How Women Can Leverage AI and Soft Skills to Accelerate Their Careers with Confidence
Welcome to the latest issue of the AI Community Learning Series – a space to explore how leaders and innovators are reshaping industries with AI 🚀. In this session, Tiffany Uman shared hard-earned lessons and empowering strategies to help mid-career women break through plateaus, build confidence, and accelerate their careers using soft skills and AI. If you missed it, watch the replay here.
Here are the five key takeaways from our discussion. 👇
1. Why Mid-Career Women Plateau – and How to Break Through
Tiffany opened with the hard truth: what got you here won’t get you there.
Too many women remain in “execution mode,” believing hard work alone will speak for itself. The result? Being seen as indispensable in your current role, but not as a strategic leader ready for the next.
Tiffany’s Framework to Break the Plateau:
Track your wins using a 3-part formula: What you did → How you did it (your strengths) → What results you delivered.
Build a transition plan early so you’re not seen as “too good to promote.”
Map your time against decision-making criteria for the next level.
Shift from tasks to strategic outcomes to align with senior leadership priorities.
2. The Self-Advocacy Script (Without Feeling Braggy)
Many women hesitate to self-promote, fearing they’ll come off arrogant. Tiffany reframes this as a necessity, not a nicety.
Try these softer yet assertive scripts:
“A project I’m really proud of was…”
“I put a lot of effort into [X], and here’s how I approached it…”
Ask yourself: “What wouldn’t have happened if I wasn’t there?” to identify true contributions.
Tiffany also introduced the idea of perception audits—asking colleagues or leaders questions like:
“What’s one area where I can grow?” or
“What’s stood out about my work lately?”
These help fine-tune your brand and uncover blind spots early.
3. How AI Can Amplify Visibility and Impact (Even in Non-Tech Roles)
Tiffany outlined five high-impact ways AI can give women an edge—even outside of technical fields:
Automate execution-heavy tasks (emails, summaries, reporting) to reclaim time for strategic work.
Use AI as a thought partner to refine stakeholder comms and boost clarity and confidence.
Enhance storytelling in reviews and presentations using AI to make your achievements shine.
Prepare faster for high-stakes meetings by rehearsing objections and tightening narrative.
Demonstrate edge and initiative by integrating AI naturally into your workflow—even in lagging orgs.
4. Balancing Ambition and Humility—Especially in a Tough Market
How do you push for growth without seeming entitled?
Tiffany’s take: Never apologize for ambition. If someone says you’re “too ambitious,” it’s their own insecurity talking.
Use this framing to navigate promotions:
“I know the typical path is 18 months, but I’d love to build a plan to get there by then—if not sooner. What would that take?”
Get specific feedback from those who’ve done it before: “What do you wish you’d known earlier?”
This approach keeps you grounded and proactive—signaling ambition without entitlement.
5. Playing Bigger Requires You to Stop Playing Small
Tiffany shared a pivotal moment from her time at L’Oréal: a sudden leadership vacuum left her unexpectedly in charge. It was terrifying. She wasn’t sure if she was ready. But she made a choice—to show up like someone who belonged in that seat.
That experience cemented one of her core beliefs: growth doesn’t come when you feel ready. It comes when you act ready. When you stop asking for permission, and start building the path forward.
And that path starts with clarity—on your impact, your value, and how you communicate both.
6. Relationships Are the Real Career Currency
Tiffany left us with a pearl of wisdom: strategy gets you far, but relationships get you further.
She urged women to nurture cross-functional relationships even when they’re not job-hunting. Build your champions. Involve your manager in your growth—not just in your tasks.
The people who get promoted fastest aren’t just doing great work. They’re seen doing it. They’re connected, trusted, and intentional about who knows their story.
Whether you’re preparing for a leap, navigating a pivot, or just trying to feel seen again, this session offered a powerful nudge: you’re more capable than you give yourself credit for.
So as you head into the week—what’s one small way you’ll show up more fully, more boldly?
Additional Resources from Tiffany
Follow Tiffany on LinkedIn for daily posts to help women land $150K-$450K+ roles, achieve faster promotions and speak with confidence:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffany-uman-career-strategy-coach/
Join Tiffany’s free, weekly Peak Performers newsletter:
https://www.tiffanyuman.com/newsletter
Work with Tiffany:
https://www.tiffanyuman.com/career-success-fast-track
Discover Tiffany’s LinkedIn Learning courses and other free resources:
https://linktr.ee/tiffanyuman