
Women are taking on new, challenging job roles like never before. In fact, some of the world's more powerful women don't exactly have traditional jobs.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice broke barriers throughout her life and career, becoming only the second female Secretary of State in the United States, not to mention the first African-American woman to hold the post. After a four-year role as National Secretary Adviser — another first for a woman — Rice assumed the prestigious position. Needless to say, Rice held a non-traditional job for a woman, and will only be trumped by the first woman who wins the presidency.
The U.S. Department of Labor defines the non-traditional job as positions where women make up less than 25 percent of the workforce. Lofty cabinet positions aside, non-traditional jobs for women can include everything from carpenter to chiropractor, painter to pilot and electrician to engineer.
As societal stereotypes continue to break down, the term "non-traditional" job may someday become extinct. More and more women are becoming part of what was once considered unconventional fields for several reasons. Economic expansion has created a high demand for occupations that once were completely dominated by men. There was a time when people assumed if you were talking about a lawyer, athlete or doctor, you were referring to a man.
With rising home, healthcare, and general living expenses, it has also become a necessity the past 20 years for American families to have two incomes, more than half of working mothers say they work to support the family, and would stay home to raise the children if it was financially possible.
Furthermore, attitudes toward what's appropriate for a woman have steadily changed over time. Some may still hold onto the outdated concept of "a woman's place is in the home," but the fact is that two-thirds of all women age 16 and over are part of the labor force.
One motivation behind pursuing a non-traditional career is money. Women in traditional jobs earn 20 to 30 percent less than women in non-traditional occupations, according to the Labor Department. High entry-level wages paying between $20 and $30 an hour have been more than enough inspiration for women seeking solid careers. One such well-paid, non-traditional job is the auto mechanic. The industry isn't just lacking women, it's suffering from a major shortage overall. With entry-level mechanics making an average of $42,000, and ASE-certified mechanics pulling in as much as six figures, the job can be quite attractive to the female grease monkey.
According to the Labor Department, less than 20% of all working women are in non-traditional sectors, with most working in fields that don't require a four-year college degree like plumbing or truck driving. But the biggest spike in non-traditional jobs has been in the professional, white-collar industries like engineering and the law. There's still a long way to go for women, who continue to dominate the low-paying support jobs in the food service industry, retail sales, and clerical industry.
What's important to remember is that all women have a right to choose whatever field they want. The common myths – blue collar work is too messy, security work is too dangerous, the job isn't feminine enough, or women don't have the aptitude for certain skills – shouldn't impede you from a particular career path.
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