Millennial women, or "
burnt-out by age 30", as they have been described, are the ambitious
generation of women born between 1980 and 1995.
Career-focused and impatient to reach the top, they are likely to see off old stereotypes and change the workplace faster than their predecessors.
At SA universities, women now outnumber men by almost two to one in obtaining tertiary qualifications, says Amrop Landelahni.
Graduates in accounting reflected a 50/50 gender split in 1999. By 2011, women represented 58% of all graduates and the trend is up in the sciences, engineering and information & communication technology.
And 53% of graduates coming into corporate jobs are millennial women.
Millennial women are more career-focused than their mums and delay having children into their 30s. This is because they have grown up in an output-driven and high-performance environment.
"Burnt out by age 30 and focused on their career, they are task-driven and seek out a high-performance environment. They perform markedly better than men".
Source: Financial Mail 28 Aug 2014
The extract above is from an article I came across while doing some random research and it turned out to inspire this series I am about to introduce to you, right about now.
I have decided to dedicate the next couple of weeks to a series I call "Changing Faces" - a story of how young black women are changing the face of corporate South Africa.
In her book, "Lean In" (which I quote a little too much a little too often), Sheryl Sandberg addresses the issues that prevent women from climbing the corporate ladder as fast as their male counterparts. She slightly touches on the subject of how women of colour are faced with even greater barriers in this regard. I appreciate that she merely touched on it, knowing that she cannot tell a story that is not her own...
I've worked for three companies, none of which have had a black representative on the board, let alone a woman. I am not complaining or suggesting these positions should just be handed out all willy-nilly but it would be nice to have a familiar face that one can identify with, someone to make you believe that it's attainable, know what I mean?
When I was still a student I met an amazing woman called Phuti Mahanyele, she was the person who made it seem possible for me, I thought hey, if she can get there, so can I. Little did I know the Phuti's of this world a few and far between. When I entered corporate I was just like "hawu, kanti where is everyone? (but where is everyone - sorry, can't translate hawu)". By everyone I meant people who looked like me, people who showed me that people like us can get there too.
What I've grown to learn is that they are all here, they are my peers and some, my very close friends. They may not be holding those high-flying positions right now but best believe they are well on their way!
So, over the next couple of weeks, allow me to introduce you to the new face of corporate South Africa:
She's young, she's beautiful, she's smart and yes, she's black.
Her place is in the boardroom, high heeled and present!
P.S All the women who will be featured in this series will be those born between 1980 and 1990. Though they will not be named, I'm sure they will inspire at least one reader, and that's enough for me!
P.P.S One favour from me, please share with any young women you think may benefit from these?
#okthanksbye
Sheryl Sandberg's TED Talk which is basically a summary of her book can be found here
Career-focused and impatient to reach the top, they are likely to see off old stereotypes and change the workplace faster than their predecessors.
At SA universities, women now outnumber men by almost two to one in obtaining tertiary qualifications, says Amrop Landelahni.
Graduates in accounting reflected a 50/50 gender split in 1999. By 2011, women represented 58% of all graduates and the trend is up in the sciences, engineering and information & communication technology.
And 53% of graduates coming into corporate jobs are millennial women.
Millennial women are more career-focused than their mums and delay having children into their 30s. This is because they have grown up in an output-driven and high-performance environment.
"Burnt out by age 30 and focused on their career, they are task-driven and seek out a high-performance environment. They perform markedly better than men".
Source: Financial Mail 28 Aug 2014
The extract above is from an article I came across while doing some random research and it turned out to inspire this series I am about to introduce to you, right about now.
I have decided to dedicate the next couple of weeks to a series I call "Changing Faces" - a story of how young black women are changing the face of corporate South Africa.
In her book, "Lean In" (which I quote a little too much a little too often), Sheryl Sandberg addresses the issues that prevent women from climbing the corporate ladder as fast as their male counterparts. She slightly touches on the subject of how women of colour are faced with even greater barriers in this regard. I appreciate that she merely touched on it, knowing that she cannot tell a story that is not her own...
I've worked for three companies, none of which have had a black representative on the board, let alone a woman. I am not complaining or suggesting these positions should just be handed out all willy-nilly but it would be nice to have a familiar face that one can identify with, someone to make you believe that it's attainable, know what I mean?
When I was still a student I met an amazing woman called Phuti Mahanyele, she was the person who made it seem possible for me, I thought hey, if she can get there, so can I. Little did I know the Phuti's of this world a few and far between. When I entered corporate I was just like "hawu, kanti where is everyone? (but where is everyone - sorry, can't translate hawu)". By everyone I meant people who looked like me, people who showed me that people like us can get there too.
What I've grown to learn is that they are all here, they are my peers and some, my very close friends. They may not be holding those high-flying positions right now but best believe they are well on their way!
So, over the next couple of weeks, allow me to introduce you to the new face of corporate South Africa:
She's young, she's beautiful, she's smart and yes, she's black.
Her place is in the boardroom, high heeled and present!
P.S All the women who will be featured in this series will be those born between 1980 and 1990. Though they will not be named, I'm sure they will inspire at least one reader, and that's enough for me!
P.P.S One favour from me, please share with any young women you think may benefit from these?
#okthanksbye
Sheryl Sandberg's TED Talk which is basically a summary of her book can be found here
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