Uniqueness of Career in Academia: Experience of High-Flying Women Academics

Thriving towards a successful career is full of experiences. The experiences are dependent on the nature of the job, context and its interplay with life. The description on a career is further intensified when the issue of gender is incorporated. Especially among women who have been involved heavily as educators, there is a dearth of knowledge on what makes them excel in the field of higher education. Based on a career history research involving 31 highflying women academics (HFWAs) from eight Malaysian institutions of higher learning, this paper describes their career development experiences right from their status of young academics to the present status of professors. Specifically, it points to the uniqueness of academic career as they perceived where within it they grew and developed their career.