Leveling Up: What Women Want From Their Careers

Leveling Up: What Women Want From Their Careers

By WITI

When it comes to what men and women want from their careers, the results are strikingly similar. According to the WITI-commissioned Women in Technology Survey, 2018, both men and women want schedule flexibility, a good work-life balance, and a sense of purpose in what they do.

But what's so fascinating about the results of the survey is just how similar the metrics are across gender lines. Both men and women want the same things from their careers, and in equal proportions.

Take financial compensation, for instance. Fifty-five percent of men said that monetary compensation was important to them when it comes to their careers. Men, understandably, want to take home fat paychecks. But here's the thing: 56 percent of women also wanted to receive great pay in return for their labor, underscoring that the drive for better pay is something shared by both genders.

The results also indicate similarities across the genders when it comes to other features of a desirable career. Take "sense of purpose," for instance - the idea that your work is valuable and that you're helping make the world a better place. Thirty-eight percent of men said that a sense of purpose was vital to them, and so did 42 percent of women.

What about opportunities for career advancement? Twenty-four percent of men said that this was important as opposed to 33 percent of women.

Work-life balance was also important to both men and women. Forty-two percent of men said that they wanted work-life balance from their careers, while 37 percent of women said the same.

Traditionally both men and women have wanted schedule flexibility from their work so that they could do things like manage family life and enjoy social occasions at times of their choosing. Twenty-five percent of men said that schedule flexibility was vital to them while the corresponding figure for women was 29 percent.

The 2018 WITI Women in Technology Survey threw up many interesting results like this. It's clear that women are motivated, for the most part, by similar career objectives as men, though there are differences between the genders.

AI, or artificial intelligence, is becoming increasingly important in the tech sector. Many commentators and professionals believe that the technology will transform not only the technology sector but modern society. If it is as powerful as many predict, women need to be at the forefront of the revolution.

The survey, however, threw up a potentially troubling result: men are much more likely to engage in skills improvement and ongoing learning than women, which could presage issues in the future. If men are more willing to learn new AI-related skills than women, then it may mean that men dominate the AI-space as it continues to develop.

WITI wants to know how women's attitudes towards their careers are changing. Because of this, we're recruiting for the 2019 Women in Technology survey, and you're invited. If you'd like to take part and tell us what you want from your career, go to https://witi.com/survey and complete the survey. With your help, we can generate greater awareness about workplace diversity.

Opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of WITI.