tag:theconversation.com,2011:/ca/topics/careers-7088/articlesCareers – The Conversation2024-03-20T12:21:54Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2246012024-03-20T12:21:54Z2024-03-20T12:21:54ZWhat are microcredentials? And are they worth having?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/582668/original/file-20240318-30-8cn088.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=41%2C41%2C6955%2C4616&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The payoff for microcredentials varies by profession. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/black-woman-working-from-home-office-royalty-free-image/1444291518?phrase=adult+laptop+at+home&adppopup=true">Drs Producoes via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As <a href="https://www.uschamber.com/workforce/the-states-suffering-most-from-the-labor-shortage">private firms</a> and <a href="https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxvox/state-and-local-government-jobs-still-havent-recovered-pandemic">governments</a> struggle to fill jobs – and with the cost of college <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/college-prices-arent-skyrocketing-but-theyre-still-too-high-for-some/">too high</a> for many students – <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2023/02/23/employers-are-all-microcredentials-survey-shows">employers</a> and <a href="https://www.nga.org/projects/skills-driven-state-community-of-practice/">elected officials</a> are searching for alternative ways for people to get good jobs without having to earn a traditional college degree.</p>
<p>Microcredentials are one such alternative. But just what are microcredentials? And do they lead to better jobs and higher earnings?</p>
<p>As a <a href="https://scholars.org/scholar/daniel-douglas">sociologist</a> who has examined the <a href="https://smlr.rutgers.edu/sites/default/files/Documents/Centers/EERC/Review%20of%20Noncredit%20Outcomes_EERC_1.4.24.pdf">research on microcredentials</a>, the best available answer right now is: It depends on what a person is studying.</p>
<h2>Defining the term</h2>
<p>While there is no official definition of a microcredential, there are some broadly accepted components. Like traditional degrees, microcredentials certify peoples’ skills and knowledge, ranging in scope from software skills like Microsoft Excel to broad abilities like project management.</p>
<p>Microcredentials typically indicate “<a href="https://www.utah.gov/pmn/files/745519.pdf">competencies</a>” – that is, things people can do. They are represented by <a href="https://cte.idaho.gov/programs-2/skillstack/">digital badges</a>, which are emblems that can be shared online. Just as a diploma verifies a degree-holder’s achievement, badges verify microcredentials. An employer can click on the digital badge to see who awarded it, when it was awarded and what it represents. </p>
<p>Microcredentials also allow people to verify what they already know, such as a person who is an experienced Python coder, or what they acquire through short-term learning and assessments. An experienced coder in the Python programming language could take an assessment and earn a microcredential, as could a novice after completing a programming course. Either way, microcredentials “<a href="https://www.nea.org/professional-excellence/professional-learning/micro-credentials">allow an individual to show mastery in a certain area</a>.”</p>
<p>What usually distinguishes microcredentials from other short-term learning, like <a href="https://online.wvu.edu/blog/education/online-learning/what-is-the-difference-between-a-certificate-and-a-micro-credential">nondegree certificates</a>, is duration. Certificates typically take longer. The other difference is location: Microcredentials are typically completed online.</p>
<p>Data from <a href="https://credentialengine.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Final-CountingCredentials_2022.pdf">Credential Engine</a>, a nonprofit organization that catalogs education and training credentials, and <a href="https://www.classcentral.com/microcredentials">Class Central</a>, a searchable index of online courses, indicate that business, IT and programming, and health care are popular focus areas for microcredentials.</p>
<h2>A growing trend</h2>
<p>Many colleges and universities, such as <a href="https://www.suny.edu/microcredentials/">SUNY</a>, <a href="https://ecampus.oregonstate.edu/online-degrees/microcredentials/">Oregon State</a> and <a href="https://extension.harvard.edu/academics/microcertificates/">Harvard</a>,
offer microcredentials. But they are also offered through social media companies like <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/learning/">LinkedIn Learning</a> and private providers like <a href="https://campus.edx.org/">EdX</a> and <a href="https://www.coursera.org/">Coursera</a>. Professional organizations like the <a href="https://www.nea.org/professional-excellence/professional-learning/micro-credentials">National Education Association</a> also award microcredentials.</p>
<p>Some microcredentials directly prepare learners to become industry certified – like SkillStorm’s CompTIA A+ certification, <a href="https://stormsurge-catalog.skillstorm.com/courses/comptia-a">an eight-week online course</a> that prepares learners to work in IT support and help desk roles. Others focus on general employability skills – like Binghamton University’s <a href="https://www.credly.com/org/binghamton-university/badge/watson-career-development-essentials">course in career readiness</a>, which helps learners develop their resume, cover letter and LinkedIn profile. It also provides a mock interview opportunity. Some microcredentials are <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/opinion/blogs/beyond-transfer/2023/10/05/how-build-stackable-credentials">“stackable”</a> – meaning that they indicate related skills. Someone pursuing a health care career, for example, might earn stackable microcredentials in clinical medical assisting, phlebotomy and as a electrocardiogram – or EKG – technician. </p>
<p>Some microcredential programs are <a href="https://registrar.oregonstate.edu/microcredentials">credit-bearing</a> and may serve as entry points to degree or certificate programs. </p>
<p>Because of the short duration of microcredential programs, most are not regulated by Title IV of the <a href="https://fsapartners.ed.gov/knowledge-center/library/functional-area/Overview%20of%20Title%20IV">U.S. Higher Education Act</a> and are not typically eligible for federal financial aid, which only covers programs lasting 15 weeks or longer.</p>
<p>If Congress passes the <a href="https://edworkforce.house.gov/uploadedfiles/h.r._6585.pdf">Bipartisan Workforce Pell Act</a>, some microcredentials – those that last eight weeks or more – could become eligible for financial aid. But until there is a final bill, it is unclear whether and how legislation would impact learners pursuing microcredentials. The bill was set to be considered on Feb. 28, 2024, but that <a href="https://www.aamc.org/advocacy-policy/washington-highlights/house-postpones-vote-bipartisan-workforce-pell-act#">vote has been postponed</a>.</p>
<h2>Who seeks microcredentials?</h2>
<p>In 2021 and 2022, my colleagues and I surveyed <a href="https://smlr.rutgers.edu/sites/default/files/Documents/Centers/EERC/Noncredit%20Students%20at%20Two%20Community%20Colleges%20Final%20-%20EERC%20-%20August%202023.pdf">more than 300 students pursuing noncredit programs</a> at two community colleges. The students are similar to microcredential seekers in that they’re doing short-term programs that are often hybrid or fully online.</p>
<p>Our survey showed that the vast majority – over 90% – were over 25 years old and that most – over 65% – had prior college experience, including many who had earned degrees or certificates.</p>
<p>The majority of surveyed students indicated that their programs were either free or employer-sponsored. About a fourth said they wanted to get out of low-wage jobs or advance in their current jobs. Between 35% and 50% said they wanted to explore a career change.</p>
<p>Many noncredit programs at community colleges are offered partially or fully in-person, while microcredentials are more typically earned online. While online programs may be convenient, they are also known for <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/2158244015621777">high withdrawal rates</a>. Nondegree programs of study also have very <a href="https://smlr.rutgers.edu/sites/default/files/Documents/Centers/EERC/Review%20of%20Noncredit%20Outcomes_EERC_1.4.24.pdf">low completion rates</a>.</p>
<h2>Which microcredentials pay off?</h2>
<p>Credentials in traditionally male-dominated fields, such as IT and construction specialties, yielded substantial benefits – lower unemployment rates and far higher wages. Credentials in female-dominated fields, such as education and administrative support, yielded little to no benefit in terms of either employment rates or earnings. These findings come from a 2019 <a href="https://go.stradaeducation.org/certified-value">survey of adults without degrees</a>.</p>
<p>The bottom line is that salaries can <a href="https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/reports/paying-more-and-getting-less/">vary widely</a>. For instance, people in fields such as IT cloud computing may see a pay boost of US$20,000, whereas people in office administration and certain education-related jobs may not see any salary increase. Credentials in these fields are less likely to be employer-sponsored. </p>
<p>Should you get a microcredential? The answer certainly depends on your current employment situation – including your employer’s willingness to sponsor training – and your career goals. While <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2023/02/23/employers-are-all-microcredentials-survey-shows">95% of employers see benefits</a> in their employees earning a microcredential, 46% are “unsure of the quality of education” represented by microcredentials, and 33% are unsure of their alignment with industry standards.</p>
<p>Given the lack of systematic evidence at this point, I believe their concerns are warranted. Federal and state regulation could lead to better data collection and more quality control for microcredentials.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/224601/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Daniel Douglas does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The credentials can be earned online in a matter of weeks and may lead to higher salaries, but not always.Daniel Douglas, Lecturer in Sociology, Trinity CollegeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2201922024-03-07T13:32:14Z2024-03-07T13:32:14ZA Barbie dollhouse and a field trip led me to become an architect − now I lead a program that teaches architecture to mostly young women in South Central Los Angeles<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578670/original/file-20240228-7861-7ydzy1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=30%2C10%2C6669%2C4426&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Do dollhouses possess the potential to inspire young girls to design and build?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/curious-playful-girl-arranging-her-doll-house-while-royalty-free-image/1267317545?phrase=girl+dollhouse+purple&adppopup=true">Kosamtu via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As a kid growing up in the suburbs of St. Louis, Missouri, in the ’80s, my sister and I spent a lot of time playing with Barbie in the basement of our single-family home. I loved dressing her and imagining her life. But the best part about Barbie was her house.</p>
<p>I learned recently that the Barbie house I had was the Dreamhouse A-frame <a href="https://creations.mattel.com/products/barbie-dreamhouse-an-architectural-survey-limited-run-edition-hvy37">designed in 1979</a>. The house takes its name from the fact that the front view of the steep roof looks like the capital letter “A.”</p>
<p>I clearly remember the distinctive yellow, orange and white color scheme and the sloping roof. But the best part was that the house could be configured in different ways. The house opened and closed, and walls and rooms could switch places. I could change Barbie’s whole world by changing her space. That was a powerful discovery. </p>
<p>Perhaps for many girls who grew up playing with a Barbie doll, it was doing her hair that might be the most memorable. But for me looking back – and as Barbie enthusiasts celebrate <a href="https://www.nationaldaycalendar.com/national-day/national-barbie-day-march-9#:%7E:text=On%20March%209th%2C%20National%20Barbie,Toy%20Fair%20in%20New%20York.">National Barbie Day</a> on March 9, 2024, the iconic doll’s 65th year – it was playing with Barbie’s house that stands out. It was probably the first time I realized that the places where we live, work and play all serve to shape who we are.</p>
<p>Today, I am an <a href="https://arch.usc.edu/error">architect and professor</a>. I lead a program for high school students in South Central Los Angeles at the University of Southern California School of Architecture. The program, called the <a href="https://arch.usc.edu/a-lab">A-LAB Architecture Development Program</a>, provides a pathway for young people – and especially for young women – into architecture as a field.</p>
<p>Only 25% of people working as architects in the U.S. are women. For comparison, 36% of lawyers are women and 41% of physicians and surgeons are women. This figure, and other facts about women in architecture, can be found in “<a href="https://www.acsa-arch.org/resource/where-are-the-women-measuring-progress-on-gender-in-architecture-2/">Where are the Women? Measuring Progress on Gender in Architecture</a>,” written by <a href="https://www.acsa-arch.org/leadership/staff/">Kendall A. Nicholson</a>, director of research, equity and education at Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture. </p>
<h2>Having fun at work</h2>
<p>A few years after my Barbie house experience, I took a school field trip to visit an architecture office in St. Louis. There I saw people who seemed like they were having fun at work. </p>
<p>Everywhere I looked, I saw pencils, markers, scissors, glue, cardboard and plenty of other tools I had never seen before. The office was full of creative people making drawings and models of new buildings and landscapes. The energy I felt there was exciting and palpable. These people had purpose. I decided that day that I would become an architect.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Two women look at a miniature model of a building." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578674/original/file-20240228-24-172pg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/578674/original/file-20240228-24-172pg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578674/original/file-20240228-24-172pg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578674/original/file-20240228-24-172pg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578674/original/file-20240228-24-172pg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578674/original/file-20240228-24-172pg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/578674/original/file-20240228-24-172pg4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Only 25% of architects are women.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/shoreditch-office-royalty-free-image/549776575?phrase=architectural+firm&adppopup=true">Kelvin Murray via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>I didn’t realize it then, but looking back, I can connect the fun I had with Barbie’s Dreamhouse to the work people were doing in the architecture firm. We were both using architecture and design to shape the world around us. </p>
<h2>Providing practical experience</h2>
<p>In the A-LAB program that I run, students spend time learning how to see, draw and design. They use those skills to develop conceptual design projects in their own neighborhoods in South Central Los Angeles.</p>
<p>Students are asked to think about and research the needs of their communities and to propose a new project that fulfills a need that has not yet been met. One student proposed an outdoor community pool with a shade structure. The shade structure is for fresh air, exercise and a place for people of all ages to hang out. Another student proposed a small theater with a stage and snack bar, where students in bands could practice in the evening when the high school is closed. Yet another proposed a homework and day care hub, so that students and younger siblings could have a safe place to go after school. Overall, each of these design projects aim to emphasize architecture’s role in positively shaping culture and community. </p>
<p>So far, over 80 local students have participated in A-LAB. They also earned four units of college credit in the process. </p>
<p>The majority of students tell us that A-LAB has changed the way they see the buildings and places we use to live our lives. The program attracts both young men and women, yet with each new A-LAB cohort, we see an increase in the percentage of young women participating. Over the past three years, 65% of A-LAB students have been young women. And this semester alone, a whopping 85% of A-LAB students are young women.</p>
<p>This trend could be part of the <a href="https://www.acsa-arch.org/resource/where-are-the-women-measuring-progress-on-gender-in-architecture-2/">steady increase</a> in women entering architecture schools. Or it could be that successful female students are sharing their experiences with younger female students and encouraging them to apply. </p>
<p>I also think it doesn’t hurt that I show up to the schools and talk about the program and invite students to consider joining it. I think there is really something about a female representing the outward face of A-LAB that makes it seem more welcoming to young women. And to think it all started with a little girl playing with a Barbie dollhouse in her basement some 40 years ago.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220192/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lauren Matchison does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Women are underrepresented in architecture, occupying just 25% of jobs in the field. An architecture professor shares insights from her childhood on how those numbers can be turned around.Lauren Matchison, Associate Professor of Practice, University of Southern CaliforniaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2205442024-01-26T17:58:00Z2024-01-26T17:58:00ZWhat would Carl Jung tell you to do with your spreadsheet of life goals? Throw it away and embrace the feminine<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571591/original/file-20240126-22431-ca00qi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=44%2C33%2C2436%2C1912&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Jung#/media/File:ETH-BIB-Jung,_Carl_Gustav_(1875-1961)-Portrait-Portr_14163_(cropped).tif">Wikipedia/ETH-Bibliothek</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Current debates about gender have become <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2023/04/how-the-gender-debate-veered-off-track/673819/">polarised</a>. These divisive arguments tend to focus on narrowly defining “man” or “woman”, rather than considering archetypal underpinnings of the feminine and masculine. For psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Carl Jung and post-Jungian thinkers, these concepts are crucial to understanding gender and wider cultural dynamics.</p>
<p>A Jungian perspective considers the feminine and masculine as concepts that are not specific to man or woman but germane to people of all genders. They are embedded in thousands of years of history, folklore and myth and their characteristics are <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=2bXgBQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PP1&dq=archetypes+across+cultures+carl+jung&ots=ERwaxWqeWO&sig=jz9trW7Qr3aTL8PQlMX1l52adVw">remarkably similar across time and cultures</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="The Venus von Willendorf sculpture" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571621/original/file-20240126-21-d13e8d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571621/original/file-20240126-21-d13e8d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=888&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571621/original/file-20240126-21-d13e8d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=888&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571621/original/file-20240126-21-d13e8d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=888&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571621/original/file-20240126-21-d13e8d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1115&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571621/original/file-20240126-21-d13e8d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1115&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571621/original/file-20240126-21-d13e8d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1115&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The Venus von Willendorf: keep her on your desk?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_figurine#/media/File:Wien_NHM_Venus_von_Willendorf.jpg">Wikipedia/Naturhistorisches Museum Wien</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Jung’s understanding, expanded on by <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Feminist-Views-from-Somewhere-Post-Jungian-themes-in-feminist-theory/Gardner-Gray/p/book/9781138897823">others</a> relates the feminine to mythical and spiritual dimensions such as the moon, soul, creativity, inwardness, darkness, chaos, intuition and (active) receptivity. A masculine energy is often associated with the sun, spirit, light, (immediate) action, aspiration and outwardness. </p>
<p>The feminine is <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/The_Ravaged_Bridegroom.html?id=mgk-AAAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y">neglected</a> in patriarchal, neoliberal cultures that value rationality, action and ambition. We found this to be very much the case in a study of <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00187267231199650">15 young women starting out in their professional careers</a>. These women set out their professional ideals in terms of upward momentum and ascension, speaking negatively of periods of stagnation and inaction. They appeared to apply linear, progressive reasoning to their work, for instance describing career goals as sequential “boxes to tick”.</p>
<p>The women in our study also appeared to shun cyclical, <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwiS6LfXqfaDAxVMWEEAHbEsAU0QFnoECBoQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fworklife%2Farticle%2F20201109-why-the-paradox-mindset-is-the-key-to-success&usg=AOvVaw0llMkgbZkKm2cVRTtPpk9o&opi=89978449">paradoxical thinking</a>, which might entail, for example, embracing periods of slowness during which we experience boredom and ennui. These periods can open us up to spontaneous and unexpected possibilities. </p>
<h2>The value of ‘nothingness’</h2>
<p>Adopting a feminine way of being encourages us to experience and embrace periods of inaction and depression, rather than continuously pursue upward momentum and productivity. This might seem to be the last thing we’d want in professional life, but that is not necessarily the case.</p>
<p>Renowned Jungian analyst Mary Louis von Franz <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/The_Cat.html?id=Jsu0AAAAIAAJ">observes</a> how in many fairy tales there is “a long period of barrenness before the hero child is born”. She reflects that in periods of depression and when nothing is happening, “an enormous amount of energy accumulates in the unconscious”. But “nothingness” or being “unproductive” is not honoured in a society that values action and (quick) results.</p>
<p>The women we spoke with reflected on the difficulty of embracing periods of slowness in discussions of motherhood, for example. When discussing their careers and lives in the longer term, they often spontaneously discussed motherhood as something they desired. One woman described her uterus as making her “baby crazy,” explaining the sensation of a ticking clock: “I feel like the alligator in Peter Pan, the clock is in my belly.”</p>
<p>But for these women, maternal desire was complicated by career ambitions. Rather than embracing the paradox and value of motherhood as a <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Maternal_Desire/mr2SDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0">meaningful journey with much to offer</a>, most participants anxiously anticipated what they would have to “give up” in terms of their career. </p>
<p>The two were seen as in conflict, with early motherhood – an inward period of deep reflection – understood as undermining professional goals and work productivity. Many felt their employers were implicitly unsupportive of working mothers, not valuing the slow, deep process of intuitive learning that motherhood fosters, and offering little in the way of alternative frameworks to include or support their participation in the workplace.</p>
<h2>Life in a spreadsheet</h2>
<p>A feminine way of being also encourages “<a href="https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20201109-why-the-paradox-mindset-is-the-key-to-success">both/and thinking</a>” – paradox and circularity that spark intuitive creativity. Such feminine energy embraces darkness, chaos, and spontaneous possibility. It seeks, as Jungian analyst Sylvia Perera <a href="https://junginla.org/product/descent-to-the-goddess/">explains</a>: “the potential of cleansing immersion in the darkness of the unknown”. But embracing such darkness may seem out of the question in a society that lauds rationality. We are not, in short, encouraged to let life happen.</p>
<p>Most of us instead adopt linear, rational thinking that hinders feminine creativity. In our study, women used bureaucratic metaphors to describe their existential plans and future life events. They spoke of marriage, careers and having children in terms of “ticking boxes” and “to-do lists”. For example, one woman described creating an Excel spreadsheet to organise her career goals, such as promotions and management aspirations, and life goals (detailing by when she needed to get married and buy a house).</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman pointing her pen at a spreadsheet displayed on her computer monitor." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571448/original/file-20240125-25-ydzrof.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/571448/original/file-20240125-25-ydzrof.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571448/original/file-20240125-25-ydzrof.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571448/original/file-20240125-25-ydzrof.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571448/original/file-20240125-25-ydzrof.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571448/original/file-20240125-25-ydzrof.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/571448/original/file-20240125-25-ydzrof.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">‘Hmm, it says here I’m an abject failure, yet I seem to be fabulous.’</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<p>Planning life events as though they are “goals” turns them into markers of success or failure on a linear course, rather than <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Pregnant_Virgin/MyAFAQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0&bsq=the%20pregnant%20virgin">rites of passage</a> in a potentially far more cyclical life. We might, as a result, pursue such “events” at all costs. And if we don’t meet these markers, we might perceive that as “failure”, missing out on an opportunity to undergo a process of reflection that could provide wisdom and insight into the human condition.</p>
<p>When rejected for a promotion, for example, we could take time to reflect on why the rejection happened and how we can deal with rejection more generally. Which emotions does it provoke in us and where do they originate? The loss of the promotion can, if we allow it, open a different path – and one that is perhaps better aligned with our genuine sense of self.</p>
<p>People of all genders should consider turning toward the feminine by embracing periods of stagnancy and depression as vital to their development. And we could all benefit from valuing cyclical, paradoxical thinking as part of our personal growth. This involves understanding which aspects of ourselves are foregrounded, and which are the <a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=-vH8DQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT9&dq=shadow+jung+zweig&ots=yKO2NVbOul&sig=_GC3y8c2tsgAMqGYNNgvKqEjT6M&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=shadow%20jung%20zweig&f=false">“shadowed”</a>, unconscious parts of ourselves that we strongly deny as existing or reject, but that can significantly affect us nonetheless.</p>
<p>Truly asking whether we are rejecting the inner archetypal feminine (or masculine) is a good place to start. Friends are usually better at spotting our shadow characteristics than we are, and often even more effective is a skilled psychoanalyst.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220544/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The legendary psychoanalyst would encourage us to embrace the feminine at work and at home by resisting the urge to see life as a linear, organised path.Aliette Lambert, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, University of BathGeorge Ferns, Senior Lecturer in Business and Society, University of BathLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2171112023-11-08T13:53:13Z2023-11-08T13:53:13ZDo you like snakes, lizards and frogs? Why herpetology might be the career for you<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/557734/original/file-20231106-23-lkg44h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The author handling a boomslang as part of her work with a conservation organisation.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Chris Cooke</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>We are so fortunate to share the world with a huge diversity of creatures. For me, some of the most fascinating are reptiles and amphibians. Collectively called <a href="https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/administration_pdf/0220c4kherps.pdf">herpetofauna</a>, reptiles and amphibians are ectotherms; they rely on external sources to regulate their body temperature.</p>
<p>A person like me who works with these groups of animals is called a herpetologist. Among the reptiles and amphibians, my special interest is in snakes. I’ve always been interested in reptiles, from the days when I would chase common flat lizards in the Motobo Hills in Zimbabwe, where I grew up, and interact with snakes and other animals at our local rehabilitation centre. </p>
<p>Still, if somebody had told my teenage self that my job would entail working with snakes and encouraging other people to appreciate them, I never would have believed them. I didn’t even know you could make a career out of working with reptiles. Today, I’m studying towards my PhD in herpetology (which is technically a degree in ecology and conservation) while also working with a snake conservation organisation in South Africa.</p>
<h2>Learning about snakes</h2>
<p>Most people will be familiar with zoology, the branch of biology that focuses on the study of all animals. Some animals have their own speciality within the discipline of zoology. Herps (a slang term for herpetofauna) are one example.</p>
<p>There are <a href="http://www.reptile-database.org/db-info/SpeciesStat.html">over 4,000 species</a> of snakes around the world. Each species has a unique adaptation to its own environment. Some snakes, like <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-ultimate-in-stealth-puff-adders-employ-camouflage-at-every-level-53316">puff adders</a>, are scentless as a way to camouflage themselves from predators. Others, like southern African pythons, <a href="https://theconversation.com/new-insights-into-how-southern-african-pythons-look-after-their-babies-91276">show maternal care</a>, which is very unusual for snakes and much more common in mammals and birds. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-ultimate-in-stealth-puff-adders-employ-camouflage-at-every-level-53316">The ultimate in stealth, puff adders employ camouflage at every level</a>
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<p>These unique adaptations have allowed snakes to thrive in different environments. This makes them a great model in science: herpetologists can ask questions about their physiology, evolution, ecology and biology.</p>
<p>For anyone looking to become a herpetologist, a basic zoology degree will get you started. Most universities will have someone who specialises in teaching herpetology or someone who can point you in the right direction. Volunteering at institutions that have reptiles, like zoos, is also a great way to get some experience working with them. Once you get to postgraduate level, you can specialise in one of many different topics in herpetology and apply different techniques to answer questions that you are curious about. </p>
<p>As a specialist in reptiles and amphibians, you can merge that interest with other disciplines like photography, law or conservation, and this can open up many job opportunities. You can also pursue further research at a university, become a lecturer or school teacher, work at a zoo or become a museum curator. There are many options to explore. </p>
<h2>My research</h2>
<p>I completed my MSc in 2017 and my research focused on the evolution of diet in a group of snakes called <a href="https://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/items/2d772155-77f6-4f7c-94db-b3e59fb0b22a">lamprophiids</a>. I loved learning about how diverse snakes are in the food they eat. For my PhD, I wanted my research to have a real-world application, so I waited until 2021 to start after getting some work experience in conservation. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/new-insights-into-how-southern-african-pythons-look-after-their-babies-91276">New insights into how southern African pythons look after their babies</a>
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<p><a href="https://hiralnaik.wordpress.com/contact-info/publications/">My current research</a> focuses on the way that snakes behave (behavioural ecology) to answer some of the bigger question of what leads snakes to bite people. Another year and I will have some answers for you on this. </p>
<p>Snakebite is a <a href="https://www.who.int/health-topics/snakebite">neglected tropical disease</a> according to the World Health Organization and affects millions of people around the world. When natural spaces are transformed and destroyed, many animals, like snakes, go looking for food and shelter – often in people’s homes. Many people are afraid of snakes, so encounters often lead to conflict as people try to kill the animals and get bitten in the process. </p>
<p>I am also fortunate to work for a non-profit organisation, <a href="https://savethesnakes.org/">Save The Snakes</a>, which allows me to educate people about snakes and do my part to conserve them by applying my research. My job includes researching information on snakes that live in different parts of South Africa and assessing threats to them, like habitat transformation, learning more about the relationship between humans and snakes, conducting fieldwork and running experiments to understand more about the behaviour and ecology of snakes.</p>
<h2>The circle of life</h2>
<p>I’m also passionate about education.</p>
<p>Learning about the world of snakes has allowed me to appreciate the natural world in a unique way. <a href="https://youtu.be/ltQcE0gapIo">As predators and prey</a>, snakes are an emblem of the circle of life. One of my favourite activities is going out at night looking for them (called “herping”) and watching them display different behaviours. After the summer rains, frogs and insects come out and the snake predators follow. When I take these moments to observe the world around me I feel fortunate to appreciate these animals in a way most people don’t. This is the feeling I like to share in my education efforts.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">A southern African python being returned to the wild by Save the Snakes.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Some of my favourite moments in my current job have involved seeing the change in people’s perceptions about snakes. Snakes have been feared for many generations because of misinformation. Most snakes are harmless. They don’t chase people, and they stay hidden much of the time. By sharing the correct information about snakes, we show that fear can be changed to curiosity and that creates more motivation to learn about them.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217111/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hiral Naik has received funding from the National Research Foundation. She is affiliated with Save The Snakes.</span></em></p>Learning about snakes offers unique insights into the natural world.Hiral Naik, PhD candidate: School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the WitwatersrandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2116402023-09-25T12:20:11Z2023-09-25T12:20:11ZHow to create a college internship where students actually learn − and don’t want to quit<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/548209/original/file-20230914-21-6a4us2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Interns benefit from structured tasks, hands-on supervision and open communication.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/two-businesswomen-working-on-computer-in-office-royalty-free-image/637152194">Monkey Business Images/iStock/Getty Images Plus</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When Angelica landed a prestigious internship with a major corporation just outside of Houston, she was ecstatic about the opportunity to launch her career in finance. </p>
<p>Such optimism was warranted, as research shows that students with internships are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1521025120947357">almost twice as likely to graduate college</a>, have a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2021.102141">12.6% higher likelihood</a> of being invited to job interviews, and <a href="https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.57.4.0418-9460R2">earn 6% higher wages</a> than noninterns once they graduate.</p>
<p>But even with a decent paycheck and scholarships to cover her rent, Angelica considered leaving the internship within weeks. What went wrong? </p>
<p>As part of the three-year College Internship Study at the <a href="https://ccwt.wisc.edu/">Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions</a> at the <a href="https://www.wisc.edu/">University of Wisconsin-Madison</a>, we found that interns can have a tough time adapting to the culture of a new city, organization and work environment.</p>
<p>In Angelica’s case, the shock was partly about geography. She was the only intern in a group of 17 from out of town, and she felt “alone and in a big city where I didn’t know anybody.”</p>
<p>But more alienating was the fact that she knew of only one other Hispanic woman in her intern group, and the company itself, she said, was mostly white. Ultimately, she believed that “none of these people really have anything in common with me.” She felt excluded and started to believe it would be impossible to work full time at the company. </p>
<p>Angelica’s story demonstrates that not all student interns have positive and productive experiences. In fact, research shows that internships can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080903290454">reinforce gender inequalities</a> in the workplace, create <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2018.1473559">unrealistic expectations</a> for career advancement and even <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.6551/AS.0101.04">exploit student labor</a>. </p>
<h2>Common internship pitfalls</h2>
<p>Interns are <a href="https://nsuworks.nova.edu/elthe/vol4/iss2/17/">learners as much as they are workers</a> earning a paycheck. Unfortunately, the educational aspect of internships frequently gets overshadowed, with interns assigned <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0730888413504098">mundane or repetitive tasks</a> unrelated to their academic or professional interests. This can hinder their career development, for example by <a href="https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/want-to-motivate-students-give-them-a-meaningful-taste-of-the-working-world/2023/02">diminishing their motivation to pursue a career</a> in that field.</p>
<p>Another problem, which our own research revealed, is that too often supervisors <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2023.2241330">adopt a hands-off strategy</a>. They expect interns to define and complete tasks independently. </p>
<p>While <a href="https://hbr.org/2014/12/dealing-with-a-hands-off-boss">this may work for long-term or mature employees</a>, it is unsuitable for most interns who are new to professional life. Interns typically have a shorter tenure, <a href="https://nsuworks.nova.edu/elthe/vol4/iss2/17/">limited authority and less access</a> to resources. This makes it difficult to complete complex tasks with little supervision. The lack of structure and guidance can also cause significant stress that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.20331">weakens their learning and job performance</a>.</p>
<p>And, finally, unstructured internships can alienate students who are already marginalized – particularly those who are <a href="https://education.wisc.edu/news/new-study-finds-successful-student-internships-require-careful-design-equitable-access/">first-generation, low-income or students of color</a>. That’s because the lack of structure or supervision can make students feel overwhelmed, pushing them to <a href="https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/usable-knowledge/21/05/rethinking-summer-internship">seek guidance from family or friends</a>. These students may not have family connections in prestigious or professional occupations and therefore <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02615479.2019.1654990">lack support systems</a> to deal with their challenging workplace situations.</p>
<p>Based on our research, we offer four strategies for designing effective and welcoming internships for college students.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549569/original/file-20230921-19-8n9z1s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Group of young professionals walking with laptops in an office" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549569/original/file-20230921-19-8n9z1s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549569/original/file-20230921-19-8n9z1s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549569/original/file-20230921-19-8n9z1s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549569/original/file-20230921-19-8n9z1s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549569/original/file-20230921-19-8n9z1s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549569/original/file-20230921-19-8n9z1s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/549569/original/file-20230921-19-8n9z1s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Peer mentors and organized social events can help college interns feel like they belong at a company.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/inspired-ladies-and-gentleman-on-their-way-to-the-royalty-free-image/1367511479">Creative Credit/iStock/Getty Images Plus</a></span>
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<h2>1. Set clear learning goals</h2>
<p>In order to ensure interns acquire new knowledge and skills, supervisors can establish both long-term and short-term <a href="https://www.cas.edu/learningoutcomes">learning goals</a>. This is required in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2018.1450846">countries like France</a>, where internships with companies are fully included in college curricula, <a href="https://doi.org/10.5465/AMBPP.2019.10172abstract">but not in the U.S.</a>.</p>
<p>Learning goals can include specific tasks the intern will be expected to perform, technical knowledge they will gain and transferable skills like communication or teamwork that they should develop through the internship. </p>
<p>Ideally, they are developed in collaboration with faculty advisers, students and employers. We especially emphasize the importance of engaging students in these conversations. Different interns will <a href="https://www.proquest.com/docview/822747510">likely have unique objectives</a> for their own internship experience. </p>
<p>Documenting these goals using forms like <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KQjwkU2FOTzLgQWwK1Bap-ZSxPdPhcgu/view">this one</a> from the University of Minnesota can help students discern where to concentrate and hone their skills during the internship.</p>
<h2>2. Structure assignments from easy to hard</h2>
<p>A well-known theory in educational psychology shows that people learn best when they are <a href="https://www.simplypsychology.org/zone-of-proximal-development.html">gradually introduced to new tasks</a> or subject matters. In our own study, we found that interns also benefit from starting their jobs with easier tasks and gradually transitioning to tasks that require less oversight.</p>
<p>When internship tasks are structured progressively from easier to harder, it <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520701263368">gradually increases students’ understanding</a> over time. Our research also shows that interns benefit from assignments that have clear expectations and deadlines and pose minimal consequences if performed incorrectly.</p>
<h2>3. Keep communication open</h2>
<p>Research confirms the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080.2016.1181729">importance of clear, regular and open lines of communication</a> between interns and their supervisors. This became especially important <a href="https://ccwt.wisc.edu/publications/?sr=online+internships+pandemic#main">during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic</a>, when online internships suffered from infrequent and virtual communications. Many interns were left feeling unsatisfied and neglected. </p>
<p>Whether the internship is in-person or online, an effective communications strategy involves regular meetings to review progress, discuss new tasks and ideas and provide students with an opportunity to voice their concerns. Open communication can be especially important for interns who are new to a job, company or city. </p>
<h2>4. Connect interns with appropriate mentors</h2>
<p>Employees in general <a href="https://www.educause.edu/ecar/research-publications/mentoring-in-higher-education-it/2019/characteristics-of-mentoring-relationships-engaging-with-differences-and-similarities#a926cb803023487388b0fc02e3113ce5">benefit professionally and psychologically</a> from having workplace mentors with similar backgrounds and identities to their own. Yet, workers from marginalized groups – <a href="https://www.educause.edu/ecar/research-publications/mentoring-in-higher-education-it/2019/characteristics-of-mentoring-relationships-engaging-with-differences-and-similarities#a926cb803023487388b0fc02e3113ce5">especially women</a> – often have a harder time finding supportive and relatable mentors. </p>
<p>However, simply pairing mentors and interns based on characteristics like race or gender <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/small-world-worlds-apart-pros-cons-demographically-matching-petrela/">may not be the best approach</a>. Different interns – and supervisors – have varying needs, experiences and capabilities. Companies can first survey interns on their <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6205751/">values and preferences</a> regarding mentoring and supervision, and then match them in accordance with their mentorship needs and preferences. </p>
<p>Additional strategies to enhance interns’ sense of belonging include peer mentoring and frequent social events – methods that have been proven to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1538192717702949">help newcomers adapt to new environments</a>. </p>
<p>We believe internships must be seen as more than a part-time job where students simply need to be hired, onboarded and shown a desk. Internships are learning opportunities and, as such, require careful design. Done right, internships can help interns gradually get more acquainted with the culture where they work and the jobs they will be expected to do.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211640/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The transition from college to the workforce can be challenging, but these four strategies can help young workers get valuable experience and feel welcome.Kyoungjin Jang-Tucci, Project Assistant, Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions, University of Wisconsin-MadisonHee Song, Project Assistant at the Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions, University of Wisconsin-MadisonMatthew T. Hora, Assistant Professor of Adult and Higher Education, University of Wisconsin-MadisonLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2092992023-09-12T12:27:32Z2023-09-12T12:27:32ZLooking for your ‘calling’? What people get wrong when chasing meaningful work<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/547020/original/file-20230907-17-3r28po.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=3%2C0%2C2114%2C1409&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Searching for your 'calling' can be a source of joy -- but also stress and distraction.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/young-latin-start-up-person-working-on-an-royalty-free-image/656316264?phrase=instrument+craft&adppopup=true">Tom Werner/Stone via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>As a professor, I’m fortunate to teach a course called World Religions for Healthcare Professionals that prepares students for the spiritual and ethical issues they may encounter in their careers. But the class often boils down to life’s big questions: What makes <a href="https://www.lifeworthlivingbook.com/">life worth living</a>, and <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/624476/the-good-life-method-by-meghan-sullivan-and-paul-blaschko/">how should we live</a>? How do you find your “calling”?</p>
<p>In particular, one thought-provoking paradox captures students’ attention. They live in a society where the idea of a professional “calling” is frequently talked about as a quest for personal fulfillment and achievement or satisfaction with one’s work. The problem is that the more you aim for success, “the more you are going to miss it,” as psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl wrote in his influential book “<a href="http://www.beacon.org/Mans-Search-for-Meaning-P602.aspx">Man’s Search for Meaning</a>.” </p>
<p>In Frankl’s view, success and happiness come only from dedicating oneself to a greater cause, or to another person. But his perspective – echoed by my students – contrasts with the prevailing way many Americans talk about a “calling” today. As <a href="https://www.usf.edu/arts-sciences/departments/religious-studies/people/faculty/garrett-potts.aspx">a professor of religious studies</a>, I study <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-022-05067-4">how society portrays callings and meaningful work</a> and how that has shifted over the past few decades.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546093/original/file-20230904-215919-g9n9fp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A yellow sign with an arrow says 'find your place,' with five plastic human figurines posed above it." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546093/original/file-20230904-215919-g9n9fp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546093/original/file-20230904-215919-g9n9fp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546093/original/file-20230904-215919-g9n9fp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546093/original/file-20230904-215919-g9n9fp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546093/original/file-20230904-215919-g9n9fp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546093/original/file-20230904-215919-g9n9fp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546093/original/file-20230904-215919-g9n9fp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">College students’ final-semester fear: What am I supposed to do with my life?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/find-your-place-yellow-directional-sign-and-royalty-free-image/1481376496?phrase=meaningful+work&adppopup=true">tumsasedgars/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Redeeming work</h2>
<p>Understanding work as a calling traces back to the German theologian Martin Luther, who famously <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-lasting-impact-of-luthers-reformation-4-essential-reads-105953">ushered in the Protestant Reformation</a>. Luther challenged the prevailing notion that nonreligious or nonpolitical work was drudgery and a punishment from the gods – a view that came from Greco-Roman times. The story of Pandora’s box, for example, tells of a woman cursed by the gods who accidentally unleashes all forms of evil, <a href="https://www.worldhistory.org/Pandora/">including the toils of labor</a>, on humanity.</p>
<p>Luther saw this bias against most forms of work as a reflection of a glaringly unequal society. Every task – even dirty work – held <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/307223/every-good-endeavor-by-timothy-keller-with-katherine-leary-alsdorf/">sacred significance</a>, Luther believed. After all, he maintained, God was not above laboring in the dirt <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=genesis+1&version=KJV">to create the universe</a> and human beings in his likeness. God created work not as a punishment but instead as an invitation to participate in his creation. </p>
<p>Therefore, in the same way that one might be called to religious or political life, <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/418/418-h/418-h.htm">Luther believed</a> one might be called to glorify God, grow as an individual and benefit others through the work of their hands.</p>
<h2>Jobs, careers and callings</h2>
<p>Religious understandings of being “called” to a vocation have continued ever since, often recast in secular terms. A particularly influential book about modern ideas of work is “<a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520254190/habits-of-the-heart-with-a-new-preface">Habits of the Heart</a>,” written by Robert Bellah and other sociologists in 1985.</p>
<p>These authors described <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Work-as-a-Calling-From-Meaningful-Work-to-Good-Work/Potts/p/book/9780367724399">three different orientations toward work</a>: work as a job, work as a career and work as a calling. The “job” orientation is focused on financial or material gains, while someone who thinks of their work as a “career” aims for social advancement. Someone who senses a “calling,” meanwhile, is inspired to produce excellent products or services while growing as an individual and contributing to the common good. In this view, meaningful work ensues through commitments to other people and causes.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546092/original/file-20230904-250257-hoxpl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Two women in short-sleeve shirts smile, seated, while shaking hands with a man across a desk." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546092/original/file-20230904-250257-hoxpl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546092/original/file-20230904-250257-hoxpl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546092/original/file-20230904-250257-hoxpl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546092/original/file-20230904-250257-hoxpl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=387&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546092/original/file-20230904-250257-hoxpl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=486&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546092/original/file-20230904-250257-hoxpl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=486&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546092/original/file-20230904-250257-hoxpl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=486&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">It’s not just the type of work that can make for a meaningful ‘calling’ – the way employees think about their work matters, too.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/energize-your-team-by-giving-meaningful-compliments-royalty-free-image/648803868?phrase=meaningful+work&adppopup=true">mapodile/E+ via Getty Images</a></span>
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<p>However, the authors argued that American society <a href="https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520254190/habits-of-the-heart-with-a-new-preface">was emphasizing individualism more and more</a>, making this conception of calling “harder and harder to understand.” For many Americans, it was “difficult to see work as a contribution to the whole and easier to view it as a segmental, self-interested activity.” </p>
<h2>The search for significance</h2>
<p>Today, employee engagement numbers are startlingly low. <a href="https://www.gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace-2022-report.aspx">Recent research from Gallup</a> indicates that only 1 in 4 employees around the globe feel engaged at work, and workers’ stress is at a record high.</p>
<p>Perhaps that’s why many fields, like management and psychology, are highlighting the existential need <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6570.2011.01234.x">to find meaning at work</a>. Because participation in religious congregations, clubs and other civic organizations that once provided meaningful connection have <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Bowling-Alone-Revised-and-Updated/Robert-D-Putnam/9780743219037">been in decline</a> in recent decades, work has now become the dominant way that many Americans participate in public life and hope to feel significant. Approaching work as a calling will <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/melodywilding/2018/04/23/do-you-have-a-job-career-or-calling-the-difference-matters/?sh=1c181dbc632a">leave you happier</a> and more satisfied, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/career-transitions/201206/job-career-calling-key-happiness-and-meaning-work#:%7E:text=Research%20conducted%20by%20Wrzesniewski%20and%20colleagues%20finds%20that,in%20general%20with%20their%20work%20and%20their%20lives.">columnists advise</a>.</p>
<p>In recent decades, researchers studying the notion of callings have focused on work that helps people <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2010.11.002">learn about themselves</a> and experience fulfillment, especially in terms of ego needs like <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/job.301">individual success</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195335446.013.0011">and achievement</a>. Today, the archetype for meaningful work seems to center on how it makes the employee feel.</p>
<h2>Rethinking success</h2>
<p>What I and some other scholars have argued, however, is that <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Work-as-a-Calling-From-Meaningful-Work-to-Good-Work/Potts/p/book/9780367724399">finding meaning at work</a> is more contingent on what motivates you than on the feeling of personal fulfillment.</p>
<p>For example, in a 2011 analysis of 407 undergraduates, those “whose sense of calling seems to be primarily driven in … self-centered” ways were found to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2010.11.002">much more susceptible to “negative views about themselves</a>.” Those who focused on the “intrinsic” or “prosocial” purpose of work possessed lower rates of insecurity and higher overall rates of personal satisfaction. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546091/original/file-20230904-19-cht2lt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A woman with curly black hair sits looking thoughtful as she reads something on a laptop." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546091/original/file-20230904-19-cht2lt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/546091/original/file-20230904-19-cht2lt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546091/original/file-20230904-19-cht2lt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546091/original/file-20230904-19-cht2lt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546091/original/file-20230904-19-cht2lt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546091/original/file-20230904-19-cht2lt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/546091/original/file-20230904-19-cht2lt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Are we looking for meaning in the wrong places?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/it-takes-deep-concentration-to-make-meaningful-royalty-free-image/1307720748?phrase=meaningful+work&adppopup=true">LaylaBird/E+ via Getty Images</a></span>
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<p>More recently, <a href="https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/what-makes-work-meaningful-or-meaningless/">an analysis of 135 workers</a> from 10 occupations revealed that “individuals tended to experience their work as meaningful when [they realized how] it mattered to others more than just to themselves.” In one case, “an academic described how she found her work meaningful when she saw her students graduate at the commencement ceremony, a tangible sign of how her own hard work had helped others succeed.” </p>
<p>As it turns out, the way that people think about the meaning of work matters. Pursuing meaning in terms of individual success and achievement makes the goal post of happiness become elusive. Just ask Rainn Wilson, who played Dwight in the hit NBC comedy series, “<a href="https://www.nbc.com/the-office/about">The Office</a>.” </p>
<p>“When I was in ‘The Office,’ I spent several years really mostly unhappy because it wasn’t enough. ‘Why am I not a movie star?’ ‘Why am I not the next Jack Black or the next Will Ferrell?’” <a href="https://people.com/rainn-wilson-was-mostly-unhappy-during-the-office-run-7558618">he told Bill Maher in a podcast interview</a>. </p>
<p>However, his latest project, “<a href="https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-tv/rainn-wilson-and-the-geography-of-bliss">The Geography of Bliss</a>,” left <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/apple-news-in-conversation/id1577591053?i=1000619600260">Wilson believing that</a> happiness finds us “when we turn from being self-centered to other-centered, when we’re of service to others.” Meaning finds us, in other words, when we’re not so focused on looking for it.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209299/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>I am connected to the authors of the Life Worth Living book. They have generously supported my pedagogical efforts in the classroom. I am not directly funded by them, however they did fund a post-doc in our department to aide me in teaching courses that would build upon the class I mention in this article. </span></em></p>The idea of a ‘calling’ has stretched far beyond its religious roots. But the way US society talks about meaningful work isn’t always helpful.Garrett Potts, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, University of South FloridaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2111892023-08-27T20:04:22Z2023-08-27T20:04:22Z‘So many things to consider’: how to help school leavers decide what to do next<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544691/original/file-20230825-21-akqju3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=18%2C36%2C6107%2C3403&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As we pass the half way mark in term 3, many students in Year 12 will be thinking more and more about their future. </p>
<p>Universities and TAFEs are having <a href="https://www.uac.edu.au/future-applicants/open-days">open days</a> and no doubt, teachers, friends and family will be asking, “what are you going to do next year?”</p>
<p>As educators, parents and carers, we know these are difficult questions. But if anything, they are becoming more difficult for young people in an unpredictable and <a href="https://www.monash.edu/education/cypep/research/life-disrupted-young-people-education-and-employment-before-and-after-covid-19">competitive job market</a> </p>
<p>Our <a href="https://www.monash.edu/education/cypep/research/young-women-choosing-careers-who-decides">research</a> shows young people are uncertain and worried about next steps after school. So we have also developed a <a href="https://myfuture.edu.au/docs/default-source/insights/Managing-career-anxiety-the-power-of-career-conversations.pdf">questionnaire</a> to help parents and teachers talk to school leavers and understand their thoughts and feelings about careers and life after school.</p>
<h2>Our research</h2>
<p>We recently analysed <a href="https://myfuture.edu.au/docs/default-source/insights/Managing-career-anxiety-the-power-of-career-conversations.pdf">survey data</a> collected in 2018 from nearly 2,800 Victorian school students in Years 10 to 12. This asked about their career aspirations, decision-making processes and intentions following school.</p>
<p>More than one third (33.8%) “agreed” or “strongly agreed” they “did not know what careers best suited them”. Another 40.5% often felt they “had no career direction”. </p>
<p>Just under half (41.5%) worried their studies would not lead to a “real” career, with 34.3% worried they would not be employable when they had completed their studies. Meanwhile 29% “agreed” or “strongly agreed” they often felt down or worried about selecting a career. This increased to 59.3% of respondents when “not sure” responses were included. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1678259625638985728"}"></div></p>
<h2>‘Overwhelming’</h2>
<p>To further understand these findings, we asked four young people who had recently finished school to explain their decision making around this time. </p>
<p>Riana*, who studied at university before working with a non-government organisation, said thinking about the next step beyond Year 12 “felt overwhelming”. She spoke of indecision about her career choice. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, Candice said she was aware of needing to make a pragmatic decision but also stay true to her interests.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>[…] there were so many things to consider. I would like to pick a major I like but at the same time I need to consider whether it is easy to find a job after I graduate or will it lead to a well-paid job.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Andrew said he made a clear goal of getting into two, specific different degrees (and a certain ATAR) to combat his feelings of overwhelm. </p>
<blockquote>
<p>I knew I needed to have a goal before beginning Year 12. Otherwise it would be too difficult to maintain momentum and motivation.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Andrew also told us he sought advice from parents, teachers, university open days and student recruitment officers at universities. Riana also spoke of the importance of getting advice, of exploring options and being “curious different career pathways”.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/thinking-about-my-future-is-really-scary-school-leavers-are-not-getting-the-careers-support-they-need-190553">'Thinking about my future is really scary' – school leavers are not getting the careers support they need</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<h2>Reaching for the familiar</h2>
<p>But even when goals are in place, students grapple with uncertainty. This leads many students to reach for what is familiar.</p>
<p>After completing Year 12, Yasmin, lacked “a clear vision for my future career” and chose teaching “simply because it was a familiar job to me”.</p>
<p>Yasmin’s experience is echoed in <a href="https://www.oecd.org/berlin/publikationen/Dream-Jobs.pdf">OECD research</a>, which shows teenagers tend to confine their choices to ten occupational fields (law, engineering, psychology, medicine, teaching, veterinary science, physiotherapy, nursing, business management, architecture). This is despite the emergence of new fields in the digital economy, as well as growth in areas such as health services.</p>
<p>Yasmin now said she would have benefited from “having a deeper understanding of what choosing a major and a career path truly means to me”.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/our-research-shows-how-students-can-miss-out-on-their-preferred-uni-degree-but-theres-a-simple-fix-207415">Our research shows how students can miss out on their preferred uni degree – but there's a simple fix</a>
</strong>
</em>
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<h2>How to have a supportive conversation</h2>
<p>Having supportive, thorough career conversations is important for young people. This helps them express their true feelings and make sense of all the information and choices. </p>
<p>When young people have these conversations with parents, teachers and career advisers, they have <a href="https://www.oecd.org/publications/career-conversations-15b83760-en.htm">lower levels</a> of career uncertainty and anxiety.</p>
<p>So we have developed the <a href="https://myfuture.edu.au/docs/default-source/insights/Managing-career-anxiety-the-power-of-career-conversations.pdf">short questionnaire</a> below to stimulate careers conversations and help teenagers become more aware of their feelings around next steps.</p>
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<iframe src="https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/14829426/embed" title="Interactive or visual content" class="flourish-embed-iframe" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="width:100%;height:600px;" sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-scripts allow-downloads allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
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<p>This can be the starting point of a conversation covering young people’s awareness of their own interests and strengths, career goals and preferences, knowledge of the requirements of different pathways, as well as their ideas about transitioning from education to work.</p>
<p>These conversations can be challenging. They might exacerbate personal issues, such as existing mental health conditions, that need to be considered.</p>
<p>If you work together with your child or student to create goals and plans, this will allow them to feel as if the conversations are both purposeful and productive.</p>
<p>The aim is for conversations to be safe and positive for young people, where their responses are respected, and they feel heard in the discussions. </p>
<p><em>*Names have been changed.</em></p>
<p><em>If you are a child, teenager or young adult who needs help and support, you can call <a href="https://kidshelpline.com.au">Kids Helpline</a> on 1800 55 1800.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211189/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lucas Walsh currently receives funding from The Paul Ramsay Foundation and the Australian Research Council. He does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Joanne Gleeson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Many young people feel unsure and overwhelmed about life after school. A new questionnaire can help parents, teachers and carers talk to students about their career choices.Lucas Walsh, Professor and Director of the Centre for Youth Policy and Education Practice, Monash UniversityJoanne Gleeson, Research Fellow in Education, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2092662023-07-17T16:05:31Z2023-07-17T16:05:31ZWhy it’s so difficult to figure out what to do with your life – and three steps to take<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537322/original/file-20230713-25-2wajtn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=110%2C100%2C6599%2C4365&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Feeling stuck in the wrong job?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/clueless-sad-confused-mistaken-employee-business-2316580361">ViDI Studio/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>What do you want to be when you grow up? </p>
<p>Practically from the moment you start talking, you’re asked this question. As a child, you’re encouraged to make decisions about school subjects, activities and higher education, all in pursuit of a future career. </p>
<p>These decisions, which have major repercussions for how the rest of your life will unfold, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/careers/young-people-take-career-decisions-too-early">are often hastily made</a>.</p>
<p>Careers advice can be challenging to navigate and tends to focus on <a href="https://www.bi.team/blogs/moments-of-choice-how-young-people-make-career-decisions/">“moments of choice”</a>: those crucial transition points at which you need to make career decisions, such as when leaving secondary school. </p>
<p>However, <a href="https://www.careersandenterprise.co.uk/media/m31lm1qo/moments_of_choice_report.pdf">“moments of inspiration”</a> are equally important. These are the times in which you are free to reflect on what you would really like to do, free of pressure or external influence.</p>
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<img alt="Quarter life, a series by The Conversation" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/quarter-life-117947?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">This article is part of Quarter Life</a></strong>, a series about issues affecting those of us in our twenties and thirties. From the challenges of beginning a career and taking care of our mental health, to the excitement of starting a family, adopting a pet or just making friends as an adult. The articles in this series explore the questions and bring answers as we navigate this turbulent period of life.</em></p>
<p><em>You may be interested in:</em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/three-mindfulness-and-meditation-techniques-that-could-help-you-manage-work-stress-208328?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Three mindfulness and meditation techniques that could help you manage work stress</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/your-linkedin-doesnt-need-to-be-perfect-four-ways-to-build-an-authentic-profile-to-boost-your-personal-brand-201837?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Your LinkedIn doesn’t need to be perfect – four ways to build an authentic profile to boost your personal brand</a></em></p>
<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/worried-about-ai-you-might-have-ai-nxiety-heres-how-to-cope-205874?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">Worried about AI? You might have AI-nxiety – here’s how to cope</a></em></p>
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<p>Many young professionals in their 20s and 30s find themselves trapped in the wrong job. Some feel unfulfilled, while others feel that they are overeducated and that <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/millions-stuck-in-the-wrong-job-study-finds-10968708">their talents are underutilised</a>. </p>
<p>According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, one in three graduates are <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/news/news/oneinthreegraduatesovereducatedfortheircurrentrole">overeducated for their current role</a>. By 2030, things are expected to tip in the other direction: the rapidly changing work landscape might cause millions of UK workers to become <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/the-future-of-work-rethinking-skills-to-tackle-the-uks-looming-talent-shortage">underskilled</a> in digital, decision-making, communication and leadership skills.</p>
<h2>Why is it so hard to figure out what to do with your life?</h2>
<p>Career decisions are a balancing act. You have to align your interests and aptitudes with the current demands of the labour market, neither of which are static entities. </p>
<p>Your skills and interests (<a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781118970843.ch53">and to some extent, even your personality</a>) change over time, and the labour market is in a constant state of flux. The pandemic-related increases in vacancies in <a href="https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/how-has-the-pandemic-affected-industries-and-labour-in-the-uk/">certain sectors</a> and the potential effect of automation on the <a href="https://www.pwc.co.uk/economic-services/assets/international-impact-of-automation-feb-2018.pdf">displacement of jobs in others</a> are just two examples of labour market trends that you may need to consider.</p>
<p>Here are three ways to figure out what you want to do with your life.</p>
<h2>1. Set a career goal</h2>
<p>While many people conflate the terms <a href="https://napier-repository.worktribe.com/output/2747064/new-information-literacy-horizons-making-the-case-for-career-information-literacy">“work” and “career”</a>, I take care in my research to distinguish between them. While work refers to employment, career is something different. It is a continuing personal development project. </p>
<p>It begins not on the first day of a new job, but by setting career goals. These goals depend on your strengths and interests and, above all, on your values. </p>
<p>There are many ways to approach the task of goal-setting, either on your own or with the help of others. As a starting point, you could complete a career quiz (such as this fun one called <a href="https://animalme.myworldofwork.co.uk/">Animal Me</a>) or reflect on where you see yourself in five or ten years. </p>
<p>Consider what you most enjoy doing and what you excel at. What tasks and experiences do you find most fulfilling and rewarding?</p>
<p>If you don’t know your strengths or what you might enjoy doing, talk to others who know you well. Family members, friends and coworkers may be able to help you see yourself and what you bring to the table through their eyes.</p>
<h2>2. Make a plan</h2>
<p>The next step is to gather information on how you can achieve your vision, and set milestones along the way.</p>
<p>If you’re looking to change career direction, you would first need to find out if you need training, work experience or further education. You would then need to identify specific companies or institutions in your area that match the criteria you have set out in your plan. </p>
<p>If you’re after a more minor career adjustment, you might have fewer steps to go through. You could consider different roles that you are already qualified to do, or look through the job openings at your current company. </p>
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<img alt="A young woman smiling and writing in a notebook while sitting at a cafe outdoors" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537503/original/file-20230714-21-j763kq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/537503/original/file-20230714-21-j763kq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537503/original/file-20230714-21-j763kq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537503/original/file-20230714-21-j763kq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537503/original/file-20230714-21-j763kq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537503/original/file-20230714-21-j763kq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/537503/original/file-20230714-21-j763kq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Goal-setting session.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/woman-smile-writing-notes-student-education-2284538371">Yuri A/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>If you feel stuck, you can get in touch with your local career service for free and impartial career information, advice and guidance. In the UK, these are the <a href="https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/">National Careers Service</a> (England), <a href="https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/what-we-do/scotlands-careers-services/our-centres/">Skills Development Scotland</a> and <a href="https://careerswales.gov.wales/">Careers Wales</a>.</p>
<p>And if you’re feeling bold, you could also contact people who are in your dream job and ask them how they got there.</p>
<h2>3. Find decent and meaningful work</h2>
<p>Until you figure out that dream role, you should try to look for what careers scholars such as <a href="https://careerguidancesocialjustice.wordpress.com/2021/08/24/everyone-has-a-right-to-a-decent-and-dignified-life-that-includes-a-meaningful-career-an-interview-with-david-blustein/">David Blustein</a> and <a href="https://iep.utm.edu/sen-cap/">Amartya Sen</a> have described as decent and meaningful work.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00407/full">Decent work</a> upholds the basic principles of social justice and human rights. You will know that you are in a decent job when you are fairly compensated, your role is not precarious, and work does not make you chronically stressed or ill.</p>
<p>Meaningful work is aligned with your values and lets you achieve the kind of life that you value. Any work can be meaningful work, as long as it is compatible with what you consider to be important. </p>
<p>A meaningful job can be one that allows you to have a good work-life balance, or one that comes with high pay. It could be a job that helps others, or one that lets you express yourself creatively. It could also be a job that facilitates your personal growth or a job that contributes to the greater good. </p>
<p>Career planning takes time, but so does being stuck in the wrong job. British people spend an average of <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/british-people-work-days-lifetime-overtime-quit-job-survey-study-a8556146.html">3,507 days at work</a> over their lives. Why not spend that time doing something you love?</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209266/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Marina Milosheva receives funding from the ESRC. </span></em></p>If you’re stuck in the ‘wrong’ job, thinking about your skills and values can help you find the right one.Marina Milosheva, PhD Candidate, Social Informatics, Edinburgh Napier UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2033062023-04-16T12:19:04Z2023-04-16T12:19:04ZWant to be a social media influencer? You might want to think again<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520680/original/file-20230413-28-fxw1gb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C36%2C8179%2C5420&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The world of influencing is not always as honest and exciting as it's cracked up to be.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/want-to-be-a-social-media-influencer-you-might-want-to-think-again" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Canadians <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1317217/time-spent-on-social-media-in-canada/">spend more than two hours per day</a> on social media platforms. Social media is becoming more prevalent every day, and influencers and those that want to be influencers are too. </p>
<p>Influencing is an all-new career option that, until recently, didn’t exist. A <a href="https://digitalmarketinginstitute.com/blog/9-of-the-biggest-social-media-influencers-on-instagram">social media influencer</a> is someone who has established a reputation for being knowledgeable about a specific topic or industry and has an online following that they engage with.</p>
<p>Social media influencers <a href="https://sprott.carleton.ca/2022/12/the-power-of-persuasion-the-key-to-influencer-follower-relationships/">build relationships</a> with their followers through the content they share and interactions on live streams, comments and chats. This in turn builds a greater sense of community and ultimately gives influencers more influential power. However, the world of influencing is not always as honest and exciting as it’s cracked up to be. </p>
<h2>Allure of influencing</h2>
<p>As experts in social media and health outcomes, we recently <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/09760911231159690">examined the aspirations, desires and rationales of becoming a social media influencer among young adults</a>. We asked 750 Canadians between 16-30 years old, who were mostly women, about their social media use and thoughts about social media influencers. </p>
<p>The results showed that 75 per cent of participants wanted to become social media influencers. The top three stated reasons for wanting to become social media influencers were for the money, being able to try new products or services and because they thought the work would be fun. </p>
<iframe src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/7161549657150115078?lang=en-US" style="border:0;width:100%;min-height:800px;" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Other factors, such as excessive social media use; knowing, following or trusting influencers; and being willing to accept money to market a product even if they didn’t like it, also informed aspirations to become a social media influencer.</p>
<p>Influencers often edit their content, <a href="https://healthcare.utah.edu/healthfeed/2022/09/impact-of-social-media-teens-mental-health">creating a highly desirable image</a> that is not always reflective of reality. Some might <a href="https://medium.com/plus-marketing/why-do-influencers-promote-products-that-they-dont-use-887ba80c09cc">promote products</a> they may not truly believe in or like for financial gain. This suggests not all social media influencers are as trusting as users perceive them to be. </p>
<p>According to one U.S. study, one-third of young people trust <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/debgordon/2022/12/20/33-of-gen-zers-trust-tiktok-more-than-doctors-new-survey-shows/?sh=78af2b6b6c7b">health influencers</a> on TikTok more than their doctors. This is seriously concerning, as influencers do not need any academic or professional credentials, and tend to curate their online persona through opinions rather than facts. </p>
<h2>More disadvantages than benefits</h2>
<p>Many social media users feel a career as an influencer is <a href="https://apnews.com/press-release/globe-newswire/business-media-social-media-39312e45ee2a748049cbd1ec4862b6e3">more desirable than a traditional career</a>. Influencers tend to be <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/09760911221113449">idolized</a>, especially by younger generations. So it’s not surprising that many of them are interested in a career in influencing. However, the disadvantages may outweigh the benefits.</p>
<p>Most participants in our study cited financial gain as the main reason for wanting to become a social media influencer, but the career might not be as lucrative as some think. It is true that top influencers can earn millions of dollars on their respective platforms, but this is the exception rather than the rule. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="InstagramEmbed" data-react-props="{"url":"https://www.instagram.com/p/CqeJPMUv7ZT/?hl=en","accessToken":"127105130696839|b4b75090c9688d81dfd245afe6052f20"}"></div></p>
<p>The average user who monetizes their content will bring in significantly less depending on the platform, number of followers, <a href="https://blog.hootsuite.com/how-much-do-influencers-make/">method of marketing</a> and the type of content they are creating. </p>
<p>While there is limited research on what types of content are easier to monetize, many top influencers belong to different genres. That suggests <a href="https://blog.hootsuite.com/top-influencers/">intangible factors</a>, like how authentic an influencer is perceived to be and how well they communicate and connect with their followers, are the most important keys to success. </p>
<p>Some platforms such as YouTube require <a href="https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/72851">meeting certain thresholds of subscribers and viewers</a> before content can be monetized, with no guarantee that the creator will ever meet that threshold, even if they post regularly.</p>
<p>On top of an unpredictable income, another disadvantage is volatile job security. Social media networking sites use <a href="https://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-algorithm/">algorithms</a> to sort posts on a user’s feed to ensure that the user sees content that the algorithm deems is relevant to them at any given time. </p>
<p>As this technology advances, it is becoming more difficult than ever to predict how algorithms popularize content. Even well-established content creators <a href="https://digiday.com/marketing/content-creators-say-they-struggle-to-keep-up-with-their-audiences-as-social-media-platforms-evolve/">struggle to diversify their content and meet the ever-changing demands of seemingly random algorithms</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520932/original/file-20230413-14-woa80b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A smartphone with social media app icons." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520932/original/file-20230413-14-woa80b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/520932/original/file-20230413-14-woa80b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520932/original/file-20230413-14-woa80b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520932/original/file-20230413-14-woa80b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520932/original/file-20230413-14-woa80b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520932/original/file-20230413-14-woa80b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/520932/original/file-20230413-14-woa80b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Some platforms require meeting subscriber thresholds before content can be monetized, with no guarantee the creator will ever meet that threshold, even if they post regularly.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Unforeseen challenges</h2>
<p>Unforeseen national policy changes can also add uncertainty. Canada’s impending <a href="https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/44-1/c-11">Bill C-11</a> will require streaming platforms like YouTube to promote a minimum amount of Canadian content to its Canadian users.</p>
<p>This is <a href="https://macleans.ca/politics/why-youtubers-like-me-oppose-bill-c-11/">worrisome</a> for some Canadian content creators, as Bill C-11 does not <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/bill-c-11-explained-1.6759878">specifically define</a> what is considered Canadian content, and has the potential to reduce the visibility of their content and make it difficult for them to reach the same number of users.</p>
<p>Similarly, the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64792894">TikTok bans in Canada</a>, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/why-is-tiktok-being-banned-7d2de01d3ac5ab2b8ec2239dc7f2b20d">the U.S.</a> and <a href="https://apnews.com/article/tiktok-ban-privacy-cybersecurity-bytedance-china-2dce297f0aed056efe53309bbcd44a04">elsewhere</a> have some content creators on edge about <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/tiktok-ban-income-1.6765323">potentially losing access to the platform</a>.</p>
<p>All these issues make influencing a difficult career to break into and maintain. It is important for those interested in making a career out of influencing to be aware of these challenges. </p>
<p>As a form of independent entrepreneurship, influencing comes with no regulation, training or support. The result of this can be young content creators struggling with physical and mental health issues brought on by <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330033878_Social_Media_Influencer_and_Cyberbullying_A_Lesson_Learned_from_Preliminary_Findings">cyberbullying</a> and high stress.</p>
<p>With more young people wanting to be influencers, it is our job to educate rather than dissuade. By highlighting these realities, we hope to mitigate some of the negative outcomes associated with a career in social media influencing.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/203306/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>As social media becomes more prevalent in our lives, a career as an influencer may seem enticing. But those interested in this new career should be aware of the challenges.Sheldon Fetter, PhD Student, Department of Kinesiology, University of WindsorPaige Coyne, PhD Candidate, Department of Kinesiology, University of WindsorSamantha Monk, PhD Student, Department of Kinesiology, University of WindsorSarah Woodruff, Professor, Director of the Community Health, Enviornment, and Wellness Lab, University of WindsorLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2031642023-04-10T20:02:18Z2023-04-10T20:02:18ZYear 10 students are thinking about their final subjects – here’s how parents can help<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519486/original/file-20230405-18-gdqfpr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=16%2C0%2C5326%2C3564&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Many Year 10 students are beginning to think seriously about what subjects they might pick for years 11 and 12.</p>
<p>These are important decisions – not just because they may form the basis of further university study and career paths. They will also be the focus of the final years of schooling and could turn into the skills students carry forward into their adult lives. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/choosing-your-senior-school-subjects-doesnt-have-to-be-scary-here-are-6-things-to-keep-in-mind-160257">Choosing your senior school subjects doesn't have to be scary. Here are 6 things to keep in mind</a>
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<p>This reminds me of a school awards night I once attended. The keynote speaker was a former student who now worked as an emergency trauma surgeon. In Year 12, he studied typical pre-medical school subjects like maths, physics and chemistry. But he also did drama – a choice that was questioned by the school at the time. </p>
<p>The doctor told us how drama turned out to be the most useful subject for him. It had given him the ability to work well with a diverse team in a highly-charged space, whether it be a stage or an emergency room.</p>
<p>This shows how important it is to make informed choices and how it is worth encouraging children to think outside the box. </p>
<h2>What’s happening to teenage brains as they decide?</h2>
<p>These decisions are happening as teenagers’ brains are going through significant changes. This includes “<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3982854/">pruning</a>” of the teenage brain where it gets rid of grey matter it isn’t using.</p>
<p>Alongside this, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3308644/">new neural pathways</a> and connections are created. This means information processing is becoming more efficient. </p>
<p>All this pruning, developing and strengthening varies from person to person and means their interests and passions can change considerably over this period. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A student works with an electronic device." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519232/original/file-20230404-14-ux72k8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519232/original/file-20230404-14-ux72k8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519232/original/file-20230404-14-ux72k8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519232/original/file-20230404-14-ux72k8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519232/original/file-20230404-14-ux72k8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519232/original/file-20230404-14-ux72k8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519232/original/file-20230404-14-ux72k8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Teenagers’ brains go through rapid changes, which can see their interests change.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Vanessa Loring/Pexels</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What are the rules?</h2>
<p>There are a huge number of <a href="https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/11-12/hsc/subject-selection">options</a> to study, from academic subjects that contribute to your ATAR, to vocational education and training courses. </p>
<p>Students and families should familiarise themselves with the core requirements (all students need to study English, for example). Also note <a href="https://www.uac.edu.au/future-applicants/year-10-students">some degrees</a> need you to have studied certain subjects or have assumed knowledge prior to commencing study.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-actually-is-an-atar-first-of-all-its-a-rank-not-a-score-126594">What actually is an ATAR? First of all it's a rank, not a score</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>How can parents help?</h2>
<p>Here are some ideas for parents and carers who want to help their children navigate what’s best for them in the final years of school:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><strong>Chat with your child about their interests and passions:</strong> it’s understandably challenging for a 15-year-old to map out their life too far ahead. A good place to start is a comprehensive site such as <a href="https://www.yourcareer.gov.au/">Your Career</a>. This can be a constructive way to together have a look at fields that fall in their line of interest and then discuss</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Be informed of the options</strong>: attend any parent information sessions held by the school to ensure you are up to speed with the choices it is offering. Be prepared to advocate for your child when appropriate to enable them to study subjects they enjoy or show and interest in. Remember there is a great deal more flexibility with pathways today and just because someone says your child “has” to do a subject it doesn’t mean it has to be done now</p></li>
<li><p><strong>See the big picture</strong>: what does your child want out of the final years of school? Is it the highest possible university entrance rank? Do they want to start developing workplace or trade skills? Understand there are plenty of options beyond school - whether it be vocational training, an apprenticeship, university via an ATAR or going to university via a non-ATAR pathway </p></li>
<li><p><strong>Get input from others</strong>: school careers counsellors can provide excellent advice. If your school has one, encourage your child to make an individual appointment. See if your child can talk to people working in fields they may be interested in.</p></li>
</ul>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/thinking-about-my-future-is-really-scary-school-leavers-are-not-getting-the-careers-support-they-need-190553">'Thinking about my future is really scary' – school leavers are not getting the careers support they need</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<ul>
<li><strong>Be flexible and patient</strong>: it’s highly likely your child will change their mind with their subject choices. This is absolutely normal and it’s important for you to listen to and support them as they navigate these challenges. If we are meant to undergo <a href="https://www.yourcareer.gov.au/resources">five to seven career changes</a> during our lifetime, then we need to make it safe for our children to do so from the start. </li>
</ul>
<h2>One last thing</h2>
<p>Our children are unique and will have their own dreams and aspirations. So their subject choices may not reflect what we’ve done or want them to do and it is important to take a breath and step back from imposing our views on them. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young person sitting near a window, painting a canvas." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519244/original/file-20230404-1181-8ognt5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/519244/original/file-20230404-1181-8ognt5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519244/original/file-20230404-1181-8ognt5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519244/original/file-20230404-1181-8ognt5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519244/original/file-20230404-1181-8ognt5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519244/original/file-20230404-1181-8ognt5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/519244/original/file-20230404-1181-8ognt5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Children’s subject choices may be very different from what parents would select for them.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Karoline Grabowska/Pexels</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">CC BY-NC</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We can point things out like, “if you really want to do engineering it might make sense to study maths now, so you don’t have to do a bridging course”. Or, “you seem to really love design and technology and visual arts”. But ultimately the choice is theirs.</p>
<p>And in fostering our children’s sense of ownership of these choices, we are contributing to their ability to become lifelong learners.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/203164/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sarah Jefferson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>At this point of the school year, many Year 10 students begin to seriously think about what subjects they might pick for years 11 and 12.Sarah Jefferson, Senior Lecturer in Education, Edith Cowan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2019362023-03-23T12:39:42Z2023-03-23T12:39:42ZHow ‘Succession’ feeds the hidden fantasies of its well-to-do viewers<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/516416/original/file-20230320-20-bejszf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=172%2C8%2C1468%2C1069&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Where's the appeal in watching a group of obnoxious, pampered, backstabbing siblings?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://static.hbo.com/2021-10/succession-ka-1920_0.jpg">HBO</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>“<a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7660850/">Succession</a>” has returned for its fourth and final season, giving the show’s fans one last opportunity to watch <a href="https://www.elle.com/culture/movies-tv/a22638435/hbo-succession-review/">the kids of the wealthy Roy family</a> desperately try to gain the approval of their media mogul father by any means necessary.</p>
<p>I’ve watched every episode. But at one point, I started to wonder: Where’s the appeal in watching a group of obnoxious, pampered, backstabbing siblings?</p>
<p>Inspired by the family of Fox Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch, with themes and a premise <a href="https://www.folger.edu/blogs/shakespeare-and-beyond/of-roys-and-kings-the-shadow-of-succession/">pulled from</a> Shakespeare’s “<a href="http://shakespeare.mit.edu/lear/full.html">King Lear</a>,” “Succession” tells the story of an aging patriarch who must decide which of his four children will replace him at the top. </p>
<p>It’s easy to assume that much of the show’s appeal lies in its playful critiques of right-wing media and the billionaire class.</p>
<p>But in my view, the show actually caters to an audience that wants to condemn the main characters – while secretly identifying with their pursuit of power and pleasure.</p>
<h2>The contradictions of the liberal class</h2>
<p>As New York Times columnist David Brooks argued in his book “<a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Bobos-in-Paradise/David-Brooks/9780684853789">Bobos in Paradise</a>” – “bobo” a portmanteau of “bohemian” and “bourgeois” – contemporary America is full of upper-middle class professionals who long to be seen as virtuous artists, even as they engage in the relentless pursuit of money and success that allow them to ascend the ranks of the bourgeois class. </p>
<p>To hide the guilt they may feel for their capitalistic careerism, they look to signal their virtue and style through their consumption habits. They might pay more money to purchase a hybrid car so they can appear to be good stewards of the environment. Or they might fork over an extra buck or two to buy fair trade coffee. </p>
<p>Art also plays a role in status signaling. In his book “<a href="https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674212770">Distinction</a>,” sociologist Pierre Bourdieu explained how class status and an appreciation of the arts are often intertwined. Wealthy people, he points out, have the time and resources to spend on activities that serve no direct practical function. </p>
<p>The working classes, however, have to constantly think about necessity and their limited time and money. </p>
<p>Bourdieu ultimately argues that the masses tend to avoid engaging with art and watching films and movies that place form over function because they do not have the luxury to spend time and money on these experiences. </p>
<h2>It’s HBO – not mass TV</h2>
<p>Like so many other <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Legitimating-Television-Media-Convergence-and-Cultural-Status/Newman-Levine/p/book/9780415880268">acclaimed premium cable TV shows</a>, “Succession” targets the very viewers – middle class and upper-middle class professionals – who can afford to pay for monthly streaming subscriptions. </p>
<p>To draw in these viewers, HBO needs to differentiate itself from TV networks and other streaming services. It does this, in part, by including nudity, violence and profanity <a href="https://www.tvguide.com/news/features/tv-censorship-nudity-profanity/">that wouldn’t be permitted on network TV</a>. It also seeks to highlight its series’ high production value.</p>
<p>In “Succession,” the series’ uncensored speech and behavior gives it a sense of gritty realism. But the show is also eager to flaunt its cinematic flair: <a href="https://nofilmschool.com/succession-cinematography">strange camera angles</a> and <a href="https://www.kodak.com/en/motion/blog-post/succession">saturated colors</a> suffuse each scene. These aesthetic techniques create a distancing effect on the audience; it is hard to escape a sense that this is a carefully crafted, fake world. </p>
<p>As I argue in my book “<a href="https://www.routledge.com/Political-Pathologies-from-The-Sopranos-to-Succession-Prestige-TV-and-the/Samuels/p/book/9781032403397">Political Pathologies from The Sopranos to Succession</a>,” this combination of the real and the fake allows prestige TV shows like “Succession” to present themselves as both a mirror of the world and a fictional painting full of stylistic flourishes.</p>
<p>This distance and duality allow the audience to feel like it’s a part of this world, while giving viewers the space to sever themselves from any sort of complicity and identification with the worst excesses of the show’s characters.</p>
<h2>Having it both ways</h2>
<p>Just as upper-middle class professionals may seek to hide their crass materialism through virtue signaling and status-based consumption, the show uses its own irony to reveal that it knows what it is doing, so that it can keep on catering to viewers’ anti-social desires. </p>
<p>The show’s well-to-do viewers may wish they could curse out their co-workers and underlings or indulge in wildly expensive luxuries, but they know that they have to restrain themselves – the rules of their social worlds demand it – and so they turn to fantasy and popular media to live out their repressed desires. </p>
<p>Like the politicians who say one thing but act in another contradictory way, the series itself sends two opposing messages simultaneously. One message is that people should all be free to say and do what they want. The other message is that this type of selfish behavior must be rejected because it undermines society and personal relationships.</p>
<p>New Yorker writer Janet Malcolm, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/17/business/media/janet-malcolm-dead.html">who died in 2021</a>, often explored the ways in which these contradictions were ingrained in American culture. As she writes in her book “<a href="https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/books/99/04/25/specials/malcolm-murderer.html">The Journalist and the Murderer</a>,” “Society mediates between the extremes of, on the one hand, intolerably strict morality and, on the other, dangerously anarchic permissiveness … Hypocrisy is the grease that keeps society functioning in an agreeable way, by allowing for human fallibility and reconciling the seemingly irreconcilable human needs for order and pleasure.”</p>
<p>One of the main ways that the opposing forces of social order and individual pleasure are mediated is through <a href="https://www.press.umich.edu/231833/chic_ironic_bitterness">humor and irony</a>. The key to comedy, then, is that it allows people to both say and unsay the same thing – to transgress but be protected by the guise of humor. </p>
<p>In “Succession,” characters, like Tom, will state something and then immediately take it back and qualify it. Throughout the series, he is constantly threatening his younger colleague, Greg, before backtracking and telling him that he is only kidding – only to repeat the same threat again.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HslUnSlUGNk?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Tom and Greg meet for the first time in the show’s first season.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The power of cable news</h2>
<p>The contradictions of the show’s characters – and the liberal class, more broadly – are mirrored in the past few decades of American politics. </p>
<p>One example of this is former U.S. president Bill Clinton, who <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/third-way-dlc-bill-clinton-tony-blair-1990s-politics/">ushered in a political strategy</a> called the “third way.” In order to maintain power, the Democratic president often pushed through Republican policies like <a href="https://www.history.com/news/clinton-1990s-welfare-reform-facts">welfare reform</a>, <a href="https://prospect.org/health/fabulous-failure-clinton-s-1990s-origins-times/">financial deregulation</a> and <a href="https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/1994-crime-bill-and-beyond-how-federal-funding-shapes-criminal-justice">the war on drugs</a>. Underpinning this ideology is the desire to be both conservative and liberal at the same time. </p>
<p>Over time, the Democratic Party <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/11/democrats-long-goodbye-to-the-working-class/672016/">became representative of upper-middle class elites who still wanted to be seen as progressives</a>. The Republican party, meanwhile, hid its focus on policies catering to the super wealthy by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/03/07/college-degree-status-working-class-blue-collar-politics/">pretending to care about the plight</a> of the abandoned white working class. </p>
<p>In both of these cases, cable news and <a href="https://www.npr.org/2012/06/21/155501538/the-newsroom-caught-up-in-a-partisan-divide">fictional media</a> have played a big role in concealing the tensions of class conflict behind the wall of a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44808-4">culture war</a>.</p>
<p>In “Succession,” Waystar RoyCo, the right-wing news conglomerate owned by Logan Roy, often fans the flames of the culture war. For his part, Logan often claims that he controls the president, and it is up to him to pick the nation’s next leader. Logan’s power, then, does not come primarily from his money but from his media influence. </p>
<p>Since the media is positioned as the show’s most powerful political entity, I sometimes wonder what “Succession” is saying about its own status as a popular TV show. Is the series claiming that it has immense social power, or does it use humor and metafiction to free itself from any responsibility? </p>
<p>The answer to these questions has to be both yes and no: The series reflects the country’s political reality – but it also feeds the underlying fantasies that shape viewers’ political beliefs.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/201936/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Robert Samuels does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Do the show’s fans secretly identify with the characters’ pursuit of power and pleasure?Robert Samuels, Continuing Lecturer in Writing, University of California, Santa BarbaraLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2004152023-03-10T13:48:48Z2023-03-10T13:48:48Z5 tips for women to negotiate a higher salary<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514522/original/file-20230309-18-m81h0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">U.S. women earn 82% of what U.S. men earn — and the gap is significantly higher for Black and Hispanic women.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/young-female-applicant-at-job-interview-royalty-free-image/1355656345">Portra/E+ Collection/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://www.pay-equity.org/day.html">Equal Pay Day</a> falls in 2023 on March 14 — a date determined by how long into the new year American women must work to catch up to American men’s earnings the previous year. In 2022, <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2023/03/01/gender-pay-gap-facts/">women earned 82%</a> of what men earned. The wage gap for Black and Hispanic women is even higher — these groups made <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/03/01/the-enduring-grip-of-the-gender-pay-gap/#gender-pay-gap-differs-widely-by-race-and-ethnicity">70% and 65%, respectively</a>, of what white men made.</p>
<p>Some of the gender pay gap can be attributed to differences in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/qje/qjab026">how women negotiate</a>.</p>
<p>This is not to say that women don’t negotiate as well as men, or even less often. Women are negotiating well and self-advocating in their careers every day – sometimes <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/ncmr.12153">more actively and effectively</a> than their male counterparts. Women have been observed to <a href="https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2017.1497">negotiate exceptions</a> to typical work or business practices more than men. This includes, for example, negotiating a remote work arrangement prior to the pandemic.</p>
<p>But when it comes to salary and wage negotiations, research suggests that women are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000135">more reluctant to ask</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/irel.12214">less effective</a> when they do.</p>
<p>That’s because salary negotiations are generally seen as competitive <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1750-4716.2010.00072.x">situations that favor men and masculinity</a>. In such settings, self-advocating violates societal norms that women should be kind and communal. According to the authors of one study, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0017094">women anticipating backlash from attempting to negotiate</a> “hedge their assertiveness, using fewer competing tactics and obtaining lower outcomes.” </p>
<p>The fear of backlash is reasonable. Men and women alike say they are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2006.09.001">less willing to work with women</a> who ask to be paid more. </p>
<p>I <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=p2WhPu4AAAAJ&view_op=list_works&sortby=pubdate">research negotiation and conflict management</a> and <a href="https://www.american.edu/kogod/faculty/mislin.cfm">teach a variety of negotiation courses</a> to undergraduate and graduate students.</p>
<p>Here are five tips that you can start applying today to be more effective in your workplace negotiations. These strategies benefit women but represent best practices for anyone seeking higher pay regardless of where they identify on the gender spectrum.</p>
<h2>1. Think before you ask</h2>
<p>Consider what you really want before you launch into your negotiation – hit pause and take a step back. How does what you’re asking for fit into your bigger work or life aspirations? You might start with a focus on a salary increase, but what you really want is an accelerated promotion track. </p>
<p>Negotiating professional development opportunities and your role at work <a href="https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2017.1497">may do more</a> to help close the pay gap than getting paid more than you are currently earning. So, take stock of your goals and make sure you are focusing on negotiating about the right issues.</p>
<h2>2. Communicate your value</h2>
<p>Once your purpose and objective are clear, figure out how to articulate your value. Women are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0361684312455524">more persuasive and reduce the risk of backlash</a> when they explain why what they are asking for is appropriate and justified. As you do this, put yourself into the hiring manager’s or your boss’s shoes and consider how the request you are making is legitimate from their perspective. How can, for example, your data visualization skills help your team communicate more successfully at the next client meeting? How can you position what you are asking for, such as a promotion to senior analyst, in terms of bigger business goals, like expanding the client base?</p>
<p>When women articulate their value while considering the other person’s objectives, their negotiation behavior is perceived as more socially acceptable and women are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0361684312455524">better positioned to succeed</a>.</p>
<h2>3. Ask for more than just salary</h2>
<p>Gender differences are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038184">most likely to arise</a> when it is less clear whether negotiating is appropriate. This might be a job that doesn’t explicitly indicate that wages are negotiable, or where the salary range is not disclosed. In these cases, women are less inclined to negotiate because they anticipate backlash. This applies not just to salary or wage negotiations, but also negotiations for other opportunities, including promotion, work assignments, developmental opportunities and resources.</p>
<p>When you are not sure whether negotiating is appropriate, ask around and gather information from trusted sources. Use your network, but also stretch beyond your network. You may want to seek advice from, for example, men in male-dominated work settings. People tend to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/srep01214">connect with others who are similar</a> in age, gender, ethnicity and socioeconomic status, so information from your close network can be skewed. Find out what people are negotiating at work and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1521/soco.2009.27.3.418">reduce the social risk of asking by decreasing ambiguity</a> around whether negotiating is appropriate.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Young woman with long hair wearing white blazer smiles at laptop screen" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514529/original/file-20230309-20-htsh1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514529/original/file-20230309-20-htsh1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514529/original/file-20230309-20-htsh1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514529/original/file-20230309-20-htsh1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514529/original/file-20230309-20-htsh1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514529/original/file-20230309-20-htsh1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514529/original/file-20230309-20-htsh1k.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Successful negotiators offer solutions that aim to work out a problem rather than win a fight.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/happy-businesswoman-working-in-a-coffee-store-royalty-free-image/910726126">Richiesd/iStock/Getty Images Plus</a></span>
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</figure>
<h2>4. Check your mindset</h2>
<p>Whether you see yourself as a reluctant negotiator, a competitive negotiator or a people-pleaser, what matters more is your mindset going into the negotiation. A <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/2041386613505857">review of individual differences in negotiations</a> identified the single best predictor of performance as having a positive mindset – confidence in one’s own ability and confidence that it is appropriate to negotiate.</p>
<p>A positive mindset also means approaching negotiations with curiosity. Make it about trying to work out a problem, not winning a fight. This approach is more aligned with <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/41166421">social expectations that women are communal</a>, and it is also a best practice that produces better results.</p>
<p>Even if the other person starts with no, don’t let that derail your negotiation. Prepare to stay at the table and find out why. If you cannot get the salary increase you are asking for, maybe you can successfully negotiate a developmental opportunity and revisit the salary conversation in six months. </p>
<h2>5. Don’t skip the small talk</h2>
<p>On the other side of the negotiation is a person, and you will find it easier to reach a solution together if you get along. Small talk before the negotiation helps build the relationship and can have a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2011.01.002">positive effect on your negotiations</a>. Familiarity with the employer may even <a href="https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2017.2880">give women a bigger boost</a> than men. So get to know the person you will be negotiating with personally, and don’t skip the small talk.</p>
<p>Practice these five tips and keep negotiating. The more experience you have negotiating, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032255">the better you will do</a>. And the better results women get from negotiating well will help shrink the gender pay gap between men and women.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/200415/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alexandra Mislin does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>A negotiation expert offers practical tips for getting the salary or promotion you want.Alexandra Mislin, Associate Professor of Management, American UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1979362023-02-28T13:57:37Z2023-02-28T13:57:37ZWorking women in South Africa proved their resilience during COVID - as a result they’ve enhanced their well-being<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/505382/original/file-20230119-25-zvz9ab.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Women around the world have adjusted to new working realities after the COVID-19 pandemic.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Kristin Hardwick/Wikimedia Commons</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>One of the outcomes of the COVID pandemic is that people’s working lives have changed. Working at home and hybrid work have become prevalent, after constantly changing government rules and guidelines.</p>
<p>Globally, employees report many pandemic-related <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w26984">challenges</a> – loss of employment, lack of career growth, loss of a sense of belonging with colleagues. </p>
<p>Our <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/367282969_Universite_des_Mascareignes_Mauritius_12_WHO_HOLDS_THE_BABY_EXPLORING_THE_IMPACT_OF_THE_COVID-19_PANDEMIC_ON_THE_NATURE_OF_WORK_FOR_WOMEN_IN_SOUTH_AFRICA">study</a> investigated the impact of COVID-19 on working women in South Africa. We surveyed 402 working women. Most were in the 36-45 years age range, married or living together, and better educated than South African working women in general (44.5% held a postgraduate degree). We looked in particular at work-life balance, well-being and liminality (uncertainty during a time of change). </p>
<p>About half (52%) of the women home-schooled children during the pandemic. Of these, 30% stated they were solely responsible and 31% were mostly responsible for the home-schooling. These results support <a href="https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w26947/w26947.pdf">findings</a> that working women were forced to rapidly adapt to remote working while dealing with diverse psychological, social and economic impacts on their work-life balance.</p>
<p>The emotional responses of the sample group during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic showed that initial anxiety, fear and a sense of being overwhelmed shifted to optimism in a relatively short period of time. This finding gives encouraging news about safeguarding women’s well-being during trying times and steps that can be taken to bolster well-being.</p>
<h2>Women’s experiences</h2>
<p>Well-being is the measure of an individual’s coping abilities. In particular it refers to their sense of being able to control their actions, and feeling that their behaviour matches their personal values and goals (often called “authenticity”).</p>
<p>Liminality is about passing from one social reality to another. A liminal state occurs when life is in transition and, as a result, uncertainty and confusion replace previously clear and well-established norms and roles. These transitions, while limited in time, are sufficiently uncertain and unclear to result in changes to established or traditional perceptions, beliefs and social role behaviour.</p>
<p>What the women told us can be summed up by three themes. </p>
<p>One was that they had to rapidly adjust to a new working environment and to the new reality of home-based work. The transition resulted in a level of complexity never experienced before. They were suddenly required to juggle the various responsibilities associated with this unexpected transition. They were faced with home-schooling, an increase in chores during the pandemic, and conflict with their spouse or partner about chores and finances.</p>
<p>Second, working women experienced complex emotional journeys as a result of the pandemic. Their well-being suffered as a result of the multiple, unplanned changes that they faced – and not by choice. </p>
<p>Finally, women had to set up a home office and adapt to changing working conditions, while coping with the responsibilities associated with being in a relationship and having children. Multiple dimensions of life, which previously could be separately managed to accommodate career choices, now needed to be blended in unexpected ways. </p>
<p><strong>Work-life balance</strong></p>
<p>1) Managers need to be aware of and help women employees to set boundaries. These boundaries will be specific to the individual. </p>
<p>2) Organisational culture needs to adapt and adopt a respect for technological boundaries in a world of hybrid and at-home work. A new “technological” etiquette needs to be defined. Insisting on entering a co-worker’s office, interrupting a family dinner or expecting an immediate work response late at night are all considered unacceptable and even antisocial. When it comes to remote work or electronic communications, this behaviour somehow is considered acceptable. The “always on” for working women may result in uncomfortable choices between their personal responsibilities and their careers. </p>
<p>3) Information technology needs to be reviewed to ensure that employees have the requisite remote work hardware, software and technical support to do their work productively. </p>
<p><strong>Well-being</strong></p>
<p>1) While women reported initial anxiety and fear, these feelings subsided quite rapidly. Managers should understand that the “new normal” of work has led to major disruption, and is still resulting in challenges and demands, which need to be explored on an individual basis. </p>
<p>2) Employers should take steps to increase employee independence and support at “work” – including the special challenges of home working – to enhance working women’s mental health. </p>
<p>3) Make flexible working the new norm to ensure that work-life balance and well-being of working women is enhanced. </p>
<p><strong>Liminality</strong></p>
<p>1) Lead with empathy. Check in with women employees, who have experienced far greater demands on their time than their male colleagues as a result of the pandemic, as to what their job-related expectations are. </p>
<p>2) Management will need to take explicit steps to avoid two-tiered hybrid workplaces, with some employees interacting at the office while others are left behind. </p>
<p>3) Management needs to sustain engagement and integrate remote employees into meetings and social events. Once again, with an emphasis on the special situation of female employees.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/197936/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The pandemic affected working women in several spheres of life.Sydney Engelberg, Teaching Fellow, School of Public Health, Hebrew University of JerusalemCecile Gerwel Proches, Associate Professor, University of KwaZulu-NatalCristy Leask, Lecturer, Graduate School of Business and Leadership, University of KwaZulu-NatalUpasana Gitanjali Singh, Senior Lecturer, Information Systems and Technology, University of KwaZulu-NatalLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1962892022-12-12T19:03:24Z2022-12-12T19:03:24ZDisappointed by your year 12 result? A university expert and a clinical psychologist share advice on what to do next<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/500268/original/file-20221212-96906-p3m533.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=39%2C6%2C4337%2C2856&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Cottonbro Studio/Pexels</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Over this week and next, year 12 students around Australia will receive their exam results. This is a time of great expectations and intense pressure for many young people.</em></p>
<p><em>For some, their individual subject marks and university admission rank (ATAR) will be a cause for celebration. But others will be dealing with disappointment and perhaps concern, if they didn’t receive what they were hoping for.</em></p>
<p><em>Here, a higher education expert and a clinical psychologist share their advice on how to handle your results.</em></p>
<hr>
<h2>‘Don’t lose sight of what you want to do’</h2>
<p><strong>Associate Professor Tim Pitman, higher education policy expert and senior research fellow, Curtin University</strong></p>
<p>First, take a breath. It’s not the end of the world and you’re definitely not the first student to have received a grade that was less than they were hoping for. Countless students have been in this position before you and have gone on to study, and succeed, in higher education.</p>
<p>The second thing to remember is, don’t lose sight of what you want to do. If you’re passionate about a certain degree or profession, it’s better to take some extra time and effort to get there, than do something else that your heart might not really be in. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/dont-stress-your-atar-isnt-the-final-call-there-are-many-ways-to-get-into-university-125429">Don't stress, your ATAR isn't the final call. There are many ways to get into university</a>
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</em>
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<p>If they haven’t told you already, ask your university what options are available to having your offer reconsidered. These might include:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>applying for some form of special consideration. Most universities have processes to take into account significant factors that affected your academic performance, for example illness, study load and work commitments</p></li>
<li><p>sitting some form of alternative admissions test, such as the <a href="https://stat.acer.org/au">Special Tertiary Admissions Test</a></p></li>
<li><p>submitting a portfolio of academic achievements and qualifications, other than your ATAR, to demonstrate your readiness for university. Some universities also consider informal and non-formal learning (such as work-based experience)</p></li>
<li><p>enrolling in a summer program run by the university before the start of semester. There may even be a longer bridging program, preparing you to start in second semester or the following year.</p></li>
</ul>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Young man on the phone with a notepad." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/500259/original/file-20221212-94261-ffnxf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/500259/original/file-20221212-94261-ffnxf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500259/original/file-20221212-94261-ffnxf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500259/original/file-20221212-94261-ffnxf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500259/original/file-20221212-94261-ffnxf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500259/original/file-20221212-94261-ffnxf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500259/original/file-20221212-94261-ffnxf6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Talk to your preferred university about what your options are.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>If none of these options are available to you, they might be available at another university, which offers the same course. You might be able to start at that university then switch to your preferred university after passing a certain number of subjects – and get credit for those subjects. And who knows, you might end up preferring your new university!</p>
<p>You could also consider enrolling in a vocational educational course, such as TAFE, that could count towards your preferred course. Again, check with your university what courses are eligible, and if you will receive any credit for your studies.</p>
<p>And again, remember you are not the first person in this position and there are still plenty of options available to you. </p>
<hr>
<h2>‘A single number does not and will not define who you are’</h2>
<p><strong>Dr Madeleine Ferrari, clinical psychologist and lecturer, Australian Catholic University</strong></p>
<p>After the build-up and expectations from family, friends, school, and especially ourselves, receiving a grade you don’t want is tough. There’s no downplaying this, it is hard. This situation is likely to trigger a range of self-critical thoughts, uncomfortable feelings and avoidant behaviours. An avoidant behaviour, which is triggered by shame or embarrassment, may include wanting to withdraw and not see or speak to others. </p>
<p>This is completely normal and to be expected. It is helpful to normalise and validate these reactions. Make <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32571438/">space for them</a> and experiment with healthy ways to express them.</p>
<p>It might be watching a sad movie and letting yourself have a good cry, or putting pen to paper and writing anything that comes to mind. You could call a friend you trust, go for a run, or use art, music or boxing to move these feelings from inside our bodies to the external world. The more we express them, the less we carry them and the less they control us.</p>
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<img alt="Young woman lying on the floor, with headphones on." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/500251/original/file-20221212-94130-k8glwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/500251/original/file-20221212-94130-k8glwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500251/original/file-20221212-94130-k8glwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500251/original/file-20221212-94130-k8glwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500251/original/file-20221212-94130-k8glwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500251/original/file-20221212-94130-k8glwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/500251/original/file-20221212-94130-k8glwk.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Listening to or playing music can help you express your feelings in healthy ways.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>However, there is one reaction to keep an eye out for – self-criticism. If left unchecked, it can <a href="https://guilfordjournals.com/doi/10.1521/jscp.2019.38.1.70">make you susceptible</a> to mental ill-health and psychological distress. Psychologists view self-criticism as toxic. There’s a difference between thinking, “I’m disappointed with this grade, next time I’d approach study differently” compared to, “I’m disappointed with this grade, it’s all my fault, I’m useless, I’ll never amount to anything”. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/self-compassion-is-the-superpower-year-12-students-need-for-exams-and-life-beyond-school-192086">Self-compassion is the superpower year 12 students need for exams ... and life beyond school</a>
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</em>
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<hr>
<p>Give your self-critical voice a name (mine’s called Voldemort), and label it when it pops up. This will help you notice and get some space from it. When you do catch Voldermort flaring up, rather than believing them, gently ask yourself, would you say these things to a good friend who you cared about? What would you say instead? You deserve the same kindness and support. </p>
<p>This is called self-compassion. And when times are tough – such as receiving a disappointing grade – self-compassion can help keep things in perspective. </p>
<p>Self-compassion is treating ourselves with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1192/apt.bp.107.005264">non-judgemental understanding</a>, acceptance, encouragement, warmth, and wanting the best for ourselves. It <a href="https://self-compassion.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Lander2019.pdf">creates a protective buffer</a> in times of stress, and becoming more self-compassionate is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-019-01134-6">linked</a> with fewer anxiety, stress and depression symptoms.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/youve-got-a-friend-young-people-help-each-other-with-their-mental-health-for-3-5-hours-every-week-194530">You've got a friend: young people help each other with their mental health for 3.5 hours every week</a>
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</em>
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<hr>
<p>A single number does not and will not define who you are. It may not feel like it right now, but you will survive this, and as time passes, the sting of the number will fade. It will simply be another experience in the library of memories about yourself and you will start to have more confidence you can survive tough situations. </p>
<p>Difficult moments can be a powerful opportunity from a clinical psychologist’s perspective. Surviving such moments forms the building blocks for resilience you will carry across your life. </p>
<p><em>If this article has raised issues for you or someone you know, you can call <a href="https://www.lifeline.org.au">Lifeline</a> on 13 11 14 or <a href="https://kidshelpline.com.au">Kids Helpline</a> on 1800 55 1800.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/196289/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tim Pitman receives funding from the National Centre for Student Equity in Higher Education</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Madeleine Fraser does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Year 12 students around Australia are beginning to receive their exam results. It’s a time of intense pressure for many young people.Tim Pitman, Senior Research Fellow, Curtin UniversityMadeleine Fraser, Senior Lecturer, Australian Catholic UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1906312022-09-21T19:16:24Z2022-09-21T19:16:24ZFrom Canada to Europe, survey reveals the challenges facing women leaders<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/485348/original/file-20220919-3936-3whk72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C997%2C571&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A study finds that stereotypes, systemic hurdles, and discriminatory policies and procedures persist more in European society than in Québec.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Do women need to adopt male traits and behaviours to be successful in business? Are stereotypes still present and do they continue to disrupt women’s careers? How do leaders in Québec compare to those in Europe?</p>
<p>In early 2020, the <a href="https://women-initiative-foundation.com/etudes/">Women Initiative Foundation</a>, in partnership with Concordia University’s John Molson School of Business, the Stanford University Women’s Leadership Innovation Lab, and the <a href="https://www.centralesupelec.fr">CentraleSupélec of Université Paris-Saclay</a>, conducted a new study about stereotypes and discrimination in the business world. The study surveyed leaders from Europe and Québec, from seven large organizations in France, Germany, Italy, and Québec, with an international reach.</p>
<p>Together, we, the Dean of the John Molson School of Business and an expert in the challenges faced by women in the highest echelons of leadership, are sharing the results of this study with emphasis on the results from the Québec component, all while conducting an analysis of the synergies with the situation in Europe.</p>
<h2>Women have developed a unique style of leadership</h2>
<p>One of the objectives of this study was to determine if women are more difficult leaders than men in their way of managing people. Are they more severe towards their female colleagues? Are women more career-minded than men? Do they need to put their family life aside to achieve all of their professional aspirations?</p>
<p>In other words, referring to generally well known stereotypes, <a href="https://www.imd.org/research-knowledge/articles/women-leaders/">do women become more “masculinized” by adopting male traits and behaviours to succeed?</a></p>
<p>The study revealed that a low number of female respondents from Québec (24%) and male respondents (17%) think that female leaders become more masculine in order to progress in their careers. Conversely, in Europe, 46% of women and 47% of men share this belief.</p>
<p>This low feeling of masculinization of Québec women leaders is particularly important to point out, because it prevents certain leaders from becoming obstacles rather than role models for other women. Far from denying their femininity, the results of this study seem to indicate that women develop a leadership style that is unique to them.</p>
<h2>The stereotypes persist</h2>
<p>The comparison of the results on both sides of the Atlantic shows that stereotypes are still just as persistent and disturbing for the advancement of female careers.</p>
<p>It has been found that in both Québec and Europe, women have been stereotyped as having competencies that are typically associated with support roles (rigorous and attentive) whereas men are presumed to have traits associated with positions of power (politicians, leaders, careerists). More specifically with regards to leadership stereotypes, women are perceived as organized, leaders and rigorous whereas men are described as politicians, careerists, strategists, and leaders.</p>
<p>Once again, men are considered as those in the thick of the action and more focused on the advancement of their career (they are strategists and career-driven) while women are regarded as passive and less ambitious. These stereotypes largely explain <a href="https://hdr.undp.org/content/sticky-floors-glass-ceilings-and-biased-barriers-architecture-gender-inequality">the sticky floor and the glass ceiling</a> that women have faced for many years and the near absence of female CEOs in large Canadian organizations. The sticky floor is the theory illustrating the difficulty women face when they are seeking promotions at the start of their careers, and the slow climb of the ladder. As for the glass ceiling, this is the theory of the invisible barriers that stop women from being promoted into the upper levels of our organizations.</p>
<h2>Very different perceptions of inequalities</h2>
<p>There is a stark difference in the perception that women and men have regarding their employer’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.</p>
<p>Men do not seem as aware of the inequalities and discrimination that women can face in their work environment. As much in Québec as in Europe, men give their organizations a much higher ranking on the company’s values of diversity, the fight against discrimination, and inclusion initiatives.</p>
<p>Two interesting responses that illustrate this difference in perception are important to highlight: only 10% of the male participants from Québec believe that they are better paid than women who have equal competency levels, while 44% of female participants in Québec think the opposite. The male respondents are also half as likely to hear about sexist comments in the office.</p>
<p>However, if women in Québec have a more favorable perception of an equitable culture in the workplace than those in Europe, the study showed that nevertheless about half of respondents are likely to perceive a lack of equity in internal promotions and see the difficulty in accessing leadership roles. When asked specifically about the hardships of obtaining management roles, many women mentioned that institutional discrimination is what forces them to continuously prove their worth, and leads them to self-censure and devalue themselves.</p>
<h2>Men need to be more sensitive to inequalities</h2>
<p>This huge disconnect in perceiving sexist discrimination in the workplace raises some concerns, given that roles in the highest echelons of companies are more often occupied by men.</p>
<p>Given they are less aware of the difficulties faced by their female counterparts, these male leaders may be less inclined to put forward policies and strategies that can favour more equal access to leadership roles. It is therefore imperative that these men are made aware of the obstacles faced by women.</p>
<p>This study demonstrates that stereotypes, systemic hurdles, and discriminatory policies and procedures persist more in European society than in Québec. Nonetheless, there is still a very long road ahead. Diversity, equity and inclusion programs implemented by our Canadian companies and integrated in their strategy and development can make a huge difference to the advancement of women’s careers. <a href="https://www.hr-voice.com/communiques-presse/etude-europeenne-workday-diversite-et-inclusion-ou-en-sont-les-entreprises/2021/09/13/">Notably, in France, this approach is evolving</a>.</p>
<p>There is clear merit in continuing to encourage and reinforce these initiatives, given there is proof in the benefit of them, especially when we compare ourselves here in Québec to the Europeans. Québec women leaders, as Martine Liautaud, president of the Women Initiative Foundation, <a href="https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2022/07/26/egalite-femmes-hommes-pour-bien-agir-contre-les-discriminations-il-faut-avoir-une-vision-claire-des-stereotypes-de-genre_6136232_3232.html">wrote in Le Monde recently</a>, “are more combative than even their most determined European counterparts, they are prouder of their success, and all this without having to deny their unique traits.”</p>
<p><em>The authors would like to thank Shirin Emadi-Mahabadi, MBA and Director, Strategic Advisory Programs (Inclusive Client Interactions) at CIBC National Sales and Practice Excellence for her contribution to this article.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/190631/count.gif" alt="La Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Les auteurs ne travaillent pas, ne conseillent pas, ne possèdent pas de parts, ne reçoivent pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'ont déclaré aucune autre affiliation que leur organisme de recherche.</span></em></p>A survey on stereotypes and discrimination in the business world reveals major disparities between men and women.Louise Champoux-Paillé, Cadre en exercice, John Molson School of Business, Concordia UniversityAnne-Marie Croteau, Dean, John Molson School of Business, Concordia UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1863032022-07-07T19:52:22Z2022-07-07T19:52:22ZFor many NZ scholars, the old career paths are broken. Our survey shows the reality for this new ‘academic precariat’<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/472895/original/file-20220706-24-4ioit1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5391%2C3597&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As in many Western countries, New Zealand’s universities have become increasingly reliant on casual and temporary employees to run classes and undertake research. The situation is becoming critical, both for young academics themselves and for the country in general. </p>
<p>The problem has been recognised in <a href="https://www.oecd.org/publications/reducing-the-precarity-of-academic-research-careers-0f8bd468-en.htm">a recent OECD report</a> as affecting the well-being of individual researchers and undermining national capacity to undertake vital research “necessary to address urgent societal challenges”.</p>
<p>The New Zealand government has also recognised the issue, acknowledging recently in its <a href="https://www.mbie.govt.nz/have-your-say/future-pathways/">Te Ara Paerangi – Future Pathways</a> green paper that “early career researchers are particularly vulnerable to career uncertainty and precarity”. Submissions on this and related issues are now being reviewed.</p>
<p>But focusing only on early career researchers (ECRs) creates a false separation between teaching and research, given our Education and Training Act stipulates the former should be informed by the latter. </p>
<p>In turn, this implies the system is comfortable with students being taught by workers on precarious, short-term contracts, with little professional development or hope of career progression.</p>
<p>Our report, <a href="https://auckland.figshare.com/articles/report/Elephant_In_The_Room_Precarious_Work_In_New_Zealand_Universities/19243626">Elephant in the Room: Precarious Work in New Zealand Universities</a>, is based on a survey of 760 academics on fixed-term or casual contracts (including both postgraduate students and those with PhDs) across New Zealand’s eight universities. It shows the majority are stitching together a mix of short-term research and teaching contracts in an attempt to make ends meet. </p>
<p>Rather than being called “early career researchers”, we argue the term “academic precariat” better reflects the reality of a highly skilled workforce defined by insecure, short-term contracts, coupled with a sense of disposability and marginalisation. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1402154692055031809"}"></div></p>
<h2>A two-tier system emerges</h2>
<p>The traditional (but never formalised) ECR model is based on two years spent on a single fixed-term, postdoctoral research position, before a move to a permanent lecturer post.</p>
<p>Due to underfunding and the increasing corporatisation of university management structures, however, both postdoctoral and permanent lecturer posts are increasingly rare in New Zealand, particularly outside the “STEM” subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). </p>
<p>The introduction of the Performance-Based Research Fund (<a href="https://www.tec.govt.nz/funding/funding-and-performance/funding/fund-finder/performance-based-research-fund/">PBRF</a>) in 2003, which provides 20% of funding for universities based on assessments of individual staff members research performance, has also contributed to an increase in the use of precarious contracts. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/beyond-the-black-hole-of-global-university-rankings-rediscovering-the-true-value-of-knowledge-and-ideas-140236">Beyond the black hole of global university rankings: rediscovering the true value of knowledge and ideas</a>
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<p>This is because casual or short-term contractors reduce the teaching burden on PBRF-assessed staff, so the latter can focus on their research outputs. This has seen the emergence of a two-tier system where permanent academic staff effectively have their careers sustained by an army of casualised academic workers.</p>
<p>Rather than this being a short-term hardship, the two-tiered system has translated into academics spending years – sometimes entire careers – cycling through contracts that leave them with no security and little autonomy or professional development. </p>
<p>At the same time, they are highly vulnerable to changes in student demand or funding from research grants.</p>
<h2>Lack of professional development</h2>
<p>Our survey results show a majority of participants (62%) had been employed on precarious contracts (casual or fixed-term) for more than two years, with nearly a third (28.9%) for more than five years. </p>
<p>A total of 60% also reported their contracts were the most precarious types: either casual, with no guarantee of ongoing work (25%), or a fixed-term of less than six months (35%). Less than a quarter (22%) had contracts lasting 12 months or more. </p>
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<a href="https://theconversation.com/where-has-the-joy-of-working-in-australian-universities-gone-184251">Where has the joy of working in Australian universities gone?</a>
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<p>This means they must take on multiple contracts to get by, with nearly half (47.8%) taking on three or more employment agreements in the past 12 months.</p>
<p>Unsurprisingly, with multiple short-term contracts being the norm, nearly half (44.9%) of all survey participants said they had no access to any form of professional development in their roles. </p>
<p>Only 26.3% of participants had access to performance reviews, 21.4% to peer reviews or mentoring, and just 12.5% to formal role-specific upskilling.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/472896/original/file-20220706-22-f2ekye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/472896/original/file-20220706-22-f2ekye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472896/original/file-20220706-22-f2ekye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472896/original/file-20220706-22-f2ekye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472896/original/file-20220706-22-f2ekye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472896/original/file-20220706-22-f2ekye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/472896/original/file-20220706-22-f2ekye.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Many early career academics work multiple jobs with few professional development opportunities.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Getty Images</span></span>
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</figure>
<h2>Precarious and insecure</h2>
<p>We also found some evidence this system reinforces structural racism, echoing <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339802428_The_Pakaru_'Pipeline'_Maori_and_Pasifika_Pathways_within_the_Academy">other research</a> arguing that academic pathways for Māori and Pasifika aren’t working. </p>
<p>In our survey, over three-quarters of both Māori (77.4%) and Pasifika (76.9%) participants were currently enrolled students (compared to 51.9% of the overall sample), taking teaching or research contracts to supplement their studies. </p>
<p>The majority of those students (47.6% of Māori and 57.7% of Pasifika) were enrolled in non-PhD courses (compared with just 25.8% of Pākehā). PhD study is the recognised path into academia, and the need to take on multiple precarious contracts while studying is impeding that path for Māori and Pasifika students.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/maori-and-pasifika-scholars-remain-severely-under-represented-in-new-zealand-universities-122330">Māori and Pasifika scholars remain severely under-represented in New Zealand universities</a>
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<p>Even greater numbers of international students reported being employed on casual or fixed-term contracts of less than six months than the general survey participants (67% compared to 60%). </p>
<p>At the same time, over half (56.7%) of international students expressed a lack of confidence they would have sufficient ongoing academic work in the next 12 months, and relied on personal savings (63.8%) and accepting extra work even when it risked jeopardising the completion of their degrees (60.9%).</p>
<p>At the same time, one third of survey participants (33.7%) had personally experienced discrimination, bullying or harassment, or otherwise felt unsafe in their workplace. Women (36.3%), people aged over 50 (46.5%), Māori (42.9%), Pasifika (50%), “other” ethnicities (47.6%), and people who were deaf or disabled (47.3%) were over-represented in this cohort.</p>
<h2>A broken path</h2>
<p>The survey also enquired into health and well-being in the context of a pandemic and the additional workloads involved in the move to online learning, combined with universities signalling cutbacks and redundancies due to the loss of international student revenue. </p>
<p>Participants were asked to rate their current stress levels out of ten, with the mean being 6.94. Some 43% of participants reported high to very high stress levels (8-10). Most troublingly, 30% disclosed a mental illness. These participants reported one of the highest mean stress levels (7.39) of any subgroup. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/heres-what-the-government-and-universities-can-do-about-the-crisis-of-insecure-academic-work-183345">Here's what the government and universities can do about the crisis of insecure academic work</a>
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<p>Feelings of isolation and lack of support from managers were widespread, as over a quarter (27.6%) of staff with a mental illness suggested they had no understanding at all of who to approach for support.</p>
<p>Overall, our report provides compelling evidence that the traditional career path of early career researchers is now largely broken. This is causing significant harm to those who attempt to take it, while reinforcing existing inequities. </p>
<p>Ultimately, if allowed to continue, this reality will severely compromise the country’s future capacity to keep and grow the best researchers.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/186303/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Leon Salter is Spokesperson for Tertiary Education Action Group Aotearoa (TEAGA) and Academic Delegate for the Massey University branch of the Tertiary Education Union (TEU).</span></em></p>Casual or short-term contracts, a lack of professional development, little hope of career progression: a survey of academic working conditions sounds a warning.Leon Salter, Postdoctoral Fellow, Massey UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1799312022-04-08T12:32:08Z2022-04-08T12:32:08ZFishing, strip clubs and golf: How male-focused networking in medicine blocks female colleagues from top jobs<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/456701/original/file-20220406-12863-lo8xzf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=23%2C1074%2C7893%2C4095&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Building relationships with colleagues outside of work is important for career development. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/multi-racial-business-colleagues-at-conference-in-royalty-free-image/1340724372?adppopup=true">10'000 Hours/Digital Vision via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Women have been entering academic medicine at <a href="https://nap.nationalacademies.org/read/25785/chapter/1">nearly the same rate as men for decades</a>, but <a href="https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM200002103420606">very few women reach the top levels of leadership</a>. For example, as of April 2022, of the 71 U.S. cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute, only seven are directed by women. In 2018, women accounted for <a href="https://www.aamc.org/data-reports/faculty-institutions/report/state-women-academic-medicine">16% of medical school deans, 18% of department chairs and 25% of full professors</a>. To this day, women are still less likely than men to become associate or full professors of medicine or to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMsa1916935">be appointed as chairs of university medical departments</a> – and there has been no narrowing of this gender gap over time.</p>
<p>I am a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=10vXfYgAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">cancer researcher, physician and surgeon</a>, and I also study gender inequity within medicine. In my most recent research, I interviewed more than 100 people in medicine to better understand why women struggle to advance in academic medicine. From this work, one important reason seems to be that women are consistently <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101338">excluded from important, male-dominated networking activities</a>, especially golf.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/456705/original/file-20220406-26-3t2qv4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Three men watching sports and drinking." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/456705/original/file-20220406-26-3t2qv4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/456705/original/file-20220406-26-3t2qv4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456705/original/file-20220406-26-3t2qv4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456705/original/file-20220406-26-3t2qv4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456705/original/file-20220406-26-3t2qv4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456705/original/file-20220406-26-3t2qv4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456705/original/file-20220406-26-3t2qv4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Men mentioned watching or playing sports as a common networking activity in which women didn’t frequently participate.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/ecstatic-men-watching-soocer-game-in-a-bar-after-royalty-free-image/515524312?adppopup=true">Tomazl/E+ via Getty Images</a></span>
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<h2>Exclusion from networking blocks women’s advancement</h2>
<p>Networking is essential to success in many professional fields. Networking <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/3081781">leads to success</a> in many ways. When colleagues befriend one another, they can promote one another’s careers and exchange information about opportunities. Networking also allows junior people to meet powerful senior colleagues who may take them under their wings and become invested in their success. </p>
<p>The effects of these social connections can be very tangible. Research in the sales field has shown that women who networked through golf made more sales of significantly higher value <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2020.05.005">than women who did not play golf</a>. </p>
<p>In my recent study, I wanted to see what kinds of activities are important for networking in research-focused medical institutions – and whether women were excluded. </p>
<p>To do this, I conducted interviews with 52 female and 52 male faculty members at 16 university medical centers across the U.S. in 2019. The people I spoke with had similar levels of education and years of professional experience, and similar career goals and ambitions for advancement and leadership. I asked each interviewee questions such as “How do people come to occupy leadership positions at your institution?” and “How has your gender played a role in your experiences in academic medicine?”</p>
<p>Both men and women mentioned “networking” and specifically “the boys club” – which excludes women – as important factors in career advancement.</p>
<p>Nearly all interviewees – 51 of the 52 men and 50 of the 52 women – saw networking as critical for career advancement. Despite the fact that interview questions never used the term “boys club,” 73% of the women and 42% of the men brought up this concept on their own in the interviews.</p>
<p>Women are notably absent from a number of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0891243205283107">informal networking activities</a>. Of the 52 male interviewees, 30 mentioned watching or playing sports, five discussed hunting or fishing and five alluded to or mentioned strip clubs.</p>
<p>Nearly everyone I spoke to said networking often happened while drinking at bars, and this too was gendered. One male department chair said, “I think about the bar at meetings. The important stuff – the intangible side of science – happens there, and I worry about a male bias of who goes for drinks after the talks. Even when women join us, men may be more likely to hit on them after a few drinks rather than focus on helping their careers.”</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/456704/original/file-20220406-17347-wsusk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Three men on a golf course and two shaking hands." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/456704/original/file-20220406-17347-wsusk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/456704/original/file-20220406-17347-wsusk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456704/original/file-20220406-17347-wsusk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456704/original/file-20220406-17347-wsusk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456704/original/file-20220406-17347-wsusk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456704/original/file-20220406-17347-wsusk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/456704/original/file-20220406-17347-wsusk8.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Both men and women described the golf course as a place where important decisions are made and where more junior people can get access to senior leaders.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/men-on-golf-course-putting-green-shaking-hands-royalty-free-image/185306650?adppopup=true">Kali9/E+ via Getty Images</a></span>
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<h2>Special access on the golf course</h2>
<p>Of all the places where the interviewees said important networking happens, none was more important than the golf course. Both men – 29% – and women – 38% – described the golf course as a key place where relationships are built.</p>
<p>As one male physician said, “Big decisions are made on the golf course.” These included discussion about who should get resources or nominated for prizes and awards. Another woman echoed this but also pointed out the inequity, saying, “All the powerful events here happen on the golf course. And it’s not like the men are ever going to let you in that foursome.”</p>
<p>Some of the interview questions sought to explore how and why women were excluded from golf. As one male physician explained, “It did not feel like we were actively excluding the women, but I can tell you that if there was a woman resident, she would not have been invited to the golf games.” </p>
<p>Many of the people I surveyed specifically mentioned another important aspect that sets golfing apart from other networking activities – it is important for career progression because it is a way to get access to people in power.</p>
<p>One senior male medical researcher clearly explained the connection and how women are excluded from these activities. “I play golf, I go fishing, and my golfing buddies and my fishing buddies are males, because that’s just the way you do it. It bugs the hell out of my female colleagues, because I go fishing with the president and the vice president, and they do not. It gives me special access they do not have.”</p>
<p>The women I spoke with were acutely aware of this access. During one interview, a woman said of a senior male leader where she worked, “Unless you play golf, you don’t have the opportunity to see him.”</p>
<p>[<em>Get the best of The Conversation, every weekend.</em> <a href="https://memberservices.theconversation.com/newsletters/?nl=weekly&source=inline-weeklybest">Sign up for our weekly newsletter</a>.]</p>
<h2>Limitations to female networking</h2>
<p>Both men and women considered informal social occasions to be powerful tools in career advancement. <a href="https://hbr.org/2016/05/learn-to-love-networking">Many studies</a> in other fields <a href="https://homepages.se.edu/cvonbergen/files/2013/01/Effects-of-Networking-on-Career-Success_A-Longitudinal-Study.pdf">back up this idea</a>. </p>
<p>Many of the women in the study described efforts by women to make up for the lack of female-inclusive networking opportunities. </p>
<p>A few of the women I interviewed described semiformal networks they were a part of – such as the alumnae group of the <a href="https://drexel.edu/medicine/academics/womens-health-and-leadership/elam/">Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine program</a>. Others mentioned instances when female colleagues reached out to give them crucial information on salary negotiations or coached them for interviews for leadership positions. Finally, many shared experiences of informal networks around child care and family issues.</p>
<p>While these female-led networks were avenues for sharing information and provided some professional support, they lacked one key aspect present in many male groups: well-placed senior colleagues who could play a role in advancing the careers of more junior people. Since so few women occupy leadership positions today, there are inherent limitations to what female-led networking can accomplish, and women’s careers suffer because of it.</p>
<p>Many women in academic medicine are fully qualified to advance to the highest levels, yet they are not represented proportionally. My research shows that exclusion from networking opportunities is one of the reasons.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/179931/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jennifer R. Grandis does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>By surveying over 100 people in academic medicine, a researcher found that women are consistently excluded from important networking activities like watching sports, drinking at bars and playing golf.Jennifer R. Grandis, Distinguished Professor of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, San FranciscoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1798462022-03-29T06:12:11Z2022-03-29T06:12:11ZEndometriosis can end women’s careers and stall their education. That’s everyone’s business<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/454288/original/file-20220325-32964-arxbrs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=2%2C0%2C995%2C666&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/asian-woman-sick-stomach-ache-working-1742815280">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The Coalition has announced a <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/record-funding-support-800000-women-endo-and-new-genetic-tests-available">A$58 million funding package</a> to improve endometriosis diagnosis, care and treatment.</p>
<p>This would see new specialised endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics set up in each state and territory, expanded Medicare-funded medical imaging for the condition, and support for women who manage endometriosis with their GP, among other measures.</p>
<p>This announcement would benefit the estimated <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/chronic-disease/endometriosis-prevalence-and-hospitalisations/summary">one in nine</a> Australian women with endometriosis.</p>
<p>However, endometriosis is not just a medical issue. Our recently published <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S104727972100315X">research</a> shows there’s a high chance that women <a href="https://theconversation.com/considering-surgery-for-endometriosis-heres-what-you-need-to-know-102254">surgically diagnosed with endometriosis</a> will leave the workforce.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/considering-surgery-for-endometriosis-heres-what-you-need-to-know-102254">Considering surgery for endometriosis? Here's what you need to know</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<h2>Remind me, what is endometriosis?</h2>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/1-in-10-women-are-affected-by-endometriosis-so-why-does-it-take-so-long-to-diagnose-141803">Endometriosis</a> causes inflammation when tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows throughout the body. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1506265343672659968"}"></div></p>
<p>Women often describe “stabbing” pain during their period, back pain, and pain going to the toilet and during sex.</p>
<p>They might have stomach pain, vomiting and diarrhoea, headaches, muscle aches and tiredness. Imagine dealing with this every day or not knowing when symptoms might strike.</p>
<p>Endometriosis is <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0223316">estimated to cost</a> A$9.7 billion each year to the Australian economy. Most of these costs come from lost productivity at work.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/endometriosis-costs-women-and-society-30-000-a-year-for-every-sufferer-124975">Endometriosis costs women and society $30,000 a year for every sufferer</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<h2>How do women with endometriosis struggle at work?</h2>
<p>Focusing at work <a href="https://theconversation.com/women-with-endometriosis-need-support-not-judgement-37340">can be difficult</a> because of unpredictable symptoms, side effects of strong painkillers, and frequent trips to the toilet. </p>
<p>Women seeking a diagnosis of endometriosis through surgery need time off to recover and might find themselves having more surgeries in the future. </p>
<p>Trying to explain this to people at work and employers can be embarrassing, feel like an invasion of privacy or may unfairly risk future career opportunities. </p>
<p>Sick leave can disappear quickly, and women may feel pressured to work while unwell.</p>
<p>Emma Watkins, the former Yellow Wiggle, went public with her battle to balance endometriosis and work. Ongoing pain and the need for surgery to treat it forced Emma to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-13/endometriosis-causes-wiggles-performer-emma-to-pull-out-tour/9652518">pull out</a> of the 2018 Wiggles national tour.</p>
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<h2>It can take years to be diagnosed</h2>
<p>Many women with endometriosis start to see symptoms as adolescents or young adults. However, many women aren’t officially diagnosed until their <a href="https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1471-0528.16447">early thirties</a>. It takes an average of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33004965/">eight years</a> to be diagnosed. </p>
<p>Stories of women <a href="https://srh.bmj.com/content/41/3/225.long">fighting hard to get a diagnosis</a> because doctors wouldn’t believe them, or take their symptoms seriously, are common.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1288279063858221056"}"></div></p>
<p>To make matters worse, until recently, the only way to tell if someone had endometriosis was to do surgery.</p>
<p>Surgery isn’t the right option for everyone; it has risks, is costly, requires time to recover, and doesn’t always stop women’s pain. Many cannot have, or do not want, surgery and are labelled with “suspected” endometriosis. </p>
<p>Fortunately, international guidelines updated earlier this year say endometriosis can be diagnosed <a href="https://www.eshre.eu/Guidelines-and-Legal/Guidelines/Endometriosis-guideline.aspx">without needing surgery</a>.</p>
<h2>Diagnosis is a turning point</h2>
<p>A diagnosis of endometriosis was a turning point for women’s participation in work, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S104727972100315X">our research showed</a>.</p>
<p>We used data from the <a href="https://www.alswh.org.au">Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health</a> to look at employment for 4,494 Australian women born in 1973-78, with and without endometriosis. </p>
<p>We found 63% of women who had surgery for endometriosis were working full-time before diagnosis. This dropped to 44% after diagnosis. </p>
<p>Women who had surgery for endometriosis were 85% more likely to be unemployed three years after their diagnosis than before it. </p>
<p>Women who had “suspected endometriosis” (diagnosed without surgery) stayed working but were more likely to suffer from severe period pain, tiredness, heavy periods, and headaches or migraines than women without endometriosis. </p>
<p>Women who had surgery for endometriosis may have been in a better financial position to afford to get surgery and to eventually stop working than women who didn’t have surgery. </p>
<p>But we cannot underestimate the emotional and physical challenges of living with endometriosis. The often limited support available in the workplace means women may have been forced to stop work.</p>
<h2>How can we support women to stay in work?</h2>
<p>The 2018 <a href="https://www.health.gov.au/resources/publications/national-action-plan-for-endometriosis">National Action Plan for Endometriosis</a> attempts to educate employers about supporting women with endometriosis at work.</p>
<p>This includes offering flexibility in the workplace – whether that’s through job modifications and time off <em>in lieu</em>, or flexible work hours and working from home. </p>
<p>Creating a <a href="https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/system/files/documents/2002/endometriosis.pdf">supportive workplace culture</a> is also important. Non-judgemental responses to women’s experiences with endometriosis are also key.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/women-with-endometriosis-need-support-not-judgement-37340">Women with endometriosis need support, not judgement</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Additional days of sick leave for women with endometriosis may also help to manage the demands of their job and symptoms.</p>
<p>These are great starts for women already in work, but we need to do more, and start earlier. </p>
<p>Girls and women need flexibility early in their education to cope with the unpredictable nature of endometriosis. </p>
<p>Virtual classrooms could help minimise missed days at school, TAFE or university. Programs that offer flexibility and allow women to complete their education over a longer period could help. </p>
<h2>More funding will be needed</h2>
<p>The recent funding announcement for people with endometriosis includes A$2 million with a portion to fund a workplace assistance program. This is for employees and employers to navigate discussions in the workplace. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.pm.gov.au/media/record-funding-support-800000-women-endo-and-new-genetic-tests-available">detail</a> of how that will work is not yet available, although this just a starting point. More funding will be needed to address the inequity for women with endometriosis in the workplace, to support women to stay working for as long as they want. </p>
<h2>Women with ‘suspected’ endometriosis also need support</h2>
<p>Finally, we mustn’t invalidate women’s experiences of endometriosis, and the severity of their symptoms, based on their type of diagnosis. </p>
<p>Policymakers, doctors and employers should acknowledge women with “suspected” endometriosis need just as much support as those with surgically diagnosed endometriosis.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/179846/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ingrid Rowlands receives funding from NHMRC Medical Research Future Fund. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gita Mishra receives funding from National Health and Medical Research Council, MRFF and Commonwealth Department of Health</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jason Abbott receives funding from NHMRC, MRFF, the Australasian Gynaecology Endoscopy and Surgery Society and Endometriosis Australia for research. He consults to Vifor Australia, Hologic and Gideon Richter. He is formerly a director of Endometriosis Australia (until 2021). </span></em></p>Some women with endometriosis are in so much pain, they’re giving up work. Others are struggling at work or uni. Here’s how we support women with this debilitating disease.Ingrid Rowlands, Research Fellow, The University of QueenslandGita Mishra, Professor of Life Course Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, The University of QueenslandJason Abbott, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, UNSW SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1767282022-02-17T14:23:56Z2022-02-17T14:23:56ZPassionate about your job? Here’s why that might not be good for you<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/447026/original/file-20220217-15-1w51a7f.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=148%2C69%2C6452%2C3641&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/euphoric-young-indian-girl-student-winner-1606120003">Shutterstock/fizkes</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>You might wish you were more passionate about your job. Or that you had the kind of job you could at least imagine being passionate about. Something that made you jump out of bed in the morning, excited about a new day filled with fist pumps and joy.</p>
<p>But psychologists differentiate between two types of work-related passion – and they may not both appeal, even if you’re more than a little fed up with your current role. </p>
<p>“Harmonious” work passion refers to situations in which a person not only enjoys their job, but also has control over their relationship with it. People with harmonious work passion have often chosen their career because it is something which interests them, and they gain great pleasure from how they earn a living. Crucially, the work does not profoundly interfere with other important elements of their life.</p>
<p>But a person with “obsessive” work passion has little control over their relationship with their job. They consider their occupation, and related factors such as promotions and pay rises, to be central to their lives. </p>
<p>The obsessively passionate rarely disengage completely from their jobs, and even though they might be very successful at what they do, this often comes without a sense of satisfaction. Such an approach can take over lives, and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2009.00616.x">lead to burnout</a>, when you are <a href="https://mentalhealth-uk.org/burnout/">physically and emotionally exhausted</a>, and feel helpless and trapped. </p>
<p>So how do you make sure you end up filled with the right kind of passion? If you have obsessive work passion, is it you or the job? <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12144-022-02717-8">Our research suggests</a> it’s probably both. </p>
<p>To study the relationship between personality traits, work, and the type of passion people develop, we analysed data from <a href="https://theconversation.com/there-really-is-a-link-between-your-facebook-posts-and-your-personality-68186">a psychology project</a> which collected data and test results from over 800 participants.</p>
<p>We measured some of their personality traits, referred to in psychology as the “<a href="https://www.verywellmind.com/the-big-five-personality-dimensions-2795422">big five</a>”: openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. </p>
<p>We also assessed their attitudes to work, using the degree with which they agreed or disagreed with a series of statements such as “My work is in harmony with other activities in my life”, or “I have difficulties controlling my urge to work”.</p>
<p>Finally, we categorised their jobs, using a <a href="https://www.careerkey.org/fit/personality/holland-code-assessment-riasec">system</a> which scores various types of work according to six descriptions: realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising and conventional. (You can use this <a href="https://openpsychometrics.org/tests/RIASEC/">online test</a> to get an idea of what kind of work you might be looking for.) </p>
<h2>Passion killer</h2>
<p>Our findings suggest that personality traits (especially neuroticism) interact with the work environment in a complex way, and trigger different types of passion. In particular, people prone to neuroticism (mood swings, anxiety and irritability) are much more likely to develop obsessive work passion if they work in a job in the “enterprising” category. In general, these are careers which rely heavily on the power of persuasion and place a great deal of emphasis on reputation, power and status.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Businesswoman standing at fork in a road." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/447009/original/file-20220217-9608-17e02ar.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/447009/original/file-20220217-9608-17e02ar.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/447009/original/file-20220217-9608-17e02ar.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/447009/original/file-20220217-9608-17e02ar.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/447009/original/file-20220217-9608-17e02ar.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/447009/original/file-20220217-9608-17e02ar.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/447009/original/file-20220217-9608-17e02ar.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Time for a change?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/back-view-businesswoman-standing-on-crossroads-294081374">Shutterstock/Sergey Nivens</a></span>
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<p>For example, a person who agrees with statements such as “I get upset easily” or “I worry about different things at the same time” is much more vulnerable to burnout if they work as a lawyer, a fundraiser, or a broker. But that same person is less likely to become obsessed with their job if they work as a dentist, engineer, nurse, surgeon or social worker.</p>
<p>It’s important then, to work out what kind of passion you have for your job. Do you feel in control, do you enjoy your successes? If the answer is no, or there are other hints that your work passion is of the obsessive kind, then you might want to consider a change in direction to avoid being at risk of burnout. </p>
<p>In the example above, that might mean trying to find a role which has less of an enterprising element; something more artistic or social, perhaps. For while we might not be able to change our personalities, a job change might lead to a greater sense of satisfaction and control – and potentially more time to find our passion in the world outside of work.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/176728/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Taha Yasseri receives funding from EPSRC.</span></em></p>Devotion to work can lead to burnout.Taha Yasseri, Associate Professor, School of Sociology; Geary Fellow, Geary Institute for Public Policy, University College DublinLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1739702022-02-03T13:11:04Z2022-02-03T13:11:04ZHow to reduce investing’s gender gap: try talking about ethics<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/440557/original/file-20220112-13-1pf5lau.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=3%2C9%2C2114%2C1400&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Why have women lagged behind in finance, while their numbers grow in other professions?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/women-meeting-in-business-office-royalty-free-image/1144541711?adppopup=true">MoMo Productions/DigitalVision via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/research-brief-83231">Research Brief</a> is a short take about interesting academic work.</em> </p>
<h2>The big idea</h2>
<p>Women’s perception of unethical behavior among finance professionals may contribute to how underrepresented they are in the industry, according to a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pacfin.2021.101669">recently published article I co-authored</a> with colleagues at Zhejiang University and Creighton University.</p>
<p>We administered surveys to nearly 3,000 college students in the U.S. and China, describing 10 scenarios in which a character makes an ethically questionable decision. Students were asked to rate how ethical the action was and what percentage of investment managers they believe would act in the same way. </p>
<p>By a statistically significant margin, women in the U.S. ranked the characters’ actions as more unethical than men did. However, they also proved more pessimistic about financial professionals’ ethics, presuming that a significantly higher percentage of investment managers would take the same action. In other words, female respondents in the U.S. perceived a larger discrepancy between their own ethical views and what they believe about investment managers. </p>
<p>For example, in one scenario, a financial adviser suggests a risky fund to an elderly client. It will potentially provide a better return for the client, but also a substantial commission for the adviser. Of the men in our sample, 38.8% felt that a relatively low number of financial professionals – less than 40% – would take this questionable action. By comparison, only 26.7% of women felt that a low number of financial professionals would take this action. Just 29.5% of men felt that a high percentage of financial professionals – more than 60% – would recommend the risky portfolio, compared with 38.3% of women. </p>
<p>Based on our surveys, however, women in China appear to have more favorable perceptions of investment manager ethics than men do, by a statistically significant margin.</p>
<p>These differences seem to mirror some differences in gender representation in the industry in the U.S. and China. In 2018, for current or future investment professionals taking the <a href="https://www.cfainstitute.org/en/programs/cfa#:%7E:text=The%20CFA%20Program%20is%20a,accounting%2C%20economics%2C%20or%20business.">CFA exam</a> in the U.S., only 29% were women, while in China, 52% of test-takers <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-25/face-of-finance-may-soon-be-more-female-at-least-in-china">were women</a>.</p>
<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<p>Many reasons have been proposed to explain why women in the U.S. have been less likely to pursue careers in finance, particularly in investment management, such as a <a href="https://www.cfainstitute.org/en/research/financial-analysts-journal/2018/ip-v3-n1-6-can-role-models-encourage-more-women-in-finance">lack of role models</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726720942826">industrywide cultural norms</a>.</p>
<p>Universities and professional organizations have been trying to <a href="https://www.cfp.net/initiatives/diversity-and-inclusion/womens-initiatives">boost the number of women</a> in finance careers for many years. However, recent evidence suggests that the percentage of female fund managers has not <a href="https://www.morningstar.com/articles/1029482/the-percentage-of-us-female-fund-managers-is-exactly-where-it-was-in-2000">improved</a> over the past two decades. Only 18% of investment professionals who have earned the CFA designation in the U.S. are women.</p>
<p>This participation rate significantly trails other professions, as women represent <a href="https://www.kff.org/other/state-indicator/physicians-by-gender/?dataView=1&currentTimeframe=0&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D">37% of active doctors</a>, <a href="https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/female-lawyers-still-underrepresented-especially-in-partnership-ranks-which-law-firms-do-best#:%7E:text=Over%20the%20last%20six%20years,female%20lawyers%20are%20also%20underrepresented.">38% of attorneys at law firms</a> and <a href="https://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat11.htm">62% of accountants and auditors</a>.</p>
<p>Researchers and women’s advocates have outlined a slew of factors contributing to women’s slow advancement in many traditionally male-dominated fields, from <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/1075547012472684">bias</a> and discrimination to difficulty <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2827952">balancing work and child care</a> to a preference for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1162/qjec.122.3.1067">less competitive</a> environments. Given women’s faster progress in other fields, however, we hope to isolate factors specifically associated with investment management to better understand the lack of progress.</p>
<h2>What still isn’t known</h2>
<p>Our research suggests that the many institutions interested in <a href="https://100women.org/">recruiting more women</a> into finance careers should devote effort to addressing concerns about ethics and modifying poor perceptions of the field.</p>
<p>However, it is unclear where these ethical perceptions are formed and how well they reflect reality. For instance, do women overestimate the occurrence of ethical misbehavior or do men underestimate it? Can these perceptions be altered by <a href="https://theconversation.com/study-finds-ethics-can-be-taught-in-finance-at-least-129877">ethics training</a> or highlighting the rigorous ethical standards employed by professional organizations such as the <a href="https://www.cfainstitute.org/en/ethics-standards/ethics/code-of-ethics-standards-of-conduct-guidance">CFA Institute Code of Ethics</a> – or are these views already ingrained by the time students arrive on college campuses? </p>
<p>Although devising the most effective reforms is a difficult path, we hope that understanding differences in ethical perceptions will lead to more successful efforts in recruiting diverse pools of financial professionals going forward.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173970/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Tyler Jensen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Many factors influence women’s underrepresentation in investment careers. One that isn’t often discussed: their concerns about ethics.Tyler Jensen, Assistant Professor of Finance, Iowa State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1733212021-12-16T13:28:19Z2021-12-16T13:28:19ZSurveys of scientists show women and young academics suffered most during pandemic and may face long-term career consequences<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437659/original/file-20211214-27402-1j8amls.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C201%2C6448%2C4245&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Working from home comes with many distractions.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/mother-working-from-home-with-children-in-royalty-free-image/1273890998?adppopup=true">MoMoProductions/Digital Vision via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>On March 6, 2020, universities across the U.S. announced systematic <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/06/us/coronavirus-college-campus-closings.html">laboratory closures, social distancing policies and travel bans</a> to cope with the growing coronavirus epidemic. These actions, while prudent and necessary, had immediate negative impacts on the academic enterprise of science in the U.S. and around the world.</p>
<p>We are a team of <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=DGHsTEgAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra">researchers</a> who <a href="https://spa.asu.edu/content/lesley-michalegko">study</a> the <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=CG9lGUgAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra">role of science</a> and technology <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=AXfiRyYAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=sra">in society</a>. We are also part of a collaborative, multi-university project, called SciOPS, that seeks to improve <a href="https://news.asu.edu/20210128-global-engagement-sciops-gives-us-look-scientists-minds">how scientists communicate with the public</a>. As the pandemic wore on, researchers began telling us about the work stoppages, data losses and other hardships they were experiencing. We felt this was important information, so we conducted two surveys to understand how the pandemic was affecting researchers.</p>
<p>The pandemic’s hardships in academia have been widespread and lasting, but our analyses revealed that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-021-00823-9">female and early career scientists faced more negative impacts</a> than other groups. These differences are likely aggravating already existing disparities and potentially altering career trajectories. The negative outcomes may last well beyond the end of the pandemic. </p>
<h2>A survey of researchers</h2>
<p>The SciOPS team conducted its first COVID-19 survey in May 2020, with a follow-up exactly a year later in May 2021. For each, we invited faculty from a random sample of 21 U.S. research universities who work in biology, engineering and biochemistry to participate in the study, and about 300 scientists responded each time. Through a series of multiple choice and open-ended questions, the surveys asked how researchers had been affected both professionally and personally by the pandemic. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437661/original/file-20211214-17-1mdremf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A sign in a door saying that a university building is closed indefinitely." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437661/original/file-20211214-17-1mdremf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437661/original/file-20211214-17-1mdremf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=373&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437661/original/file-20211214-17-1mdremf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=373&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437661/original/file-20211214-17-1mdremf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=373&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437661/original/file-20211214-17-1mdremf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=468&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437661/original/file-20211214-17-1mdremf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=468&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437661/original/file-20211214-17-1mdremf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=468&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Closures of schools and labs forced many scientists to work from home.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/VirusOutbreakColorado/a2a120dd5a6d45048f24e863314e6e33/photo?Query=university%20closed%20virus%20sign&mediaType=photo&sortBy=&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=8&currentItemNo=4">AP Photo/David Zalubowski</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How the coronavirus disrupted science</h2>
<p>Our first survey found that disruptions at work and home negatively affected research activities for a vast majority of the scientists who responded. </p>
<p>On the <a href="https://www.sci-ops.org/surveys/covid-19-survey-ii-2021-impacts-on-scientific-research">research side</a>, 93% of respondents experienced university shutdowns and 88% faced lab work disruptions. Over 80% dealt with conference cancellations and travel restrictions. Some researchers also had to quickly adapt to financial issues, and this, along with other hurdles, saw many scientists delaying data collection, applying for timeline extensions or ending data collection early.</p>
<p>Challenges at <a href="https://www.sci-ops.org/surveys/covid-19-personal-impacts">home also affected scientists’ work</a>. Roughly 80% of respondents said they were unable to concentrate on research activities, 72% had anxiety about contracting COVID-19 and 36% had to manage unexpected child care responsibilities. </p>
<p>The May 2021 survey showed that a year later, not much had changed. Responses were nearly identical: 92% of scientists reported difficulties from university closures, 89% experienced lab work disruptions and 84% had collaboration disruptions that had interrupted their research over the past year.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.sci-ops.org/surveys/covid-19-survey-ii-2021-personal-impacts">Issues at home were nearly the same</a> as the year prior, too. The only major difference was that 11% percent of respondents reported coping with a family member’s illness, compared to only 3% in 2020.</p>
<p>Inevitably, these stressors all took a toll on researchers’ well-being. Nearly 60% indicated that their overall mental health and happiness had decreased because of the pandemic. This is higher than a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study that found <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6932a1">40% of the U.S. general public were facing mental health issues</a> in June 2021. As one researcher stated, reiterating the sentiments of many others in our study: “The mental impact of lockdown affected every researcher in my lab, including me. It was far more damaging than anything else we experienced and caused huge drop-offs in productivity.” </p>
<h2>Younger researchers and female researchers faced more difficulties</h2>
<p>Some scientists felt the added stress from a lack of boundaries between home and work much more acutely than others. The unexpected rises in parental child care and virtual schooling fell most heavily on female and early career faculty. </p>
<p>In our 2020 survey, 34% percent of female scientists reported disruptions due to unexpected child care responsibilities, compared to 21% of males. Early career faculty struggled more too. Roughly 43% of assistant professors indicated unexpected child care duties caused major disruptions to their research, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-021-00823-9">30% more than their most senior colleagues</a>. In total, nearly 50% of both female respondents and assistant professors reported an inability to concentrate on research activities, while only 29% of male colleagues and 36% of senior colleagues reported the same.</p>
<p><iframe id="6vK2B" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/6vK2B/8/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<p>These unequal burdens barely changed between 2020 and 2021. If anything, issues got worse for female scientists. Many reported other unanticipated complications such as management of other family members’ mental health, divorce and limited space at home. </p>
<p>Given the extra burdens young researchers and female researchers are facing, it’s no surprise their work suffered. Other research has shown that during the pandemic, female scientists had <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-020-0921-y">significantly less time to work on research</a>. Many were not able to meet deadlines, and so they <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.663252">submitted fewer manuscripts</a> compared to pre-pandemic levels. </p>
<p>Unsurprisingly, these impacts on productivity were <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.663252">even worse for women with children</a>. Research has shown that home disruptions can cascade over time and result in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-020-0921-y">delayed promotions and tenure</a>. Even pre-COVID-19, working mothers in academia left their respective fields at much higher rates than their male colleagues, and this trend was <a href="https://doi.org/10.1513/AnnalsATS.202006-589IP">further amplified by the pandemic</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437662/original/file-20211214-27-11jx78v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A screen with many faces on it participating in a video conference." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437662/original/file-20211214-27-11jx78v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437662/original/file-20211214-27-11jx78v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437662/original/file-20211214-27-11jx78v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437662/original/file-20211214-27-11jx78v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437662/original/file-20211214-27-11jx78v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437662/original/file-20211214-27-11jx78v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/437662/original/file-20211214-27-11jx78v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Researchers figured out ways to work around challenges posed by the pandemic.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/social-teleconference-during-covid-19-royalty-free-image/1217489268?adppopup=true">GabrielPevide/E+ via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Adapting to the new world</h2>
<p>Undoubtedly, the pandemic has had devastating effects on academic research and those who do it. But hidden among the gloom of our surveys were a few bright spots that highlight the resilience of the scientific community.</p>
<p>In our 2020 survey, 37% of scientists said that they developed new research topics to pursue, and 22% developed new collaborations. Virtual meetings proved to be a valuable transition for some. As one researcher noted, “Through regular videoconference discussions, new and long-distance collaborations have been initiated and maintained between four labs in the U.S. This would have been never envisaged prior to the Zoom era.”</p>
<p>The pandemic highlighted existing problems within science but also offered lessons to be learned. Many in academia want to avoid <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2021/02/10/without-intentional-interventions-pandemic-will-make-higher-education-less-diverse">deepening existing inequities in the scientific workforce</a>, and studies have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001100">outlined ways to do this</a>. By implementing programs such as tenure clock extensions, advocating for affordable child care and allocating funds to support early career women researchers, the scientific community could enable broader participation, capacity and production for all scientists. </p>
<p>Looking forward, we believe it is critically important for universities and research funders to proactively address the continuing challenges posed by the pandemic, particularly for female and early career faculty. With so much in flux, there is an opportunity to change and improve a system that wasn’t working for a lot of people prior to the pandemic.</p>
<p>[<em>Get the best of The Conversation, every weekend.</em> <a href="https://memberservices.theconversation.com/newsletters/?nl=weekly&source=inline-weeklybest">Sign up for our weekly newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173321/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Many scientists stuck at home during university closures dealt with increased domestic responsibilities. But some groups had it worse than others.Lesley Michalegko, Research Project Manager of Public Policy, Arizona State UniversityEric Welch, Professor & Director, Center for Science, Technology & Environmental Policy Studies, Arizona State UniversityMary K. Feeney, Professor and Lincoln Professor of Ethics in Public Affairs, Arizona State UniversityTimothy P. Johnson, Professor Emeritus of Public Administration, University of Illinois ChicagoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1699922021-12-02T13:42:30Z2021-12-02T13:42:30ZFemale faculty of color do extra diversity work for no extra reward – here’s how to fix that<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/434208/original/file-20211126-19-19275ke.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=7%2C0%2C5104%2C3403&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Time spent mentoring students is often ignored when it comes to faculty salary and promotion decisions.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/professor-and-student-talking-on-campus-royalty-free-image/463246891"> Peathegee Inc via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1275708">College faculty members</a> are critical in helping American colleges <a href="https://www.chronicle.com/article/the-antiracist-college?cid2=gen_login_refresh&cid=gen_sign_in">become more diverse, inclusive and equitable</a>. Professors and instructors not only teach and advise students, they also help institutions make inroads toward <a href="https://www.aacu.org/publications/unmet-promise">equity goals</a> such as improving graduation rates for underrepresented students by connecting with and serving as role models for students. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2002.11777131">Female faculty members of color</a> in particular are disproportionately called upon by both colleagues and students to do diversity, equity and inclusion work. While diversity work is often meaningful to them, most faculty members’ workloads and rewards systems are not designed to recognize this labor when it comes to salaries and promotions. This is just one example of how sexism and racism contribute to the <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2021009">persistent lack of female faculty members of color</a> across higher education.</p>
<p>As researchers with the <a href="https://facultyworkloadandrewardsproject.umd.edu">Faculty Workload and Rewards Project</a>, which is funded by the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1463898">National Science Foundation</a>, our team analyzed workloads for 957 faculty members from 22 U.S. colleges and universities. We identified how <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ588102">racial</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0891243210386728">gender</a> inequalities lead to extra work and less recognition for female faculty members.</p>
<h2>The ‘identity tax’</h2>
<p>Many faculty members struggle with balancing the different elements of their workload, in what might be referred to as “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1573-7861.2012.01319.x">work-work balance</a>.” In addition to teaching students, faculty members are expected to advise students, conduct research and engage in administrative and leadership work. Yet although universities expect them to contribute in these ways, faculty members are rarely evaluated on all of these contributions. At universities with graduate programs and selective liberal arts colleges, research is typically the primary focus, while teaching may be a bigger priority at colleges focused on undergraduate education.</p>
<p>As <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0207316">previous research</a> has shown, white women and faculty members of color recognize that workloads are unfairly distributed among faculty. For example, women are more likely to do work that supports the institution, such as mentoring students, revising the curriculum or organizing departmental events. However, this work is not generally rewarded in salary and promotion decisions. Male faculty members, on the other hand, are more likely to protect their research time, which is more likely to line up with how they are evaluated. </p>
<p>Faculty members of color, in particular, pay an “<a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2011.606208">identity tax</a>,” which is exacerbated for women of color. They are asked to do more mentoring for students – especially students of color – as well as leadership and diversity work on campus. While this work is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2011.606208">less valued for promotion</a>, faculty members of color express that these responsibilities can give their work <a href="https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1003972214943">special meaning</a>. </p>
<h2>How to make workloads more transparent</h2>
<p>The goal of the Faculty Workload and Rewards Project was not merely to observe workload differences. We also <a href="https://www.acenet.edu/Documents/Equity-Minded-Faculty-Workloads.pdf">identified</a> a number of changes departments can make to solve these workload inequities. </p>
<p>One solution is for colleges to make faculty workload measurements and expectations more transparent. </p>
<p>For example, if women of color among faculty understand workload expectations for their position in terms of numbers of courses taught, students advised and committee work done, they are more likely to feel <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/08912432211001387">credited for their work</a>. And if, for example, a faculty member is advising eight students when the clear norm is five, she will know she is overperforming and might decline taking on additional students.</p>
<p>Additionally, when women of color work in departments that assign teaching, advising and administrative work systematically – for example, the department chair asks each faculty member to advise five students – they are less likely to see their work as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/08912432211001387">devalued</a>. </p>
<p>In both of these systems, faculty members know that their workload will be linked to how they are rewarded. </p>
<p>Crediting is another important part of making faculty workloads more equitable. </p>
<p>Workload equity does not require every faculty member to do the same job. Some faculty members prefer, for example, advising students, and others prefer committee work. Distributing workload equitably is different from distributing workload equally. Equitable workload systems can, for example, substitute more time advising students with less time serving on committees, and vice versa. This approach credits faculty members for their workload in ways that take into account their preferences and skill sets. </p>
<p>These are relatively simple fixes, but they can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/08912432211001387">make a difference</a> in how women of color feel about how and whether their workload is recognized by their colleagues.</p>
<h2>‘The can of worms is already open’</h2>
<p>As we worked with departments committed to addressing workload inequities, they compared implementing more transparency with <a href="https://www.insidehighered.com/advice/2018/06/27/how-make-faculty-service-demands-more-equitable-opinion?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=117abc9646-DNU_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-117abc9646-198228137&mc_cid=117abc9646&mc_eid=0e307ffb34">opening a can of worms</a>. Department chairs worry, for example, that faculty members will be more likely to complain that colleagues are not doing their share. Yet the can of worms is already open – and having <a href="https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/toxic-ivory-towers/9780813592978">damaging effects</a> on the careers of female faculty members of color.</p>
<p>[<em>More than 140,000 readers get one of The Conversation’s informative newsletters.</em> <a href="https://memberservices.theconversation.com/newsletters/?source=inline-140K">Join the list today</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/169992/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Joya Misra receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the ARC Network: A STEM Equity Braintrust. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alexandra Kuvaeva was a research assistant for the NSF-funded ADVANCE program.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Audrey J. Jaeger receives funding from National Science Foundation and John M. Belk Endowment. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dawn Culpepper receives funding from the National Science Foundation and the ARC Network: A STEM Equity Brainstrust</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>KerryAnn O'Meara receives funding from the National Science Foundation and ADVANCE and AGEP Programs. </span></em></p>If colleges want to address systemic racism within their institutions, they can start by crediting female faculty members of color for work that gets overlooked. A group of higher ed researchers explains how.Joya Misra, Professor of Sociology & Public Policy, UMass AmherstAlexandra Kuvaeva, Graduate Research Assistant, University of MarylandAudrey J. Jaeger, Professor of Educational Leadership, North Carolina State UniversityDawn Culpepper, Research Assistant Professor of Higher Education, University of MarylandKerryAnn O'Meara, Professor of Higher Education and Distinguished Scholar Teacher, University of MarylandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1709432021-11-21T13:20:56Z2021-11-21T13:20:56ZHow skilled newcomers can stave off major career sacrifices when job-seeking<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431994/original/file-20211115-17-p700jn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6000%2C3817&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Skilled migrants often face big challenges trying to find work that matches their credentials.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Nicola Barts/Pexels)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Many people experience career interruptions at some point in their lives. But <a href="https://izajodm.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/2193-9039-3-4">the interruptions that result from immigrating to other countries</a> involve entirely different challenges.</p>
<p>The move to a new country requires skilled migrants to make decisions not just about work but also about their family’s needs and their overall well-being as newcomers. <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0018726715580865">It’s very common for them to be forced into sacrificing their careers</a> in order to work in their new home, especially if their credentials are <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/public-service-commission/jobs/services/gc-jobs/degree-equivalency.html">deemed not transferrable.</a></p>
<p>A pediatrician, for example, may take on a job as an ultrasound technician, or a teacher may instead take a job as a caregiver to the elderly. </p>
<p>While some countries — like Canada, for example — <a href="https://www.oecd.org/els/mig/migration-policy-debates-19.pdf">rate highly for their appeal to skilled migrants</a>, settling still poses major career barriers. One of the major paradoxes that skilled migrants face is that despite gaining entry into a host country based on their credentials (for example, accumulated foreign capital), <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09585192.2014.990398">that doesn’t guarantee success in the local labour market</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/job.2550">In our quantitative study</a>, we examine how skilled migrants cope with this problem and the strategies they use to deal with career sacrifice. </p>
<h2>Seeking a better life</h2>
<p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/job.2550">Motivations for migration vary</a>, but many people migrate with their families seeking better opportunities for their children and a better quality of life. Upon arrival, they learn that many of their career expectations may not materialize, and they must rethink how to re-establish themselves and make sense of the new situation.</p>
<p>Often, many of these professionals <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0018726721992854">will end up underemployed</a>. That means they take jobs that are lower quality and dissatisfying since their career prospects don’t match their expertise. They often experience some type of career sacrifice in the hope of providing opportunities and a better life for their families. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A young boy in a tuxedo raises his right arm." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/432017/original/file-20211115-13-1fydsxx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/432017/original/file-20211115-13-1fydsxx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=443&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432017/original/file-20211115-13-1fydsxx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=443&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432017/original/file-20211115-13-1fydsxx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=443&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432017/original/file-20211115-13-1fydsxx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=556&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432017/original/file-20211115-13-1fydsxx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=556&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/432017/original/file-20211115-13-1fydsxx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=556&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A young boy takes the oath as he attends a citizenship ceremony at Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S., in March 2020. Many immigrants choose to migrate to provide a better life for their families but that sometimes requires sacrificing their career trajectory.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Our study shows that to improve their chances of finding quality employment, migrants must engage in career self-management. This involves weighing the pros and cons of various career options and carefully planning the next steps in their career, while at the same time learning about their new situation and any potential career barriers in the job market where they’ll be looking for employment.</p>
<p>It requires hard work in the absence of any organizational support structures, and it means <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321163466_Can_I_come_as_I_am_Refugees'_vocational_identity_threats_coping_and_growth">migrants must become active career agents for themselves</a>. </p>
<p>Our research illustrates that migrants who are proactive and engage in career self-management may have better chances of finding quality work that aligns with their expertise. One of the most important ways to do this is to engage in career planning in their new country. Even though <a href="https://www.jvstoronto.org/find-a-job/career-exploration-services/">some city-based settlement programs and agencies</a> may help during career planning, those efforts are largely left to the job-seekers themselves.</p>
<h2>Learning new routines</h2>
<p>While skilled migrants are often experienced job-seekers, they must learn new career routines that are characteristic of their new local working environment. That means understanding the unspoken rules and norms that are common in their new labour market and adjusting their career goals and strategies accordingly. These may vary from learning new networking routines and even how to engage in informal work conversations.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/as-city-life-is-restricted-by-the-covid-19-pandemic-new-residents-find-creative-ways-to-manage-139532">As city life is restricted by the COVID-19 pandemic, new residents find creative ways to manage</a>
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<p>It also involves weighing the pros and cons of various career options and understanding what type of sacrifice, if any, they’ll have to make to secure local employment and restart their careers. </p>
<p>This kind of analysis may require them to give up some parts of their work routines and redefine their professional lives, but they can also gain new knowledge and networks. Once they’re in the midst of this major transition, <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fbul0000297">often characterized by career sacrifice</a>, our study found that supportive social networks play a big role in successful employment. </p>
<p>Newcomers leave behind their established social networks and relationships when they migrate to a new country. So support in their adopted home is critically important to helping them explore local job options and pursue new careers.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A bearded man sits next to a woman as they look at a laptop" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431997/original/file-20211115-19-j1oanv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431997/original/file-20211115-19-j1oanv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431997/original/file-20211115-19-j1oanv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431997/original/file-20211115-19-j1oanv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431997/original/file-20211115-19-j1oanv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431997/original/file-20211115-19-j1oanv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/431997/original/file-20211115-19-j1oanv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Skilled migrants must become more active career agents.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Anna Shvets/Pexels)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Career planning is critical</h2>
<p>Finally, <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0021-9010.84.6.897">contrary to popular wisdom about more job searches leading to better outcomes</a>, we conclude with somewhat different advice.</p>
<p>Based on our findings, it may not be the intensity of someone’s job search, but instead the type and quality of their career planning that may matter more when it comes to finding quality employment.</p>
<p>Skilled migrants may have to let go of aspects of their original career path and sacrifice some of their professional goals and plans. But proactive approach to job searches, social support and engaging in specific career planning activities from the start can help them succeed. This could involve <a href="http://costi.org/programs/program_details.php?stype_id=0&program_id=211">making connections and reaching out to local organizations and employers even before they arrive</a>.</p>
<p>This can give newcomers a realistic preview of employment prospects even before they leave their native country, and can create more realistic expectations — and perhaps even result in a lesser degree of career sacrifice once they arrive.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/170943/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jelena Zikic receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada (SSHRC)</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ute-Christine Klehe does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>One of the major paradoxes that skilled migrants face is that despite gaining entry into a host country based on their credentials, that doesn’t guarantee success in the local labour market.Jelena Zikic, Associate Professor, School of Human Resource Management, York University, CanadaUte-Christine Klehe, Full Professor of Work and Organizational Psychology, University of GiessenLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1706852021-11-17T13:16:44Z2021-11-17T13:16:44ZWant to take an online course? Here are 4 tips to make sure you get the most out of it for your career<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/431550/original/file-20211111-6892-7r71ep.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C2117%2C1412&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Hiring managers often prefer nondegree credentials from top universities over credit-bearing certificates from for-profit institutions.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/group-of-unrecognisable-international-students-royalty-free-image/1300822108"> Drazen_/E+ Collection via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>The “<a href="https://hbr.org/2021/09/who-is-driving-the-great-resignation">great resignation</a>” has left a lot of people with time on their hands. And while this time may be a welcome respite from the daily grind, most folks will need to get back to work eventually. For many, this period is a time of reflection and a chance to pursue a new career. </p>
<p>But how do you make the switch? And even if you plan to return to the same field, how do you show that you have kept current with the <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/future-of-work/the-future-of-work-after-covid-19">changes and trends</a> that affected most industries during the pandemic?</p>
<p>Traditionally, the answer to these questions has been to go back to school. But <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/02/the-gap-in-college-costs-and-earnings-for-young-workers-since-1980.html">rising tuition costs</a> over the past few decades, and the time commitment of traditional degree programs, makes this route prohibitively expensive for a lot of people. </p>
<p>That’s where short online courses in business, technology and other fields come in. Over the past 10 years, these courses from providers such as <a href="https://www.udemy.com/">Udemy</a>, <a href="https://www.coursera.org/">Coursera</a> and <a href="https://www.edx.org/">edX</a> have become more popular, and <a href="https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/9781503628076-016/html">approximately 75% of learners who take them</a> report gaining <a href="https://er.educause.edu/articles/2019/6/mooc-based-alternative-credentials-whats-the-value-for-the-learner">career benefits</a> from completing them. </p>
<p>As a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=yRJ7ARQAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">researcher and practitioner</a> who develops these education technologies, I also study the <a href="https://repository.isls.org//handle/1/7629">behaviors that make online learners successful</a>. Here are four key actions that studies have shown will help online learners make the most of a short online course to reap the career benefits they desire. </p>
<h2>1. Identify the goal</h2>
<p>Learners who begin a course with a clear idea of what they want to get out of it are <a href="http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/3393">more likely to complete their course</a> and earn a certificate. A goal may be, for example, to learn a new skill, gain more knowledge about a topic, improve job performance, get a new job or advance in a current one. </p>
<p>In my study of over 4,000 learners who completed an online course in business topics, I found that learners who enrolled in their course with the intention of improving their job performance, starting their own business or getting a new role were <a href="https://www.proquest.com/openview/342971212e6faa77bf99cb0faa606555/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y">more likely to experience career benefits</a> than those who enrolled only because they wanted to learn something new about the topic. </p>
<h2>2. Rewatch videos and retake tests</h2>
<p>Among the same sample of over 4,000 people taking online courses, I also found that <a href="https://repository.isls.org/handle/1/7629">learning behaviors associated with persistence</a> – such as watching more videos or retaking tests – were shown to be more strongly associated with perceived career benefits than social behaviors like forum posts, comments and views – or even grades.</p>
<p>In fact, the same study showed that grades don’t have any correlation to whether or not a person gains career benefits as long as they eventually pass the course. The lesson here is to try and try again. Taking a course that is challenging may prove to be more useful than one a learner can breeze through. </p>
<h2>3. Finish the course</h2>
<p>Many short courses are now only four or five weeks long, with fewer than three hours of time required per week. Learners who complete their online courses are <a href="https://www.proquest.com/openview/342971212e6faa77bf99cb0faa606555/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y">more likely</a> to learn something new, improve performance, get a raise or new job or start a new business. They can also <a href="https://www.amacad.org/sites/default/files/publication/downloads/CFUE_Alternative-Pathways.pdf">receive a digital certificate or badge</a> they can post on social media channels to inform potential employers that they have successfully passed the course. </p>
<p>[<em>Get the best of The Conversation, every weekend.</em> <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/newsletters/weekly-highlights-61?utm_source=TCUS&utm_medium=inline-link&utm_campaign=newsletter-text&utm_content=weeklybest">Sign up for our weekly newsletter</a>.]cc</p>
<h2>4. Choose the brand wisely</h2>
<p>Currently, I am working on a broader study to confirm that hiring managers feel that “nondegree credentials” like certificates from online courses improve a candidate’s resume, particularly if the potential employee does not have work experience in the field. </p>
<p>These same hiring managers value the reputation of the institution that offers the course over the specific credential that is earned from it – a badge vs. a certificate, for example. In my survey to hiring managers, the results of which have not yet been published, a majority responded that they prefer nondegree credentials from academically distinguished universities over credit-bearing certificates from for-profit institutions.</p>
<p>[<em>Too busy to read another daily email?</em> <a href="https://memberservices.theconversation.com/newsletters/?source=inline-toobusy">Get one of The Conversation’s curated weekly newsletters</a>.]</p>
<p>Fortunately, many highly recognizable, academically selective universities and companies now offer these short courses for low or no cost. It’s easy to learn <a href="https://www.edx.org/course/data-analytics-for-everyone">data analytics from IBM</a>, <a href="https://www.coursera.org/learn/uva-darden-foundations-business-strategy">business strategy from Darden</a>, <a href="https://www.coursera.org/learn/machine-learning">machine learning from Stanford</a> and many more topics from top schools, such as Python, computer science, robotics, economics of health care and even the science of happiness from University of Michigan, Harvard, Penn and Yale. If a learner recognizes the name of the institution offering the course, chances are hiring managers will too.</p>
<p>While short online courses have not lived up to the hype 10 years ago that they would <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/04/education/edlife/massive-open-online-courses-are-multiplying-at-a-rapid-pace.html">disrupt higher education</a>, they are helping <a href="https://hbr.org/2015/09/whos-benefiting-from-moocs-and-why?autocomplete=true">millions of learners</a> around the globe try new fields and learn skills to advance their careers.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/170685/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Was an early stage employee at Coursera in 2012-2013 and has no current financial interest in this or any other company mentioned in this article.</span></em></p>Enrollment in online courses surged during the pandemic. An expert on online learning behaviors shares what to do before, during and after taking a course in order to reap the most benefits.Anne Trumbore, Executive Director of Digital and Open Enrollment at the Darden School of Business, University of VirginiaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1675022021-10-20T12:42:54Z2021-10-20T12:42:54ZTrailblazing women who broke into engineering in the 1970s reflect on what’s changed – and what hasn’t<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/426295/original/file-20211013-15-tv131r.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C2986%2C2344&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Women who got their start in the male-dominated profession 40 years ago have advice for today's newcomers in STEM.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/kennedy-senior-wins-bridge-building-contest-lauri-news-photo/838551930">Contributor/Denver Post via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Engineering in the U.S. has long been – and continues to be – a male-dominated profession. Fifty years ago, it looked like that might change. </p>
<p>In 1970, the percentage of women majoring in engineering was less than 1%. In <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/19378629.2019.1663201">1979, that number was 9%</a>. Many hoped women would continue to enter the field at the same rate. But that’s not what happened. Today, only <a href="https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d19/tables/dt19_325.45.asp">21% of engineering majors are women</a>, a number largely unchanged since 2000. </p>
<p>I am a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=X37gi7sAAAAJ">historian</a> who, along with my colleagues, <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=gyOl2lYAAAAJ">Nicole Conroy</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=MqaahlYAAAAJ&view_op=list_works">William Barr II</a>, surveyed 251 women engineers who graduated from college in the 1970s. These trailblazing women <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/19378629.2019.1663201">reflected on the adversity they faced</a> – and had advice for women entering the field today.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425948/original/file-20211012-27-1q29yb8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Black and white photo of a woman speaking to six men gathered around a solar panel." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425948/original/file-20211012-27-1q29yb8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425948/original/file-20211012-27-1q29yb8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=408&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425948/original/file-20211012-27-1q29yb8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=408&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425948/original/file-20211012-27-1q29yb8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=408&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425948/original/file-20211012-27-1q29yb8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425948/original/file-20211012-27-1q29yb8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425948/original/file-20211012-27-1q29yb8.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=512&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Student researchers at the University of Florida, Gainesville work on a solar-powered generator, 1977.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Society of Women Engineers Photographs, Walter P. Reuther Library</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>‘Never quite one of the group’</h2>
<p>We asked about the greatest challenges our survey takers faced as women in a male-dominated field. The three obstacles they cited most frequently were not getting respect, not fitting in and struggling to achieve work/family balance.</p>
<p>One survey taker, a biomechanical engineer who now works in web engineering, explained, “The greatest challenge for me was continuing to believe in myself, when all the messages I was getting were that I would never be taken seriously or promoted or given raises – or even hired – at the same rate as men, who were clearly less qualified and not as smart as I was.”</p>
<p>A chemical engineer who worked in manufacturing concurred, “You have to prove yourself just because you are female. And you have to work twice as hard!”</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425951/original/file-20211012-27-1pqefh5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Black and white photo of a woman using a large pipette to measure out a chemical liquid." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425951/original/file-20211012-27-1pqefh5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425951/original/file-20211012-27-1pqefh5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=829&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425951/original/file-20211012-27-1pqefh5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=829&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425951/original/file-20211012-27-1pqefh5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=829&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425951/original/file-20211012-27-1pqefh5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1042&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425951/original/file-20211012-27-1pqefh5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1042&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425951/original/file-20211012-27-1pqefh5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1042&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">On the job in the Kodak lab, 1977.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Society of Women Engineers Photographs, Walter P. Reuther Library</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A civil engineer said, “We are ‘women engineers.’ People don’t refer to a man as a ‘man engineer’ – he’s an engineer. We are constantly reminded that we don’t truly belong.” Another civil engineer stated, “On many levels, you’re never quite one of the group.”</p>
<p>Women also talked about family caregiving responsibilities. A retired vice president from a major chemical company stated, “Young women engineers are on equal footing until they have children, then they struggle to balance work and family – and compete with men who don’t have the same time constraints or busy family life.” Another woman who worked as a chemist warned that bosses assume “you will leave as soon as you start having babies.”</p>
<p>Remember, the women we surveyed are all now in their 60s and 70s. We asked them if they thought the challenges they faced had changed over time. A retired chemical and environmental engineer said, “Progress is slow” – a view echoed by many survey takers. A nuclear engineer added, “There still remains an old boys’ club … It isn’t as blatant or as crass as when I started, but it still exists.” </p>
<p>Some noted that subtle forms of discrimination and bias can be really damaging. An engineer with a long career in the auto industry said, “Bias can be quite subtle, which really hurts young women, because it can take them years to recognize it, by which time they may have lost a lot of ground.” </p>
<p>About one-quarter of survey respondents said that gender problems no longer exist. A senior project engineer said, “Today, young women engineers are more accepted mostly because there are just more of them. It’s easier to get their foot in the door. Younger male engineers are also used to working with women because they went to school with them.” </p>
<h2>Advice to young women entering engineering</h2>
<p>Despite identifying challenges, the majority of survey takers said they would tell a young woman thinking about pursuing a career in engineering to “Go for it!” </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425936/original/file-20211012-25-iydweq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C1%2C720%2C573&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Black and white photo of a woman in a hard hat at the controls in a large control room." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425936/original/file-20211012-25-iydweq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C1%2C720%2C573&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425936/original/file-20211012-25-iydweq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425936/original/file-20211012-25-iydweq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425936/original/file-20211012-25-iydweq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=480&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425936/original/file-20211012-25-iydweq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425936/original/file-20211012-25-iydweq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425936/original/file-20211012-25-iydweq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=603&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Working the Con Edison 74th St. Station control room, New York, 1975.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Society of Women Engineers Photographs, Walter P. Reuther Library</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Many of the women extolled the benefits of their chosen career. A program manager in manufacturing stated that “hands down” engineering is the best degree. A mechanical engineer who owned her own consulting company said, “It will give you the flexibility to do almost anything. It is almost impossible to point out anything tangible an engineer didn’t touch or influence in some way. It is also satisfying to see the effects of what you have done.” </p>
<p>Some survey takers suggested younger women might need to ignore obstacles. A retired aerospace engineer advised, “You can do the job. However it takes strength and perseverance to do so while ignoring the naysayers.”</p>
<p>Respondents also had practical advice for younger women starting off in the profession. They emphasized using some approaches that worked for them. These included speaking up for yourself, exiting unsupportive workplaces, seeking professional organizations that can help you, finding mentors of all genders and reaching out to other women engineers. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425955/original/file-20211012-19-1k1fvio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Black and white photo of six young women informally chatting while attending a conference." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425955/original/file-20211012-19-1k1fvio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/425955/original/file-20211012-19-1k1fvio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425955/original/file-20211012-19-1k1fvio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425955/original/file-20211012-19-1k1fvio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=429&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425955/original/file-20211012-19-1k1fvio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425955/original/file-20211012-19-1k1fvio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/425955/original/file-20211012-19-1k1fvio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=539&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Members discuss a session at the 1981 Society of Women Engineers National Convention in Anaheim, Calif.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Society of Women Engineers Photographs, Walter P. Reuther Library</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A retired nuclear engineer said, “Use the ‘Old Girls’ Network’ – it does exist … Don’t isolate yourself. You are not the only one with your issue.” </p>
<h2>Part of a larger struggle</h2>
<p>Indeed, the problems our survey takers faced were and are structural. </p>
<p>Engineering remains male-dominated <a href="https://www.aauw.org/resources/research/the-stem-gap/">due to many factors</a> common in other STEM fields. They include <a href="https://worklifelaw.org/publication/climate-control-gender-racial-bias-engineering/">gender bias and stereotypes</a>, <a href="https://www.aauw.org/app/uploads/2020/03/Solving-the-Equation-report-nsa.pdf">male-dominated educational settings and workplaces</a>, and <a href="https://www.nap.edu/catalog/24994/sexual-harassment-of-women-climate-culture-and-consequences-in-academic">sexual harassment</a>. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.nap.edu/catalog/25585/promising-practices-for-addressing-the-underrepresentation-of-women-in-science-engineering-and-medicine">challenges for women from underrepresented groups</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20345">such as people of color</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764218768864">people with disabilities</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/jee.20239">people with LGBTQ identities</a>, <a href="https://worklifelaw.org/publication/climate-control-gender-racial-bias-engineering/">are even greater</a>. </p>
<p>As a chemical engineering professor put it, “Laws and attitudes have changed significantly … However, these changes are not without backlash or pushback. Learning to cope with this is ongoing, not only for women, but for all ‘strangers’ in this profession.”</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/167502/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Laura Ettinger receives funding from the National Science Foundation under grants 1734500 and 1936144.</span></em></p>A survey of 251 women engineers who graduated from college in the 1970s sheds light on the experiences of these professional pioneers.Laura Ettinger, Associate Professor of History, Clarkson UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.