Twenty-six years old Trish Crofts a media buyer is a typical young professional who feels that her work is depriving her of a real life. She starts work at 9 a.m. but often does not leave her office until 8 p.m.
«In my company when people leave they are not replaced and everybody is expected to work extra hard», she said. Ms Crofts enjoys hеr work but feels stressed all the time. She said: «My hair is already going grey». Ms Crofts is prepared to accept a cut in pay if it would guarantee a genuine reduction in her workload, but she believes her promotion prospects suffer. «You have to sacrifice your personal life if you want career advancement», she said.
Martina Khan, aged 23, set up an IT consultancy in Manchester two years ago, directly after she graduated. Her parents and brother are self employed so she drew on their advice and experience. It was an immediate success as many large organizations choose to buy in freelance contractors rather than employ their own staff full-time. She has even taken on seven other IT specialists, some of whom are much older.
She has to work very long hours and weekends. However, now that the business is more established she has more free time than before. Her relationship with her boyfriend ended, but she admits she wanted the business to succeed more than the relationship. She is still young and says she has plenty of time to find a partner and have children. She has no regrets and even refuses to complain about not having a holiday for two years.