Last year, I was invited to a conference in a neighboring field. After my part, I stayed to listen to a panel on societal impact. The discussion turned to women being underrepresented and needing encouragement to apply for academic positionsš©āš¬
One panelist enthusiastically recounted a mentoring conversation heād overheard: a female early-career scientist unsure whether her skills met the requirements for a position - and whether she should apply.
What he said shocked meš¤Æ:
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He praised the mentorās advice: āIt doesnāt have to be true! Just lie!ā š„
I canāt stop thinking about it, and I still regret not speaking up š¤
But by the time I did a reality check: Did he really say that? Did I understand correctly? I looked around - no one reacted: maybe thatās what they all think š¤ It was too late.
What I should have saidš¬:
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I should have spoken up and said that this disgusted me.š¤¢
āIt doesnāt have to be true! Just lie!ā - thatās horrible career adviceš
I should have said that if someone had told me that in a mentoring session, Iād have seriously considered leaving the fieldšŖ
I should have told him that this is not how to help with imposter syndromeš§
Now Iām sharing this with you: maybe writing it down will finally help me let it goš¤·āāļøšæ
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#Academia #Mentorship #ScienceEthics #CareerAdvice #SpeakUp š«š¢
@KatiLassila I don't know about academia, but I know from working in the private sector that men are generally over confident in their own skills and apply even if they don't meet all criteria.
... and this is actually the "correct" behavior. I've been a hiring manager, and even when we list "required competence" it's _still just a wish list_. If a candidate shows up that seems to be a good fit for other reasons we'll still hire them.
Thus, the career advice I've always given is to apply if they think they're a good match for the role even if they don't meet all the criteria.
When hiring, I've also tried to remember to read applications from men and women with the expectation that men simply brag more in mind.
I think you are speaking about something very important.
Living in a society that is currently flooded with lies and run by liars, I see the danger.
Kati Lassila-Perini
apfeiffer42
Troed SĆ„ngberg
Muro deGrizeco