PPB April 2020

because I just had not found my rhythm yet. Well, no offense to our industry, but posting nothing but images of static products can get really boring for your viewers. That doesn’t make someone stop their thumb from scrolling to look at your picture necessarily, even though there are lots of images out there that are done extremely well. It’s just not entertaining or helpful, so why should I stop to look at this static image when I’m scrolling and seeing my friends on vacation or a new restaurant that just popped up in my part of town. The reason why I say this is because what is the value in the photo? Try to think of how it can help the person looking at it or what purpose it provides that can fit into someone’s daily life. • I think a lot of folks can be apprehensive of jumping on a video, while many just may not have the time or resources to edit it. If you can start by taking a few pictures of yourself or someone else using the product, I think that simple change can start letting others see that you’re a real person running a real business and these aren’t just things you can buy— they’re solutions to all sorts of daily activities. For more on Godsey’s best practices, read the rest of the interview on the web at pubs.ppai.org and follow her Instagram @goldbondgalbritney. WATERCOOLER More Women Fill High-Skilled PositionsThan Ever Before According to research from the Pew Research Center, women are outnumbering men in some high-skilled industries, but there is still room for improvement. There’s a rising demand for skilled workers in the U.S., and women are filling many of the positions that require these complex skill sets, from analytical skills to mathematics and programming, to science. This trend reflects a long-term pattern since 1980, when more women than men started entering the workforce. According to data collected by the Pew Research Center, in 2018 women held 52 percent of all jobs that required social or fundamental skills, including teachers, counselors and legal workers; a 12-percent jump from 1980. The presence of women in fields requiring social skills increased 111 percent since 1980, and fundamental skills saw a 104-percent increase. Conversely, women have also been filling more positions that rely on analytical skills, like accounting and dentistry, and currently make up 42 percent of the workforce in these industries; a 15-percent increase from 1980. Between 1980 and 2018, the presence of women in fields requiring analytical skills grew 92 percent. Also a positive, the number of jobs that seek out applicants with fundamental skills grew by more than 60 percent, and although the number of positions calling for analytical skills grew by just 20 percent, the number of related jobs have increased to include new professions, such as database architect, video game designer and informatics nurse specialist. With more women filling high-skill positions, there has been a significant increase in wages since 1980 as well, further lowering the wage gap. Between 1980 and 2018, women’s average hourly wage grew 45 percent from $15 to $22, while men’s wages grew 14 percent from $23 to $26. Wages grew even more (58 percent) for women in fields that require analytical skills. But despite the marked growth, there is still much room for improvement. Pew notes the existing wage gap is the result of myriad factors, including education and work experience, skill set, union membership, hours worked, industry and position, along with parenthood and caregiver responsibilities, discrimination and differences in professional networks. Another study of women in the workplace conducted in 2019 by McKinsey and Co. collected data from nearly 600 companies and more than 250,000 survey participants and found that women have seen a 24-percent increase in C-suite representation since 2015, but remain underrepresented in all levels across all industries. Danielle Renda is associate editor of PPB. | APRIL 2020 | 71 THINK