“I have faced sexual harassment and discrimination in the workplace. Each time I left the company and moved on.”
“I have honestly never seen it, but I wouldn’t want to say that it never exists anymore. My experience has been that women can be self-limiting or think there is discrimination when in actuality they may need to readjust how they interact within the business arena.”
“I would say things for women have improved dramatically over the last 20 years. I experienced the glass ceiling in my career, but I’m a baby-boomer who worked in traditionally male dominated industries. I must say, however, that I’m disappointed that the most recent data for this market indicate the highest paid executives are almost all men (97%).”
“Racial discrimination is still alive and well. But it won’t stop me from succeeding.”
It has been said that the current generation of workers enter the workplace feeling entitled to be treated as special. This group of women may feel they are special, but they feel they hit the ground running, so they deserve to be valued, respected and recognized for their extra effort and superior performance regardless if they do not hold a title or they lack years of experience.
Sample interview responses:
(AW) “I’m really proud of my career. I’ve been on a steady incline…I have had setbacks, or should say, set asides. I don’t believe that I’ve ever had any setbacks. I’ve had times when I’ve reached a little plateau and needed to find that next opportunity, and I’ve been able to do that. I believe that I have earned the respect of my coworkers in the banking community, and that means a lot to me…I want to earn that EVP… it would mean that I’ve proven to a bank that they I’m invested in their company and they would invest in me.”
(DK) “I like accomplishments. Maybe it’s for prestige, it can be recognition, it can be getting the respect you deserve, getting recognized. Yet I love it most when I’m achieving my potential and developing myself fully from my gifts.”
