re not in.

Learn how to take feedback. It may not always feel like it in the moment, but feedback is a gift, especially in high-performance environments. Instead of reacting defensively, reflect on it. What can you take from it to grow? One aspect that we might overlook is that it can help clarify your core strengths, and where you have opportunities to lean in.

Don’t mistake structure for rigidity. There is still room for innovation and individuality in a corporate environment. In fact, some of the most effective changemakers I’ve seen are those who deeply understand the system and know where there’s room to stretch it. Ultimately, what makes systems resilient is not stability, but adaptability and innovation – strong organizations thrive in that.

Know your value and own it. This doesn’t mean being loud or self-promotional, but it does mean speaking up when you can add value and articulating your contributions with confidence.

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“Wild courage will change your life,” says Jenny Wood in her book, Wild Courage.

During her 18 years at Google, after working her way up from an entry level job to an executive post, she founded a career advice program, Own Your Career, that had tens of thousands of participants.

“When things worked out,” she told them about her own career, “it was because I had the courage to do pretty much the opposite of what we’re always told to do. To speak up when I was supposed to keep my head down. To disagree when it would have been safer to go along with the crowd.”

For young Canadians, the toughest job market in decades is threatening their financial futures

Chelsea Organ, 22, recently finished her studies at Western University. Now back home in Fergus, Ont., she’s still looking for work.

“It’s just been a really negative experience,” Ms. Organ said. “I just wasn’t able to save any money at all this year.”

Her experience isn’t unique. The numbers reflect just how grim the outlook is. In the first quarter of 2025, the average unemployment rate for recent graduates – those under 25 who have completed university or other postsecondary education and aren’t currently enrolled in school – was 11.2 per cent, according to an analysis of Statistics Canada data.

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I’m working in a ‘boys club’ – how can I thrive?

“I work with developers and on construction sites where I’m often the only female in the room, and the first thing I would say is: You’re not imagining it,” says Timea Jakab, studio director and senior associate at architecture and design firm Gensler.

“My advice is to anchor yourself in competence. Show up prepared. Know your job, deliver strong work and that will let your credibility speak for you.”