The Skills. Mishal Husain
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4th Estate
An imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers
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London SE1 9GF
This eBook first published in Great Britain by 4th Estate in 2018
Copyright © Mishal Husain 2018
Mishal Husain asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work
Graphs here, here and here redrawn by Martin Brown; images here redrawn by Joe Bright.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
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Source ISBN: 9780008220662
Ebook Edition © September 2018 ISBN: 9780008220648
Version: 2019-12-10
For my parents, Shama and Tazi
Contents
Overcoming doubt • Finding my courage
Representation of women • Understanding the gaps • Socialisation
How we talk about girls and women • Stereotyping • Imagery • Reclaiming ambition
Longer working lives • Role models and inspiration • Five-year plans • Learning from those around you
Information-gathering • Critical thinking • Challenging your beliefs • Evaluations and judgements
Navigating the first early career years • Processes that build confidence • Re-establishing yourself after breaks from work
Voice, clarity and emphasis • Public speaking • The written word
Body language • Occupying space • First impressions
Social media • Women in technology • A more representative internet • Trolling
Apprehension and anxiety • The importance of practice • Focusing on the immediate task
Big moments and high-pressure scenarios • Appraisals and evaluations • Making a pitch
Developing authority • Mastering your brief • Demonstrating your knowledge
Dealing with scrutiny and criticism • Knockbacks and failures • Holding your nerve
Managing the different elements of your life • Banishing guilt • Thinking long-term
Authority, purpose, confidence, looking like the person in the office who is clearly going places – if there was one thing I wanted to achieve in writing this book, it was to inject