Overcoming Career Plateau: The Role of AI in Shaping Women’s Career Paths in Finance

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and career plateaus among women working in corporate finance roles in Istanbul. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven professionals occupying junior, mid-level, and managerial positions. The interviews focused on everyday applications of AI, including performance dashboards, promotion lists, learning recommendations, and financial forecasting and reporting. Perceptions of both opportunities and challenges were examined, together with their influence on feelings of career stagnation or progress. A reflexive thematic analysis was applied. The findings suggest that AI helps make employee contributions more visible and supports performance discussions with shared evidence. Personalized learning recommendations were described as valuable, particularly for early-career employees seeking direction. However, several difficulties emerged. Some aspects of work, such as coordination, mentoring, and handling crises, were often overlooked by AI metrics. The constant presence of scoring mechanisms was reported to create pressure and anxiety. In addition, decision-making processes sometimes slowed down when AI outputs were mediated by unclear committee structures. More positive results were observed when AI was used in an advisory role, supported by transparent human review and regular bias checks. Career planning was more effective when personal circumstances such as mobility, language, and caregiving responsibilities were recognized. Although based on a small and non-random sample, the study offers evidence from Istanbul and highlights pathways for broader future research.