The Great Divide: Pay Inequality. Whose fault is it?

Recently, I’ve been searching for a regular full time position. I’ve been in my career for almost two decades. During that time, I’ve worked for great companies and some not so great. I started a business, and then later closed that business. Throughout it all, I’ve had some awesome experiences and really developed my skills. Every consulting assignment that I have had, I’ve been asked to stay beyond the initial engagement. Suffice it to say, there have been some dynamic experiences in my career and I feel well qualified to do what I do. And just for good measure, lack of confidence is not something I typically struggle with. So why as women, do we question ourselves about the compensation we expect? Why do we cower when it’s time to talk money?

People that know me well know that I do not fear talking about money in a social setting. To the point that I have even coached others on their money situation and methodologies for handling different circumstances. I know down to the dollar how much I need to earn to maintain my current standard of living. I also do research on what my skills and experience are worth. So imagine my amazement when preparing for a phone interview, I began to question my salary requirements.

Am I asking for too much?
Since it’s not a Fortune 100 company, should I reduce my requirement?

Ultimately, I shook it off and stayed with my established range. But the question lingered, as women, why do we do this? Do men have this same struggle? Do men question themselves on why they ask for what they ask for? I’m reminded of the anecdote in Sheryl Sandberg’s book Lean In about how she was convinced by her husband to negotiate her salary at Facebook. That said to me that no matter whether you are offered $20,000 or $20,000,000, as women, we are inclined to shy away from standing up for ourselves financially.   So until WE decide that WE are worth it, women's pay will always lag behind.

What do you think?

Career Management v. Job Management. Which are you doing?

This morning during my 5am walk, I had a discussion with a neighbor about career management.  It really got me thinking about my own career and the question came to me, "Have I been managing my career or my jobs"?  I think I can honestly say, I've been doing both, but at different times.  Early in my career, I was managing my career, unbeknownst to me.  I was constantly seeking new challenges, which led me to an average tenure of about 18 months.  Then something changed.  I'm not sure whether I got older, more stuck in my ways or just longed for greater job stability.  When that happened, I stopped managing my career and started managing jobs.  For me, that was a mistake. 

When you manage your career, your focus remains on the work you do, the results you produce and leveraging those to meet the next challenge.  At some companies, this may mean asking for permission to post when you haven't met the required time in job.  It may also mean being open to short-term, temporary assignments.  Depending on your lifestyle at the time, this might include relocating.  It could also mean changing companies.

Conversely, when managing your jobs, your focus is on the next position more so than the work.   The downside to that is you become dependent on a company to produce the "right job" and the company's timing may not directly align with yours. 

So, as you go throughout your day, ask yourself, "Am I managing my career or my jobs"?  I'll bet it might even help you prioritize your tasks, but I'll save that for another post.

Until next time...