One key challenge people face when advancing their careers is the growth-hindering “invisible ceiling” they build for themselves, says Narumon Chivangkur, country officer and banking head at Citi Thailand.
The real challenge is not the perception that certain jobs are best suited for men rather than women, but it is the notion people have that they are not good enough to take higher roles at their companies, she says.
“You don’t have to be 100% ready to get on the road,” she says.
Ms Narumon was sharing her experience during a panel discussion at the Bangkok Post Women Vision Forum 2024 on the topic of “Insights and Challenges on the Path to Women’s Success”.
She said that based on her almost three decades of working with Citi Group, both women and men can achieve their career goals while learning on the job to further develop their capabilities.
“During a journey, we can enjoy learning at every moment,” she said. “I think this can help us reach our destination, too.”
She said women can be accepted to work at top executive positions in banking despite the business being a “man’s game”.
In her view, the real challenge is not the attitude towards gender but it is the “invisible ceiling” that blocks people from having the courage to make a decision.
She said that young people, especially girls, must not always think of perfection as it is impossible to achieve.
A perfectionist view will make life less fun, she said, adding that people should at times allow common sense to take centre stage.
Some people said they just want time to prepare themselves for a career while declining opportunities that come their way, she said, disagreeing with this mentality.
People must leave their comfort zones to create new paths and advance their careers, she said.
Ms Narumon was a singer in the 1990s before joining Citi Group in 1996 to work as a management associate.
She later gained experience from working mostly with engineer colleagues to run Citi’s business in the global market.
In 2015, she became global market head, and last year she became country head.
She said her successful path reflected not only her skills and business know-how but also her positive attitude in raising her hand to accept new responsibilities.
“I don’t feel they are challenges,” she said. “What I see is the door open. The stage is there for you to come and dance.”