Women are approximately 50% of the work force but hold only 5 % of the clout titles, defined as CEO, COO, Vice Chair, President, Senior Executive and Executive Vice Presidents. Something very peculiar happens in the work funnel, and you need to look for ways to route around that dynamic.

According to Catalyst President, Sheila Wellington, "'Until more women move into line positions, you won't find women in many corner offices. Unfortunately, we're not making great strides here. Women's lack of access to line jobs is the final obstacle to advancement.'"

Women are making it to the top as evidenced by two appointments during the past year, Andrea Jung as President and Chief Operations Officer at Avon and Carly Fiorina as President and Chief Executive Officer at Hewlett Packard. For women wanting to break through the glass ceiling and get to the top, certain basics are still in play. An advanced degree, especially an MBA, is almost mandatory. There are exceptions such as Diane Creel, President of Earth Tech, who has her degrees in journalism and public relations. The best route is still through sales and marketing or any area that has measurable results. Human resources, an area either chosen or foisted on women does not usually lead to a place in the decision making arena, though this may be changing.

A recent seminar, Wildly Successful Women Leaders, brought together Maria Contreras-Sweet, Secretary of Business, Transportation and Housing, the first Latina in a California Governor's cabinet, Leslie Margolin, a Senior Vice President for Kaiser Permanente and Melba Muscarolas, Regional President, Los Angeles for Pacific Bell. What emerged from the discussion were some very concrete recommendations for obtaining the management positions and with it higher pay, authority and responsibility.

Learn the corporate culture. Understand the company and its politics. Know the fundamentals of the company. Do not let the corporation stifle you. If there is something you do not understand, ask questions. Remember, the only dumb question is the one you do not ask.

Be observant, watch and listen. Learn from those you respect as well as those you do not. It is not just position or job title, but what women do with it. The stories of women working twice as hard as men to get to the same position is still true. Try to do more than the job description requires. Unfortunately, many times women are assumed to be incompetent while the opposite is true for men and must work harder and put in longer hours than their male counterparts.

Strong family/spouse/significant other support is critical. Advancement in the corporate world may necessitate moving to a new location every few years. Balancing work and family is a challenge that affects women more than men.

Seize every opportunity to network. Join women's professional organizations. Get connected with other successful, empowered women with common career goals.

Do not hesitate to take different positions within the corporations, even if they are lateral moves. The more you know about the company, the more valuable you are. Find good mentors, male or female. Ask their advice.

Realize the importance of peers. Typically those above and beneath will be handled, but peers can influence a career.

Stay focused, no matter what happens. If something goes wrong, admit to the mistake and move on to other things. It is the old "keep your eyes on the prize" theory.

Network. This is not an over-used or over-emphasized concept. It needs to be brought into every facet of your life, personal or professional. Information and help can come from cousin Maude or the Chair of the Board.

Be visible. Do not hide in your office. Develop contacts and resources. People cannot help you or promote you if they never see you or hear from you.

Join professional and nonprofit organizations. Attend trade shows and professional conferences. These are excellent learning tools and have the added bonus of networking opportunities.

Start a skills inventory and develop specific skills that can move you up the ladder in your field; specialization is always an added bonus. Ask for opportunities to learn new skills and at the same time try going out of the comfort zone. Many companies will pay for university classes or seminars. If not, go on your own. Community colleges are excellent, low cost vehicles for education.

Develop a career plan. It does not have to be cast in stone, but the visualization and the writing bring focus. Continually re-evaluate the plan and find someone bright and trusted with whom you can review this.

Be conscious of trends in the economy and in your particular industry. "If you are not the lead dog, the view never changes."

Never underestimate the power of the Internet. Women today are using the Net to route around the power structure, transcend traditional and historic barriers and, finally liberate themselves by talking and networking with each other. Strong parallels exist between access to knowledge, access to levers of power, and the ability to enter and advance in the workplace.

Identify female friendly companies and go to work for them. The companies with high percentages of Women Corporate and Line Officers and top earners, according to a Catalyst Survey are: Avon, BJ's, Dayton Hudson, Enron, Hannford Brothers, Kelly Services, Knight-Ridder, Mattel, Paine Webber, SLM Holding, Solectron, Southwest Airlines, Times Mirror, and Washington Mutual. Add to that list companies like AT&T, Pacific Bell, Sara Lee, Xerox, IBM, Deloitte & Touche and Motorola. Research companies to find which ones have enlightened policies for women and families.

In her Harvard Business Review article, "Ways Women Lead", Dr. Judy Rosener of the Graduate School of Management at University of California, Irvine, states that " the first female executives, because they were breaking new ground, adhered to many of the' rules of conduct' that spelled success for men. Now a second wave of women is making its way into top management, not by adopting the style and habits that have proved successful for men but by drawing on the skills and attitudes they developed from their shared experience as women." Rosener also states that the culture of the organization must change. "The guys at the top must be committed to change and it must be a long range commitment."

Climbing the corporate ladder is easier than it was ten or twenty years ago, but the percentages of women in key decision making positions are still minuscule compared to the number of men. Equal pay is still an issue as are health benefits and retirement plans which are often geared to men's needs and not women's. As more women reach the top, leave male dominated corporations in frustration or are down-sized and form their own companies, the statistics will change. Networking, mentoring and the Internet will be critical factors in advancing women in management in the decade ahead. Women have been watching the "old boys" for a long time and are following what has worked. More importantly, however, women are finding new ways to the corner office with the best view and a sign on the door that says "Emily Jordan, CEO".