Women's careers still lagging.

• Position: YOUR LIFE

Common wisdom about advancing in the workplace is straightforward: let your boss know you are ready for that challenging assignment. Make clear your career ambitions and willingness to put in the requisite time and effort Do not just build a relationship with your boss; make sure to build one with your boss' boss as well. This sounds like good advice, and it is--for men, who benefit from these strategies far more than women do, maintains a report from Catalyst, Charlotte, N.C.

'This study busts the myth that 'women don't ask.' In fact, they do, but it doesn't get them very far. Men, by contrast, don't have to ask," laments Ilene H. Lang, president and CEO of Catalyst, a research and advisory organization.

According to the report, which studied commonly used career strategies, those adopted by high-potential women had little bearing on the rate at which they advanced to leadership. Conversely, men who applied the most proactive career strategies advanced further than other men.

Regardless of chosen career strategy, the study shows that men outpace women in rate of advancement and compensation growth--starting with a $4,600 gap in their...