Comments on: my thoughts on last night’s RNC http://strangelibrarian.org/2008/09/my-thoughts-on-last-nights-rnc/ playing in the waves since 1982 Tue, 03 Jan 2012 04:54:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Cynthia http://strangelibrarian.org/2008/09/my-thoughts-on-last-nights-rnc/comment-page-1/#comment-1710 Cynthia Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:10:34 +0000 http://strangelibrarian.org/blog/?p=222#comment-1710 Thanks for saying what so many others simply will not say--there are still differences in how woman and men are treated and compensated in the workforce today. Many reasons can be given, but the bottom-line is we still make $0.73 for every $1.00 that men make. We are a long way from equal, let alone from being allowed to exceed. You numbers about the Fortune 500 companies are bad enough, when you get further from the top, the numbers are even worse. Most publicly traded companies in America do not have woman executives, let alone CEO's. It is one reason I found Libraries attractive when I wanted to leave finance. Now the big question: why are so many men directors in an industry dominated by woman? I don't yet have an answer, but I have noticed a few disturbing things since joining the ranks of library employees: 1) Nearly every male librarian I have met already is considering how to become a Director. They make plans, look for opportunities, and keep it in mind at all times (including people still in school). I only know of two women who have actively stated this as a career goal and who have a career plan in place. Neither of them thought about it when they first entered the profession. 2) Every female I work with asks me the 'can you not get your insurance through your husband' question when I bitch about health care. Only one man has ever said that to me. 3) Females regularly ask me about how to negotiate for salary and then bitch that they were not taught how to do this in library school. Men just do it--or they get a book, read-up on it, and then do it. When they talk about it, it is not to find out how, it is to assess how well it worked and refine their strategy. 4) Many females with children need to leave early, not work the desk, take a day off unexpectedly , come in late, or in some other way get 'special dispensation' because they have a child. I have not seen this in any of the males I have worked with, including one who is a single Dad. (In the defense of these women--they are so far more in numbers than men in this situation that statistically, this is more than meaningless, it is completely useless). No none of these things means much (except maybe #1--the constant focus on where you are going, allows you to see opportunities and grab them as they arise). However, just as in the business world I used to be in, the woman who don't do this kind of stuff, seem to be the ones that do better. Society and culture have made success much harder for woman. For example, when it comes to negotiations, many men just get it (or so we think) when in reality, they have been conditioned all their lives to speak up and ask. Women have been conditioned to say please, thank-you, and yes, which doesn't get you more money. You are a perfect example of what is possible--a woman in power from the start of her career. Why did it work for you? Because you played the game like a man--worked hard, didn't bitch about fairness, made influential contacts, showed you were smart, spoke out, and were willing to change your life to achieve success. As you know, I may leave the library field. In fact, I was ready to last week. I took the weekend, evaluated my skills and said no--I will have to step it up. The fact is, I should have been making a plan when I started school. I have a great deal of catch-up to do. I started this weekend—I planned my work, now I have to work my plan. The trip will not be what I first expected, but I will, in the end, find success. Thanks for being a really big example and beacon for me.... Thanks for saying what so many others simply will not say–there are still differences in how woman and men are treated and compensated in the workforce today. Many reasons can be given, but the bottom-line is we still make $0.73 for every $1.00 that men make. We are a long way from equal, let alone from being allowed to exceed.
You numbers about the Fortune 500 companies are bad enough, when you get further from the top, the numbers are even worse. Most publicly traded companies in America do not have woman executives, let alone CEO’s. It is one reason I found Libraries attractive when I wanted to leave finance. Now the big question: why are so many men directors in an industry dominated by woman? I don’t yet have an answer, but I have noticed a few disturbing things since joining the ranks of library employees:

1) Nearly every male librarian I have met already is considering how to become a Director. They make plans, look for opportunities, and keep it in mind at all times (including people still in school). I only know of two women who have actively stated this as a career goal and who have a career plan in place. Neither of them thought about it when they first entered the profession.

2) Every female I work with asks me the ‘can you not get your insurance through your husband’ question when I bitch about health care. Only one man has ever said that to me.

3) Females regularly ask me about how to negotiate for salary and then bitch that they were not taught how to do this in library school. Men just do it–or they get a book, read-up on it, and then do it. When they talk about it, it is not to find out how, it is to assess how well it worked and refine their strategy.

4) Many females with children need to leave early, not work the desk, take a day off unexpectedly , come in late, or in some other way get ‘special dispensation’ because they have a child. I have not seen this in any of the males I have worked with, including one who is a single Dad. (In the defense of these women–they are so far more in numbers than men in this situation that statistically, this is more than meaningless, it is completely useless).

No none of these things means much (except maybe #1–the constant focus on where you are going, allows you to see opportunities and grab them as they arise). However, just as in the business world I used to be in, the woman who don’t do this kind of stuff, seem to be the ones that do better.

Society and culture have made success much harder for woman. For example, when it comes to negotiations, many men just get it (or so we think) when in reality, they have been conditioned all their lives to speak up and ask. Women have been conditioned to say please, thank-you, and yes, which doesn’t get you more money.

You are a perfect example of what is possible–a woman in power from the start of her career. Why did it work for you? Because you played the game like a man–worked hard, didn’t bitch about fairness, made influential contacts, showed you were smart, spoke out, and were willing to change your life to achieve success.
As you know, I may leave the library field. In fact, I was ready to last week. I took the weekend, evaluated my skills and said no–I will have to step it up. The fact is, I should have been making a plan when I started school. I have a great deal of catch-up to do. I started this weekend—I planned my work, now I have to work my plan. The trip will not be what I first expected, but I will, in the end, find success. Thanks for being a really big example and beacon for me….

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