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No mere power puff girls

There is more than the visage required to break the glass ceiling. Syeda Farida finds out

TALKING CLOTHES Being smart goes beyond the look

If a scribe reporting a world filled with the `look at me' screaming junta was Madhur Bhandarkar's muse in Page 3, he finds an ambitious and sometimes shrewd businesswoman for his latest Corporate. Dressed in notes of pastel teamed with serviette and minimalist jewellery, not forgetting the French manicure and a clutter free hair do, the protagonist exudes, every moment, the new avatar of the corporate woman in metros of the country. Agreed those loud printed salwar kameez with matching bangles, bindis and Yardley's Lace are making way to fitted trousers, formal shirts, ear studs and a stronger 212 from Carolina Herrera. But there is more, say women climbing up the ladder, that answers the `what does it take?' to survive in the corporate jungle.

Says Saroja Sanjivi, deputy manager, human capital consulting with a leading MNC, "I am not sure if the movie has really had any great influence on the women of today but sure it has widened the exposure. I for one wouldn't really identify with the protagonist for a simple reason that women today do not need to stoop to levels shown in the movie to be termed successful. Success sure doesn't come easy and comes with a pinch of salt and loads of hard work." And that translates into juggling work life balance and clocking in about 14-16 hours on an average putting in what it takes traversing that extra mile.

"My day begins at 9.30 a.m. and stretches till 7 p.m. except days when there are meetings lined up," says Santha John, managing director of Mindset EYW. With clientele spread over varied industries, such as HSBC, Oakridge, Satyam, Regency and more. Ask for the success mantra and she says, "You need to stop thinking about gender. You are taken on the job for merit. You lose some and win some. It has nothing to do with you being a woman," she says.

Or is it? "They start on techie stuff to sidetrack you. One, you have to be extremely careful because being a woman can go against you. Either you are brainy or beautiful or beautiful and available. Also, as you start moving up the ladder you will find that there are fewer women in the boardroom. And you need to find friends amongst the men who are the majority. You need to learn the silent signs between them," says Ansh, deputy manager training in a leading MNC in the twin cities.

If there are many women climbing up the corporate ladder today, one finds equal or more of them enrolling into B Schools for that extra edge. Sources from ISB observe significant increase in the number of women students in the class of 2007 who comprise 20 per cent of the current academic strength representing banking, marketing, IT, hospitality and more varied fields with work experience ranging from two to 20 years. Armed with financial security, cross-cultural exposure, confidence and resilience this increasing number aiming for the glass ceiling sure fits the Little River Band number Playing to Win.

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