High Heels and Higher Goals: Women in the Workforce

As a young woman about to start my professional career, I am constantly proving myself to others. When I meet someone for the first time, I am not concerned with what they see, but what they don’t. Handshake, check. Suit, check. But did I remember an extra pen?

I don’t know who made this a universal practice, but it seems like women with the same education and skillset as their male colleagues have to try much harder to seek approval in the workforce. Even now, with the advancements women have made over the past century, there is still a lingering element of doubt.

The challenge for professional women, then, is to not be afraid of the doubt cast upon them, but to take it in stride and exceed all expectations. In a perfect world, we shouldn’t have to prove anything, but when life gives us lemons, we make the best lemonade you’ve ever tasted.

Instead of competing with peers, I am in a constant battle with myself. When someone offers me criticism, it’s not something I can easily forget. I analyze the words over and over until they become a sort of mantra. I strive on criticism because it allows me to do better in the future. I am my own biggest critic and also my number one fan, a confusing sideline coach with a whistle in one hand and a cold bottle of water in the other.

While society constantly questions what I am capable of, I remain the one constant decider of my fate. Whatever they say I can’t do, I will be sure to do it with a smile. But do women ever get tired of proving themselves? Yes, of course. Any cycle eventually begins to show its wear.

I see young women walking to internships in their business casual attire with a laptop tucked under one elbow and a coffee thermos under another. These are driven people who know themselves and what they want out of life. They’ve memorized the words to every episode of “Friends,” but they also know the answer to every question you could possibly ask them about their respective fields. You can ask away, but the answers remain the same.

Do I ever worry about my future? I would be crazy if I didn’t. I hope there will come a time when I won’t need to prove myself, and I can relax in knowing that others know what I have to offer. Until then, I keep my head held high, my laces tied, and an imaginary broom in my pocket to sweep away any doubt that may come my way. If it does, I know what to do. And so does every woman in the workforce. We flick it off and keep on going.

Jamie Brian is a sophomore global communication major at Kent State University who enjoys exploring the world around her and trying to put it into words.