Women We want you!

Women We want you Women We want youPosted September 3, 2012, by Vivien LuuThe gender divide started early. As babies we were eitherbei bundled in blue blankets or pink. As kids, the girls had tea parties, while the boys played cowboys and Indians. And as adults, the men became engineers and tradies, while the women became high school teachers and nurses. These are of curse blanket generalisations, but there is a grain of truth here. The reality is, there are some industries that are, and always have been, dominated by men. As the world becomes more attuned to this great gender divide and realises just how important female professionals are to economic growth (one government report estimates that eliminating the gender wage gap altogether could give the Australian economy a $93 billion boost), we women also need to step up and stop selling urselves short or limiting our options. Here are a few career paths you might not have considered but could be perfect for, that just might need youICTAccording to the most recent statistics released by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, women make up as little as 18 per cent of the ICT industry meaning that less than one in five people working in IT are females. The numbers drop even more significantly when we look at women in executive and management roles in the industry. Host Support Specialist, Janine Jardine, who has worked in IT for 20 years, witnesses this gender imbalance in the office every day. Whats more, shes also experienced the prejudices that come with it. I cannot count the number of times I have been mistaken for the personal assistant of a manager, just because my desk was located next to my male manager, she says. While out on site, Jardine has also found that site managers will often ask her male colleague rather than her for technical advice, despite the fact that Jardine is the technician on the project.Hopefully this trend will change, however, with organisations lik e Mastermind Smart Girls and Dells Women in IT Executive Mentoring Program (WITEM) initiatives aimed at supporting women in ICT, particularly those entering leadership roles.Despite some of the challenges, Jardine has enjoyed a rewarding and stimulating career in IT and is still enthusiastic about her industry. IT has a lot to offer if you want to be constantly challenged, always learning, enjoy exposure to new technologies and like to think outside the square. And you get to play with computersSee our range of online courses in IT.FinanceWhile some sectors in finance are evenly represented by both men and women, others, such as investment banking and the trading floor, are a completely different story. Perceived by many as a testosterone-fuelled modern-day battlefield, the trading floor is a financial arena that women tend to shy away from. brsenspekulant and Associate Director of the Derivatives team at UBS, Stephanie Pow, observed this trend early on in her career. When I firs t started on the trading floor ... it was a real eye opener for me that there were so few women, she says. From my experience with Capital W and what Ive observed in the market, even at the grad recruitment stage, its not 50/50 in terms of women and men applying, says Pow. This, along with the fact that many female colleagues perceive the trading floor as an aggressive and scary work environment, inspired Pow to establish Capital W an initiative set up for female UNSW students that gave them the opportunity to network with financial corporations. The idea is to give women a better understanding of what the industry is like so they can make better career decisions, says Pow, who believes misconceptions about the trading floor often lead women to limit their career options. My personal opinion is that its almost like self-selection I dont want to apply because Im not the aggressive type. Ive seen the movies. I dont want to work in an environment like that. While theres no dou bt the trading floor is a hectic and dynamic place to work, Pow points out that its nothing like the movies. So if youre smart and driven, it could be the perfect place for you.Want to get in on the action? Consider one of our online finance courses and go for brokeScienceWhen we think of scientists, names such as Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton and Doc Brown come to mind (yes, the guy who created the flux capacitor and travelled through time with Michael J Fox). But what about names like Marie Curie, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize in Science, or Jane Goodall, the worlds foremost expert on chimpanzees? Unfortunately women are heavily underrepresented in the field of science, a fact that is highlighted in the 2012 Health of Australian Science report. The report, prepared by Australias Chief Scientist, notes that although there is an equal number of men and women completing degrees in science, women account for smaller percentage shares in scientific careers and at senior academ ic levels. This means there is a potentially large and talented pool of scientists that is untapped. So if youre passionate about science, have a serious think about pursuing a career in this industry. With grants such as the LOreal Australia and New Zealand For Women in Science Fellowship, an extra X chromosome can be a serious advantage.Check out our range of online science courses.Building and constructionIts an industry thats traditionally male-dominated and makes you think of VB ads and Hard Yakka workwear, and the stats concur. According to antiblockiersystem statistics, construction is the industry with the least amount of female representation in Australia, with women making up a mere 12 per cent of the industry. Thankfully the building and construction sector is working towards changing its boys only image. The ACT Training Fund Authority has devised a Tradeswomen program to encourage the fairer sex to take up a career in any number of building and construction trades. T hese range from carpentry and plumbing to bricklaying and cabinet making. So if youre a woman who likes working with her hands and has an eye for detail, this is one industry you should definitely consider.Get qualified with a certificate or diploma in building and construction.EngineeringEngineering is another highly paid but heavily male-dominated field of work. According to peak body Engineering Australia, in 2011 women represented only 11 per cent of their overall membership a gender imbalance that is mirrored across the globe. Simply put, there are just not enough female engineers around its a trend that means a lot of undiscovered potential and talent. Its a career that requires superior analytical and mathematical skills, so if this sounds like you then dont let your potential go to wasteGet your engineering qualification now.Management/ExecutiveAustralia has come a long way in terms of having women in positions of power. As it stands, our country is currently being led b y our first-ever female Prime Minister, our first female Governor-General and, of course, lets not forget our female Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II herself at the helm. Despite having achieved this girl power trifecta in politics, the reality is that when it comes to the corporate world, women are still woefully underrepresented in senior and executive levels of management. But this doesnt have to be the case. Chief Executive Women is one organisation that offers programs and scholarships to help develop and enable Australian female leaders. That could be you if you know youve got what it takes, why not become the next Gina Rinehart?Check out our many management courses to develop your leadership skills.See our full range of courses for every industry. ResourcesMy first resumeCover letter for my first jobCareer Insider StoriesShelley Lask - Body Positive Health & FitnessInterested in becoming a?Human Resources OfficerGeneral ManagerBusiness ManagerAccountantOffice AdministratorPop ular Career Searchesgovernment funded mining courses brisbanesmall engine repair coursehow to become a financial analyst in australiasoftware testing courses in tafegovernment funded courses in small business management CoursesBachelor of Social WorkEnquire zugreifbar Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Health AdministrationEnquire Online Enquire OnlineBachelor of Criminal JusticeEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Allied Health AssistanceEnquire Online Enquire Online Vivien LuuViv is a writer who enjoys researching and writing about creativity, how the human mind works, and neuro processes. She values creativity above all else and admires people who pursue their career dreams, no matter the sacrifice. In her spare time, she binges on HBO shows and epic fantasy novels.Related ArticlesBrowse moreEmployment trendsGovernment gives a shot in the arm to medical trainingThe Governments recent announcement of significant increases to medical training places is welcome news for med ical students, pre-vocational doctors and specialist trainees, as well as those aspiring to a future career in medicine.Boost your skills with UpskilledUpskilled specialises in vocational courses for working professionals. You can study a diverse range of certificate and diploma qualifications online, to boost your skills and career prospects.ChristmasVolunteeringChristmas - Tis The Season To Give BackChristmas is the season of giving and what better gift to give than your time Weve put together a list of volunteer ideas, from gift wrapping to becoming a digital mentor, to get you in the warm and fuzzy Christmas spirit.