Why do women not apply for jobs?

Potential reasons and remedies.

There was a study done from Hewlett Packard and an article in HBR that based on the outcome of this study that showed men apply for a job when they meet only 60% of the qualifications, but women apply only if they meet 100% of them. For me this read at the first glance that there is an internal glass ceiling: Why do women think that having a career is dependent on qualification and not on potential?

Honestly, I have been there as well. I did not dare to apply for a role until one of my mentors suggested and even challenged me to apply and SHOW UP! And funnily enough the same day another supporter of mine asked the same questions. Needless to mention that my husband already told me this years ago. And honestly, this is a trap that I could fall into again today.

In the above mention study when these women were asked why didn’t they apply for the job?
The #1 answer wasn’t: "I didn’t think I could do the job well” But it was: "I didn’t think they would hire me since I didn’t meet the qualifications, and I didn’t want to waste my time and energy or risk failure."
Women tend to screen themselves out of the conversation and end up applying to fewer jobs than men. For years, we women have kept our heads down and played by the rules. And when it comes to the hiring process they still think it's more by-the-book and true to the on-paper guidelines than it really is.

From my experience there are several factors for not applying for a new next level role. Let me go through them and present at the same time some tips and trick to overcome this factor so that you can apply for the new challenge!

Fear of rejection.

The following questions are constantly circulating in your head: What will others say? How will my leadership see me? How can I cope with the rejection? And yes, there is risk for failure.
Unless you’re made of psychological Teflon, it’s hard not to feel the sting of being rejected. Yet many people cut themselves off from the possibility of getting what they want because of their fear of how they’ll feel if they are rejected in the process. Put another way::We reject ourselves before anyone else has a chance to do it! The truth is: You can never have what you want if you’re not willing to risk rejection. This requires a mindset shift regarding trying out new things and go for opportunities. For sure there are others that will be applying as well and for sure they might be good or even better candidates. But how do you find out? In Showing up and throwing your hat in the ring. Maybe people do not even know that you are really interested to grow. This does not mean that applying for all job openings is now the new norm. You still need to target the new role and it needs to fit to your career vision. Let the fear of rejection not get into your way. Don’t take it personally and take feedback serious. This is the key for success in the next application.

Imposter syndrom.

What if I fail in the new role? How can I manage the new role?
Impostor syndrome involves doubtful feelings about one’s abilities, and fears of being labeled as a fraud. People who are affected commonly feel inadequate and that they only have ever achieved anything as a result of luck or other people liking them. Impostor syndrome can prevent you from ever venturing out of your comfort zone. It also causes you to underestimate your abilities. Let me offer some tips and tricks to break the vicious circle. When writing a resume/professional bio/etc. or otherwise describing your skills/experience, try to avoid minimizing your experience or using softening words like "just", "only", etc., and have someone else review or write your resume for you (you can pay people to do this as well). Choose someone who is good at self-promotion. Asking other people for their opinion of you or to describe your qualifications, keeping a record of your accomplishments and reviewing it, and otherwise seeking objective positive feedback is helpful.

The JD requirements are too high.

I do not have all the required qualifications of the new role. There is a huge confidence gap and a belief that a JD is the minimum requirements, but it is most of the time a maximum requirement list. So you need to get this out of your head. It is ok not to meet all criteria. We need to start shifting our mindset regarding the hiring process and start playing the game differently. Advocacy & networking are two major components of the job search that we cannot ignore. Things like presentation of experience, transferable skills, and personality traits often go farther than actual qualifications. Trust in yourself. You need to break your inner glass ceiling, you need to trust in yourself - in your abilities, your strengths. They will lead you to success. Hard skills can be learned. This thinking needs to be part of your career planning framework. You do not need to meet the requirements for the role 100% but you should have a vision on how you fill the position with life. You should know why you are the right hire for this role. Last but not least the

Fear of loosing work-life-balance

I remember a quote but I can not recall the author: There’s no such thing as work-life balance. There are work-life choices, and you make them, and they have consequences. My take away from this is that for any new role you need to invest more time in specifically at the beginning. But then in any of your professional area you need to ensure that you define what your personal work-life-balance is and act accordingly. You need to be protective of your personal time. This is a mindset topic. You can do this by setting boundaries. Learn to put notebooks and smartphones away, plan fixed dates with yourself. And finally Fight the guilt part of your professional life is to prioritize. You cannot do it all. You are not a superhero! Learn to say no. Stick to your decision and move on. However, we can not neglect that some roles have more impact on your personal life than others - working in shifts, being on emergency, business travel, global working times just to name a few. Here you need to make a conscious decision what you accept in your life and what not. You are the pilot of your life.

Every career is different and each of us is different. It is important to stay true to yourself for sure and realizing that you are maybe holding yourself back and are reaching your inner glass ceiling is an individual challenge.
I can only advocate to really explore your potential, go as far as you can to reach fulfillment in your professional and in your private life. Applying for a new role is part of career advancement and growth. Growth can be painful but in almost all of the cases very rewarding.
My programs prepare you for those moments and help you to confidently SHOW UP!

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