I attended elementary school at the height of the STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education boom. Living near Washington D.C. meant I had access to a wide range of world class STEM centers and teachers, and the benefits of STEM careers were presented to students all the time. STEM careers were especially pushed on girls as a way to shatter gender stereotypes, ensure financial stability, and maximise potential. It felt like the only career worth having was a STEM career, and choosing any other career meant not taking advantage of the rights previous generations were not afforded.
It is important to note that despite what you might think from this article, I actually really like science. My two summers at marine biology camp were extraordinarily fun, and I still have a deep affinity for all things ocean. I can talk your ear off about sea turtles, and to this day I struggle to use plastic straws due to their potential to become marine pollutants.
Looking back, my desire for a creative career was evident in my interactions with marine biology. I enjoyed the colourful aesthetic of a graph and the artistic symmetricality of a dissection. I reveled in one-liners related to ocean science (Save the turtles!), and the beauty of the sea inspired many photoshoots and jewelry pieces.
As I got older and encountered upper-level science classes, I had to confront the truth: I did not want a STEM career. The formulas, charts, and data collection bored me. Other than my 9th grade science fair project (I baked macarons), I was largely disinterested in science. I flourished in English. I have always loved reading and writing, and English classes were often the high point of my day, even if I did not want to admit it. Liking English was not cool, and a career in the humanities was considered less cerebral and employable than a career in STEM.
Admitting that English is my favourite subject was the first step to accepting who I am. Yes, I am a proud English major now, but for a while, liking English felt like a betrayal. I was not going to be a groundbreaking woman in STEM, and that was scary. I was worried that my future career would be easier or less rewarding than a STEM career that appeared to have a near-immediate impact. I was afraid that my future career would fall under the category of a “girly job.”
I quickly found that no job is easy. In fact, “girly jobs” are hard! In addition to the technical skills of writing and close reading, most “girly jobs” require impeccable attention to detail, a strong ability to communicate, and exceptional multitasking. Those traits are often instilled in women, hence our historic ability to flourish in certain sectors. Working as a fashion journalist requires knowledge of current trends, thorough market research, and the ability to make meaningful connections quickly. Being a secretary requires delegation, careful planning, and schedule memorisation. Being an influencer requires negotiation, strategy, and brand building. Trivialising a profession based on the type of knowledge used to perform it ignores the crucial skills required to be successful.
STEM professions are essential, and women in STEM are definitely needed, but STEM jobs are not the only way to be intellectually stimulated or fulfilled. Taking a “girly job” is not a marker of low intelligence or a lack of ambition, and the more people who understand that, the better.