Being a female attempting to be taken seriously in a man’s world is nothing short of an Olympic sport. Between the most recent presidential campaign and the stereotypes women face every day, it’s obvious. In fact, this gendered bias in the workplace has been studied time and time again. Check out this article for more of the details. To sum it up, women are offered fewer interview spots because their resumes aren’t taken as seriously. Even once she does have a foot in the door, she won’t get the same raises as a male doing the same work. She may not be given credit for all the work she has done. This woman may not even start out at the same salary for the same position as a male in the same job at the same company. It’s certainly discouraging to face as we approach the workforce following college. However, there are success stories all around us. The women who “make it” are often within reach.
Alisyn Camerota is one of those women. Her resume will leave young journalists dumbstruck. She currently anchors her own CNN morning show, New Day. Her past includes local, national, and international news stories. This reporting has earned her two Emmy Award nominations. She’s moved across the political spectrum, working for Fox News in her past. Her job allows her to cover everything from the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in Houston to her own experiences with harassment in conjunction with the Kavanaugh Hearings. Now, she’s added a book to the list.
Released in summer of 2018, her novel titled “Amanda Wakes Up” covers the coming of age of a reporter who “makes it.” While the story is fiction according to Camerota, it was clearly inspired by her own path. Amanda Gallo begins the story as a young local journalist gunning to cover the biggest news she can in her current position in the hopes of taking strides into national news. She faces some pretty common issues with bosses pressuring her to make unethical choices. While she works super hard at work, there’s never a point where she feels she deserves what she gets in terms of promotions, etc.
Imposter Syndrome is super common in working females. According to Time Magazine, it’s the idea that you’ve only succeeded due to luck and not because of your qualifications. These people are called perfectionists, experts, soloists, supermen and superwomen. All of these are varying forms of not feeling good enough! Women don’t push for higher salaries because they don’t feel enough to be asking for this recognition for their work.
With all that said, here are some ways to fight these insecurities because we’re all more than qualified for the positions we go after.
1. Ask for help and take it. Being a strong woman means knowing when you need help in your work.
2. Recognizing that feeling like a failure is likely to make you more successful in the long run. We learn more from failure than success, but be sure to recognize you’re never completely a failure!!
3. Share your feelings with others. We build a network when we reach out. We usually find that others struggle with the same thing.
4. Celebrate your successes! When you get that big job or internship, it’s time to party with your girls.
5. Surround yourself with encouraging friends.
7. Don’t let your fears stop you from giving your best effort.
Thanks Alisyn for your insight as to what we’re facing in the workplace and reflection on your experience! It’s important to keep imposter syndrome in mind whenever we approach applying to new jobs and asking to take on new projects.