Women in top jobs are viewed as being better leaders than men but struggle to land high-net positions.

News that women are still struggling to be seen as valuable as men in the workplace could tempt some into setting up a recruitment agency in order to become their own bosses.

This is in spite of recent research published in the Journal of Applied Psychology by Duke University, which revealed that women in top jobs are viewed as being better leaders than men.

According to Toni Eastwood, training director at everywoman, in most cases women normally have to work extra hard, "often with gritty determination to prove their worth, to attain top positions".

She explained that women account for only 12 per cent of executive directors in the top 100 FTSE companies, a trend that is reflected across many of the retail giants.

"It's essential that women remain true to themselves, celebrating their feminine traits in their leadership and management roles, whilst remaining tough and passionate about what they do," Ms Eastwood advised.

Recruiters who choose to go into self-employment can enjoy making money for themselves instead of someone else.