Investment Advice for Working Women
Let me come right off the (cricket) bat and say it; I am neither qualified nor incentivized to provide financial investment advice; so, I will not try.
Instead, let us talk about Career Investments; five things that will bring guaranteed in-kind returns to your portfolio. These recommendations are from both personal and observational experiences; I would love to hear your opinion.
1. ‘Corner’ offices are a Buy stock
A 3x4 ft corner in my bedroom, filled with little things like a comfortable chair, adequate lighting, fitting monitors, and ergonomic keyboard, has been the best birthday present I ever got myself. Often when women talk to me about work-life balance, my first question is, “Tell me about your’ work from home’ setup.” The most common answer is they use a laptop, and their partner’s (husbands) have a workstation which they sometimes use. The recent flood of zoom calls have been an eyeopener, can you all guess the gender split between the work desk and kitchen counter background. With work and living spaces starting to merge, some distance and distinction could go a long way. Oh, and don’t be dazzled by the Silicon Valley work anywhere, in any position, hype; it works only for the young & hungry. If you are a mother of two, menopausal or among women at higher risk of osteoporosis and arthritis, then you must invest in a home office. I assure you there will be a noticeable increase in your productivity.
2. Domestic partners are a premium asset
On the homefront, there are two types of investments, long term stocks, with very little room for error and short term value instruments that can be rebalanced as necessitated. The long-term decision to, marry or domesticate requires one new consideration. In addition to love, attraction, shared values, financial stability, look for a person who can be a real team player. Teamwork is essential to make both dreams work. Then you invest time and money in finding ‘marketable security’, nannies, cooks, cleaners, or even all-encompassing domestic help; your return will be in the form of quality time for work and family. Trust me next to diamonds; they are women’s best friends.
3. Not higher but a deeper education
2020 has raised some existential questions about higher education, specifically university/school-based degrees. So now is the time to shift gears and invest more in skill-based training. How many languages can you converse in or better yet code in, what licenses qualify you to change practices and profiles? Are there classes that will increase your profile value at a modest price? If your kids can home school, you can too, think of it as family time.
4. Subscribe to an Index fund analysis
To actively manage your career, you will have to start with following some successful careers passively. Mimic actions that will help you make important career decisions. The contrarian in me will tell you, do not go about following CEOs and wealthy entrepreneurs; Elon Musk, Gates, and Buffet are not the norm; they are statistical anomalies. Instead of people, consider mirroring data. Subscribe to at least one good career website or a forum that can give you information on new skills, job market analysis, salary trends etc. A regular mark to market exercise will keep your portfolio current and in demand.
5. Pick your poison and spend on it
We need one for the fun section. Wine, Whiskey, coffee, chai, OJ whatever you choose, regularly pair it with someone who can make a difference in your work. Manager, Mentor, Teacher, Coach and even a therapist. There is value in advice, especially the one tailored to you. Ladies, it doesn’t have to be always golf matches and ball games.
*Warning* As always “PastPerformanceIsNotIndicativeOfFutureResults” but in this case, the trend is pretty close.
P.S. I am conscious that many are battling varying degrees of housing challenge during this public health crisis, the humour in this piece is not meant to diminish that struggle.
*This article was also published in Linkedin*
