Amy Lindgren

What’s different about career management for women? Nothing and everything, which is why it’s an important concept to visit. Nothing is one answer because the processes are the same, regardless of gender. But everything is also the answer because the results of those processes can vary so widely between men and women.

Some results are measurable: Women earning less than men for the same work (approximately 84%); women being 35% more likely to live in poverty than men; women having vastly fewer financial resources than men post-retirement, including much lower Social Security payments … the statistics are nearly endless, with variations for age, race, education and other factors.

If these numbers were improving, perhaps we could assign the concept to historical bias that’s now shifting. But no, most financial indicators between the genders haven’t changed significantly in decades. Nor are younger women faring much better, with a pay gap of 92% compared to equally employed men in the 25-34 age range.

Enough with the numbers. These are important indicators, but they can’t tell you what to do. Let me do that. Here are nine career management steps that are smart for anyone, but critical for women.

1. Apply anyway: Not qualified for the job? You don’t know that. Sociologists have produced scads of studies demonstrating a difference in how women and men approach a role for which they may not be skilled — men go for it and women hang back. You could argue whether this right, but we do know this: You miss 100% of the balls you don’t swing at.

2. Work above your level: It’s meeting time — who’s going to take the minutes? Ladies, keep your hands down. Unless it’s specifically your job, that’s not your job. Rather than “cleaning up” small things that need doing, focus on the work at or above your current level. Otherwise, you risk being typecast as a low-level contributor.

3. Ask for promotion: Do you deserve a new role? That’s the wrong question. Promotions aren’t given out as a reward, as in, “You’ve worked hard, so you deserve this.” Rather, they’re decided as a matter of potential: “We believe you can handle this.” If you wait to be “rewarded,” you’ll wait forever. Step up and tell your boss you’re ready for the next challenge.

4. Engage in your annual review: Some companies take these seriously, others barely conduct them. In either case, the process lets you identify goals and track progress toward them. If you don’t receive a formal review, conduct one yourself and share the results with your boss, along with your expectations for the next year.

5. Negotiate everything: Pay is one of the few things you can measure to determine your worth to the employer. The gold standard for negotiation is a higher wage, since future pay raises, bonuses and retirement contributions are based on that number.

6. Take the bigger title: If you’re working in a combined role as a something / something, use the higher title. And if you’re working in a peer group where others have a higher title, lobby for an upgrade. Titles matter, or we wouldn’t have them.

7. Limit your loyalty: Whatever role you have, in the end this is just a job and you’re just an employee. When you’re no longer being recognized for your worth, it’s time to move on.

8. Save your money: The more you save, the more freedom you have. Learn to invest and to shelter your funds from taxes. Then, train yourself not to offer money to otherwise able-bodied children. They can get it later from your estate. For now you need to keep building so you’re not poor yourself.

9. Limit your caretaking: Yes, it truly is a privilege to help your parents, and your spouse’s parents, and to help your children with their children, and … Are you sure you’re the only one who can do this? If you cut back or stop out of work, your income might never recover. That’s why it’s not always smartest for one parent to stay home rather than “wash out” the second income by paying for daycare. Even if the net income is zero for those years, working means your career continues to grow, as do your Social Security credits and retirement contributions.

Can you do this? Yes, I know you can. “Business first” isn’t everyone’s natural mode, but sometimes it’s essential to put your career in front. That’s the tool that lets you reach other life goals, so it’s critical to manage it well.

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Amy Lindgren owns a career consulting firm in St. Paul. She can be reached at alindgren@prototypecareerservice.com.