Typology of career paths of international Top Women Managers - Global orientation pattern for qualified women in management

Women worldwide are still often the minority in top management so the career paths and patterns of successful role models can offer guidance and real inspiration for other women. Career typologies of women in senior management functions can support other women when they set their career plans and need to make decisions. One outcome of the international research driven from the Global Women Career Lab is an intercultural career typology of top women managers in various countries, which offers valuable insights into women strategies for building careers. The typology analysis role model focuses on how women who achieved top management positions around the world built their careers and the characteristics go with it. The analysis describes the five career types which were most frequent in the research group. Different to the handful of existing typologies for women in management, two thirds of the women researched here show patterns and paths where career decisions are not made with a focus on family or other external conditions. Most women have pursued an unbounded career, often globally and changing employers in order to rise up the corporate hierarchy. Experienced coaches can use the Global Women Career Lab typology to stimulate reflection on career decisions and shed light on the choices of women in management levels. The typology also shows HR experts that talented women chose companies according to the opportunities they offered for women to rise in senior management.