This month we’re launching a new style of blog post called “Workday Wisdom.” These posts are meant to be more factual and research-based with tangible tips and tools to advance your career and build your business. I believe we need to tackle building our careers and our businesses in two ways: the ‘being’ and the ‘doing.’ Workday Wisdom is entirely focused on the ‘doing.’ Enjoy and let me know what you think! ~ Susan
Within the last five years, we’ve witnessed signs of progress with the representation of women in leadership roles. Obviously, we all know there’s still plenty of work to be done (otherwise organizations like Lean In wouldn’t exist!). But we’re taking small steps in the right direction.
According to the 2019 Women in the Workplace study, “Since 2015, the number of women in senior leadership has grown. This is particularly true in the C-suite. Where the representation of women has increased from 17 percent to 21 percent.”
Are there certain industries where women are on par, or even outperforming male colleagues in terms of earning potential and job prospects? Absolutely!
Take a look at five industries where women can thrive in the workplace:
Engineering
Engineering is still a highly male-dominated industry. The average Canadian engineer’s salary is $61,000 per year. However, depending on where you work and what kind of engineer you are, it’s not uncommon to find a job that pays over $200,000 per year.
Healthcare
Women comprise 67% of the frontline health and social workforce. Medical professionals will always be in high demand, so it’s a field with guaranteed high potential for growth.
Construction
Although an unconventional field, this nearly all-male industry (only 8.5% of US workers are female) has one of the smallest gender pay gaps. According to experts, “women are typically paid better in ‘traditionally masculine’ jobs than they are in those that have been long associated with females.”
Software Development
Only one in five software developers is female which doesn’t seem like terribly good news. However, with an employment growth rate of 24%, it’s a busy and thriving industry. There are plenty of opportunities for female tech leaders to succeed.
Chief Executive Officer
It’s no surprise that being a “chief executive” is the highest-paying job for women with the median salary being $132,982 CAD per year. However, there are only 313,000 US women working as CEOs in 2017. The gender gap at the C-suite level is painfully noticeable.
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To your success, in business, in your career, and in life,
P.S. If this article has you curious about exploring your next best career option,The Align Retreat, coming up in October 2020, may be for you. Inspired by the Personal Balance Equation work I usually do in private session with my clients, The Align Retreat will guide you on a journey to more clarity in this area while leaving you rejuvenated, inspired and ready to take a big step forward in your life or work. More details can be found here.
