There will always be arguments surrounding male-dominated careers and why there aren’t more women in these sectors. Truth be told, there is so much conversation going on and it’s sparking debate in a positive way. Clearly, there is so much value when it comes to welcoming women into career paths that have traditionally been dominated by men, but let’s delve a little deeper.
When it comes to finding your career, there are a lot of wide ranging considerations to make, especially with regards to work culture, diversity and respect. Some women are steering clear from certain industries simply because they feel as though they’d experience discrimination in the workplace, rather than be welcomed in for their refreshing outlooks. Now, let’s uncover some of the most notable things that women in particular industries might be thinking and feeling when they apply for certain job roles.
Exploring Male Dominated Industries
Some of the industries that are mostly dominated by males are construction workers, tech, engineering, medicine and finance. There is something extremely respectable about women in finance, and more needs to be done to encourage women to choose this as their future career path. Having the right qualifications and skills may be enough to get you so far, but it certainly takes some tenacity to fight through the gender stereotypes and make your mark in a competitive industry such as finance as a woman.
Over the past few years, more and more businesses are starting to encourage more female applicants to take on these types of roles. Although there is a lot that still needs to be addressed and actions, there is some conscious effort being made to bring more women into the forefront of certain careers such as agriculture, transport, and manufacturing. With that being said, if you were to look at any of these standard workplaces today, you would probably find that it’s a hugely male dominated space. Hopefully, as time moves forward it will become clear how females can be brought to the forefront in a more convincing way, but for now it’s the women who need to do the hard work and train up to take on these roles with confidence.
What Values Do Women Bring?
Talent Acquisition
When recruiters are looking to make their next hire for a competitive business, they won’t want to simply fill the role with people who already work in this workplace. Although there may be certain criteria to meet and molds to fill, they will want their next hire to be something unique, inspiring and new. On a similar note, people who are on the lookout for jobs aren’t just seeking out a career that’s going to pay their mortgage and bills. They want to feel fully inspired by their future workplace, and be surrounded with a diverse team that can help them to become better at what they do.
Excellent Abilities
It may sound extremely cliche, but if you have ever asked a woman in your family or friendship group to get a job done, they have probably completed it with extreme competence and skill. There is a lot of evidence to prove that women in notable leadership roles create higher profits for the businesses they work in. This is a clear indicator that gender inclusion needs to be a big discussion if you’re running a business or company. Your profit margins could increase if you have a woman running the show. It’s clear to see that women are just as competent as men, yet they tend to shy away from job applications that need them to meet other types of criteria. Whereas, men will more confidently go for a job even if they aren’t necessarily skilled or qualified enough to carry out the role in question. This is a clear indicator that women are undervalued and men or overplayed in many industries that could be more inclusive and open minded.
Insightfulness and Forward Thinking
It’s scientifically proven that women and men have a completely different way of approaching a project or taking on a challenge. This means that if you have a workforce that is made up of mostly males, you will probably be presented with the same thoughts and ideas. Balancing out these male thought processes will be extremely beneficial to any sort of company, as a woman can bring insightfulness, fresh perspectives and forward thinking strategies. Differing opinions and approaches can create more innovation within a business, therefore making it more efficient and interesting to be a part of.
The Biggest Challenges
As well as exploring the value of bringing more women into male dominated careers, it’s also important to acknowledge the challenges faced too. Some of the biggest obstacles that many women face in the workplace at the moment are the old-fashioned attitudes, the pay gaps and the rude comments. In any type of professional setting, it’s highly likely that there will be some sort of gender bias when the line of work usually leans more towards the male category. This can make it extremely hard for women to find their place in a traditionally male dominated workplace. From engineers to finance professionals, there is a lot of work that needs to be done to combat these unfortunate views. As well as the general difficulties in the workplace, there are also major challenges in terms of getting promotions and climbing the rankings. Women rarely catch up to the pace that a man’s career is moving at and it’s through no fault of their own, other than society itself.
As you can see, there are so many positives that go hand in hand with bringing more women into male-dominated workforces. As well as offering fresh perspectives, women also have invaluable skills, mindsets and strengths to bring to the table. All in all, the power of women should never be underestimated under any circumstances, so let’s keep flying the flag and fighting for women to hold their place in industries that have traditionally been dominated by male figures.
There has been a noticeable uptick in the number of companies actively seeking for female candidates for these kinds of positions in recent years.