In celebration of International Women’s Day last Thursday, 8th March, we put together a piece giving the career advice of our General Manager Tara Wilson and VP of Strategy Sarafina Wolde Gabriel as well as colleagues from other Paysafe business units.
As celebrating the insights of women from across the world of Paysafe should be ongoing, we today present more words of wisdom from our female colleagues, including Paysafe’s CEO of Acquiring & Card Solutions Andrea Dunlop. Andrea was recently named one of PaymentsSource’s ‘Most Influential Women in Payments in 2018’.Andrea Dunlop, CEO of Acquiring & Card Solutions, Paysafe, London, UK: “Stay true to yourself and be authentic. Don’t try to be something you think you should be, trust in yourself and your own instincts. Think bigger than your immediate surroundings and take more risks – doing both things can widen your horizons and boost your career progression.”Abhaya Kulshrestha, Product Manager, Hyderabad, India: “Be nice to yourself! In this time of feminism and equality, even as young girls just starting out, one can feel the pressure to perform. While I agree that we should strive to be the best at what we do, there is no need to prove anything to anyone. Also, stand up for what you believe but pick your battles carefully.”Claudia Kafka, Head of Finance, payolution, Vienna, Austria: “I was lucky to find a mentor who guided me through new processes and supported me in my new role. This person tought me many valuable skills, redirected me where needed and pushed me to achieve stretch goals to reach the role I wanted to have.”Esra Erbas, Head of BCM and Disaster Recovery, Paysafe London, UK: “Be Bold, be resilient and work hard.”Kelby Berg, VP of Operations, Payment Processing: “Always remember that business is all about relationships, relationships, relationships. It takes a long-term commitment to earn success and relationships are not built overnight. People buy people first so remember how important relationship building is and how you can adopt it into your day-today life.”Laura Murphy, Legal and Regulatory Counsel, London, UK: “Challenge yourself right from the start! Say ‘yes’ to as many opportunities as possible. This will help you understand your value and (most importantly) what you really enjoy doing. Aside from this, I am a real advocate of meaningful networking. Good connections can then be cultivated into strong and mutually beneficial professional relationships.”Melissa Pauleat, Director of Marketing, Montreal, Canada: “Your career path will evolve and adapt to the milestones in your life. Embrace the opportunities that are given to you to create a career path that has bends, crossroads or perhaps even stops for a while and then starts back again. They will give you a richer and more fulfilled professional and personal experience in the long run.”Petya Koteva, L&D Consultant & Programme Manager, Sofia, Bulgaria: “Do not take setbacks personally. Instead, get past disappointments by trying to see them as learning opportunities which allow you to grow and be better. In the vast majority of cases, criticism is well-intended and can help you improve your work.”Are you a woman in business – what is your own advice for women pursuing a career? Let us know in the comments section below.