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With women making up the vast majority of career services professionals worldwide, their influence on how we define and pursue career success has never been more visible. This Women's Month, we sat down with four remarkable women from top business schools across Europe to hear their perspectives on careers, guidance, and what it truly means to succeed. Meet Chhaya Devarkhyani, MBA Career Lead at Esade Business School in Barcelona. #WomenCareerLeaders
"The best part of my job is being able to accompany students — and people in general — in navigating the complex relationship that exists between their work and their values. It's not just about figuring out what kind of work they'd like to do, but also taking into account the external market with all of its realities, complexities and challenges, and also society with all of its expectations and judgment. There is a lot of pressure to be successful. I feel like I'm quite lucky to engage in conversations on a daily basis with people about matters which affect them in their careers and in their life decisions."
"Keen observation — on one hand towards the market, to understand what the market trends are and where they're heading, and what kind of career paths can be shaped within them. And on the other hand, keen observation of the student who is in front of you, because every student has a unique perspective. To be able to tune into that, listen to that, and together help them figure out a career path which not just looks successful on paper but is also meaningful in practice — I think that's the ultimate goal."
"On one hand I feel that if women were to act like men, then what would we really be changing? So is it really about the genders themselves, or are we talking more about certain traits that we associate with the way women think — but which men can also think?
With more women moving into the workforce, the traditionally understood stereotypes around gender roles are shifting. And with a more equal playing field there is more empathy in general. Women are not the only ones responsible for raising a family at home anymore, and because of this we see an emergence of values related to work-life balance — not just from women but also from men.
More broadly, traits that we would associate as more feminine — like collaboration, more ethical thinking, sustainable thinking, a more relationship-oriented approach — those are taking prominence. We have taken a purely results-oriented approach far enough to realize that it's quite detrimental and not very sustainable. The shift in values needs to come from both genders, but it does seem like those traits are the ones gaining ground."
"I really like to stress on critical thinking before taking decisions. When it comes to careers, it is such an important part of every person's life. We spend about 40 to 50 hours of our life every week, during 40 to 50 years of our life — it's a major part of what we give to our careers. It's also the way we show up in this world and the legacy that we leave behind. Every decision made in this area needs to be really thought through and needs to come from a place of critical thinking and authenticity, because there are a lot of external drivers which tend to push people towards certain careers. Trying to figure out what is the authentic calling of every person — I think that is very important. That's why my word is deliberative."
Thank you to Chhaya Devarkhyani, Antonieta Silva, Maria João Santos, and Anne-Sophie Berthelot for sharing their insights, their stories, and their passion for the work they do every day. #WomenCareerLeaders
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