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He’ll just be treated like all the other wives February 13, 2012

Posted by Andrew Falconer in : diversity, employability and skills , add a comment

Gays shouldn’t work with children. Or animals. Or with other male staff. Or plants. Don’t even mention the army. Nor should they work in factories. Actually, they should confine themselves to theatres and let the rest of us get on with it. The disturbing thing is that people have said these things to me over the years, sometimes only half jokingly. I “came-out” when I was seventeen and whilst my family and friends have been supportive, sometimes they throw in comments like these without thinking about them too much.

A few years ago I attended an open day at a Government department. I spoke to them about relocation and how my partner would be treated. Their lovely response was “He’ll just be treated like all the other wives”. I think they meant well!

This image is of  serving officers in the Royal Navy marching at Gay Pride in London. Other professions, from police to firemen, also march in this parade. Employers are increasingly aware of the need to recruit and support LGBT staff. Some will opt to take part in the Stonewall Diversity Champion scheme, but this scheme has been criticised as being an income generator for a political lobbying group with other organisations prefering alternative means of demonstrating their commitment.

Why do LGBT people need additional support? Actually, more often than not I suspect they don’t. LGBT status is a “protected characteristic” in terms of the Equalities Act but for many LGBT people, it is a legislative framework they don’t feel the need to use. For me, it is important to know that it is there. In every job I have worked there has come a moment where I have “come out” to colleagues. It can be difficult to know what the response will be like, but for me has been important to do because I enjoy positive and open relationships with colleagues in the workplace. I do know a few LGBT people who prefer it not to be known.

According to a survey conducted in 2008, 82% of lesbians and 75% of gay men – say that being completely open about being gay to everyone at work is not a good idea. 14% of respondents claimed they were harassed at work because they were perceived to be lesbian or gay.

Whilst the accronym LGBT is used a lot, there can be significant differences in how people respond to transgender colleagues than gay or bisexual. The ability to “hide” and therefore not be provocative is for some, an asset. I haven’t personally experienced harassment but my nature is perceived as “straight acting” (assumed to be straight) whereas some friends who would be seen as more effeminate have been challenged, and in one case, physically abused – ironically he is straight. Actor Russell Tovey explains to comedian Rob Brydon what “straight acting” means in this mock documentary.

In that survey, one in eight said that being out as gay at work would “definitely” hold back their job promotion prospects. There are certain industries that have the perception of being more challenging environments for LGBT staff. Investment Banking is one. In reality there are many LGBT employees in these organisations but there is still a perception that they are not the best environments in which to be openly gay. However a quick look at the Gay Banker blog (which can be a little risque) can give a different perspective. Organisations increasingly have LGBT Networks that provide mutual support for LGBT staff members, and support initiatives in showcasing diversity within their workforce.

Gay by Degree July 28, 2011

Posted by TCG Info in : diversity, further study and training, postgraduate , add a comment

Gaybydegree is a guide to universities by Stonewall, the LGBT organisation. With the cost of higher education increasing for many students, there is increasing attention to the student experience and value for money. Stonewall’s guide is designed to help students consider their options in choosing a more gay friendly institution. If you are going to spend three or more years living and studying somewhere, it’s good to have the information to decide where.

The Stonewall guide gives an indication of the gay-friendliness of an institution through several categories:

Stonewall argue that this should give an indication of how friendly an institution should be and how seriously they take LGBT issues. As careers professionals we are slightly stumped at the specific careers advice for LGBT students – some of our colleges get that box ticked whilst others don’t – even when we share the same careers service.  We provide, through Reach and other measures, help to all students whether they feel they face barriers to work or not.

Stonewall have done well to raise this as an issue for universities and perhaps some will compete to ensure their GaybyDegree status is the highest they can achieve. For prospective students it does give an indication but probably shouldn’t be used to base a commitment on. It’s important to scout around the local town to see what that is like, to see how many homophobic attacks there may have been, to see how open the gay community is in the area.  Combine this information with your academic interests, institutional profile and other motivation before deciding which institution to attend.

This post previously appeared on our sister blog Reach.

Roles in publishing – video profiles March 14, 2011

Posted by TCG Info in : Media , add a comment

You know how it is, you click on one link on Youtube and before you know it you’ve lost an hour watching the related videos… Well from looking at one video on publishing careers, I found a whole array of job profile videos, many for early career roles, that give a nice introduction to what the roles involve.

(And for more details about these kinds of jobs in publishing, make sure you read the Skillset and Prospects written profiles too)

Bloomsbury Publishing

Pearson

Penguin

Random House (International)

Bertelsmann (Germany)

Videos in English

It is International Women's Day today – what does that mean? March 8, 2010

Posted by Helen Curry in : diversity , 1 comment so far

International Women's Day logoInternational Women’s Day is a globally-recognised day, established 100 years ago, to celebrate the achievements of women and push for equal opportunities. With regards to careers in the UK, it is easy to feel the battle has been won, indeed in these diversity-aware days female graduates are very successful in landing their first graduate job. But over time, the picture changes, and this is why we must keep questioning why gender has such an impact on careers:

  • City bonuses for women worth 80% less than those for men.
  • Starting salaries 37% less for women in the City.
  • City pay gap stands at 47%

TimesOnline.

“‘Women make up 51% of the UK population and 47% of those active in the labour market, but… Only 15% of UK businesses are owned by women.”

ACCA

“Women occupy only 242 out of 2,742 seats on the boards of FTSE 350 companies…”

The Observer

Shows the "leaky pipeline" of women in academic careers - starting with female students in a slight majority, this falls with seniority down to only 15% women in top academic posts

From "She figures 2006: Women and Science" European Commission research

While the causes are complex, what these figures say to me is that despite legislation and equal opportunities policies, there are still ingrained social and cultural factors that affect the long-term career success of women. Choice, prejudice, family expectations, employer expectations, traditional organisational hierarchies, confidence, ambition, stereotypes…

It is never too soon to start making long-term career plans, and researching potential employers to ensure they really practise what they preach when they talk equal opportunities.

If this has got you thinking, and you are interested in finding out more, why not take a look at these resources:

Why do people think feminism is finished when the figures still say otherwise…?

Careers in the City – mentoring and advice promoting diversity September 22, 2009

Posted by Helen Curry in : Uncategorized, city jobs, diversity , add a comment


Inquiry finds women in leading finance companies receive around 80 per cent less in bonuses – EHRC

Stories like this represent real disappointments to those of us who work with the belief that career success should come from ability and talent rather than gender, appearance or background. At least there are still public inquiries to remind us how much work remains to be done. And, fortunately these tend to encourage targeted schemes to counter this discrimination. Here are a selection of upcoming events/schemes I have found that might just be right for you:

If you have attended any of these events, let us know what you thought of it! And if you hear of any more, please share them in comments.

You may have been aware of our own diversity scheme called Reach - this is just about to be re-launched. No longer a mentoring programme, instead we will have an interactive website featuring newfeeds, blogs, forums, events, inspiring case studies, and advice from employers. We hope this means we will be able to help a much greater number of students. Keep your eyes on the Reach page for updates – you can expect the site to be available in October!

You might also like to become a fan of our page on Facebook Careers in the City, for year-round jobs, links, tips and feedback from careers advisers. It does not have a diversity focus, but the advisers running the page would always be interested to explore that issue.

Last chance for a mentor! November 10, 2008

Posted by TCG Info in : diversity , add a comment

The reach diversity scheme has extended its deadline, but there is not long left to apply!  The scheme has experienced mentors, ready to offer advice, support, and show you how to succeed in your graduate career.

*** Deadline extended to 17th November ***

For more information see this blog post and the reach webpages.

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Careers mentors available – apply now! October 27, 2008

Posted by TCG Info in : diversity , add a comment

Reach is a mentoring programme that aims to support any University of London* student who feels they face particular barriers to their success. Previous mentees feel they have faced barriers such as physical and mental disability, maturity, ethnic origin, previous difficulties at school, low confidence and lack of family support. Reach matches mentees with mentors who can help students find out more about working in their chosen field.

Reach matches each student with mentors who will help them to:

  • Find out more about their chosen career
  • Get first hand information and advice from someone already working in the field
  • Develop the skills and confidence to succeed in their job search
  • Discover how to get into your chosen role and learn about opportunities available

Please note the closing date for applications is 31st October.

For more information, see the reach website.