Some Non-Traditional Jobs Where Women Rule
As women constantly try to liberate themselves from the mold of stereotyped images, they have also found more freedom in advancing towards the financial and professional ladder. Indeed, women do not only continue to dominate the fields where they are traditionally accepted, they also managed to enter non-traditional jobs and have proven that they are actually as competent as their male counterparts. Non-traditional jobs, as defined by the US Department of Labor, are the industries or professions wherein the female workers compose less than 25% of the total population. An extreme example that women are starting to dominate even in the fields where they are statistically-challenged would be in politics. Nowadays, we see the rapid growth of women occupying higher government positions that were once exclusive to men.
In a more general sense, non-traditional jobs can cover a wide field, starting from blue-collar construction jobs to professions related to information technology and computer science. The US Department of Labor Women’s Bureau along with the US Department of Labor even provided a list of occupations where the percentage of women is still lower than 25%. Sales, manufacturing and wholesale is still considered as a man’s world, but indeed, women are stepping up in this field with their innate marketing skills. Nowadays, there is also an increasing growth in the number of women entering the field of construction, as architects, civil engineers and construction worker positions are slowly being filled up with women. Gone are the days when there is a running misconception that these fields are too laborious and too dirty for female workers. The software industry is still a male-dominated field, but these days more and more women are becoming more interested to work as software developers or IT managers. Aviation is also an unconventional field that women are beginning to explore nowadays.
The rapid increase of women who have shifted their focus towards non-traditional jobs can be attributed to the fact that majority of these fields pay higher than most conventional professions. For example, an auto-mechanic job pays well and the overall demand for member of this workforce is increasingly high. Other blue-collar jobs which have been financially-attractive for women are truck diving, and plumbing which does not require a four-year degree in order to be accepted in an entry-level position.
Another motivating factor that entices women to seek out non-traditional jobs would be the recruitment policies which are being offered by some industries. Technology centers are teaming up with trade schools where they offer grants for women who aim to take courses such as welding. This strategy helps employers in diversifying the population in their industry. For some women who are seeking out solid careers with higher hourly pay, the field of law and engineering are the most attractive options. Lastly, women are getting more encouragement to enter non-traditional jobs now that majority of the professions are providing more welcoming work environments towards women employees.
Women who are interested in non-traditional jobs can seek assistance from different international organizations such as WOW (Work4Women) and the Nontraditional Employment for Women. With the escalating growth of women who are entering non-traditional jobs and the continuous support from the government and from different industries, it is only a matter of time before the term “non-traditional jobs” eventually fades into obscurity.
