Jill Nelson, 33 and single, has a different attitude toward her job than a woman a generation older might have had. An institutional sales representative for Pfizer (PFE
), Nelson looks forward to a long career with the pharmaceutical company. But unlike many baby boomer women who felt they had to make big personal sacrifices to achieve success, Nelson is more interested in a well-rounded life. "Do I want to be CEO of Pfizer? No," she says. "But I do want a stimulating position that will let me balance my work and my family."
Nelson's views are reflected in a recently study of Generation Xers by Catalyst, a New York group that seeks to advance women in business. The research began in 2000, but was updated after September 11. Of the 1,300 professionals aged 26 to 37 who responded, 70% were women. The study found that Gen Xers are neither slackers nor frenetic job hoppers, but traditionalists at heart. "It's a generation that values company loyalty and wants work-life balance," says Catalyst President Sheila Wellington.
In fact, nearly half of the young professionals surveyed would be content to spend the rest of their careers with their current companies. In addition, over 70% rated companionship, a loving family, and enjoying life as extremely important. By contrast, less than 20% said earning a lot of money and becoming an influential leader were extremely important goals (table).
Many of their predecessors--myself included--who came of age in the 1970s and 1980s defined success as rising through the ranks and, ultimately, landing the top job. "They had one chance at the brass ring, and they didn't believe they could jump off and then get back on," says Myra Hart, a professor at Harvard Business School. "To them, it was a distinct choice."
That choice came at a high price. Another recent Catalyst study showed that only 67% of top executive women with MBAs were likely to be married, compared with 84% of men with the same work success. When it comes to children, nearly 75% of the men have kids, while only 49% of the women do. These women "had to go singlemindedly to get into the game and couldn't have gotten ahead unless they let everything go," says Nancy Evans, editor-in-chief at iVillage.com. "They felt responsible to succeed on behalf of all women." When I was 33 and single, I was working nights and weekends to build a career. It took a husband and two preschoolers to make me realize, at 40, that I had to find a better balance of work and personal satisfaction. I did it by reducing my work hours, taking a salary cut, and dialing back my ambitions.
The baby boomer women who have achieved senior positions in their fields made a big impression on Gen X women--but it wasn't always positive. "The sacrifices those women made are transparent. The younger women can see the toll it has taken, and they're opting for a better path," because the rewards don't seem worth it, says Mary Lou Quinlan, head of Just Ask a Woman, a marketing company that helps companies better understand female customers.
Rather than landing the top job, women in their 20s and 30s want to have more control over their lives. That means different things to different people, but popular options include starting businesses or working for companies that offer flexible hours.
That's certainly the case for Carolyn Regan, 31, a human resources manager at public relations firm Weber Shandwick Worldwide in Boston. "I was holding myself up to how others see me as successful, using external factors like title and money," says Regan, a mother of one who recently reduced her workweek to four days. "I love my career, but there are other things in life I want to take advantage of."
No doubt there will be an economic and career price to pay for women who pare their working hours and career goals. But for them, satisfaction comes in answering to their own values, not Corporate America's expectations.
Copyright 2002 , by The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved.
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