SP Global Believes Change Pays

SP Global Believes Change Pays Below is an article originally written by PowerToFly Partner S&P Global. Go to S&P Globals page on PowerToFly to see their open positions and learn mora.We believe ChangePaysAt S&P Global, we believe an investment in women is an investment in us all. Some think that weve already invested enough. Some say equality doesnt pay.The numbers tell a different story.Change pays. At S&P Global, weve been compiling the latest data and producing research on womens economic participation and impact. Its vital that we learn where weve made progress and where theres still a long way to go.Visit spglobal.com/changepays for mora information. One of the biggest challenges in almost all industries today is achieving gender parity. Gender diversity provides huge benefits in the workplace. pWhile some industries have made significant advancements in gender diversity, some industries lag further behind... and the construction ind ustry is well-known for being in the latter category. If someone says, construction workers, youll likely picture a group of men in yellow hard hats analyzing an architects plans or laying bricks on top of a scaffold. And men at work signs only help to reinforce this image.pThis stereotype is rooted in reality. When was the last time you actually spotted a woman on a construction site? Or hired a female plumber or carpenter? Your answer is most likely never. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statisticsreports that only 3.4% of the total of 8.3 million construction employees are women.pBut the construction industry has a lot more to offer than steel-toed boots and hard hats, and it needs women to help advance the industry in this era of rapid change. Here are 5 reasons why women joining the workforce or looking to make a pivot should consider a career in construction.h21. Fuel Innovation/h2pNot only is diversity the socially and morally right thing to do, but it is also actually an excell ent business strategy. pResearch presented in the Harvard Business Reviewshows that diverse teams develop more innovative ideas. This is further supported by a study conducted by Gallupon the performance of gender-diverse teams versus single-gender teams, which found that the difference in backgrounds and perspectives led to better business performance and problem-solving. h22. Capitalize on Demand/h2pThe construction industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage. The industry itself is booming and projected to be one of the fastest-growing industries, with total spending projected to exceed $1.45 trillion in 2023/a. However, most construction companies are unable to meet the rising demand. pAccording to the Associated General Contractors of America/a, more than 80% of contractors are experiencing difficulties filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce.pAnd demand isnt limited to individual contributor roles. Given the industry boom, t here are a number of open stable and high-paying roles (any project managers out there?) waiting for the right candidateh23. Leadership Opportunities/h2pAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics/a, women compose only 7.7% of the total 1 million managerial positions in construction.br/pBut given the highly collaborative nature of construction work, more women in leadership roles would help drive innovation and enhance productivity.Furthermore, as a woman in construction in a leadership position, youd have the unique opportunity to drive change for the industry and make it a more attractive option for other women.h24. High-Income Potential/h2pSalaries for many skilled positions in construction are on the rise, making a construction career a prime choice for women looking for a high-paying job,pThe 2018 Construction Craft Salary Surveyconducted by the National Center for Construction Education and Research revealed that salaries for many skilled craft areas are increasing. Project ma nagers and project supervisors topped the list at $92,523 and $88,355, respectively. The next set of highest-paying jobs include those of combo welders ($71,067), instrumentation technicians ($70,080), pipe welders ($69,222), power line workers ($68,262) and industrial electricians ($67,269). Of the 32 categories of workers in the survey, 19 positions earned an average salary of $60,000 or higher.h25. Sense of accomplishment/h2p The construction industry can give employees a unique sense of achievement. Yes, the job is stressful and the work can be demanding, but nothing beats the feeling of being able to build something from the ground up. pHow many professionals in other industries can point at a school, a hospital, or a skyscraper and say I helped build that?pThe construction industry has a long way to go in combating gender bias and supporting women in the workforce, but given the current demand for workers, theres no better time to pick up a sledgehammer (figurative or literal) and smash the gender stereotypes plaguing the construction industry.

Job hunting Dont get your hopes up; it could make your search longer

Job hunting Dont get your hopes up it could make your search longerJob hunting Dont get your hopes up it could make your search longerThe long-term unemployed are overly-optimistic in their outlook that theyll find a job soon, according to a November study from theNational Bureau of Economic Research called Job Seekers Perceptions and Employment Prospects.Whats more, even when they dont find work and remain unemployed, those sunny outlooks do not adjust - which can keep job-seekers out of work longer.Individuals who overestimate their employment prospects will be overly selective and inefficiently prolong their unemployment spells, the study reads.While no one likes to hear that you should take the first decent job you can get to exit unemployment as fast as possible, perhaps thats one lesson to be taken from this study.The long-term unemployed generally have a too-rosy view of a job when they are finally hired, it was discovered.For example, using a survey of unemployed workers in New Jersey, which surveyed a large sample of people receiving unemployment benefits in 2009-10, researchers found that out-of-work people reported a 26% probability that theyd find a job by the next month.The actual probability of them finding a job in a month was 10%.In fact, in the New Jersey group, people generally got 2% more optimistic theyd find a job with each month they were unemployed.Perhaps it can be chalked up to a coping mechanism to combat job-search depression.