Glass Ceiling Sparks Reader Response

EFC users this week joined the debate over barriers to women's advancement, and continued to reject the idea that experience in varied departments is a career booster.

Why Aren't Women Breaking Through?

Our Debate question asked whether women often lack enough ambition and self-assertion to break through the glass ceiling. Two readers offered a different explanation.

"Unfortunately, women holding higher positions do not mentor, support other women wanting to move up or along in their careers," said Cornelia, who works in capital markets. "I have worked on the Street for a number of years and women bosses do little to help you. Men on the other hand are much more willing to assist, support, foster your growth...(Female executives) want to cement their own standing in the group/corporation at your expense."

Zejna, who works in insurance, agreed. "The women act more individual than men toward their careers. Successful women are more afraid to share ideas or help other women to grow up in their career. This could be a result of the hard time that women experienced through their success. Men tend to help each other and have a better network than women," Zejna wrote.

Add your comments here.

Guest Comment: Varied Experience Can Propel a Career

More eFC users wrote to disagree with Bank of America campus recruiter Karen Kirchner's article touting career benefits for MBAs who try out a variety of roles in different areas of a company.

"I'm guessing you're either new to B of A or work out of North Carolina and don't really know any of the people who actually run the GCIB (Global Corporate and Investment Bank) out of NY," one anonymous reader wrote. "I find your fifth paragraph particularly laughable."

Will, who works in risk management, said he personally benefited from moving through a number of areas, but added, "I would trade it all in a heartbeat to be in our Research Department. However, I do not have the right pedigree and got a 4.0 from an MBA program that was not top 10. Therefore, I get passed over for consideration. Those are the harsh realities for younger folks entering the industry. If you do not have the proper connections or go to the elite MBA programs, there are certain departments that will offer only an infinitesimal chance of entry. It really does not matter what route you take internally or how hard you work. That is the way it works on Wall Street."

(However, this earlier article shows how one candidate overcame the obstacles Will mentioned. See its eighth paragraph, beginning with, "Dr. Barry Miller...")

You can add your two cents here.

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