By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

Last week, the Financial Women’s Association of New York hosted an event featuring three prominent women in New York’s politics. Moderated by award winning journalist Marcia Kramer, the panel consisted of New York State Senator Liz Krueger, New York City Councilwoman Jessica Lappin, and New York City Council Speaker Christine C. Quinn.

The women discussed their views on leadership and power, as well as their advice for working in a male dominated environment. Throughout the evening, the panelists also shared stories of how they had been supported or inspired by one another throughout their careers, and they frequently discussed the importance of another panelist’s work.

This was one of the key takeaways from the event: we can’t do it alone. The power of women is multiplied when we work together and support one another.

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By Melissa J. Anderson (New York City)

It’s springtime – and that means many college students are hard at work, seeking internships and finding how they can make the most of their undergraduate training. But there’s a lot more to getting a job than landing an internship.

That’s why the Financial Women’s Association of New York is, once again, hosting its Wall Street Exchange program. It’s a nine-week program that runs from late June to early August to help students, women and men, learn to navigate Wall Street as they begin their careers.

“The Wall Street Exchange program was started for students between their junior and senior years of college, to prepare them for life after graduation,” Anne Izzillo, President of the FWA explained. “We’re trying to give them the tools they need to find a job and be successful in that job.”

Students learn how to write a resume, work on presentation skills, do mock interviews, and more. And, Izzillo said, the program is just as rewarding to women in the FWA who participate. That’s why the networking group has been successfully operating the program for over two decades.

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By Robin Madell (San Francisco)

“Everyone has blind spots. Our perspective is defined by our own culture and experiences so we frequently make assumptions about other people. From these assumptions we draw conclusions, which directly influence our behavior.”

-Maria Castañón Moats, Chief Diversity Officer, PwC

Most experts on women’s leadership agree that sponsorship makes good business sense—both for women and for corporations. But if it were easy to develop and maintain a relationship with a sponsor, everyone would have one.

The quote above from PwC’s Maria Castañón Moats reflects her insight about a key barrier to women’s sponsorship. Because of our own “blind spots,” we often trust what is most familiar, when a more diverse approach to relationship-building might serve us better. “We are drawn to people who are like us because it feels comfortable,” says Moats. “We have qualities in common—it could be we went to the same school, live in the same neighborhood, have a similar style—and that leads us to trust one another quickly.”

While it takes more work to find common ground with those who are different from us, those diverse relationships are valuable because they offer us a new perspective, Moats explains. From this diversity, successful sponsorship opportunities can flourish. Yet we might fail to seek such relationships on our own when it comes to potential sponsors. “Since those pairings don’t always happen naturally, sometimes the firm has to intervene and match people together,” says Moats.

Janine Moon, author of Career Ownership: Creating ‘Job Security’ in Any Economy, agrees that when it comes to seeking sponsorship opportunities, women do themselves a disservice by relying on a preference for the familiar. “Women are often most comfortable (as people often are) approaching and connecting with those who look like them,” says Moon. “In organizations, and depending upon the industry, there will be fewer women who fit that bill and so perceptions get in the way…it’s self-sabotage.”

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By Robin Madell (San Francisco)

One of the most basic questions in the mentor-selection process is whether to be mentored by a man or a woman. When it comes to mentoring women, should the gender of mentor candidates be a consideration? The answer is not straightforward. While some experts and execs believe male mentors can offer the best resources to women, others feel that female mentors can offer better understanding of specific issues that mentees need to know. Still others feel that gender should not be a deciding factor for mentorship.

“I don’t think gender and age really matter,” says Christina Inge, who works in the technology industry. “I’ve had mentors in different fields of different genders. It’s about shared values more than anything.” Jessica Albon, who works with financial advisors, agrees: “I haven’t found gender to matter at all,” says Albon. “What’s mattered to me is someone’s perspective—how able are they to see the big picture? How able are they to put themselves in my shoes and extrapolate?”

On the other hand, Roy Cohen, author of The Wall Street Professional’s Survival Guide, says that gender is a real issue. “It is a practical matter,” says Cohen. “There are just not enough women in leadership positions, and like any community not all of them want to, or can, be mentors. For those who do, they tend to be burdened by requests from many, many women—too many. So that leaves men to pick up the slack.” Cohen notes that this has advantages as well, because the right men can open doors and influence other men. “Men tend to have historical relationships to tap that may be less available to their female colleagues—like membership in the old boy’s club.”

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By EJ Thompson (New York City)

Navigating office politics can be tricky – but there are tactics women can employ to avoid playing games and climb the corporate ladder successfully and graciously.

Jamie Parrot, Managing Director, Investor Relations and Marketing at Perry Capital, points out, “The most rewarding thing about seeing women succeed is knowing how far we’ve come from our grandmother’s generation to now…my generation has an abundance of opportunities to choose from…and not because we’ve finally been given a shot but because we’ve earned our rightful place beside the men who have dominated certain industries.”

A success for one woman, in any industry, is a success for all women striving for equality in the workplace. So let’s celebrate other’s success, because when your turn comes, you’ll want others to celebrate for you. Here are five pieces of advice from women who frequently mentor others.

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