Being one of few males in an office has more benefits than pitfalls when it comes to the workplace, but being one of the few females can go either way, according to a sampling of young Boston-based professionals.
Quota filling, novelty and the perception of certain traits being male or female, were the main reasons these twentysomethings felt advantaged in their fields.
“My chances of getting a job in my field are really high straight from college as I have a unique selling point,” said Tim Howden, a Speech Language Pathology student at Emerson College. “The field is desperate for any speech language pathologists regardless of gender, but as a male, I am even more desired by employees.”
Howden, 24, said he is routinely asked to perform certain tasks based on his gender. “Males are often believed to hold more authority and presence in some situations, so behavioral issues are often handed to me,” he said. “I do not want people to think my success is only down to my gender. But I cannot say it isn’t nice to think I can walk into a job!”
Sangeeta Marwah works in television and film production, a typically male-dominated field. She reported a more mixed experience. “You can back slap a lot of people when you are working as a male, you have that kind of camaraderie,” said Marwah, 29. “As a woman you often end up standing around feeling uncomfortable. It’s not that people are saying anything, or being sexist. It’s that you feel ‘Oh, I really don’t belong here’.”
Despite the discomfort, Marwah said things are a lot easier for her generation. “Although 20 years ago, there were women making it as filmmakers, back then they were the exception,” she said. “Now, no one is raising eyebrows about it.”
Decision-making: falling into a field
Falling into a career instead of actively choosing one is a trend that has been around for more than one generation. But according to Max Brenes, a clinical case supervisor at an emergency hotline for the Department of Social Services, the trend is fast becoming the norm.
“After college, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do – I just knew I wanted to help somehow,” the 25-year-old said. “Nobody encouraged me in particular to go into that field… I don’t plan to stay in social work all my life – hopefully I will find something like that.”
Brenes said it is common for people in his age range to try out different careers before settling on one. It is something Tim Howden identifies with.
“My reasoning for being in [the field of communication disorders] comes from a combined love of language and experiences I have had working with young people,” Howden said. “I arrived at this decision over a good five years of somewhat directionless studies. I just continued to do what I enjoyed doing until something slapped me in the face.”
Sangeeta Marwah had a similar experience. “I came to be in [television and film production] as a change of career,” she said. “At one point in time I decided I wanted to do something more creative with myself, and the film and television industry was always of huge interest to me.”
Foundation layers: following in the footsteps
When Carmin Karasic graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Math from Suffolk University some 30 years ago, she was the only woman to do so.
Although women still represent a tiny percentage of the workforce in traditionally masculine fields, and vice versa, numbers have been creeping up.
Karasic has spent more than 20 years in computer science, once again as an extreme minority. Fittingly, she believes the technology itself has brought about changes in the way recruitment works.
“With the advent of the Internet, you can put your stuff online, so what people see is nothing other than your code… so what they see is you,” she said. “It’s another opportunity for gender and race to melt away and have no significance at all.”
“I think it is easier for women now because at some point if you’re going to get a job where you have to interview in person, now, they don’t think ‘maybe she can’t do this,'” Karasic said. “That is because now, most people entering the field have grown up with computers and so if they say they can program, they probably can.”
Tim Howden, Speech Pathology
Q & A
What field are you in and how did you end up in it?
I am in communication disorders. My reasoning for being in this field comes from a combined love of language and experiences I have had working with young people. I arrived at this decision over a good five years of somewhat directionless studies. I just continued to do what I enjoyed doing until something slapped me in the face. I guess this field managed to do it!
Do you think it is easier for a man to succeed in your field, or woman, or no difference?
I think it works both ways. If the gender make up of this field was equal I actually think women would find it easier to be successful. Working with children in particular, women are often considered more trustworthy. However, the truth is that this is a female-dominated work arena and as such, being a male is quite a rare commodity. So I am going to be relatively unique and therefore privileged to better opportunities.
What are some advantages or disadvantages to being a man in your field?
My chances of getting a job in my field are really high straight from college as I have a unique selling point. The field is desperate for any speech language pathologists regardless of gender, but as a male, I am even more desired by employees. I feel also that as a male I will be asked to do certain jobs because of my gender. Males are often believed to hold more authority and presence in some situations, so behavioral issues are often handed to me. I do not want people to think my success is only down to my gender. But I cannot say it isn’t nice to think I can walk into a job!”
Who encouraged you to pursue this career? Men, women, peers, parents?
Many people influence me to go this way but I feel nobody actually encouraged me -- it was very much my own choice. Those that did influence me were male teachers and professors that I have studied under through school and undergrad. My own research led me to where I am. Very random, but so is life.
Do you feel more or less pressure to succeed as a male in your field?
Neither. I do not see any difference myself between genders so I feel no pressure. Others may see it a different way but I staunchly do not. In addition, this field is desperate for people. I believe we will all be successful. If this weren’t the case, I might feel pressure -- yes I think so. I am the outsider in this field, so I think I would feel more vulnerable and need to succeed to avoid this.
Are there any famous men in your field that you look up to and why?
I know most people in this field by last names only and so they are not gender-specific in my mind. Dr. Bashir (male) is a professor I respect hugely who is famous in this field but truly, it makes no difference in my mind. Fame in this field is earned by the work conducted and nothing else -- so I believe that gender is irrelevant.
Would you encourage your son or daughter to enter this field?
Yes, both, if they enjoyed it.
Is it more acceptable to be working in this field as a male than it was 20 years ago?
This field is relatively young so that question is not really applicable. However I don't believe it is a case of acceptability in this field, I think more women simply choose this vocation. With that in mind I guess I am odd!
Max Brenes, Social Work
Q & A
How did you end up in social work?
After college I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do -- I just knew I wanted to help somehow, and I think this is a great place to help people.
Did anyone in particular encourage you to pursue a career in social work?
Nobody encouraged me in particular to go into that field, but the way I was brought up -- my mom is a teacher and my dad is a doctor, both service-oriented jobs – I always knew I wanted to do something to help people.
Are there any advantages or disadvantages of being a male in social work?
I don’t think there are any disadvantages of being a male in social work. I think people respect you the same way.
Do you plan to continue towards a career in social work?
No I don’t plan to stay in social work all my life. I plan to change into something else that I feel more passionate about. I feel really good about helping people right now and what I’m doing -- however I don’t think it’s what I want to do for the rest of my life – hopefully I’ll find something like that.”
Sangeeta Marwah, Media Production
Q & A
How did you end up in film and television production?
I came to be in this field as a change of career. At one point in time I decided I wanted to do something more creative with myself. Film and television industry was always of a huge interest to me.”
Is it any easier to enter this field as a woman today than it might have been before?
I think in today’s terms it is definitely far different. There are so many women who have entered the field already and therefore it becomes so much easier for someone like me to make this my professional career. It was obviously a bit different a few years back.
Although 20 years ago, there were women making it as filmmakers, back then they were the exception. Now, no one is raising eyebrows about it.
But more than it just being an absolute question, it also depends upon where you are, which country you are from, whether you have any professional experience at all, whether you have the support of a key group of people, whether you have financial support. All of those factors together determine whether or not you are going to be a success. And of course pure drive and ambition counts for a lot too.
Did anyone in particular encourage you to pursue a career in media production?
I don’t think anyone specifically encouraged me to choose media arts as a profession. I think it was mostly just me always having this drive to something which I felt was more reflective of the creativity I possess as an individual. But my immediate family did a lot in terms of offering encouragement and support although it’s really a non-traditional career.
What are some disadvantages of being a woman in your field?
At a very basic level, there’s a whole lot of moving equipment and stuff. But as far as creativity is concerned, nobody ever says men are more creative than women or vice versa.
As far as advantages of being a man in this field -- you can back slap a lot of people when you are working as a male, you have that kind of camaraderie. As a woman you often end up standing around feeling uncomfortable. It’s not that people are saying anything, or being sexist. It’s that you feel “Oh, I really don’t belong here.”
And some advantages?
Well everyone has to be careful around you because, well you are a woman, you are special!
Do you think Boston is an easier place for a woman to break into the media production field than other places?
“I would say in general first of all Boston would be an easier place – it’s not a huge media production market and I think it’s still a far more academic setting. That, and the fact that it’s a relatively smaller city makes things a little bit easier.”