Carragee Consulting

What influences a girl’s career choice?

This week Solomon Kahn posted a heart warming story about working with his young daughter on a basic financial model for her cake business in Excel.

This story reminded me of a 2009 article in the NYTs about how girls are increasingly following in their dad’s footsteps, entering into what used to be male dominated careers with greater frequency.

“Researchers from the University of Maryland used various data sets to study the career paths of 63,000 women born between 1909 and 1977. Given that more women today are entering predominantly male occupations in higher numbers compared to women of previous generations, the researchers said it has been difficult to distinguish between general societal changes and family factors that may be influencing a woman’s career choices.”

I have to believe that learning to write tally marks so I could do a foot-traffic study in a mall when I was 7 to help my dad determine what was a good location for a new Franklin Mint retail store and working the cash register for the company warehouse sale seeing frilly dolls discounted 90% were formative experiences which influenced my way of thinking and eventually my education and career opportunities.

My dad loved to explain various case studies from HBS and his own work to teach us lessons and help make his 10-12 hours away and suit wearing understandable.

You still see main street businesses called “Some Guy & Sons” with more regularity than “& Daughters”, but this is rapidly changing.

When I was 24 I asked my dad if we could do some consulting projects together. I distinctly remember his response: “yes, when you have more experience”.

After just two years as an analyst I wasn’t yet up to a level where I could adequately contribute in the fast-paced client facing projects he was doing.

When I prepped for my first interviews I had lengthy discussions with my dad about the companies, industry structures, their financial reporting, competitors etc. I was batting 1000 in landing jobs I interviewed for those first 4 year out of college, except not in my dad’s consulting work.

I have no idea what my daughter will want to be when she grows up. A few times she’s told me she’s going to be a “scientist-farmer”, which I hope doesn’t mean she aspires to work for Monsanto… Her dad is a chemist, maybe that’s already influencing her career trajectory.

I wonder if as various fields become more gender balanced girls will again grow up aspiring to following in their mother’s paths?