While women are often still at a disadvantage when entering the workforce, particularly in traditionally male-dominated fields, last night a panel of professional women said knowledge and confidence can help young women overcome these obstacles.
Women of various ages from several different fields shared their experiences and offered advice to female students in the University Career Center panel “Wonder Women in the Workplace.”
Peer career educators Julia Connell and Maddie Dwyer, who moderated the event, recognized a lack of confidence and assertiveness as two major challenges plaguing young women today. The panelists suggested that young women could overcome these obstacles by working hard and preparing themselves for the tasks at hand.
“Your confidence isn’t something that somebody else gives you, it’s something that is yours, that you possess yourself and you control yourself,” said panelist Terry McTigue, an ecologist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “and I control mine by being prepared.”
McTigue also said that she has abandoned traditional assumptions about how women should behave and instead focuses on performing her job to the best of her ability.
“I was raised to be a nice girl,” she said, “You’ve got to get over that.”
The panelists agreed that if women devote themselves to their jobs in a more confident manner, their achievements would diminish the stereotypes they often face.
“Breaking those stereotypes in most cases, I think, doesn’t mean ignoring them but means putting other things as priority before them,” said panelist Jan Plane, a faculty member in the computer science department and director of the Maryland Center for Women in Computing.
Panelist Stacey Brown, associate director of academic achievement programs for the university, said that in order to advance their careers, women should take advantage of every opportunity to have a “seat at the table” and not be afraid to step outside their comfort zones.
“It may not feel good, but it does allow opportunities for growth; it does allow you to be challenged; it does allow you to think differently and be able to contribute to conversations,” she said.
While panelist Meenu Singh, who graduated from the university in the spring, is new to the workforce, she encouraged women to not sell themselves short during negotiations in order to earn what they deserve.
“They’re going to want you for what you bring to the table, and they’re not going to shoo you away for asking for an amount that you feel is the right amount,” said Singh, who works at the academy for innovation and entrepreneurship.
The panelists also stressed that women should be passionate about their work, and comfortable in the company or organization they choose to work for.
When panelist Jackie Schaffer, vice president and general manager of Cella Consulting, graduated from this university in 2002, she accepted a job offer only to decline it a week later. She said the man who had interviewed her seemed sexist and she had a “pit in her stomach” about taking the position.
“You guys are on the cusp of making a really big decision,” Schaffer said. “Be really thoughtful about what job you select and the people you work with.”
While freshman hearing and speech sciences major Jourdan Richard won’t be entering the workforce for several years, she said she found the panel helpful and informative.
“The future and finding a job is kind of obscured right now. I’m not really sure what to expect,” Richard said. “This really opens up my eyes to what to expect in the workplace, especially coming in as a woman.”
Compared with women studying computer science or engineering, sophomore government and politics major Hannah Connolly said she does not worry as much about facing gender discrimination in the workplace. However, she still thinks it is important to discuss this issue.
“That’s not the first thing on my mind when I’m looking for jobs,” Connolly said. “But when there’s still an income gap, that should be something on everyone’s mind, regardless of your field.”
