Careers where women are making their mark

The glass ceiling may not be smashed – but there are certainly increased signs that it is cracking. What’s more – it is doing so in areas that may not be readily apparent. When we think of women in business, we tend to think of professionals and senior roles etc. But there are plenty of other areas where women are making real inroads.

So let’s have a look at a few examples of what we’re talking about….

Firstly – what about the world of professional gambling and, more specifically, professional poker playing? There are quite a few high-profile women now wowing the world of poker with their prowess.

Take Vanessa Selbst for example. The 32 year-old American is, so far, the only female player to have made it to the number one spot of the Global Poker index rankings. She’s amassed a remarkable $12 million in live poker earnings – making her the most successful woman player and one of the most successful players regardless of gender. She’s also the only female in World Series of Poker history to have held three open-field bracelets.

Women crushing #wsop last two days. Huge congrats to @krissyb24poker and Safiya Umerova who dominated today’s shootout. Well done! #respect

— Vanessa Selbst (@VanessaSelbst) July 2, 2016

Another high-profile poker playing female is UK TV presenter Victoria Coren Mitchell who was the first ever female player to win an European Poker Tour (EPT) event when winning in London back in 2006. She also won in 2014 in San Remo. Perhaps even more notable is the fact that Coren Mitchell has a successful TV presenting career and is a growing name in both areas of her burgeoning career.

If you fancy seeing if you have what it takes to join these high profile women at the poker table, you can play Blackjack online to try your hand (literally). Just remember to tread very carefully, playing for tiny or for virtual amounts only until you feel you know what you’re doing. It takes a very specific kind of intelligence and character to be successful in this career.

If poker isn’t your thing, then how about a career in another traditionally male-dominated area?

“business woman” (CC BY 2.0) by  citirecruitment 

When you think of an accountant, nine times out of ten, you’d imagine a slightly dull-looking man in a suit! However, in the US, according to The Women’s Bureau nearly two-thirds (61.8%) of accountants and auditors are now female and 73.8% of tax examiners and collectors are female. Workers in these fields can earn more than $50,000 a year (Bureau of Labor Statistics). As well as the fact that the ratio of Bachelor’s degrees is now 3:2 for women to men, it’s also the fact that employers are offering more flexible solutions that makes it possible for women to juggle successful careers alongside their roles as primary parents. At accounting firms like PriceWaterhouseCoopers and Deloitte, for example, there’s an emphasis on flexible hours and part-time roles, which make it feasible for women to take on senior roles and still spend some time with their children.

Other business areas – where good communication and people skills are a priority – are also seeing a rise of female practitioners. For example, 66.8% of human resources managers are female and 83.3% of conference planners are also women.

Medicine is yet another field where women are beginning to dominate in particular roles. With graduation from medical school now being near equal between men and women, perhaps it’s not surprising that the job distribution is fairly even, but there are some areas of medicine where women are now outnumbering men. Stats from the Women’s Bureau show that 61.2% of vets, 68.8% of psychologists and 69.5% of managers in medical and health services are women.

Deciding which career path to go down can be very difficult. Attending recruitment meetings will be able to give you a good idea on what profession you would like to pursue. This medical recruitment company may direct you to become a nurse in the future.

“At the Vet’s 2” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by  Anne Worner 

Again, these are often the more flexible roles that can be combined with the responsibilities of raising a family. While being a surgeon may offer a better salary and have more prestige attached to it, it also brings with it unpredictable hours and greater stress. In contrast, a psychologist or vet tends to have more regular hours and can dictate their own schedules.

Although the general trend is for women to take on more senior roles across a variety of industries, there’s still a pay discrepancy, with most women only earning 75% the salary that their male counterparts do. In an ideal world, the career split would be 50:50 and salaries would be equal for both women and men. There are indications that we’re heading in this direction; even if it’s not happening as quickly as perhaps it should.