Women regularly sell themselves short when applying, or more often choosing not to apply, for the next career move. When dealing with female candidates, they are less likely to cite career progression as a reason for changing jobs and we see less job applications from women. Women want to meet most of the requirements on a job description before applying, whereas men will apply even if they only meet 50% of the criteria. Within corporate governance, women only make up around 15% of the industry and companies want to hire women, to improve the diversity of their teams. Typically women get more job offers, faster and often at a premium but they need to put themselves forward for senior roles. When speaking with candidates who I consider friends, they often confide that they do not put themselves forward for certain roles as they are concerned they wont deliver, often in the context of childcare. I have even had this conversation with a close friend who wasn’t yet trying for a baby! This fear of not being able to deliver in the role, holds them back. When candidates have not delivered in their role, there is always another one to move onto, even if it had to be a backwards step.
The solution is simple, apply for the job you want and ask for the money you deserve. The hard bit is ignoring the worry or self-doubt. Listen to the advice of your recruiter but push your personal goal too.
For corporate governance jobs, visit BeecherMadden’s website.