Monday, December 30, 2019

The Importance of Knowing your Roleand When to Leave It

The Importance of Knowing your Roleand When to Leave It The Importance of Knowing your Role- and When to Leave It In a Business Insider article, he saysApproach your career ambitions the same way you approached your romantic ambitions at college. Sure, youre looking for The One, but the only way to find that is by going on a lot of dates. And you should think about your first job as a good first date. Try it out. If you like it, stick around for another year. But if not, ask another employer out. And keep playing the field until youve found the job you want to stay with.This pattern of hopping between jobs while young, before settling down, is in remarkably common. And it makes sense, too. Romantic success never follows from trying to improve your partner it follows from moving on and finding a better match. The same is true in the world of work.Indeed, economic research shows that fruchtwein large pay gains come not from your boss promoting you, but rather from moving to a job tha ts a better fit, with a different employer.If we take Wolfers advice, then 1) its important to first know and understand your role within a company, which then 2) will help you know and understand when its time to jump ship. So, just how do we do this?EvaluateTake some to seriously evaluate the position you currently hold. How many years have you worked there? Has there been any career development or forward progression? Any promotions, added skills or expertise?If youre able to access this information, look at the original job posting (description) you applied to. Do the duties, requirements and even future promises (as far as pay increases, promotions, etc. if offered) reflect the actual role? Are you really responsible for XYZ assignments or was this simply added as a filler to enhance the job description?Setting aside time to really evaluate what you do and how that impacts (or not) the company you work for is important to understanding the value you and your role have with that organization. Are you a key player on your team? If not, does the role provide opportunities for you to advance toward this?AssessMake an assessment of your goals and motivations. What were the initial reasons you applied for this position? What did you hope to gain from joining this company, and have you achieved those goals? If not, do you see plausible potential that you can and will?You also need to assess your passions at this point. Has anything changed since working in this position? Have you discovered new passions and desires youd like to pursue, and if so, will staying in your current position and with your current employer help guide you down those paths? Likewise, maybe as youve worked in this role over time you have discovered you dont actually like XYZ like you initially assumed. Maybe after writing that 100th press release, your dreams of running your own PR firm have fizzled and youve realized PR is not truly your passion. Or perhaps you dont enjoy recruiting as muc h as youd hoped to.Assessing your current stance in relation to where you planned to be at this point and your motivations behind this will also help clarify whether or not your current position is truly benefiting your future.Take ActionAfter fully understanding your current role, value within your company, and its possible benefits and setbacks for your future, its time to take action. So many people become complacent in their careers and on the job. If after evaluating your overall situation you discover that its actually beneficial to step out of your current role- step out of it. Dont be afraid to follow after what your heart truly desires (after youve secured a new position, of course).How miserable to know that your current position doesnt allow you to utilize your full potential, yet youll allow fear to keep you from pursuing your true passions? Dont become complacent in your career endeavors and settle for a role that doesnt offer advancement opportunities or doesnt ultimat ely steer you in the direction of accomplishing your future goals.

Wednesday, December 25, 2019

Download FlexJobs Guide to Find a Remote Job and Start Working from Home

Download FlexJobs Guide to Find a Remote Job and Start Working from HomeDownload Guide to Find a Remote Job and Start Working from HomeIf youre in the market for a job that lets you work from home, has a resource just for you. Weve created a free guide to help you find a remote job.How to Find a Remote Job and Start Working from Home is the definitive job search guide for anyone who wants to find a professional-level, legitimate remote job. With 29 pages of effective, useful tips, tools, and information, well guide you step-by-step through exploring the remote job market, identifying solid opportunities, applying for jobs, and nailing the interview.Quizzes, checklists, actionable tips, and real-world examples? This guide has them all Founded in 2007, has been the go-to source for professional-level, legitimate remote jobs (a.k.a. work-from-home jobs) and other flexible jobs for over 10 years. During that time, weve learned a lot about how companieshire for remote jobs and what makes job seekers successful in landing a remote position. And we want to share that knowledge with you.Heres just some of the information and advice we share with you in the guideQuiz Is Working from Home for You?Common Career Fields for Remote WorkCompanies with the Most Remote JobsJob Search Tips to Find Your Remote JobRemote Job Application Tips Resumes, Cover Letters, and Interviews, with ExamplesWhat You Need to Know About Work-from-Home Job ScamsSneak Peek Sample Pages from the Guide If remote work sounds like the right move for your career, this free guide can be your helpful career advisor, giving you the tools, knowledge, and confidence to make it happen.Download our free guide SaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSaveSave

Friday, December 20, 2019

How to discover your career superpower

How to discover your career superpowerHow to discover your career superpowerWhitney Johnson is a world-leading business thinker, the author of the new book Build an A-Team, and the host of the Disrupt Yourself Podcast. She recently sat down with Claire Daz-Ortiz, former head of social innovation at Twitter and author of Design Your Day and Twitter for Good, to talk about optimizing your - and your teams - learning curves for a successful, creative, and fulfilling career.Claire Im really interested in your idea that people make changes in their careers based on gut feelings.Whitney We have this sense inside of our bodies when its time to do something, and so often we dont listen to it - yet our gut actually serves us very, very well. Our bodies are unterstellung data centers that give us all this information, and we should listen to them more. When people quit a job or decide to jump to a new learning curve, they may not even be able to give you all the logical reasons why, but the y knew that there welches something in their gut that said, It welches time for me to do something new.Claire So, tell me how you knew that Build an A-Team was going to be your next book, and why this mattered to you so much at the time.Whitney At least for me, book ideas come gradually. I cant think of an aha moment, but what I do know is, a couple of things happened. I wrote this book called Disrupt Yourself, which helps you figure out when its time to make that jump, and actually gives you a framework to logically follow when your gut is telling you to do something. A few things that happened after I wrote Disrupt Yourself. One, people would say to me, I want to disrupt myself, but how do I make sure that my boss will let me do it? And if Im a manager, how do I get my people to disrupt themselves?In other words, How do I create this ecosystem where people are actually comfortable, willing, able, and required to disrupt themselves? So that was the genesis of me thinking about thes e ideas from the point of view of a manager. I would also have people read Disrupt Yourself and say to me, Well, Im not going to have you come in and talk to my company, because everyone will leave. But if an organization is actually going to stay competitive and innovative, the only way to pull that off is if you let the people inside of your organization disrupt themselves. Because people who are bored either leave or, if they stay, theyre not engaged, which is really bad as a company. So this book came about for a couple of different reasons, but the fundamental perspective is, if you want to be competitive, youve got to let your people disrupt themselves.Claire Lets talk about this idea of disengagement in the workplace and how that relates to hiring. You say, Heres what usually sets the stage for a new hire Were shorthanded and overwhelmed, a key employee has moved within the company, opted for a fresh start elsewhere or taken a leave of absence, maybe business has suddenly ram ped up with a signing of a new client or the winning of a large contract - we need help in the form of a body who can step into the role today and do the job now. Someone to solve our pain. Desperate, we hire the partie who we perceive to be the most qualified to fill the void and for a time, they do. Marry in haste, repent at leisure goes the adage. Because we hired someone at the top of the curve, within months they are bored and looking around for a new suitor. Soon, were back at square one, overwhelmed on the rebound and poised to hire in haste again. Talk to me about this.Whitney You go to a place called Butte, Montana for the answer. Butte, Montana is known as the richest hill on earth. In mid-1800s there was the gold rush - miners came and the early rush was disappointing, so a lot of those early speculators sold off their claims. So the next wave of miners comes in and they discover copper. Well, copper in the mid-1800s was not valuable. But as technology advanced and elec trical wiring became a thing, then copper became extremely valuable. So these people, these miners who were patient, theyre actually now known as the Copper Kings.I think of Butte, Montana when people say to me, I cant find anybody to hire. My question is, Are you looking for the gold standard, the silver standard, when in fact copper would do? When you hire for potential, not for proficiency, time is on your side. Time positiv confidence equals boredom. When you hire for potential and not for proficiency, its the equivalent of buying low and selling high from a stock market perspective.Claire One of the companies you talk about in the book is called Chatbooks. They basically put your Instagram posts into cool little books that you can give to friends and family. But you talk about them in relation to this idea of what you call giving people real responsibility. Can you talk to me about that?Whitney Chatbooks is a good example of a company that didnt get the business model right imm ediately. They started with one business model, that didnt work, but fortunately, they hadnt run out of money. They started with another business model, that didnt work - again they hadnt run out of money, so they tried a third time. They finally started to do some of the lean startup methods so they could get the business model right. Like you said, they print these lovely little books and hire candidates for high-performance creativity, and they want qualities like grown-up, amazing, kind, and optimistic.If you want to be competitive, youve got to let your people disrupt themselves.Often times, theres not this immediate, obvious fit. One of the co-founders, Vanessa Quigley, told me, If theyre excited, if theyre flexible, if theyre going to work hard, then were willing to hire them and move them around over time. Their marketing director took over the email campaign for six months while they looked for someone to do that job, but then once they found someone to do that job, then t hey were able to move her into doing a content initiative. Theyre finding people, letting them start at the bottom of the curve, moving to the top, and once they do, they allow them to jump to the bottom of a new learning curve.Claire So how does this relate to this idea of creating a milestone chart? What is that and how does it work?Whitney A milestone chart comes from a conversation Heres our vorstellung for the company, heres our vision for the team. Whats your vision for your job here? Whats your vision for me as a boss for you? And, here are some things that we want you to get done in the first week, in the first month, in the first three months.If you can give them these milestones of things that are fairly easily achievable, it allows them to start getting their footing, to gain some traction at the bottom of the curve, while still having some constraints. Once they get three months in, theyll be able to figure out if this is the right curve for them. Sometimes people end up in the wrong role when you hire them and so early on, you want to have those milestones to constantly check for fit and make sure that over time youre iterating until you find the actual right role for them.Claire Its interesting that people tend to lead with what they do well, but not what they do best.Whitney What happens is that every single person has genius, every person has a superpower. Because its your superpower, its this thing that you do reflexively well, so you dont notice it or value it at all.Ill give you a great example from my own career. I remember when I moved into equity research, I was so proud of the fact, because here I was a music major in college. I built these financial models and was proud of myself, but that wasnt my superpower. My superpower was the fact that I could connect investors and I was great at making stock calls. But guess what I wanted to tell everybody I was good at? Building financial models. I didnt want to talk about my superpower because my superpower couldnt possibly be valuable.So part of the job of a great boss, of a great leader, is to identify the superpowers of the people who work for them and then persuade them that those superpowers are actually valuable and then get them to use those superpowers.Claire You talk about this idea of a best by date for an employee. Like the thing you see on a milk carton. What does that mean? What does that look like and how does it help on both sides, from the hiring perspective and from the employee perspective, and understanding where you are in the S curve, and if its time to stick around or move on?Whitney If you think about this S curve or the learning curve, youre going to be at the low end of your learning curve for six months to a year. Where youre inexperienced, you dont quite know what youre doing, youre figuring stuff out, youre probably coming home from work a lot of days feeling discouraged like, Did I take the wrong job? And if youre the boss, youre thinking, Oh, I may have hired the wrong person to the wrong role.But its just that youre figuring stuff out, and the exponential growth of your learning hasnt kicked in. But then after about six months to a year, you move into that knee of that curve and thats the sweet spot, that steep part of the S. Mapping against the 10,000-hour rule, youre going to be in that place two to three years on average. And this is where youre very competent, and this is where you want most of your people on your team, in that place where they know enough but not too much - you can challenge them, you can push them, you can give them stretch assignments.Then two to three years later, you get to the top of the learning curve, and thats the stage of mastery. You can be at that place for six months to a year. And at that point in time, everything is very easy for you. Your brain knows exactly what its doing, but youre also getting bored. Because youre bored, this plateau can quickly become oppressive if you dont jum p to a new curve. And so youre best by three to four years and then its time for you to jump to a new curve. You need to learn, and then you need to leap, and then you need to repeat. When youre willing to honor that cycle, that biology of change, your people are going to be the most productive, theyre going to be happiest and most engaged. And thats good for them, but its especially good for you as a boss and for an organization.This conversation has been edited and condensed. This article first appeared on Heleo.

Sunday, December 15, 2019

What to Tell Your Boss at Your Performance Review - The Muse

What to Tell Your Boss at Your Performance Review - The MuseWhat to Tell Your Boss at Your Performance Review Sure, performance reviews are a time to get feedback on your work throughout the year. But sometimes we forget that its also a time to share your own goals (and even suggestions) for the future with your boss. After all, youre part of a kollektiv, and talking about whats working, whats not, and what would make you a better professional can only help your boss be a stronger leader. Plus, its a great chance to show that youre committed to your success- and to the companys. To learn more about what employers want to hear more of, we asked nine entrepreneurs from the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) what they wish their employees would tell them at their next performance review. 1. What Makes You HappyIn any review, of course well talk about performance. Well review the year, talk about company progress, the employees progress, and my own opportunities to improve. Its standard fa re. But what I want employees to talk to me about is what makes them happy (or unhappy) in their job and life and how the company or I can help maximize that happiness. If they ask that, then they know I care. John Tabis, The Bouqs Company2. How You Want to GrowEntrepreneurs value employees who are constantly striving to make themselves better- having a more skilled team leads to a better company. I love when my employees say, I want to learn more about this, or I really think I could help the company by moving into this area. Its up to each employee to figure out how he or she can be best utilized in a growing company. - Brittany Hodak,ZinePak3. What Youd Really Like to Work OnI am always looking for my employees to tell me things they would like to pursue within the company. By suggesting a project they would like to manage, it shows me their continued interest in the company. I feel confident that if its a project they are suggesting, then they will excel at it. - Phil Laboon,Cle ar Sky SEO4. How You Envision the FutureA review is a perfect one-on-one opportunity to really talk about your goals, your future, and also the future and state of the company itself. During review season, when Im taking a big picture perspective and examining the components of a company as parts and as a whole, every employee adds value and can contribute a different perspective to the conversation. - Fabian Kaempfer,Chocomize5. How You Want to Contribute to the Companys SuccessAll CEOs want to hear that their employees have a new level of dedication to the company and feel a personal growth in day-to-day morale. But more than anything, Im looking for employees who ask me how they can contribute to our vision because they see company success as ours. Show your boss that you see business growth as a joint endeavor. - Joe Apfelbaum,Ajax Union6. What You Need to Do Your Best WorkSupporting employees and providing an atmosphere and structure in which they can strive is one of the most important and challenging parts of building a business. So, regardless of how good or experienced managers are, getting your honest suggestions about how to help is invaluable. - Carlo Cisco,SELECT7. Which New Technologies and Practices Would Work BetterWorker productivity has been growing by about 2% annually since WWII. But if staffers arent equipped with competitive tech, your team will fall behind the competition. I love it when team members keep me informed of new performance-enhancing options. And performance reviews are the perfect way to contextualize a conversation about the benefits of adopting new tools and methods. - Manpreet Singh,Seva Call8. What You Want Your Boss to Stop DoingMost companies, including ours, innovate and improve through addition. Employees are regularly bringing up ideas of what we could add to our products or operations that would make the company better. I wish employees would also tell me what we should stop doing (innovation through subtraction) . What can we remove that would make us a better company? - Bhavin Parikh,Magoosh, Inc.9. What Isnt Working- and How to Make it BetterMy employees are in the trenches and live the business operations day in and day out. I want to hear from them what isnt working. I want to give them permission to own the companys success and their happiness at work. At the same time, I want them to tell me how it can be fixed. Always come with a problem and a solution. - Kristi Zuhlke Kimball, New Consumer Solutions LLC

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

Stop the grind a realistic solution to halt hustle culture

Stop the grind a realistic solution to halt hustle cultureStop the grind a realistic solution to halt hustle cultureThe first time I had an ocular migraine, I thought I was having a stroke.For the uninitiated, ocular migraines can cause temporary vision loss, kaleidoscopic visions, as well as being extraordinarily painful.And it turns out, sitting in front of a computer under fluorescent lighting all day is what triggers them. Unfortunately, a major part of hustle culture is how much time you put inat the office.Are you toiling late into the night? Do you rise and grind at 5 a.m.? Are you going to that WeWork every day? Do you show up to the Equinox, which is conveniently located next door to the WeWork, at 7 a.m.?If not, your kollektiv may think youre not putting in enough work.Erin Griffith calls this performative workaholism, and like her, I believe it needs to stop.People have an inherent need to compete, but as everyone tries to outperform each other, its essentially a race to t he bottom- the bottom being burnout, poor performance and the occasional blinding headache.Not only does hustle culture, or whatAlexis Ohanian has coined, Hustle Porn, affect your quality of life, but it also affects the quality of the work you do. As a peer, I wouldnt be impressed if you were up until 3 a.m. working on a pitch deck the night before we needed it.Sleep deprivationis terrible for your health and your performance- and it makes you less present and coherent during the workday.Sadly, the idea that constantly working (or appearing to work) is a desirable trait for entrepreneurs and employees has gained a lot of traction in recent years.And, to take it a step further, the idea of performing your unrealistic work-life balance via social channels like Instagram and Twitter has also taken hold. Phone calls on the beach? Business meetings at a ski resort?Those are the new expectations for productive work.Personally, Ive founded three companies and have both participated in (an d eventually been repelled by) the glorification of hustle. Ive also come to realize it doesnt have to be like this. Companies can- and should- actually work toward sustainable, healthy practices in the workdistributionspolitik.Heres how to understand this toxic culture and turn it aroundUnderstand that hustle culture comes from a place of fear.Very few people actually want to be in this cycle of performative exhaustion. Most people are simply coming from a place of fear.They work hard because they think what theyre doing is never going to be enough. Theyre afraid their competitor will outpace them. Afraid they wont be able to create a return on a big investment. Afraid theyll lose their job to someone who promises to fit an extra two hours into the workday.I understand that fear all too well. I was mulling over an offer to co-found a company, which I recently declined, that had several red flags. After an exploratory call about the project, I immediately received about a dozen emai ls from the person. It all felt very erratic and poorly thought out. And yet, I could feel the fear pushing me towards taking the job anyway. A few million in the bank from a Fortune 50 customer, additional customers and VCs lined up. I would have been settling, but I would have felt secure for a while.Not everyone feels like they can turn that type of offer down, which is why hustle culture continues to thrive even as it burns out talented individuals at a rapid clip.People are afraid of what will happen if they opt out.To avoid it from the start, companies have to rethink how to define success.Hustle culture starts at the top.Venture capitalists investing in a startup are looking for massive growth in order to reap a return on their investment. That puts pressure on the founders to reach unicorn status. They feel like they have to do everything, to be everywhere at once. The weight of the world is on their shoulders, and they respond to it by working harder. In turn, that filters down to the team.So people start showing up earlier. They cut out their morning walk or their evening workout to fit more time in at the office. They check their email obsessively and reply at all hours. They eliminate the healthy boundaries between their life and their job.They step on stage and join the hustle performance.Eventually, the entire company culture becomes much more competitive and political, and value is placed on productivity metrics rather than quality or sustainability of output. One day, the founders look around and wonder what happened to the company they wanted to build.Fortunately, there are other ways of running a company. The methods dont have the glamorous facade of a unicorn, but they are healthier for everyone involved.Its very much possible to build a successful company by eschewing VC investment or strictly hierarchical structures. It involves collaborating with people you like, experimenting withorganizational modelsthat make sense for your team and tak ing care of yourself. It also requires you to trust your team and focus on projects rather than productivity.You can say, We value culture. You can say, We value team autonomy. But none of that matters if you dont structure your company in a way that defines success as more than just performative workaholism.Once you find the right balance, success is easier and more sustainable.Work shouldnt be a constant struggle.Im not saying that work wont be difficult at times, or that you shouldnt persevere when the going gets tough. Im saying that it shouldnt always feel like you have to abandon your life outside of the company in order to be successful.Success wont be simple, but it must become easier over time. When youre truly in your flow state and aligning with the people around you, you feel energized rather than drained.While its difficult to manifest something new into the world, that doesnt mean you have to always be miserable and working ridiculous hours. When thats the case, it may be time to take a step back and ask whether youre the right person for your job, or whether youre on the right path at all.Theres no reason to sacrifice your health for a twisted, never-satisfied definition of success. You dont need to hustle yourself into a breakdown. You just need to find something that energizes you and pursue it in a way that enhances (rather than destroys) your wellbeing.This article first appeared on Forbes.

Friday, December 6, 2019

The Good, the Bad and Computer Science Resume Example

The Good, the Bad and Computer Science Resume Example While your aim is to get work, your resume objective ought to be about the employers needs. As an example, in CV, if youre requesting work in education, youre in a standort to want to put your coaching experience along with the CV. You may include some private information in a CV, like interests and hobbies. When you submit an application for work, you make your very first impression via your curriculum vitae. Paragraph Styles are a fantastic way to conserve time. To enhance your probability of locating the interview, you want to at all times personalize your resume predicated on which consequently schablone is easily the most likely to use. The template will help to be alert to the points which are very important to be filled in the work application to acquire a specific type of task. Key Pieces of Computer Science Resume Example The continue maker is truly robust and a good degree of control without being overwhelmi ng. Not every corporation will most likely request or even permit you to supply an application, whereas most if not all will require that you finish some kind of resume. An acting application design template may become your step to receiving the use of an eternity. If youre using the USAJOBS software, all you will need to perform is log in the system and click the Application Status connection. Possessing an internet site design template created especially for a work application website is normally a terrific techniques to generate your private site. Be certain the provider accepts PDF resumes. You might discover some terrific job application web templates on the internet you could follow. Computer Science Resume Example No Longer a Mystery Employing work application builder can likewise be an awesome learning experience to fit your requirements. The capacity to revise your resume from any place in the whole world is a substantial advantage it is possible to work with to help you land that upcoming amazing job. Its fast and simple to use. Gossip, Lies and Computer Science Resume Example Our resume builder gives you tips and examples on how best to compose your resume summary. Its mora important than you could realize. Can be utilised to connect your other on-line sites. What You Dont Know About Computer Science Resume Example Everyone was smart and collegiate and ready to provide help. The target audience spans over plenty of individuals. The really last thing you want to do can be get a job that you wont be in a position to do. Resume builders are a really excellent methods can help you organize your work application. A continue contractor can be very helpful for anybody whos feeling overcome by the continue method. To conserve an entire bunch of heartache later on, make certain you use our job application designer to generate a document which might be very easily utilised in different job applications. Pick a format you would like. Y ou can also see Resume Templates. The template isnt really hard to modify. It is definitely customised to your liking and comes with all essential files for a fast set-up. Computer science pros like to tinker. Computer Science graduates may have a multitude of careers. In addition, you can look for computer science jobs on Monster. Computer Science is a particularly fascinating field due to its wide selection of applications. The work description is a good place to begin, particularly for the technical skills. Youre ideal for the job. If want to get the job, you will need to carefully look at every word. Obviously you might even be trying to find a different job because of personal particulars. Our continue builder might be the quickest method of create work application that can help you to receive your fantasy job. When youre trying to find work, a work application can be the principal tool you bring to the table. If youre looking for work, avoid rely on only one solu tion to discover jobs. You might already have a good idea of the field of computer science you need to specialize in, and it can be tempting to dive straight into an extremely specialized course. In fact, if youre a prolific Github contributor and lots of your projects are available on the internet, its wise to list them in an extra section. You came to the correct place to compose your compter science resume. To attract attention, you will need to compose a wonderful computer science resume. The sphere of computer science is one which is multifaceted. Computer science degree programs are the most often seen, because they have a tendency to cover a wide array of topics. Be certain to mention volunteer work, particularly if it is linked to computer science. You just need to select the ideal computer science resume template which goes with your profession. Tailoring your work application to coincide with a potential company isnt any different. Consequently, UCLans strong nat ive alumni community stipulates an instant expert network for new graduates. If you cant clearly communicate the work which you do, you wont be thought of as a strong candidate, even when you come up with the right solution. Determine the company enterprise and profession you need to find work in.

Sunday, December 1, 2019

Sex in the workplace

Sex in the workplace Sex in the workplacePosted February 11, 2014, by Julia Watters The issue of gender in the workplace is not new. In fact, womens place in industry was debated long before women got the vote. And while were on the topic of women and politics, the Australian parliament is currently experiencing an oestrogen deficit of its own. Sadly, its not unusual for most of us to see leadership groups containing only one woman, in this case Julie Bishop. However, as the current cabinet has come after the first Australian female Prime Minister, first female Governor-General and the fleeting but female-packed cabinet of Kevin Rudds final spin in the PM chair, people are sitting up and taking notice. Now dont get me wrong I dont believe anyone should be awarded a position based on anything but his or her suitability for that role. But when I refer to suitability, Im not referring to their ability to fit into a smoking jacket and enjoy a cigar and a brandy. The reality is that when it comes to gender equality in Australia, women can still relate more to Peggy Olsen from militrischer abschirmdienst Men than is acceptable in the 21st century. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the gender gap still stood firm with 17.6 per cent less women taking part in the workforce than men in November 2012. At the time, women were also earning an average of $261.60 per week less than men. Despite the gap decreasing to 14.9 per cent in November 2004, it remains wider than it was 18 years ago. This is particularly concerning considering that, as recorded in the 2011 Australian Census, over half of the Australian population is female. The grand canyon So what industries are the worst offenders? According to ABS the category of financial and insurance services has the largest discrepancy in wages with women earning an average of $610.40 per week less than their male colleagues. Other notable gaps include professional, scientific and technical services ($578.6 0 weekly gap), mining ($567 weekly gap), and the countrys largest growing industry for employment health care and social assistance ($562.30 weekly gap). May 2013 average weekly ordinary time earnings, full-time adults by industry Industry Males Females Difference Financial and insurance services 1944.7 1334.3 610.4 Professional, scientific and technical services 1923.3 1344.7 578.6 Health care and social assistance 1742.2 1179.9 562.3 Mining 2511.4 1944 567 Rental, hiring and real estate services 1457.5 1115 342.5 Construction 1478.6 1145 333.6 Information media and telecommunications 1790.5 1471.8 318.7 Transport, postal and warehousing 1476.8 1237 239.8 Arts and recreation services 1398.8 1168.7 230.1 Electricity, gas, water and waste services 1666.9 1447.2 219.7 Education and training 1632.6 1417 215.6 Manufacturing 1286.2 1086.9 169.3 Wholesale trade 1456.8 1308.7 148.1 Administrative and support services 1331 1191.3 139.7 Other services 1146.1 1033.9 112.2 Public administ ation and safety 1529 1426.8 102.2 Accommodation and food services 1080.8 995.5 85.3 Retail trade 1071.8 944.6 77.2 Average all industries 1516.4 1250.5 265.9 Follow the (male) leader Remuneration inconsistencies between the genders arent the only gap to be bridged in the workforce. Positions of power, also tied to high salaries, remain severely unlikely to be occupied by women. The 2012 Australian Census of Women, undertaken by the governments Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency(now known as the Workplace Gender Equality Agency), uncovered that women hold a very small share of leadership roles in workforce. The worst performing industries for women in leadership in ASX500 companies include the automotive industry and the technology, hardware and equipment industry, both with 0 per cent female directors/executives. Top performers included insurance with 26.4 per cent female directors and banks with 18.2 per cent female directors. Closing the gap While companies are receiving more pressure to internally audit their menschenwrdig resources gender mix, there is still a long way to go. The government introduced a gender equality reporting framework in 2013 with the purpose of creating industry benchmarks for gender equality and the Workplace Gender Equality Agency continues to publish statistics and recommendations to organisations in an effort to promote more opportunities for women. Some companies are answering the call of such bodies and the community, but these statistics state clearly that a concerning imbalance remains the norm. The hope is that the new framework and its benchmarks will get equal opportunity back on the agenda and influence greater balance between genders in the Australian workforce. If you think youre missing out on leadership opportunities because of reasons other than the gender gap, there are plenty of online courses available to help you gain the professional development youre looking for. 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