Actually, we're not really worth it.

[Triffiddealer]

Listening to Women's Hour today (yes, get full marks for feminist bingo), I was intrigued by the chat regarding women in IT - which then evolved to women applying for jobs in general. Basic conclusions:

If women do not feel they meet 90% of job spec, they won't apply for the job - many men will apply if they only meet 40 - 50%

If you advertise a job at 50K per year, women don't apply. If you lower the salary, they will.

Now, I appreciate this was based on the views of the participants of Women's Hour and not a statistically valid survey - but the comments resonate with me.

Assuming this is the case (women are less confident in their abilities and less able to demand the appropriate salary than men), what do we actually do about it?

Hazle the salaries aren't really negotiable, everyone tends to be on the same rate but with extra for stuff like having a Masters or whatever.

Why wouldn't I if I were in a field that had negotiable salaries? Maybe I would after this thread.

Going back to the point about expecting to be supported, I don't think that is the case. Certainly it wasn't when I was growing up among my contemporaries - I'm 35 now. as teenager even I did notice that even them my female friends were already considering issues such as how to combine career and family whereas make friends just assumed they'd have both and it didn't even cross their minds that they may need to make choices.

Just anecdotally too, I think the factors women take into account when making career choices are different. Eg. job satisfaction, working environment, rather than money and status.

I think Brug has a point about that - my parents both do work they enjoy and is relatively low-paid, and me and my siblings (Vicar, primary school teacher, academic) have followed their ethos: lots of time for family, work isn't everything. In most other families I saw girls being given that kind of advice (not sure why - the expectation they would want time off work for mat leave etc?) and the boys being pushed towards law, accounting, Medicine, etc.

Oddly, after 10 years postgraduate study I am changing my mind about that and wanting a more/differently challenging and better paid career. having been paid $26k for 7 years I am applying for jobs that pay upwards of $40k from a starting point. It's still not a lot of money but it is a huge increase for me (and our family income). And I am qualified for that kind of wage, in this new career area. But it still makes me feel nervous, because I haven't been paid that much ever before...

This thread is depressing me now, as I'm about to take a job that is really really low paid, because it is in the field that I want to work in and it (hopefully) is compatible with childcare. To be honest, at this economic time, I didn't feel I had much chance of a better salary. The issue didn't even come up as the hourly rate was advertised with the job and I was just so relieved to get a job that I might enjoy.

God I'm hopelessly naive aren't I?

messy not necessarily. It sounds as if you will be doing something that you enjoy and it will meet needs other than purely financial. There are days (most recently yesterday) when I am on the verge of telling them to stick it. I can't though - I can't afford to.

Good luck with your new job!

You spend so much time at work - it is important you enjoy it, whatever it is.

Aw thanks! My plan is to make myself indispensable and then .....