Earn more respect as a Young Professional Woman

Women can lead just as well as men; many young women are still being overlooked in the workplace. Many women do not speak up or feel confident at work, leading them to be passed over for potential promotions and raises.  This insecurity could stem from a lack of female colleagues or bosses. Women feel discomfort when negotiating for higher salaries and promotions in their careers occurs because they are trained to be no confrontational. It's not enough for women to simply be good at their job; standing up for it is also a key to becoming the boss. ​Even if you are working hard and doing well, you really need to be stepping up to the plate and asking for things.

Here are some career advises for young women who want to beat the boys and become the boss:

Promote yourself. Although self-promotion is a key step for women who want to get noticed in the workplace, many of them feel uncomfortable speaking out about their accomplishments. Working hard at your job isn't enough to get noticed. Young women should take initiative and tell their colleagues and bosses about tasks they're working on, upcoming projects, obstacles they have overcome and their overall value in the organization. You really do need to let your boss, your boss's boss and your colleagues know what it is that you are doing.

Write down your achievements. We typically have so much going on, we sometimes forget to validate our accomplishments and achievements. Even if you have not been in the workforce for long, the list will help remind you of your value to employers. Do not just think that because you are young in years that you do not have things to offer.

Ask for more. Negotiating is one of the most challenging tasks for young​ women professionals. Men negotiate more often than women and feel more comfortable doing it; this poses a major problem for women. Negotiating is the key for advancing in your career. Even if you are working hard and doing well, you really need to be stepping up to the plate and asking for things. To become more comfortable with negotiating, find out what is negotiable in their workplace and proactively ask for more. Take this skill as seriously as they do finance or accounting, because this is really going to help the bottom line of their salary and of their advancement.

Women should stop waiting to be asked and be more assertive and confident in who they are. Do what you love and choose an environment where you can be authentic – because if you are thinking of a long career, it can become tiring fairly quickly to be someone you're not.