by The Honorable Alexis M. Herman
Monster Contributing Writer
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Not long ago, I met with a group of very smart college women -- current students and recent graduates -- to discuss job-hunting strategies. Our conversation covered a wide territory: What extracurricular activities to list on a resume (President of the French Club? Absolument! Sorority keg champion? Try "Social Committee Chairwoman" instead.); careers for liberal arts majors (The sky's the limit.), how to effectively use the Internet in a job search (Remember to use spell check.), and the best networking techniques (Call everyone, and then call them again.).
As we concluded, one young woman raised her voice and said, "I have a question that I know may sound silly, but it's really been bothering me and I don't know who to ask." She looked pained and embarrassed. I was ready for a tough one: How do you explain to a potential employer that you were once fired from an internship? Or, after four years of college, two years of graduate school and a summer abroad, how do you tell your parents you still don't know what to do for a living?
Finally, she blurted out, "Is it OK to wear pants to a job interview?"
That was the $64,000 question? I looked at the others seated around the table. Each nodded enthusiastically in agreement. A collective "Whew!" was heard in the room. Obviously, this was something on all of their minds.
The question says more about working women's sense of self than it says about their sense of fashion. After all, no man would ever ask such a thing. But it got me thinking about the state and status of working women in this country.
Popular media wants us to believe the workforce is composed of an army of Oprahs and Marthas -- multiconglomerates and single name powerhouses who call the shots. High profile Fortune 500 CEOs like Andrea Jung of Avon, Carly Fiorina of Hewlett-Packard and Anne Mulcahy of Xerox are great leaders and important role models. They are also the exception to corporate America, not the norm.
Reality Check
Of the 108 million women age 16 and older in the United States, 65 million are in the labor force, either working or looking for work. Six out of every 10 women age 16 and over are labor force participants. Women age 35 to 44 have the highest labor participation rate. The largest share of employed women work in technical, sales and administrative support occupations. More women work as teachers (excluding postsecondary), secretaries, managers, administrators and cashiers than any other areas of work. Nearly one out of five women work in one of these occupations.
Nearly 4 million women hold more than one job. Three million women are contingent workers, meaning they do not perceive themselves as having an explicit contract with their employer for ongoing work.
And remember the wage gap? Well, it has diminished some, but it has not disappeared.
Working women continue to earn less than their male counterparts. African-American and Hispanic women's earnings are only 65 and 55 percent, respectively, of white men's average earnings. White women earn about 75 cents for every dollar earned by white men.
Research shows that about 40 percent of that pay gap cannot be explained by differences in experiences, skills or the jobs held by men and women. It is largely the product of plain, old-fashioned, stubborn discrimination.
What Should We Do?
First, we -- both men and women -- need to realize and acknowledge that the pay gap is real. Too many people assume that since women have made terrific progress in the workplace and are getting jobs in areas they never before been employed in, discrimination is no longer a factor. That is just not true. We also have to educate each other and ourselves about this issue, particularly in the area of pay equity.
We -- employers, employees and politicians -- must also make sure antidiscrimination laws are strictly enforced. The law is one of the most powerful methods for closing the pay gap.
And what about the young woman's question? Is it OK to wear pants to a job interview? The answer is yes. The larger issue is whether or not women wear the pants once they get the job.
