Professions such as Law, Technology and Engineering are becoming more dedicated to meet their 50% female graduate recruitment targets. This is exciting for young female graduates as it begins to represent women in specialised workforces that has never been seen before.
Media platforms such as The Independent are also championing women in business through raising awareness and creating conversation surrounding the issues and challenges women face at work. These include the gender pay gap and workplace discrimination.
Six months after leaving your degree female graduates are more likely to be in employment than male graduates. However they’re also more likely to have a lower starting salary and be in non-professional jobs. Despite the fact that females are proven to perform better than males whilst at university.
Gender pay gap
The average salary for a female university graduate is around £19,500 per year whereas the average salary for male graduates is around £25,000. This is even if they’ve studied the same subject. It’s difficult to come to a conclusion as to why there is such a huge gap between the graduate salaries, one possible reason is that males are more likely to barter with their future employer over their wage. Whereas women will not, especially if it is unclear whether or not you should.
Confidence in your abilities and what you can therefore offer an organisation is key. It is recommended to negotiate your wage early and often; entering into a negotiation concerning your annual wage will be beneficial in the long-term. Failing to negotiate your starting wage could make the difference when buying a house or a car.
This article was provided by Ellie Bridger
