Getting A Job Then Vs Now

How the times have changed...

Today is a new day and so are the opportunities that come your way. To talk about the 21st century, the sky is the limit quite literally, and one can expand their horizons in whichever direction they like.

However, during the 1980s it was considered to be a luxury if one could afford to get themselves a basic education, but now it has come down to becoming a necessity and rather more a kit for survival. I remember my mother telling me that the moment she had completed her masters, she had gotten a job offer that required for her to relocate to a different city than her hometown and she turned it down cause the means to commute and set yourself up comfortably was a luxury she couldn’t afford, not just financially but socially as well.

The construct around women in our society has always been a tricky one to comprehend, it is restricting to say the very least. Patriarchy has always kept the women in our country in check of their ambitions and made sure that the deciding authority isn’t given to them in most cases. While all this might be true for before, now, I’ll gladly agree that things have started to look up. This doesn’t mean that those restrictions don’t exist still because mind you, they do. But it is also true that most areas have developed and got themselves rid of their biases cause for most families, it is important to look at the financial factor first which is to feed themselves and live a comfortable life in an ever so-competitive world.

Opportunities were scarce at the time not because there weren’t enough out there, but because women couldn’t get themselves to relocate or even convince their family members that this was something they wanted to do, as they were expected to marry quickly and settle down, run the household and look after the kids. But the corporate world today is not only recognizing their contribution but is also giving them the space to grow professionally irrespective of their gender which they respectfully deserve right from assigning period leaves to having the same job roles open to both genders. The other genders like Non-binary still struggle to have an inclusive society but that's a discussion for some other time.

This fact can be attributed to the increasing awareness, thanks to the digital age we’re living in where every piece of information is just one click away. Women have also started taking a stand because they’ve realized that they have the backing of the law and have become more radical in their approach. Gender equality is a norm that should have been in practice decades ago but today social media has contributed to the awareness of the masses which has been a good thing not just for certain individuals but for society as a whole. Social activism is on the rise with various social issues being brought to light that need intervention and rather a promotion.

However, the race hasn't been won just yet. It is still a conventional practice for women to be passed over for promotion especially when they are in their late 20s and early 30s obviously due to the convention that women will ultimately get married and start planning a family. And since our society believes that mothers should be the ones nurturing the kids, it pulls them down in their careers. These assumptions have caused various women their careers if not life. From what I’ve gathered from the account of various women that I interviewed, women themselves put themselves down before anyone else can do that to them cause of their own fear of taking a stand for what's rightfully theirs so as not to labelled as a rebel whereas those women who do are mostly ridiculed and mocked.

Nonetheless, women are now taking onto the positions of leadership, of course, the stats are in no way equal but they are on a rise with individuals like Indra Nooyi and Sheryl Sandberg setting an example for the rest to follow and preach. Gender Pay Gap is as real as Climate Change and yet not so usually addressed. That being said, it has reduced over the years but to date, men earn a compensation averagely 18% higher than that earned by women for the exact same job role.

With everything taken into account, the competition definitely has risen with education and other resources becoming more accessible and affordable for all. Going abroad to study is no more a big deal, and getting graduated is not sufficient anymore. You need to be someone more than just those numbers, you’ve got to offer a package deal and become a king of one to get yourself to success.

To conclude, there were times when there was only one or no girl present at a mechanical engineering class at college but today there are several more and the figures are only going to sky-rocket from here on. There still is a disparity in society with biases against women. Women face stereotypes from the very beginning like that she’ll definitely want to marry and start a family which, to say the least, is wrong. The opportunities have increased over time but so has the competition to get the same. Women still face issues like harassment and pay disparity just to name a few but hopefully the future is going to be brighter. Kudos to all those individuals out there who have fought to get us where we are today and with luck, those individuals are just going to increase in numbers.