Beyond Achievement: What Women with PhDs Really Want from Their Careers and Lives
In honor of Women’s History Month, I've created a series of six career development articles, specifically for women with PhDs which will be posted here on LinkedIn each Tuesday and Friday through March 21st.
This first article introduces the idea that women with PhDs and other doctorates want more than achievement. They are yearning to live a larger life purpose. The remaining articles address
Each article and its accompanying downloadable worksheet will give you a chance to pause and begin to reflect on where you are now, what you really want, and possible steps to move toward this vision.
Fifty years ago, the idea of women earning doctorates in equal numbers to men was a distant dream. In 1975, women earned 23% of all doctorates. Today, women earn nearly 50% of all PhDs and more than half (55%) of professional doctorates (health sciences, education, public administration) in the United States—a milestone worth celebrating. Yet, despite this progress, women with PhDs and other doctorates continue to face significant barriers to full career satisfaction, advancement, and recognition.
While women have made undeniable strides in higher education and the workforce, they remain underrepresented in STEM fields, underpaid for the same work as men, and are often overlooked for leadership roles. They encounter gender bias, lack of networking opportunities, and the expectation to “prove” themselves more than their male counterparts. And beyond their professional lives, many still carry the heavy burden of needing to achieve in the workplace AND meet societal and cultural expectations around caretaking, femininity, and beauty.
I am a career and life coach who specializes in serving women with PhDs and other doctoral degrees. For my clients, the challenge isn't just about breaking through external barriers—it’s about redefining success on their own terms. The traditional, masculine definition of success—power, promotions, and prestige—doesn’t fully encompass what many of these accomplished women are truly seeking.
Instead, they yearn for "self-actualization" - the process of realizing and fulfilling one's potential and capabilities, achieving personal growth, and becoming the most authentic version of oneself. This concept is supported by the work of Dr. Claire Zammit, creator of Evolving Wisdom. Dr. Zammit asserts that women want to fully become who they are meant to be and create life that aligns with their deepest values.
Over the past decade the women I have worked with as doctoral students, postdocs and professional women at all stages of their careers tell me that they want to use their expertise, skills, and influence to positively impact the biggest challenges facing our society, nation and world. They want to ultimately tackle climate change, end poverty, improve and make education and healthcare more equitable, end conflict and create peace, and create a kinder, more compassionate society.
The clients that I work with are not interested in just climbing up to the next rung of the ladder to make more money and have more power. As one of my clients told me recently, the women with PhDs that she knows do not want power for power’s sake- they want to use the privilege and power associated with their positions and the skills they gained from earning the title "Dr." before their names for the greater good!
So I ask you:
What impact do you want to have on this world?
What do you really yearn to create and do as Dr. X [X=Your Name]?
I invite you to download the worksheet to explore these questions.
Link to worksheet: https://bit.ly/imagineworksheet
