We all know how important it is to have a good group of girlfriends. They're the ones you turn to when you need support, a shoulder to cry on, and some encouragement when things get tough. Having good, close girlfriends is invaluable, especially if you're trying to juggle a job and motherhood and all the other stuff that life throws at you. We usually focus on the benefits of having a close group of friends in our personal lives. But a new study shows that having a close group of girlfriends can also make a big difference in your professional life! New research suggests that having a core group of girlfriends may be the key to career advancement. Now that's what we call friends with benefits!

The study, conducted by the University of Notre Dame and Northwestern University, is called “A network’s gender composition and communication pattern predict women’s leadership success". It was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Researchers found that women who talked to their female friends more were more likely to hold leadership positions at their jobs.

To come to this conclusion, they examined the social networks of more than 700 graduates of a top-ranking business school program. These graduates had accepted positions of leadership at their jobs. Interestingly, a whopping 75% of the women reported having close female friendships. Specifically, they had two or three very close female friends with whom they communicated regularly. Men in the study who accepted leadership positions, on the other hand, were more likely to have a large social network consisting of any gender.

The researchers also found that women with a close group of female friends also had an initial job placement level that was about 2.5 times higher than women with larger social networks or more male-centered social networks. Just goes to show that when you have a good group of friends, it can make all the difference.

Women support each other, offer encouragement and advice, and it can pay off in several ways. Hang on to those close girlfriends, ladies. They can help you move up the ladder, and are always good for a celebratory drink when you get that promotion!

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