If you asked me what my biggest nightmare was when I was 10 years old, I would have definitely told you it would be working a 9-to-5 office job. The idea of sitting in an office chair seemed like something only old, boring lifeless adults did. What even is a CEO or a COO? Ten-year-old me would have questioned her existence when she heard adults at the dinner table throwing around these fancy titles that only projected the image of a boring, gray job that had to do with economics or trading or big law or all these “big names”.

At the time, it seemed like something that had nothing to do with me because at 10 years old you are all about painting, dancing or pretending to be the next rockstar in The “Voice” of your country. Sitting in an ugly, oversized chair that morphs into the shape of your body day after day as you wait for your two-week summer vacation was not in my pool of choice. What was LinkedIn when I was 10? I didn't even have a phone. Now, a decade later, I search for those corporate jobs on that very platform. How crazy is life?

What seemed like my personal nightmare – because I imagined myself sketching on a Greek beach with an infinite amount of money as my ideal version of self – is what my current internship search on LinkedIn looks like. So, is working an office job selling out, or is there comfort in a routine?

I think there is a prevailing idea that big corporations, in comparison to small businesses with smaller profits, pay you just enough to sell yourself and your soul to a system that does not care about you, your aspirations, or your individuality. You are just another cog in the machine that makes money, helping it make money. I find that idea interesting and it is something that my younger self would agree with because she was not informed enough. To her, the big office in central downtown Athens seemed like a scary place filled only with angry old men who cared about nothing but themselves and their money.

But in 2025, efforts to incorporate youth, women, and diverse voices into the workforce, especially in big companies, have shifted the conversation. Sure, corporate companies care about their money but many also care about their employees. It does not have to be big business = money and small business = people. It is possible to have a corporate company enforcing regular checks and updates to ensure that all individuals are not only productive but also satisfied with their positions.

The fact that a big job in a big company may guarantee a stable income and security does not mean that you are selling yourself out. You do not have to anymore because “corporate” is changing. “Human Resources (HR)” – another one of these fancy words I might say – is in place in all those corporate environments to ensure that everything runs as it should and that everyone is indeed satisfied with the company. Feedback nowadays is always encouraged and if you think that it is not, you will surely see it in the news, and the company will be reprimanded by the eyes of the public and threatened by the promise and execution of “cancel culture” and the daring boycott effect. The presence of media all around us makes sure that responsibility and action will be taken to create a healthy environment.

But do not get me wrong – it is not a matter of threatening companies into doing the right thing in my eyes, but a matter of acknowledging the needs of a new generation that must be implemented into the workforce, one that does not keep up with conservative “production” policies or workplace imbalances based on sexism or racism. We love to see companies taking on new initiatives to implement youth and old folks understanding us deeply.

It is no longer the case that as a woman I do not have the option to do what my 10-year-old self assumed was a job for “the angry old man”. I do have the option and right to choose a corporate career that is not simply a race for money. I am not saying that women are making the same amount of money as men, but the problem has been put forward and it is recognized and solved on many occasions. I think that criticizing from the outside looking in instead of pushing for change from within the system has little effect on making meaningful change. It is like complaining about the politics of your country and not going to cast your vote because your opinion will be too “small” to count.

As a young woman, I see stability and security in corporate culture, but with all the policies that are put in place, I do not feel like I am choosing sexism, patriarchy, or money. There are all these companies introducing hybrid work models, self-health days, company retreats, and four-day work weeks as well as regular mental checkups. Some might argue that these are just strategies to boost productivity and, ultimately, company profits. I see it as more than just a comfortable choice.

So fire up that LinkedIn page and search the company you saved for their updated policies. You might just surprise yourself.