By NASA MARIA ENTABAN
alltherage@thestar.com.my

CLIMBING the corporate ladder may look glamorous in movies and television shows, but  young working women say that it’s all just a lot of hard work.

Impressing your bosses with multiple epiphanies during meetings make for great television, but in real life the working people running around in chic three-piece suits  are stressed out and exhausted. On top of that, there are at least 20 things left on their to-do list.

Best (or worst) of all, they would need to do all those 20 things, and outdo their colleagues if they want a shot at a promotion.

A recent McKinsey research study in the United States showed that today, 53% of corporate entry-level jobs are held by women. But by mid-management level women only made up 37%, and they made of only 26% of vice presidents and senior managers in the corporate world.

In an article on ForbesWomen, it is reported that these figures indicate that a growing number of professional women are experiencing burn-outs before they are even 30.

To find out if this is the case for young women here, and to find out what they go through in the “real world” corporate sector, we spoke to several career-driven women.

The reality of it

The hours are long, you skip meals and the rewards are not immediate – these are the realities for young women in these industries.

For Janet C, 30, who has worked in public relations for over 10 years, it has not been easy.

“It can be very draining, unhealthy with many skipped meals or quick meals at the desk. There are lull periods, as well as times where you work for three to four days straight with no sleep, and there’s no time to even think about eating,” she says.

Desk lunches become a norm

Sometimes, one needs to work during odd hours, too, especially when organising events at public locations as the production team or construction crew only gets access to these venues after closing time. Public relations associate Erin Marie,  27,has worked as a publicist since she graduated from college.

“In PR, it is mostly about meeting the clients’ needs and wants, getting the right media to cover their brand, services, pre-event and post-event coverage,” says Erin. “It is tough for PR people. Sometimes you have to take on jobs even if you don’t want to, and you have to please everyone.”

Hard work in these industries is a given, but does this really lead to a burn-out?
Fara, 26, has worked in PR for almost three years now and says she is already feeling tired and restless.

Although she says she isn’t quite burnt out yet, Fara believes she is heading that way if she continues working the way she is.“Sometimes it can be very discouraging when you work so hard, sometimes going for days without proper rest or time with friends and family make you wonder if climbing the ladder is worth all this,” says Fara.

Young people starting out at work also found that they had to quickly learn to navigate around the office politics. “There’s plenty of politics in the office. As it is such a high-strung environment, and the pay is low, everyone is out to get everyone else. But they will smile at your face and pretend they never would do anything to hurt you,” says Fara.

While most of the women R.AGE interviewed admit that some scheming does happen in their workplace, there is no downright backstabbing, although a few have come pretty close.

Fara, who won’t reveal her real name as she doesn’t want to burn bridges, says that scheming happens a lot.

“There are ways to snag a particular account or to impress your bosses, and that itself is a skill,” says Fara.

The 'real world' is really competitive, and not everyone is as nice as depicted in movies and TV

“There have been incidents of ‘forgetting’ to include someone in an e-mail resulting in that person missing an important meeting; smiling and flirting with a male superior to get clearence to handle a presentation and so on.”

Fara adds that what is usually the most difficult thing about working is getting recognition for your efforts.

“Getting noticed by the bosses is important for promotion purposes, and you won’t get noticed if you leave early and don’t show that you’re working hard,” she says.

Alicia John has been working as a sales representative for three years. “I’m not going to lie, it’s not easy. It is very competitive, and sometimes it is tough to be friends with your colleagues when you know they are after your commission,” says Alicia, 26, half-jokingly.

Making it work

No matter how tough the tasks are at work, you are still expected to handle them flawlessly, and with a spring in your step. The young women we interviewed list out several traits you need to possess.

“You have to have a great attention to detail, have a tough shell and a willingness to sacrifice your personal life. You must also be willing to cater to others, and be able to maintain good relationships with everyone, as well as be on call at any time,” says Janet.

Most importantly, you must have the ability to shrug things off and take criticism well.

“You can only keep up an act for so long. Most of the time, you’ll have to smile your way through everything – when things go wrong, or your boss or client is unhappy with your work, or if your co-worker received accolades for his or her work and you didn’t – you have to smile through it all,” reveals Alicia.

In the workplace, a key point to remember is not to take anything to heart.

“Never take things to heart. It is a job and just a job. If you adopt this mindset, you’ll be amazed at the results you see within yourself and your company and colleagues,” says Erin.

She points out, however, that situations can be very different depending on who you work with.

“I remember I performed best with people who were rational and goal-driven compared to a team that install fear and authority on me,” adds Erin, who thinks that the key to success is to stand out and relate to your public.

Abundant rewards

This isn’t to say there isn’t a light at the end of the tunnel for those holding corporate jobs.“Working in corporations is a great way to meet people and establish contacts. It’s also good to see your plan actually turn into a reality. In public relations, I can see my ideas actually materialise into something. I am constantly working on new and fresh things, so nothing is stagnant,” says Janet.

For her, the road to where she is has been a long and arduous one, but she is now reaping the benefits of her hard work.

“Sometimes you receive gift bonuses, and if you do make it up to higher levels you will earn more, get to go to a lot of events to meet more people,” she says.

“People think the events and PR world is very glamourous, and if they think that way then that means you have done your job,” says Janet.

Fara is optimistic about her chances of making it to a senior management level; she just has to keep pressing on.

“There will be sacrifices that affect my personal life, but knowing that at the end of the day my hard work will be worth it keeps me going,” she says. “The first two years were tough, but I’m doing better now as I have a better understanding of what’s needed from me.”

Fara is also optimistic about her future in the working world. “You meet so many different people, people who have the same goals and ambitions as you – at least they understand the nature of the job because they have the same experiences,” says Fara.

“Eventually I want to settle down, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to give up my career – I think you can have it all, family and a successful career. Many women have done it. I’m confident I can too,” she adds.