Corporate Women. Is it Worth Climbing the Ladder?

Corporate Women. Is it Worth Climbing the Ladder?

Fortune magazine1 wants to teach women how to climb the corporate ladder faster. But what’s at the top? Or question what’s it like along the way? Are women happy as they climb the corporate ladder, and are they happy once they get there?

As young kids, many of us of taught how to win the game of life. As we grow into teens, we are promised that we can have Mayfair and Park Lane.

As men and women hit their Stride backing into their 30s, everything seems possible and do-able. Among women, in particular, climbing the corporate ladder is almost considered an obligation.

But is the climb worth it and other promises reliable?

For some, the answer seems to be a resounding no. Having worked for 15 or so years in the chosen profession, many women are stepping aside and leaving their careers behind in favor of what they describe as more satisfying pursuits. Among them, Marriage, family, and recreation.

For others, things appear a little more positive.

According to The Babe Report on the success in later life for women whose careers took off after age 30, the wait appears to be worth it.

The idea that you can simply defy gravity, slide up the corporate ladder, make a shirtload of money – and then come and go in life as you please is alluring too many.

But is that what it is really like as you climb the corporate ladder or is it an optical illusion that only those were standing at the bottom can enjoy unaffected.

There are reasons, obviously, for and against any career choice. Here are some reality checks to keep in mind as you navigate what is often a minefield of options, many of which are life-changing.

The boss seat is not as comfortable as you might think

No doubt there are some advantages to being upstream. The air and the water tend to be cleaner. You get the first bite of the cherry. But it is also lonely and often very stressful.

There is certainly an opportunity at the top, but there is also a responsibility. Punching in from 9 to 5 and going home to Potter around the garden or heat out with friends can be very appealing when you’re sitting in the office at 11 o’clock on a Friday night trying to submit that last piece of paperwork before going home.

Steve Tappin, the author of “The Secrets of CEOs,” once observed that,

“The major emotions a CEO has are frustration, disappointment, irritation and overwhelm. There should be a health warning. If you have those emotions for 80 percent of the day, they lead to stress and cortisol in the body, which leads to accelerated aging, heart attacks, and cancer.”

That’s clearly not at an advertisement to anyone, male or female, to start climbing the corporate ladder.

Many women report gaining weight and losing job satisfaction as they Ascend the big city ladder. Some of this may be attributed to the age in which they entered the workforce and the level of competency and training they had.

Like any rock, we are not all equipped with every gift in the company machine.

It makes sense, knowing what you’re good at is so important to job satisfaction. Sticking to what you’re good at is critical.

Those who have it all are often broke

It’s simply not true that more money will relieve you of responsibility. In fact, the reverse tends to be true. The more money you have, the more responsibilities you tend to have.

The issue isn’t the amount of money that we have; the issue is often how we choose to spend it. There is a cycle with those her anymore which often leads to depression. It’s a cycle of big spending on small pleasures.

Women who tend to do better in the corporate environment as they climb to the top of those who are also highly competent when it comes to managing money.

In other words, climbing the corporate ladder will do no good at all unless you know what to do with a reward of your labor.

Ah, Happiness

If your home is the United States of America then, statistically you are already rich compared to the rest of the world. You are already ahead of the game.

The fact of the United States Rising number of depression and people who describe themselves as unhappy is nevertheless increasing.

Now, all of this sounds fairly negative, and I want to end on a more positive note. There are women in all kinds of corporate industry who are happy. Their lives are not governed by the circumstances of life and the level of success but by things much more significant and more abiding. Things less fragile.

A lot of this has to do with the contribution they are making and not what they are taking.

This, coupled with the significant amount of research into the health benefits and happiness of those whose lives are marked by gratitude appear to be a key to the winning formula of those women who are climbing the corporate ladder with a smile on their face – and still able to smile once they get there

So, no, climbing the corporate ladder is not the answer to all your financial and life problems. You are. Your attitude and your disposition toward life, whatever life has handed you.

1 http://fortune.com/2016/10/12/women-career-advice-corporate-ladder/

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