Despite the fact that women now comprise a large portion of America's work force, women still have limited access to upper-level jobs. Making Full Use of the Nation's Human Capital, published by the federal Glass Ceiling Commission, documents the disheartening facts. Though they now make up 46 percent of the work force, women hold only 5 percent of the top management jobs in American corporations.
In some fields, women are not welcome at any level; society clings fiercely to antiquated notions about "women's work" and "men's work." Want a job as a fashion retailer? No problem. Want to earn a living as a construction worker? Be prepared for lots of raised eye brows and closed doors.
Not only is the career game stacked against women, but they are in a sorry condition to compete. Raised according to "female" standards of behavior, women frequently are less assertive and less competitive than they should be. In addition, women often have fewer years of professional experience than men of a similar age because women must often put their lives on hold as a result of pregnancy and child-rearing.
Yet the news is not all bad. Those who forecast business trends report that the pendulum is beginning to swing ever-so-slightly in our favor. As more and more women join the work force, they are gaining influence, reshaping corporate thinking and breaking down barriers.
Let's take a closer look at some of the challenges and opportunities that await women in today's workplace.
See also: Leave Sex, Politics, Religion, and Social Activism out of Your Job Search and Career If You Want to Work in a Large Law Firm
Gender discrimination is not dead
Regardless of laws that dictate otherwise, there is no doubt that sexual bias is alive and well in the work world. Salary surveys have shown for years that women earn less than men, even when both are doing equal work. And when a man and a woman with similar qualifications apply for the same position, the scales usually are weighted in the man's favor.
According to executive recruiters and human-resources experts we interviewed, many employers not only have a hard time accepting women in certain work roles, but actually use different criteria for evaluating female and male candidates.
Employers often scrutinize resumes of female candidates for clues about age, appearance and marital or family status, and base hiring decisions on this information. Men, too, may be judged on age, looks and family status, but experts agreed that these criteria are far more hazardous to women in the job-search process.
The higher up the corporate ladder you go, the worse it gets. The Glass Ceiling report confirmed earlier research showing that many employers toss equal-opportunity principles out the window when they fill top positions. Why? Researchers suggest this scenario: hiring decisions for upper-level jobs are made by top executives, who usually are men. And because people instinctively hire people who are most like them, men favor male candidates over female candidates. It's as simple as that-a vicious, unbroken cycle..
Unsightly gaps: drop-outs and first timers
Most employers react negatively when a resume reveals a gap in employment history. And because of the roles that women typically play in the family unit, they are much more likely to have such gaps than men.
Stay-at-home mothers may drop out of the professional work force for as many as 20 years while raising children. When the children are grown and these women try to dive back into the job market, the water is unbelievably icy. Even women who stay home only a few years face a very cold swim. Employers suspect that these "drop-outs" are not up-to-date on industry issues or will quit after a few years to have more children.
An even tougher struggle confronts the woman who has never worked outside the home and finds herself in need of a paycheck because of a divorce, death of a spouse or family economic hardship. Not only is her job history nonexistent, she may be unfamiliar with the culture and climate of the business world. She may have little idea how to present herself in a positive, professional way, or even how to go about looking for a job.
And then there are those countless women who pull up job roots when their husbands are transferred to another city. While it's becoming more common for this situation to be reversed, for the most part, it is the woman who follows the man.
This type of gap is usually more easily explained to an employer's satisfaction, but any break in employment can create a less than optimal first impression.
The nice girl syndrome
Even accomplished, successful, professional women often have difficulty expressing themselves in a powerful manner, both in resumes and in job interviews. Why?
Upbringing is largely to blame. From the time we're born, woman are taught to think and act in ways that are distinctly female. They learn to be modest, to be patient, to be noncompetitive, and to be nice.
These are laudable character traits, no doubt. But in the employment arena, they thwart women, because they restrict them from marketing their talents the way that they should, and thus from advancing the way they could. Women continually undersell themselves. It's this maternal programming not to brag that has to be blamed for today's condition of women.
Many career experts observe a marked difference in the way men and women communicate their skills and abilities during interviews and in resumes. Women typically use soft language and diminish their accomplishments by tacking on such clarifiers as "hopefully," "we thought we might be able to," and the always popular, "it was no big deal, really." We wrap ourselves in shoulder-padded, one-of-the-boys navy suits-but our words betray us.
Additionally, we still believe in the myth that all we need do to get ahead is work hard and be nice. No need to make a fuss. No need to speak up. Surely someone will recognize our contributions and give us that promotion, and that raise.
The employees who advance are the ones who crow about their accomplishments, who make their worth known, and who demand a higher salary or title. This, of course, goes against the grain of female upbringing. Women are reluctant to toot their own horns. They know how to talk and act as nice girls do. But they don't always know how to talk and act as successful female executives do.
And now for some good news!
You poor girl; society is against you. You weren't raised to be a winner. The challenges are insurmountable, you think. Why bother? You needn't because the world is changing slowly, yes, but changing all the same. And for women willing to go after them, there are great new opportunities on the horizon.
After decades of refusing to name women to leadership positions, American businesses are beginning to realize that they've been missing out-women, in fact, possess a superior management style. Many researchers, including Patricia Aburdene and John Naisbitt, authors of Megatrends 2000 and Megatrends for Women, report that more corporations are embracing the female leadership philosophy and tossing out the old, male-oriented management style. It's not just a trend, say the experts; it's the wave of the future.
In the new workplace, the traditional male style of management- a brawn-power, boss-is-king approach-is replaced by a gentler, more supportive style. Employees are encouraged to be creative, adapt to change, share knowledge and work effectively with others. Goals are accomplished not in the manner of a military battle, where one person hands down orders for others to follow, but more along the lines of a community picnic, where projects are collaborative efforts tapping into many individual talents.
The new workplace, of course, requires a different set of skills than the old business world. Job-placement professionals report that their corporate clients are looking for people with interpersonal skills, creativity, flexibility and the ability to communicate and motivate effectively. These are women's traditional strong points! Instead of making themselves over to fit the male, drill-sergeant style of manager that ruled the workplace in years past, women now can simply call on those skills that come naturally.
Women are at critical mass in the work force
Want more good news? Women now make up nearly half of the work force. We've become so vital to the continuing success of most businesses that employers can no longer afford to ignore issues that are important to working women. Forward-thinking companies are now offering corporate-sponsored childcare, flexible work schedules and other benefits to ease the burden of women-and men, for that matter-who must juggle family responsibilities and full-time jobs.
Another trend to note is the growing number of women who, fed up with corporate rigmarole, have started their own businesses. There now are literally millions of female business-owners in America. These pioneering women will provide much-needed role models for tomorrow's generations. We can also expect that many of these women, as their businesses expand and thrive, will provide leadership and employment opportunities for other women.
The challenge to you: Play smart and win
The question, of course, is just how soon the rosy-colored scene we've just described will make it from the crystal ball into your daily reality. It will probably be many years, at best, before women enjoy true equality in the business world.
So how does the smart woman deal with the gender barriers and challenges that remain? She deals with gender barriers first, by recognizing that they exist. No, you don't have to like the situation. You shouldn't like it. But the first step to solving a problem is admitting that there is a problem. Once you understand the challenges you face, you can overcome them.
How? Banish your modesty and learn to toot your own horn. Realize that you may be evaluated on different terms than a man, and take steps to compensate. If you don't have any professional work experience, build a resume that explains your volunteer and community activities in professional terms.
You'll learn how to market yourself in a way that allows you to clear any obstacles in your career path, no matter how large or how many they may seem.
