How to handle business lunch etiquette

How to handle business lunch etiquetteHow to handle business lunch etiquetteLadders sat down with Patricia Napier Fitzpatrick, who runs the Etiquette School of New York, to talk about how we should handle ourselves when we are eating in a business setting.

10 Tips About How HR Can Influence Business Strategy

10 Tips About How HR Can Influence geschftlicher umgang Strategy10 Tips About How HR Can Influence Business StrategyDoes your HR manager and gruppe influence your companys business strategy and direction? Do they contribute to the key corporate discussions about customers, products, and strategy? Does your HR manager or director participate in senior-level meetings and planning? Do managers seek out their opinion about managing, legal issues, and how to build an employee friendly culture? If you can answer yes to these questions, and your HR team also initiates people programs and processes, welcome to the executive boardroom. Your team has made it. Congratulations on your career success. Still earning that seat at the executive table? These tips will fast forward your career or keep you sitting at the executive table for your longer term success. Understand Your Organizations Business to Influence Strategy Yes, you know, when youre buried in the day-to-day, its hard to remember, that youre running a business. Ernie and Harriet arent getting along. Have to play moderator. Julie doesnt understand her benefits. Have to hold her hand for awhile. Bob wants to know where to find training records. Mary needs to take FMLA time after the birth of her baby. Ah, yes, youre in the people business, a small business within a company. But, youre also in the bigger business of your organization. Spend time every day talking with sales, production, quality, and accounting. Make sure that you know what is going on in that bigger world. Know your customers, the cost of your products and how youre going to meet your monthly sales goals. You help the people get what they need to run the business efficiently, profitably, and respectfully in an empowering environment. Share Responsibility for Business Goals and Plans The overall business goals are your goals, too. When you make plans for your department, they should be directed to achieving overall business objectives as wel l as menschenwrdig Resources goals. Developing a performance culture is a goal youll likely own. You contribute to the inventory turns goal, too. You supply the best people who are trained in the business, motivated by their work, rewarded by the company, and led by capable management. You are knowledgeable about the business and can ask questions that encourage continuous improvement by all. Know the Human Resources Business Thoroughly Your customers rely on you for correct and insightful information and advice. What mora is there to say? You are reliable, credible, trustworthy and knowledgeable and you have deep integrity. If you let people down, theyll stop coming to you for information and advice. Theyll lose faith and confidence in your answers. And then, what good are you? (Remember, its always okay to say youll find out.) Run Your Department Like a Business to Influence Business Strategy Dont get so caught up in the business of your overall business that you forget to run your department like a business, too. Meet with your reporting staff members weekly. Meet with your department members every week to make sure all members are pointed in the same direction. Your goals must contribute to the accomplishmentof the overall business objectives. Your action plans to achieve the goals need to translate into daily to-do lists for your staff. Every significant activity requires a feedback loop or audit, so you know that it is being accomplished. As an example, new employee orientation is regularly scheduled. Does every employee attend? Are all covered policies, procedures and information detailed on a checklist that the employee signs? Are these checklists filed in the employees file? How frequently do you audit the records or attend the orientation, thus ensuring that what you think is happening- is, in fact- happening? Measure Outcomes and Goal Achievement, not Work Processes to Influence Business Strategy Human Resources handles the organizations achievement of the overall goals. HR is also responsible for identifying and measuring goals specific to HR. FitSmallBuiness.com and Zenefits, an HR management platform, compiled a list of 39 possible measures that organizations can use to measure human resources. They then identified across multiple organizations the seven most common Human Resources measures in use to determine how the function is performing. The seven are Revenue per employeeCost per hireEmployee turnoverOvertime percentageAbsenteeismLength of serviceJob satisfaction rate Not surprisingly, the most frequently used measures may reflect some of the difficulties that are associated with developing appropriate HR measurement methods. They may also reflect the significance given to the human resource function and the idea that its activities should be measured in some way. Most organizations do not, for example, measure training cost, return on investment in human capital, value added per employee, time to fill jobs, return on training and seniority. These require more sophisticated measurement methods that may tax the ability of the HR team to gather data in addition to everything else they do. These are the results measurements, not process measures (number of people trained) crucial to demonstrating HR success- the success that will land you at the executive table. Remember the People in Human Resources to Influence Business Strategy Is your office a magnet for people who need help, advice, or a sounding board? Are some of your visitors your senior managers? Even the CEO? If so, you remember that you are there to serve your organizations people so that they can meet your business goals. At Southwest Airlines, the Human Resources function is called the Office for People, and the senior HR person has a similar title. (HR titles are becoming more descriptive of the work.) First and foremost, you are there to serve the people. Judge your success by a day when the maintenance technician, a pr oduction worker, the Engineering Director, and the CEO all stop by for advice or just general discussion. How do you assess yours now? Express Thoughtful Opinions Backed By Data and Study You have to understand the numbers. How else can you offer a substantial, intelligent opinion about business direction? Learn everything you can so that you have opinions, and your opinions are backed up with data. You need to understand the effect of decisions that your office makes on the work of the rest of the company. (For example, dont schedule meetings with plant personnel on the last day of their shipping month.) It is not enough to say that you think certain actions by hiring managers would speed up your recruiting and hiring of employees. You must back up your recruiting methods and decision making with data. Harness the Benefits of Technology to Help You Influence Business Strategy Youll provide better customer service and free your time for dreaming up new value-added strategies . You cannot overestimate the impact of an effective Human Resources Information System (HRIS). Need reports about attendance? How about salary reports for your whole organization? Interested in turnover and retention figures? (Some of you may not remember what it welches like when you did these calculations by hand.) Providing management-needed information quickly, conveniently, correctly and in useful formats makes you look good and feel good, too. People are your organizations biggest investment. Tracking their cost carefully makes business sense. Additionally, the use of an intranet frees up staff time because employees can enter their information into the forms. The intranet provides communication, training, and convenient answers and allows you to save your time for more creative, thoughtful, forward-thinking tasks- such as developing business strategy. Recommend Programs for People That Continuously Improve the Business When you propose new programs or problem solve peopl e issues, suggest solutions that hilfestellung the accomplishment of business goals. You have reasons for suggesting a newvariable paysystem such as encouraging managers to accomplish business objectives. Whats better? The thank you card system appears to help employee motivation and productivity, or the attendance system has reduced absenteeism by 4%. Whenever possible, suggest new programs or changes to programs based on measurable objectives that support the business. Then, remember to measure the changes and evaluate whether the new process worked. When you offer systems and improvements that measurably improve an aspect of your business, you cement your seat at the executive table. Learn and Grow Every Day Through Every Possible Method to Influence Business Strategy Use your knowledge of how people develop to do what is necessary to continue your growth curve. Seek out a more experienced mentor or sounding board. You need someone you can confide in and learn from.Attend pro fessional HR conferences,meetings, and events.Attend executive leadership and management meetings in addition to your HR professional associations. You seek knowledge that goes beyond the bounds of your discipline and department.Attend at least forty hours of training and education every year. Make sure your staff members attend, too. Cover all aspects of the business and running a business. Seek out people who will ask you questions and challenge your beliefs so you can continue to grow. A colleague works with a CEO, who asks her questions. She may not always like them, but the questions challenge her to think things through and to follow issues to their logical conclusion. He repeatedly asks, How will you know if that is working? Happening? Bringing the results you want? You need to be able to respond. The Bottom Line There, you have them- the best possible ideas for what works to earn you a seat at the executive table. Lots of work. Undoubtedly. But, you invest the same number of hours in your job every week in any case. Why not make the hours you invest as productive, influential and strategic as possible? Youll be happy that you did.

Will Ferrells 2017 Commencement Speech (Video) - The Muse

Will Ferrells 2017 Commencement Speech (Video) - The MuseWill Ferrells 2017 Commencement Speech (Video) You may or may not have heard that Will Ferrell belted out Whitney Houstons I Will Always Love You at USCs recent commencement ceremony. But before he started singing, Ferrell, a USC alumnus himself, had a lot of wisdom to impart on the class of 2017.When he was first starting out as a comedian, not everyone thought he was funny. While some jokes were a huge hit, he faced plenty of criticism both when he first began doing stand-up, and when he eventually joined the cast of SNL. Journalists wrote horrible reviews, fans sent in insulting letters, and yet Ferrell didnt stop- because no matter how hard it was to face rejection, failure, and worst of all, his fears, he knew he had to keep goingAnd yes, I was afraid. Youre never not afraid. Im still afraid. I was afraid to write this speechBut my fear of failure never approached in magnitude my fear of what if. What if I never tried at a ll?His honesty hits home for everyone. Well always be afraid of taking risks- quitting a horrible job, leaping into a new career, moving to a new city- and that doesnt go away (even for celebrities). You just have to keep moving forward.And thats what Ferrell did. He ignored the bad reviews and instead focused on the next joke, the next script, the next step in his career. And thats how he ended up where he is today.So when there are family members telling you you cant do it, friends doubting you have what it takes, bosses holding you back, dont give up. Because fear and failure arent always warnings youre going the wrong way- rather, theyre signs youre on your way to success.If youre now in the mood to watch even more inspirational speeches, check outHoward Schultz on three questions to ask to get ahead in his 2017 speech at Arizona State UniversityBarack Obama on finding your passion and putting it into action at Howard University in 2016Sheryl Sandberg at UC Berkeley in 2016 disc ussing the power of resilience

Job Search, Career and Employment Advice

Job Search, Career and Employment AdviceJob Search, Career and Employment AdviceFor most of us, job searching is never easy, whether its your first or fifth time looking for a new job. If you feel overwhelmed or dont know where to start - dont worry. Job searching is both an art and a science, one that requires time, planning, preparation, and a lot of brain power.The truth is, job searching can be an exhausting, and daunting experience. However, if you approach it systematically, the process will be significantly more manageable, and you will have much more success in getting the offer you deserve. Follow ansicht steps for a crash course in how to find a job.Strategize Your TransitionWhen it comes to finding a job, everyone starts somewhere, whether youve just finished school, youre planning to resign for a better opportunity or career change, youve been fired, or youve been laid off. Regardless of your circumstances, plan your approach and take care to address any potential obstac les up front.When You Are ResigningUnless you have the financial means to do so, do notlage resign until you have secured a new position (and prepared an appropriate explanation for your resignation, as you will likely be asked during bewerbungsgesprchs). In addition, youll want to make sure to coordinate the timing of your resignation and the start date of a new job.When Youve Been Fired or Laid OffIf you have been fired or laid off, avoid connecting the company that let you go with any potential employers, unless youre sure your manager will provide a glowing reference. This would likely only apply if you have been laid-off due to budget cuts or company restructuring. Even in this early stage, start crafting your answer to one of the most challenging interview questions Why were you fired?Be Prepared to Share Your StoryNo matter why youre moving on, get your story straight now and learn it by heart. Narrate your background in a way thats compelling and convincing, so you are ready to explain your reasons for finding a new job, how it relates to your professional goals, and why you are the best fit for any given position.Determine What Job You Want and Are Eligible ForBefore you start looking for a job, you have to figure out what position you want. Have a specific job title in mind, and then do some research to determine the keywords youll use when you start looking for jobs.When you start job searching, the job description, responsibilities, and requirements will tell you more than the title alone, as titles and roles tend to vary between companies. It can also be a helpful exercise to write a sample job description outlining your ideal position.Although its acceptable to apply to several reach positions, dont waste your time searching for or applying to jobs that you are clearly unqualified for. Figure out in advance how youre going to decide which jobs to apply to, then actively keep these parameters in mind when youre job hunting.Define Your Personal and Professional PrioritiesDefine your priorities before you begin your job search. First, make a list of the must-haves, such as the location of the company and your commute time, a desired salary range and benefits selection, and any other factors that are non-negotiable to you.Then, make a list of the nice-to-haves. For example, are you looking for a specific type of company culture? Would you prefer to work at an established corporation, or at a start-up or small geschftsleben? Do you want to work on a small or large team?Asking yourself these types of questions (and writing down your answers) before you start to look for a job will help you make a clear and confident decision once you have a job offer.Clean Up Your Online PresenceIts more important than ever to brush up on your social media dos and donts when it comes to job searching. Prospective employers may be Googling your name and looking you up on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat.It is generally advisable to keep all social media profiles as private as possible while you are job searching. The one exception, however, is LinkedIn. Your LinkedIn profile should include a professional head shot and be up-to-date with your most recent experience and qualifications. Take the time to write an engaging summary that will catch the attention of hiring managers.Prepare Your Resume and Cover LetterYou should have a master version of your resume finalized, formatted, and proofread before you start job searching. You will be able to tweak it as you job search to highlight and emphasize different experiences or qualifications based on the specifics of the different positions you are applying for.Hint Refer to these top resume examples as a starting point to write or refresh your resume.Although a titelseite letter is harder to prepare, as it should be personalized for each and every job you apply to, review what to include in a cover letter and figure out what you can write in advance, and what you will ne ed to customize once you start applying to jobs.Reach Out to References NowMost jobs you apply for will require you to provide three to four professional references who can testify to your qualifications. You dont want to have to scramble to reach these people, or worse, have an interviewer catch them by surprise. Instead, contact them in advance and let them know that you would like to use them as a reference.Explore (and Expand) Your NetworkNetworking can be a truly powerful way to land a job if done correctly. Your network can include former colleagues, managers, clients, alumni from your alma mater, friends, or friends of friends, family members, neighbors, or anyone from a community you belong to.Although real-life connections are key, browse your Facebook friends and LinkedIn contacts to see if you can find anyone working in your industry or at a company youd be interested in working for.If you feel like youve exhausted your network, take some time to expand it. Because you ar e more likely to be hired if you have a connection within the company youre applying to, dedicating an hour or two to expanding it can be much more valuable than using that time to apply to random jobs.You can expand your network both online by adding friends and connections, and offline by attending industry events such as conferences or trade shows, or going to career networking events.Start Searching and Applying for JobsSo youve outlined the position you want, and the key search words youll use to find it. You scrubbed your online presence. Your references are lined up and expecting to hear from employers. Your resume is ready, and youve written some werkstoff to integrate into the cover letter youll customize once you find some potential job options. Now, its time to find and apply to those jobs.There are many places to search for jobs. Sites like Monster.com, Indeed.com, Dice.com, and CareerBuilder.com are among the best and most utilized job sites. LinkedIn can also be a grea t place to search for jobs, and can show you if you have any connections at companies that are hiring.Craigslist is a solid option as well, especially if youre located in an urban location, though search under Jobs and not Gigs unless youre looking for short-term or temporary work. If you live in a smaller or more rural town, its likely your local newspaper will also list job opportunities in the surrounding community.In addition, niche sites that list specific types of jobs are another great resource. There are many types of industry-specific job sites out there simply Google your industry job listings to get started.Finally, if you know you want to work for a certain company, look for job openings directly on their website. You may have to do some digging, but most companies list jobs on a Careers or Opportunities page that you can find on the footer of the website.Keep in mind that the vast majority of job applications these days are online applications, so you will need to submi t a digital version of your cover letter and resume. Be sure to use a working (and professional) email address for all correspondence related to your job search.Set Goals and Get OrganizedJob searching is a tiring process, and its easy to burn-out. Set reasonable, achievable goals for yourself. For example, you might aim to apply to ten jobs per week. Then, be sure to set aside time to complete these goals. You might have to make some sacrifices, such as getting up an extra hour early, or using your lunch break to look for jobs.Organize your job search progress and note which jobs you applied to, and when, so you can follow up accordingly.Hint Use these six simple tips to maximize your job search productivity.Get Ready to InterviewThe next step in landing a job is acing your interview. You may have several rounds of interviews, usually starting with a phone interview, then followed by in-person interviews. You should never risk an interview by just winging it. Take your interview pr eparation seriously, and be sure toCarefully read the job description, focusing on the responsibilities and requirements. Be prepared to explain, with tangible examples, how you fit the requirements and how you can fulfill the responsibilities.Research the company, including their mission statement and any recent or notable achievements, or changes in strategy or positioning.Practice answering interview questions specific to your desired position and industry.Prepare for a Phone InterviewFor a phone interview, set aside at least 45 minutes of quiet, uninterrupted time. Have your resume and cover letter printed or open on your computer for reference. Be sure to take the call somewhere with excellent cell service. If you have one, a landline is preferable for optimal audio quality.Prepare for an In-Person InterviewFor an in-person interview, arrive 10 minutes early with a printed cover letter and resume. Be sure to dress to impress, and express polite and professional enthusiasm about the position and the company.Take the Time to Say ThanksBe sure to take the time to follow-up after the interview with a thank you note or email message reiterating your interest in the job and the company.Evaluating Job OffersWith job offers in hand, it is now time to evaluate your options. Look back to your original must-have and nice-to-have list and see where the offers fit. Be sure to consider practical factors, such as the salary, benefits, vacation time, corporate culture, your commute, and the attitude and personalities of the people you would be working with.If youre stuck, make a list of pros and cons - and be sure to listen to your gut in order to choose the best job for you.

How Not to Write a Cover Letter

How Not to Write a Cover LetterHow Not to Write a Cover LetterHow Not to Write a Cover LetterYou may think that a titelblatt letter is quite a simple part of a job application. After all, you just need to state why youre writing, tell the reader your CV is enclosed and let them know youre looking forward to receiving an interview, right?WrongCourtesy glassdoor.comMany people make this mistake, but in fact the cover letter is crucial and needs to be given the same amount of time and focus as your CV. Your cover letter is just that, the first thing that anyone will read. True, it states the other important documents that are enclosed or attached, but it is essentially the front page and lets be honest, who doesnt judge a book by its cover?You need to know how to write a creative cover letter and use it as your opportunity to sell yourself. Definitely refer to your CV but use this document to expand on the most important points and to draw the reader into the rest of your application.He re are a few common mistakes to avoid when writing your cover letterDont be generalOne of the things I come across so often is a general cover letter that has clearly been sent to a long list of companies. These letters are not tailored to the role available, do not mention the hiring company and either have very little focus or focus on a mishmash of things that arent particularly relevant to the role.Your cover letter should be tailored to the role you are applying for. It needs to mention the company and the role so you can focus on the qualities and skills that have been mentioned in the job description and person specification. There is no point in mentioning every skill you have if they just arent relevant to the role. Be selective and only pick those that are going to impress this particular employer. The company youre applying to want to feel that you have picked them out specifically, not sent the same letter to both them and their competitors.Dont skip over the vitalsThe c ompany youre writing to might have lots of roles advertised, especially if you are applying via a recruitment company so make sure its obvious which role one you are referring to. Your first paragraph should state why youre writing, i.e. to apply for X position. This is where you also state what else is enclosed or attached.Dont be modestAs Ive mentioned above, your cover letter is your opportunity to sell yourself. If you dont do a good job of explaining why you are a serious candidate, its possible that your CV wont even get a glance. Dont be modest here, take the stage and really go for it. It is very important that this part of the CV is tailored to the role in question for maximum impact. Pick three skills that are essential to the role and highlight with specific examples how you can demonstrate these skills.Its not all about youIts all very well impressing the employer with all your relevant skills, but dont forget to also mention the company or role specifically by detailing what drew you to this particular position. Show that youve done some research on the company and really understand their core values or way of working. Pick something out that is unique to them to make it clear that this is the role for you rather than a position on a long list that you are working your way through.Refer but dont repeatYour cover letter is a place to expand on your achievements already identified in your CV. Dont repeat big chunks of your CV here. Instead, draw on the most relevant experiences detailed in your CV and elaborate with additional evidence. Make sure the evidence and examples you give are as relevant to the role youre applying to as possible.

The Unusual Secret of Quality Engineer Resume

The Unusual Secret of Quality Engineer Resume Quality Engineer Resume - What Is It? Really the high quality group or the engineer doesnt correct the superior problems. Have a look at this sample resume she created below for a manufacturing quality engineer to understand how you are able to enhance the standard of your resume. A civil high quality control engineer resume will concentrate on a slightly different skill set than a superior engineer of health devices resume. Grow the necessary documentation for each parteicular customer requirements. Because elend all employers require certification to meet the requirements for a position, completing the requirements for the credential might help you stick out in the area. Based on the field youre entering, the objective part of your resume should reflect the skills you must be prosperous. If chosen, the concentration requirements have to be met along with the normal degree requirements. The precise requirements for obtaining li censure differ from state to state. You dont have to agonize on locating the ideal formula for writing your resume because well take you through the whole process. Also, learn to approach the work interview by knowing the most typical questions your employer will ask. Instead, youre want to read enough about the enterprise to make a really personalized comment in your cover letter. Including that particular data in the cover letter indicates that youre interested and already have ideas for how you are able to assist the business. Quality Engineer Resume and Quality Engineer Resume - The Perfect Combination Our resume builder makes it simple to create a well-written resume in a couple of minutes. Your cover letter should state what you can do to help the business. Assume that your resume will be considered on a computer screen as opposed to on a sheet of paper. It is comparable to running a high quality test, if your gutachten doesnt conform to the readers standard its goin g to be rejected. The Secret to Quality Engineer Resume Return to the work ad and determine the skills the employer is after. Based at work and application type with your profile and experience, you can choose anyone. Start with listing all preceding job in quality assurance, describing the duties and duties of each function. Dont hesitate to revise this job description to fulfill your particular job duties and job requirements. Quality Engineer Resume - the Conspiracy Youd be using resume templates which have been designed particularly for you. You might also see Resume Templates. Resume templates may vary based on the employment niche. The template comes in a pdf format which makes it very simple to use. Along with the four graduate school resume and CV samples above, there are lots of resume samples you may access for free internet. It is possible to also add exclusive certificate courses you undertook. UPenns Career Services department supplies a massive selection of CV samples as well as the resume samples listed above. Sample Cover letter for Quality Engineer It is necessary to understand the significance of cover letter for Quality Engineer so as to stand yourself different from several other candidates. You need to try to give only snapshots of your skills, therefore the hiring officer could choose whether you would fit with the organization or not. If youve already decided that its the very best job thats right for you, then you will need to craft a resume that will entice the eye of the hiring manager or recruiter. The interviewers will probably want to understand why you specifically need to work for their company. It may also be a fantastic way into a company as different men and women share the very same interests. In fact, expert maintenance work is highly desired by many organizations due to their crucial part in keeping the integrity of operations. The most significant thing for a thriving business is the caliber of the it em and even more important is the assurance of the maintained and improved grade of the product for a long length of time or for assigned contract time. By studying the aerospace engineering job description, you are going to be able to understand what the employer requires from the person they would like to hire. For instance, if youre planning to intern at a company whilst pursuing your degree, youre going to be using intern resumes. Earning a professional engineer license is a significant goal for the majority of engineers. Aerospace engineer trying to find a work position in any progressive airline. Lets take a quick glance at the five principal portions of the typical resume. Much like day-to-day life in the area, your resume must feature exactly the same quantity of attention to detail. On the flip side, people with tons of experience in the specialty would require a resume thats detailed and professional. In the majority of cases, your prior work experience will be a bsolutely the most significant part the resume, so put it at the top. What You Dont Know About Quality Engineer Resume It is extremely important that your resume skills section ought to be composed of general maintenance abilities and thoroughly specific regions of technical expertise. At most, youve got 5 minutes to assess the resume. Hiring managers are totally mindful of that. Your engineering Resume Templates is a powerful advertising tool, so make the the majority of it. Candidates must have eight decades of on-the-job expertise in at least one of the regions of the Certified Quality Engineer Body of Knowledge. Businesses would wish to be assured of uninterrupted operations.

Theres a Belief Gap about the Wage Gap, Part 2

Theres a Belief Gap about the Wage Gap, Part 2 Ive written a little bit here on Recruiter.com about the wage gemeinsame agrarpolitik. After I wrote Women Are Saying Goodbye, I realized that there are many in the workforce who dont believe that a wage gemeinsame agrarpolitik exists and if it does, many of behauptung same people agree (quite respectfully and with some reliable reports) that it is, at least in part, due to womens own choices and inability to negotiate for mora. This again came to the forefront when I read this Bloomberg editorial. If you are interested in more on this, please read Part 1, which discusses family time, child-care, education and more. This post will deal primarily with how women enter and navigate the workplace and how either workplace culture or their decisions affect their demonstrably lower wagesOne of the first issues raised by those who disagree that the Wage Gap is based on discriminatory practices is choice of indust ry. What about the fact that women dont choose jobs in higher paid industries (and/or male dominated industries). Surely if we factored that in, then you would plainly see that, the alleged wage gap is negligibleFurchtgott-Roth cites a 2005 study by economists June ONeill and Dave ONeill, which found that for the most part the gender gap is attributable to choices made by women concerning the amount of time and energy to devote to a career. They continue There is no gender gap in wages among men and women with similar family roles.In addition to being more likely to seek part-time work, women are also more likely to have gaps in their employment history and to enter lower-paying fields. The consulting company Consad, in a 2009 report for the Labor Department, found that these factors account for most of the pay gap. Correct for them, and men make only 5 percent to 7 percent more than women for the same work.First, Id like to point out that 5-7% is not negligible, if you disagree, go ask your anfhrer for a 7% raise. Unfortunately, studies show that even when women choose non-traditional, higher-paid majors, a wage gap STILL exists. Women in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) are paid 86 percent of what their male counterparts are paid.Okay FINE The wage gap exists. But isnt because women are less likely to negotiate, choose better work-life balance over money and arent traditionally attracted to the high-risk work that men are? Mehmaybe? Lets discuss each of these in stride.The female is unable to negotiate. There are plenty of arguments to debunk this, but were focusing on discrimination or a lack thereof here, so lets zero in on that.Timothy Judge, the Franklin D. Schurz Professor of Management in Notre Dames Mendoza College of geschftlicher umgang Beth Livingston from Cornell University and Charlice Hurst of the University of Western Ontario, document the effects of gender and agreeableness in their study, Do Nice Guys and Gals Really Finish Last? The Joint Effects of Sex and Agreeableness on Income.Cliffs Notes Version Women are more likely to be judged very negatively when they attempt to negotiate, while men, get a proverbial boost from both men and women (please note in one study, both sexes were played by actors reading from an identical script trying to negotiate in a work setting).On the other hand, there is this study that shows that men are more likely than women to ask for more money, better perks, more vacation etc. The solution to gender disparities, this school of thought suggests, is to train women to be more assertive and to ask for more. But thisWhat we found across all the studies is men were always less willing to work with a woman who had attempted to negotiate than with a woman who did not, Bowles said. They always preferred to work with a woman who stayed mum. But it made no difference to the men whether a guy had chosen to negotiate or not.So if women are asking, but either leid getting or getting penalized (once again) for identical behavior for which their male counterparts are rewarded If women are asking, but are still not advancing as quickly, maybe we need to frame things differently. Perhaps its not that women dont askbut that men dont have to.The females are unable to tolerate or do not move toward high-risk/high-reward job. From the IWFs website)Men are far more likely to take unpleasant and dangerous jobs, what Farrell calls the death and exposure professions. For example, firefighting, truck driving, mining and logging to name just a few high-risk jobs are all more than 95 percent male. Conversely, low risk jobs like secretarial work and childcare are more than 95 percent female.Yet, there is no evidence (actually there is opposite evidence) that high-risk= high-pay. In fact of the four most dangerous jobs in America, all four are on the lower end of the pay-scale. Even in cases where a danger premium exists, economists have found that everyone in the company, e ven those who are not in physical danger, is awarded the premium. Boom, roasted.Finally, we settle on work-life balance, arguably the most elusively defined of the three (arguments against the wage gap even existing). Work-life balance may be the ideal but its not reality for mothers or women in America. In six out of ten families, a mother is the primary or co-breadwinner, so the wage gap makes a huge difference in a familys economic security. We do have a measurement for work-life balance for OECD countries and it has this to say regarding hours workedOverall, men spend more hours in paid work in the United States 15% of men work very long hours, compared with 6% for women. On the other hand, Men in the United States, spend 154 minutes per day cooking, cleaning or caring, higher than the OECD average of 131 minutes but still less than American women who spend 258 minutes per day on average on domestic work .The argument seems to bear weight on this one, in study after study women seem less likely to choose careers that will negatively affect their work-life balance but may be more financially rewarding. However, once again, we find that the female exceptions to the rule who DO take the road less traveled pay a higher cost than their male counterparts for doing soIn the Harvard and Beyond survey, Goldin and Katz found that female M.B.A.s took more time off after having a child than did their peers with other advanced degrees, and that even after correcting for the amount of time out of work, this group of women saw the largest pay decrease compared to peers who took no time off. Female M.B.A.s who took a year and a half off made 41 percent less than their counterparts who had worked continuously. For J.D.s who took time off, the pay gap was 29 percent. And for M.D.s, the gap (16 percent) was even less than the gap facing women with no graduate degree (25 percent).While this is the most convincing argument for discrimination being a smaller part of the pay gap , it by no means indicates that the gender gap doesnt exist. In fact, in this study, some industries are seeing the pay gap INCREASE yeah, in 2012.Be sure to continue reading for Part 3 of this series, where well discuss some of the bright spots, like Female CEO pay in the Fortune 500, how the US stacks up in in aller herren lnder comparisons and finally what we can do to live up to the promise made over 30 years ago with the Equal Pay Act.