Kayleigh is a college sophomore and marketing intern at Momentum.
The internet has thousands of articles offering advice for early career professionals. Most of the authors think back on their own career and write what they wish they had known at age 22 when they entered the workforce.
Universal advice includes, “find a mentor,” “become a life-long learner,” and “prove your value.” But if you include the word “women” in your search for early career advice, you get distinctly different results.
So logic would tell you that if the advice is very different, then the experience must also be different for young professional women than for their male counterparts.
I find the advice diverges along three basic assumptions:
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Women communicate differently from men (rapport vs report, if you will)
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Women shoulder a disproportionate amount of responsibility for housework and care-giving, particularly when it comes to family planning (the “motherhood penalty”)
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Women will earn less money than men for the same work, in nearly every profession (the gender pay gap)
Photo Credit: Ged Carroll, CC BY 2.0
Assumptions about early career women in the workplace push women to believe the stereotypes are true. As a young woman beginning to explore the workforce myself, my view of the business world is largely influenced by the advice people give me and the expectations they set for me, because I haven’t had a lot of professional experience yet.
Instead of getting advice on how to navigate through the struggles, I’d rather receive advice on how to eliminate them.
We need men and women working together to remove stereotypes, assumptions, and biases to maximize productivity among innovative, driven individuals- male or female. This begins with the expectations we set for up-and-coming leaders. Let’s not create boundaries that do not have to exist. Instead, let’s ask men and women alike how they need to adjust their schedule to accommodate a new baby. Let’s look at high-potential women and mentor them on how to take a high-earning path to provide for their family. Let’s not assume that one or the other is more willing to travel, do extra assignments, or lead the way for others. Let’s assume we are equal.
