Applying for jobs and internships is a stressful process. Spring is prime time for applying and hearing back from jobs and internships, running tensions high. However, gender could be impacting confidence level throughout the application process.

While individuals are different, research finds that women are 16% less likely to apply to a job after viewing it, and generally apply to about 20% fewer jobs than men. There is also a common feeling among women that they must have 100% of the listed job’s criteria, whereas men’s average minimum for applying is about 60% of those qualifications, according to the same study.

One potential reason for this disparity is that women are often taught to be less outwardly confident or assertive.

“As a woman, you’re socialized to follow the rules,” said Morgan Trau, a senior studying broadcast and digital journalism at Syracuse University. Trau is also president of Women in Communications, which aims to empower young women entering the communications industry. “Sometimes when I see job qualifications for an internship or job, if I don’t match that 100%, I’m gonna say ‘Oh, well. It’s against the rules for me,’” Trau said.

Oftentimes, women are subjected to social double standards, in which behavioral traits seen as positive or socially desirable in men are demeaned when women exhibit them.

“If a woman is assertive, she’s seen as aggressive, whereas a man is seen as ‘the man’” Trau said.

Confidence is a key factor in all stages of the job application process, including applying, writing resumes and cover letters and interviewing. Because it is so important to career success, lacking confidence — or even appearing to lack it — can impede job opportunities.

“What you want to do — and this helps with confidence — is think that these people have a problem, and the problem is this vacancy,” said Kelly Barnett, the director of career development at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications’ Career Development Center. “They are rooting for you, that you are the person that’s going to fill this and solve that problem for them,” she said.

Providing an accurate yet confident account of one’s skills and strengths is important for anyone in the job application process. However, acquiring the skills to confidently represent yourself can be more of a challenge if you’ve been socialized, as many women are, to be more modest or less self-assured.

“It’s not (that) women can’t move up,” said junior Marissa Goldberg, who is studying marketing at SU and is president of SU’s chapter of The Women’s Network, a student organization dedicated to empowering college women across different majors and fields of study. “It’s just that we’re less likely to advocate for ourselves.”

Gender-related struggles with confidence can be conflated with ideas of masculinity because men have historically held positions of power.

“One of the things that we look out for is this idea of stereotype threat,” said Rebecca Ortiz, an assistant professor of advertising in Newhouse who researches media effects. “We often have a sense of what stereotypes are attached to us,” she said.

“Because we’re aware of cultural stereotypes that might exist, we may be nervous about actually playing into those stereotypes or being that stereotype… So from an individual perspective, it can make women feel that they have to act a certain way to be seen in a good light, or to be considered as a leader,” Ortiz said.

While confidence in one’s ability to perform a job well is essential in any field, it’s important to take a close look at standards of what truly makes a good professional or a strong leader. Becoming confident shouldn’t mean changing one’s personality to act more “like a man,” or more in accordance with standards of masculinity. Rather, confidence should stem from being the best version of yourself.

Taking the time to think about how stereotypes and social norms may affect your view of yourself and your self-esteem can change your application habits and improve your confidence.

Published on March 8, 2020 at 9:59 pm