The pressure to constantly advance up the career ladder causes many driven women to doubt their growth pace, even if their career is developing steadily. Professional 'FOMO'—the fear of missing opportunities—can turn ambition into a constant feeling of falling behind, stemming from comparing personal progress with the visible achievements of others on social media platforms like LinkedIn.
Lule Bundjaku Karapinar, CEO of GCC Markets and Head of Executive Education at LEORON Institute, notes that career FOMO often manifests as a feeling that one 'should be ahead,' whether it's a higher title, an international position, a board seat, or the next promotion. She emphasizes that ambitious women feel a sense of time limitation, and every decision carries greater weight, especially when career aspirations intersect with family responsibilities and definitions of success.
Karapinar warns that the risk lies in making career decisions dictated by a feeling of being behind rather than by a genuinely suitable opportunity. Rehana Meghani, a clinical and organizational psychologist at Connect Psychology Dubai, believes that the feeling of lagging can become part of ambition itself. According to her, 'targets are constantly shifting because that is inherent to ambition—they generate the next goal before you have even caught your breath after the previous one.'
Meghani explains that social comparison can be beneficial when another person's success inspires setting new goals. However, it becomes detrimental when another person's achievement is interpreted as evidence of personal failure. Social media amplifies this effect because people see a carefully curated version of others' lives. Meghani compares this to 'comparing your complete, messy backstage life with someone else's edited trailer.'
She advises women to ask themselves if they would still be dissatisfied with their career if they didn't look at professional updates from others for a month. If the answer is yes, the problem might be genuine dissatisfaction; if the feeling arises mainly after viewing someone else's promotion or achievement, it might be comparison anxiety, not a signal to change careers.
Karapinar insists that there is no universal age or timeframe for reaching a leadership position. She asserts that 'leadership is not about age or title, and careers develop at very different speeds.' Instead of viewing professional growth as a race, women should focus on developing competencies that will allow them to make a significant impact in senior roles. When they feel colleagues are advancing faster, she recommends drawing inspiration from other fields rather than using them as a measure of their own worth.
Karapinar, who has observed LEORON's growth over the past 17 years, measures progress by asking herself whether she continues to learn, contribute, and move in a direction that matters to her. She notes that some of the most important career breakthroughs remain unnoticed until they become visible, and that 'a title is one milestone. Competence is what allows you to sustain the next ten [years].'
The constant pursuit of achievement also makes ambitious professionals vulnerable to burnout. Meghani points out that many ambitious women have perfectionistic expectations and an internal belief that rest must be earned. Simultaneously, professional duties can overlap with what she calls the 'second shift'—managing the household, caring for children or elderly parents. She says that 'recovery time is consumed by caregiving, not real rest.'
Women in leadership positions also face additional workplace pressure, including the need to constantly demonstrate competence while simultaneously being expected to remain open and collaborative. Karapinar warns that burnout often begins before a person reaches the point where they can no longer work. Signs may include decreased curiosity, disproportionate irritability over small things, difficulty disconnecting, and the feeling that achievements are more obligations than successes. She adds that 'ambitious people are particularly good at suppressing these signals because they can keep working for quite a long time.'
Technology has also blurred the line between responsiveness and productivity. Karapinar notes that constant connectivity creates the impression that dedicated employees must always be available, even though the most valuable work, including thinking, prioritizing, and decision-making, requires uninterrupted time. Meghani advises women to protect their boundaries by setting expectations early on. She gives the example: 'if you reply to emails at 11 PM in the first few months of work, that becomes the baseline expectation.'
She recommends practical steps such as turning off notifications outside of work hours, disabling read receipts, and clearly communicating expected response times. The key, in her opinion, is to view boundary setting as part of ambition, not as a sign of reduced commitment. Meghani states: 'Setting boundaries is a core skill of ambition. It is what allows you to maintain high productivity throughout your career, instead of burning brightly for two years and fading.'
Both experts agree that sustainable ambition requires a broader definition of success. For Karapinar, early career success might be measured by titles, salaries, large teams, or prestigious opportunities. However, over time, the definition may shift toward influence, learning, meaningful relationships, and how worthwhile the work feels. As a working mother, she shares that 'I am always juggling between home life and work. I don't think you ever reach a point where everything is perfectly balanced.' Instead, she focuses on understanding what requires her attention at any given moment, setting priorities, and accepting that these priorities can change.
Meghani argues that sustainable ambition should mean evaluating work based on quality and impact, not on how visibly available one is. She says that this requires employers to change what they reward. If promotions continue to go to employees who are constantly visible online, individual boundary setting will be difficult to maintain. Furthermore, leaders can help by modeling healthier behaviors, including logging off, delaying non-urgent messages, and openly respecting boundaries. Meghani concludes: 'Sustainable ambition is not diminished ambition. It is ambition without the assumption that burnout is the price you must pay for it.'
In the modern world, securing a good job and a high salary is a dream for many young people. Most would probably accept an annual package of 10 million rupees without deep consideration. However, one Gen Z candidate did things differently and declined this job offer.
The reason for the refusal was not receiving a higher salary at another company, but rather the atmosphere in the workplace. This story was published on LinkedIn by a woman named Muskan Attar. She shared that her friend was offered a position with an annual salary of about 10 million rupees, but he turned down the role.
He decided to decline because he disliked the corporate culture of the place where he was being offered the job. He feared that such an environment would not be suitable for him and could negatively affect his mental health and personal life. Therefore, he prioritized finding a suitable workplace instead of making a decision based solely on the financial aspect.
This incident sparked a new discussion on social media. The question arose: has a good work-life balance, mental peace, and a positive work environment become more important to modern Gen Z than a high salary? Muskan Attar also noted that she herself had previously turned down some good opportunities, but at age 25, she might not have been able to refuse a 10 million rupee offer so easily.
In her opinion, family responsibilities, societal pressure, and lifestyle desires can force a person to accept such a large offer.
After publishing this post, opinions were divided. Some highly praised the young man's decision, arguing that a job with a high income but a bad atmosphere can become a source of problems in the long run. Others countered that refusing an amount of 10 million rupees is not easy for everyone. This is especially true for people from middle-class backgrounds, for whom a high salary means financial stability, the ability to meet family needs, and save for the future. Consequently, every person makes a decision based on their circumstances.
It is evident from this story that the new generation is no longer focusing solely on salary when choosing a job. Many young people now also assess the company's atmosphere, the number of hours they have to work, how much time will be left for personal life, and whether the job aligns with their future goals. This does not mean that Generation Z does not care about money. Rather, many young people strive to combine a good income with a life that has a balance between work and personal life.
The story of refusing a job with a 10 million rupee salary has become an example of this changing mindset. For some, refusing such a huge salary may seem like a shocking decision, while for others, avoiding a toxic work environment is a higher priority. Ultimately, the decision about a job is made not only based on the package but also considering personal priorities and life circumstances.
Amid rising unemployment and the simultaneous development of artificial intelligence, which is shaping the labor market, young people in South Africa are facing serious challenges. The unemployment crisis in South Africa has intensified, raising concerns about the readiness of youth for a labor market increasingly defined by technological changes and AI.
The situation is compounded by the fact that women, whose unemployment rates continue to rise, bear a double burden: they support their families and are forced to prepare the next generation for a workplace that is transforming even before they can enter it.
Nelo P Spice, Executive Director of the youth employment organization JA South Africa, believes that the employment problem goes far beyond simply creating new jobs. She noted that 'it is very depressing and heartbreaking to see that women still bear the main burden of unemployment while supporting families. They need to provide food for young people. They need to care for the elderly.'
According to the Statistics South Africa Quarterly Labour Force Review for the second quarter of 2026, the official unemployment rate increased to 33.6%, up from 32.7% in the first quarter. The number of unemployed rose by 345,000 people to approximately 8.5 million, while employment decreased by 16,000 people to 16.7 million.
Of particular concern is the sustained rise in youth unemployment, which climbed to 43.8% from 43.7% in the previous quarter, affecting five million young people aged 15 to 24. Spice emphasized that the latest data demonstrates the disproportionate impact of unemployment on youth and women.
Recent labor data showed an increase in the labor force by 329,000 people over the quarter, while unemployment rose by 345,000. Frank Blackmore, lead economist at KPMG South Africa, stated that these figures reflect persistent weakness in the labor market. He explained that the growth of the labor force by 329,000 people with a decrease in employment by 16,000 and an increase in the number of unemployed by 345,000 is due to the long-term consequences of low economic growth in South Africa.
Although economists point to sluggish economic growth as the main cause of unemployment, Spice argues that the task goes beyond merely increasing the number of vacancies. She insists that solving youth unemployment must begin much earlier than when a young person enters the labor market, and that more needs to be done than just creating jobs, as South Africa's current education and employment system was designed for a different era.
As artificial intelligence becomes more deeply integrated into global workplaces, there is growing concern about how technology will affect employment opportunities, especially for young workers. Spice views AI as both a challenge and an opportunity. Within JA programs this year, the main focus is on equipping youth with an understanding of AI and using it to drive innovation, as this is the future.
She warned that many entry-level positions, traditionally serving as career stepping stones, are becoming increasingly automated. Spice compared the position of a young person without digital skills today to that of someone without literacy in past generations, noting that AI is already changing the global labor market by automating administrative, auxiliary, and routine tasks.
In her view, future employability will depend less on rote knowledge and more on creativity, adaptability, digital skills, collaboration, and entrepreneurial thinking. Youth must be developed to be capable of seizing opportunities, solving problems, and creating something new.
A serious issue remains the low interest among young women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects, which experts believe could exacerbate future employment inequality. Spice insists on the need for targeted measures to encourage young women to study and work in STEM fields, emphasizing that they must be shown that STEM is an achievable field.
This concern is particularly relevant as businesses increasingly seek employees with technical and digital skills to support the implementation of technologies and innovations. Economists also caution that while AI may boost productivity in the long run, it is unlikely to quickly solve the unemployment crisis in South Africa.
Dr. Lerato Ntuli, an economist at Anchor Capital, recently noted that the unemployment problem in South Africa is largely structural, caused by infrastructure limitations, weak investment, and slow economic growth. She believes that AI is unlikely to have a significant impact on reducing unemployment in the near term, but the technology could improve competitiveness and productivity in the long run, provided there are investments in energy, digital infrastructure, and skills development.
JA South Africa runs entrepreneurship and financial literacy programs in schools and communities across all nine provinces to introduce youth to business skills and innovation from an early age. Spice believes that entrepreneurship education can play a vital role in adapting youth to the changing economy.
Instead of focusing solely on job searching, she advocates for encouraging young people to identify opportunities, solve problems, and create value in their communities. Given that youth unemployment remains around 44% and economic growth is expected to be weak, preparing youth for the future world of work has become extremely urgent.
