Unique approach to career coaching helps female graduates transition from college to career.
WASHINGTON, July 2, 2019 – For more than two decades, women have made up more than half of college graduating classes. And they’ve frequently graduated with higher grades and more awards than their male peers. The current 2019 graduation season appears to be continuing the trend. However, despite this, there is still a significant gap between male and female career advancement and representation at the top of major organizations across all sectors, most notably in business.
Many articles and books have been written about why this is so. But the simple fact is that while college-educated women are entering the workforce at record levels – nearly 50 percent of entry-level corporate job holders are women. Less than 5 years after graduation, these same women begin leaving full-time employment at much higher rates than their male peers. The result, according to Sheryl Sandberg’s 2017 Gender Diversity Report is decreasing female representation at each consecutive higher level in every industry.
So, the question thousands of recent female graduates and their parents are asking themselves today is: what, if anything, can we do to achieve a different outcome—starting now?
According to career transitions expert Perry Yeatman, CEO of Your Career, Your Terms®, the excitement of college graduation can quickly turn into fear of the future for many young women. “I’m frequently contacted by recent graduates around this time of year,” says Yeatman. “They report feeling lost and/or overwhelmed, either because they haven’t been able to land a ‘real job’ or because they did land a job but are now struggling to successfully make the transition from school to work.” That’s not really surprising, says Yeatman. “Career transitions are hard for almost everyone. But there are things young women can do to better set themselves up for success – both short and long term.”
Yeatman, whose career literally took off after a series of bold international moves during her first decade post-college, recently launched a new coaching package specifically designed to support young women transition from college to career. Yeatman honed her tools and techniques while working with Sally Blount, former Dean of the Kellogg School of Management, as well as hundreds of Kellogg alumna, clients and other female executives.
“In addition to understanding and better preparing for the predictable opportunities and obstacles women will face, a subject Dean Blount and I explored in our 2018 book Kellogg Women: Creating Lives of Impact and Meaning on the Road to the C-suite, there are many things every woman can do to get her career off on the right foot,” Yeatman says. “These include prioritizing what she most wants, taking smart risks, learning to advocate for herself and creating the networks she needs to succeed, including hiring a coach at key transition points. The first ten years of a woman’s career set the trajectory that shapes how high she can climb and how long it takes. Making the most of that first decade can make a huge difference.”
Find more of Yeatman’s advice for college grads here.
More About Perry Yeatman: Perry Yeatman is the CEO of Your Career • Your Terms® a company dedicated to helping women build the careers and lives of their dreams - from launching on the right trajectory; to surviving the mid-career marathon; to thriving within the executive ranks. Perry’s unique approach combines a deep understanding and passion for career advancement with decades of real-world experience as a global business executive, C-suite consultant and award-winning author. This enables her to achieve transformational results for her clients. To learn more go to www.yourcareeryourterms.com or contact Perry at Perry@yourcareeryourterms.com.
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