3 Lies Women Tell Themselves To Be Paid Less

Jenn DeWall, Denver Life & Career Coach for professional women, Motivational Speaker

1. I’m being paid a fair wage.  This is unfortunately a myth that many women believe.  Currently women make about .78 cents to every $1.00 their male counterparts make.  “Equal Pay Day” was created to bring awareness to this discrepancy.  Unfortunately it is up to us as women to recognize this gap and negotiate for it when accepting a new job or asking for a raise.  The Pew Research survey indicates that women would need to work an additional 60 days a year to earn the equivalent of their male counterparts.  GROSS.  We all have better things to do with our time than try and play catch up for doing the same work.

 2. I’m not worth that much.  Women can be humble to a fault.  We can avoid speaking highly of ourselves and simply downplay our strengths and worth so we do not sound cocky or over confident.  My question to you is this, who is going to advocate your talents and strengths if you don’t?  It’s time to step up and recognize the value that we bring to the work place each day.  If you need help, create a list of professional accomplishments you have done throughout the year.  You can use this list to advocate your worth to your boss during annual reviews, reference it when asking for a promotion, or interviewing for a new job.  It’s time to recognize your greatness! Brag about yourself girl, you are a valuable asset!

3. I’ll upset my boss.  Women can be hardwired nurturers and be less likely to rock the boat to ensure smooth sailing in the workplace and beyond.  What we forget is the financial hardship we may endure outside of the work place by settling for less.  Bosses and managers are accustomed to employees asking for more.  The worst they can say is no.  It all depends on how you initiate the conversation, if you go in demanding a raise with no supporting information they may say decline your request.  However, if you begin the conversation talking about your contributions and view the conversation as a negotiation you may be surprised with the outcome.  Take a risk and you may see a payoff!