Civil Stupidity: Advice For Working Women

I was actually looking for something else when I stumbled across this article.  It gives advice for women who want to advance, and some interesting information about women at work.  For example, women account for 14.4% of executive positions.  You can read some interesting breakdowns by clicking here.

The first and foremost piece of advice?  Don't think the workplace is fair.  Acknowledge that this block exists, and form it into your strategy.  Forget that whole "equal" junk that business tout and look at the real picture.  Also, take a realistic look at your company.  Do you see women advancing, or do you see token promotions to satisfy the minimum requirement?  I just left a company that did not pay equally, and did not promote fairly.  In the end, if your company isn't cutting the requirements, take your ball and play somewhere else.  I moved from a shady LLC to a nationally known company, who clearly states their intent to reduce bias and discrimination in the workplace.

The article also advises to take a proactive role in your career development.  Women are more inclined to bury into work, produce great results, and drown in the resulting aftermath of more hard work. Take charge, and don't be afraid to call out inequality when you see it.  Just go through the proper channels, and make sure your head does the talking, not your emotions.

It isn't fair that women are held to a different standard.  For now, we can work around it, but in the future I hope that we won't have to.  Business is business, and women have the ability to outshine their male counterparts.  That doesn't mean every woman is smarter, or more talented.  It means the ones who are should be given fair opportunity and equal pay.  While the job market recovers, it would be a great time to let this guide hiring principles, and set the stage for real growth.