How Successful Women Advocate For Themselves At Work — & How You Can, Too

Women rarely have just one job. In addition to our careers, there’s the nurturing we do at home, within ourselves, and in our relationships. And let’s face it, it doesn’t even end there. At work, we’re often tasked with the additional, invisible labor of fighting for respect, recognition, and fair compensation.

That’s what makes self-advocacy such a critical skill for women. We’re not always lucky enough to have a benevolent boss or a workplace that inherently recognizes our worth and power. But we can always learn to speak up about our needs, champion our own work, and find allies who’ll help us succeed. As much as education and skill, it’s the ability to self-advocate that can take a career from “middle of the road” to “top of the org chart.”

Inspired by the new season of CBS All Access’ The Good Fight, now streaming, we spoke with five female powerhouses — from a digital marketer to a filmmaker to a psychotherapist — about the obstacles they’ve faced at work, how they fought to overcome them, and how doing so changed their career (and sometimes, their whole company).

If you’re ready to #JoinTheFight, read on for some crucial wisdom on how to take up space, get a seat at the table, and fearlessly stand up for yourself to get what you deserve.