In the past year or so, there's been a lot made of the future of men in the workforce. Specifically, many think we don't have much of a future.
In recent years, women have been attending college, and gaining degrees at faster rates than men. In addition, many companies are hiring more women for management positions than they have in past years.
This has led to a lot of concern for all us guys. Maybe we should be worried. Maybe when I see a confident-looking woman in business attire on her way to an interview, I should be frightened. Maybe she's taking a job that could've easily gone to me!
Or maybe we're all making a big deal out of nothing. For one thing, women have gotten the short of the end of stick in the workforce pretty much since the beginning of time.
The fact that women are actually starting to be taken seriously in the workforce is hardly anything to panic about. If anything, we should be glad that we've taken a necessary step closer to gender equality.
As for why men are going to college and getting jobs so much less these days, the reason for that is uncertain. Some would argue that perhaps women are just smarter than men, and we're finally beginning to realize it.
I, however, look at this situation with a different view. I think it's because as men, we've lost our ambition. In past years we've had everything handed to us. We've been the dominant gender, the breadwinner of our households, and the sex most readily accepted into positions of power. As a result, we haven't had to try very hard.
Women, on the other hand, have faced the exact opposite. They've had to work incredibly hard just be taken seriously. Many young women and girls understand the history of sexism in the workplace, and dedicate their lives to breaking that glass ceiling.
As a result, they've been more ambitious. They've gotten better grades, they've gone to better colleges, and they've parlayed all that effort into high-paying jobs.
Of course, I'm not saying all men are like this. There are plenty of men who have lofty goals, and work hard toward achieving them. I count myself among these people. It's just that if men wish to get high-paying jobs at the same rate women do, they have to work just as hard.
For some guys, that may involve no extra effort at all. Others, however, may have to work a bit harder. Study a little more to make sure you can ace that next test; maybe cancel a night out so you can hit the books. All of these would be good ideas.
What it comes down to, is that men still have just as much opportunity of going to a good school, and getting a good job as women do. We just have to work a little bit harder to get it than we used to.
The playing field is much more level now. It doesn't favor men like it used to, but that doesn't mean it's working against them either. In short, men shouldn't be fearful of women getting more degrees, or more high-paying jobs. All those opportunities are there for us, too. We just need to do a bit more work to get them.
E-mail: john.hugar@ubspectrum.com
