Yet, at the same time, the failure of minorities to get far up the social ladder shows the limits of the French model.

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For nearly two decades, she watched as men no more qualified than she was -- in fact, usually men who she had trained would get promoted up the corporate ladder ahead of her.

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The natural inclination of someone looking to get hired or move up the career ladder after being in the same position for years, is to begin building off where they are or left off.

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"However, the biggest barrier to home ownership remains the deposit as first-time buyers struggle to drum up the tens of thousands of pounds required to get on the housing ladder, " he pointed out.

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As you rise up the corporate ladder you get more money but also more stress and more complications that can make you less happy on the job, right?

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Certainly in Japan, women are as well-educated as men, but face major obstacles in climbing up the corporate ladder once they get married or after they have children.

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And because women are still a rarity at the top of the corporate ladder, they often get a lot more attention than their male counterparts on the way up--and on the way down.

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"If we want people to move up the economic social ladder, we have to get them into school and get them out with degrees, " he says.

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His advice for young people first entering the SVSC is to use one of three approaches to get access to people who can give them a leg up on the ladder.

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