Recently, a young woman I knew as a student posed a thought-provoking question on social: “If you could give one piece of advice to someone in their early 20s, what would it be?”
An array of friends, family, and mentors offered suggestions, ranging from figuring out how to save some of your income on a monthly basis to trusting your instincts and listening to your own self-dialogue.
Someone talked about the importance of prioritizing relationships with friends and family over material items.
Another person said gaslighting is real—and someone else chimed in to echo that statement.
If asked the same question, what would you share?
I encouraged her to go after opportunities she wants even when she may question if she is qualified because plenty of other people will.
I’ve seen this firsthand and data supports that while men and women browse jobs similarly, they apply to them differently. Research shows that in order to apply for a job, women feel they need to meet 100% of the criteria while men usually apply after meeting about 60% (Maria Ignatova via LinkedIn Talent Blog).
LinkedIn behavioral data indicates women tend to screen themselves out of the conversation and end up applying to 20% fewer jobs than men.
The data even shows that when recruiters are searching for candidates and they see a list of men and women, they tend to open men’s LinkedIn profiles more frequently.
While it is disappointing to acknowledge additional challenges, it’s honestly helpful to know too. I wish someone shared some of these nuggets with me as a young woman entering the workforce. Confidence and a willingness to put yourself out there are both key to overcoming obstacles, especially for young women.
