{"id":1111,"date":"2026-06-27T10:50:12","date_gmt":"2026-06-27T14:50:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.highheeledsuccess.com\/?p=1111"},"modified":"2026-06-27T11:45:46","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T15:45:46","slug":"the-promotion-gap-starts-early-how-young-women-can-get-ahead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.highheeledsuccess.com\/?p=1111","title":{"rendered":"The Promotion Gap Starts Early:\u00a0 How Young Women Can Get Ahead"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"\"<\/a>If you are a recent college graduate entering the workforce, or the proud parent, grandparent, aunt, mentor, or coach of a young woman launching her career, there is an important workplace reality you need to understand:  the promotion gap starts early.  Most people assume gender inequality appears later in a woman’s career when she is competing for executive roles.  In reality, the first barrier often appears in the very first promotion.  Researchers call it the “Broken Rung.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Broken Rung refers to the first step up into management or higher-level professional roles, where women are promoted at lower rates than men.  Every promotion gap that follows can often be traced back to this first missed opportunity.  One reason is that young men are frequently promoted based on potential, while young women are promoted based on proven performance.  Think about that for a moment.  A young man may be viewed as someone who can grow into the role.  A young woman is often expected to prove she has already been doing the role before she is considered for promotion.  The result?  Women work harder, wait longer, and often fall behind before their careers have truly begun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

School had clear rules.  Work doesn’t.  <\/strong> For many young women, this comes as a surprise.  Throughout school, success was straightforward.  The syllabus explained exactly what was expected.  The rules were visible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You knew:<\/p>\n\n\n\n