11.9.21
Most of the year, Maya, a 32-year-old investment banker in New York City, enjoys her job. But late in the autumn, when promotion season rolls around, she always feels “weird”.
“It’s hard to describe,” she says. “I wouldn’t call it disappointment, because that implies that there was hope. It’s more just a wistfulness. I’ve sort of come to terms with the fact that there’s a good chance I’ll never be in a position that can be considered truly senior.”
Maya, whose surname is being withheld for job-security concerns, started working for her bank eight years ago. Since then, many colleagues who were at her seniority level have leap-frogged her through promotions. It isn’t that she hasn’t moved up at all, but she’s ascended at a slower pace.