UR IT Magazine November 2015

BEING A CORPORATE WOMAN
IN THE MODERN WORLD
The role of women in the society has changed
over the years, shifting from cooking and
raising children to being equal partners in a
relationship, investors and business leaders.
The modern-day woman is free, stronger and
financially stable compared to her predecessors.
However, does she really feel as empowered
in the corporate world? Yes, she works as
hard in the office but is she realizing her full
potential?
A recent report by Bain & Company shockingly
revealed that just after two years in
the workplace, a woman’s career ambitions
and confidence are lowered. A new female
employee will feel very inspired to reach
top management but after two years, these
aspirations drastically drop. The opposite
happens to men and one is left wondering
what exactly is ailing the 2015 corporate
woman.
FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTE
TO THE LOSS OF AMBITION
According to the study, three key factors
significantly contribute to a corporate woman’s
downfall. Not meeting the stereotypes
of an ‘ideal’ worker, lack of role models and
lack of enough support from supervisors and
management as a whole.
Lack of mentors and role models at the
workplace denies women the guidance they
need to bolster their confidence in the corporate
world. If not directed as soon as she
gets into the job market, a woman will easily
get discouraged. Fact is, rising through the
ranks requires great resilience, tolerance and
persistence, something that young women
can learn firsthand from successful people.
It was also found out that when women did
not like the kind of people who got promoted,
they lowered their confidence and
expectations. This should never be the case.
WHAT SHOULD THE 2015
CAREER WOMAN DO NOW?
Firstly, successful women should commit
themselves to guiding the younger ones especially
because they understand the journey
better than anyone else. We live in an era
of gender equality where women should be
treated just like the men.
Women, as showed in the study, lost their
ambition when they did not like the person
who got promoted. This is a very wrong
attitude. No matter what, especially in the
business world, women must learn to keep
emotions aside and be happy in every situation.
Speaking on the Steve Harvey show,
Bishop T.D Jakes gave 5 important tips on
happiness. Although a general advice, this
would work well when applied by a corporate
woman. It is crucial to own your own
happiness regardless of what is happening in
your surroundings. So what a colleague you
dislike got promoted? You should strive to
stay happy and motivated. Secondly, do not
despise yourself. Just because you did not get
the chance does not mean you are not good
enough. Thirdly, enjoy the journey to the
apex of the corporate pyramid because only
then will you fully appreciate your achievements.
The relationships you make at work
should work for you. Take it upon yourself
to learn more and get better.
A different report, Pew Research Centre
study, proved that the even though Americans
believe that women are great entrepreneurs,
women still have to do more than
men to prove their skills and worth. While
this is discouraging to you, remember to stay
happy and keep your eyes on the bull’s eye.
No one ever said the journey would be an
easy one anyway.
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BEING A CORPORATE WOMAN IN THE MODERN WORLD