It's_Time

It’s Time It’s time. After 10 years you’ve decided to go back and get your MBA. Why, may you ask' The current job you have does not show room for growth; all your ideas are being used but are being credited to middle level managers and when there is a promotion you are overlooked in this male dominated field because you are female. You have decided that although you may be the only one with a Bachelor’s degree, getting your MBA would further yourself to not allow the stereotypical behavior that can limit women’s opportunities for advancement. Rising above your male counterparts means you need to show that you understand what it takes to run an organization. Being a female in the construction industry is an easy job to have, but being a “Leader” in the construction industry means you have to work harder than your male counterparts to get the recognition you deserve. Let us have a look at just how many females there are in construction industry. The U.S. Department of Labor defines a non-traditional occupation for women as one in which less than 25% of those employed in the field are women ("Quick Facts on Nontraditional Occupations for Women” U.S. Department of Labor Women's Bureau). In Annual Averages of Nontraditional Occupations for Women, the US Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor statistics say that for every 1,099,000 Construction Managers only 65,000 are female or 3.5%. For First-line supervisors or managers of production and operating workers for every 739,000 only134, 000 are female or 18.1%. Construction and building inspectors for every 99,000 only 6,000 are female or 6.3% .First-line supervisors/managers or construction trades and extraction workers for every 734,000 only 27,000 or 3.7% are female. Helpers, construction trades for every 64,000 only 2,000 are female or 3.7% (Nontraditional Occupations for Women, US Department of Labor Women’s Bureau) .The construction industry breeds male dominance, these workers are considered masculine and can be equated to more competiveness, more drive. When females enter into the construction industry they are considered too soft or other coworkers don’t take them seriously. In Sinclair’s, Sex and the MBE, he argues that in some of these environments women confront a “sustained exposure to systematic discrimination—their ideas are dismissed, their comments overruled, their contributions relegated to clerical and secretarial tasks” (Sinclair, 1995: 305). You have to be a strong, well disciplined, and extremely focused woman to overcome the gender biases found in the construction industry. Your personality needs to be that of a natural born leader, someone who is dominant and ambitious. According to the Jungian Personality Assessment, those persons who are categorized as an ENTJ, Extraverted Thinking with Introverted Intuition would be described as natural administrators who need to control, lead and make decisions. They like “strategic planning, coordinating, organizational change and analyzing systems for efficiency”. Rigley, Diane A. (1993). Being a woman is all those things. She is the one who must manage the home, who possesses the ability to develop key relationships, who can manage multiple things at one time and who are ones that everyone looks to for answers. When there is a dilemma, problem or crisis they come to her for solutions, advice and clarification. When looking at salary in the construction industry there is a vast difference in pay between female and male workers. Men typically earn more doing these occupations. By getting into these careers women can actually pick and choose jobs they want. Their earning potential increases and they can plan for better futures. They get personal satisfaction with rapid financial planning that can strengthen their retirement and other financial security. Obtaining your MBA not only helps you reach those financial goals but it also teaches you how to communicate with your colleagues, it gives you the knowledge and understanding to implement business, strategic, and marketing plans. Now you can read those P & L statements, prepare next year’s budgets or business plans. You know what marketing plan to put your advertisers on. You learn how to train and manage your employees to be more effective. Now that you have these skills, new doors will start to open. New job offers, better pay or maybe that promotion. Those job opportunities will provide you greater earning potential and flexibility. You will have developed more skills and more confidence to pursue better more advanced careers. By getting this MBA it will provide you a better standing, more skills and more confidence in your male dominated work environment. The more experience you have will allow you to tailor yourself to particular job opportunities, leaving those inexperienced, uneducated men behind. References Rigley, Diane A. (1993). The relationship between personality type, academic major selection and persistence. Ph.D. dissertation, Illinois State University, United States -- Illinois. Retrieved October 28, 2010, from Dissertations & Theses: Full Text.(Publication No. AAT 9323743). Sinclair, A. 1995. Sex and the MBA. Organization, 2(2): 295–317. United States Department of Labor. (2008) Nontraditional Occupations1 For Women in 2008 Datasheet. Retrieved from http://www.dol.gov/wb/factsheets/nontra2008.htm United States Department of Labor. (2009) Nontraditional Occupations1 For Women in 2009 Datasheet. Retrieved from http://www.dol.gov/wb/factsheets/nontra2009.htm