Gender Can Impact Career Aspirations

Although employment laws call for equal opportunity and equal pay in the workplace, your gender can impact your career aspirations. However, the differences between men and women aren't necessarily about a tangible problem involving pay, bonuses, time off or the type of company for which you work. Instead, this issue often comes down to perception.

Different Views and Expectations

Just as men and women may think differently about societal issues, your gender can alter your perception of what it means to have a successful career. A CareerBuilder survey from 2017 shows that more than twice as many men want to reach a vice president position or higher within a company. A full 22 percent of women expect to remain at an entry-level role — compared to just 10 percent of men.

Your gender may also determine your expectations of salary. On average, men aim for a much higher salary: Men's dreams of a high salary topped out at an average of $137,000, compared to $79,000 for women. Up to 44 percent of men said they want to make a six-figure salary. Comparatively, just 20 percent of women aspire to reach that level. Women are also less likely to negotiate terms of a salary — something that could cost them as much as $2 million in wages over a lifetime.

In addition to higher overall salaries, slightly more men than women receive promotions and receive pay increases. The caveat with this figure is that your gender might be tied to how likely you are to request or expect advancement, as men tend to ask for these things more often than women do.

Does This Explain the Gender Pay Gap?

Many statistics over the past 10 years point to a gender pay gap between men and women. Women, on average, earn 79 cents for every dollar a man makes in the United States. More men have full-time jobs, higher-paying STEM jobs and managerial positions compared to women. Companies are more likely to place women in part-time roles, and women are more likely to accept part-time work due to traditional gender roles with regard to rearing children.

This 2017 survey from CareerBuilder doesn't necessarily explain a gender pay gap, but it does show how people perceive careers. The survey received responses from 2,391 hiring and human resource managers and 3,411 employees. The roles you see for your gender may create the attitudes you have when it comes to work. In fact, 82 percent of men think they earn the same amount of money as a woman with similar qualifications in the same organization, and only 34 percent of women do not think they earn the same as men with the same level of experience.

Changing these perceptions must come from the highest levels of leadership, but it must also come from within each individual. To keep your gender from dictating your career aspirations, educate yourself on how companies handle promotions and raises. Show your boss the evidence that you deserve more compensation by researching current trends, and always ask for feedback if your manager says no to a raise.

Photo courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net