It has been a challenging few years for women – especially for those who are just starting out in their careers, or if they’re in their first or second job.
Between the global pandemic, lockdowns and remote learning, we have been pulled back, overwhelmed and in many cases, crushed. For some women, just maintaining their pay has been a challenge.
So, this Equal Pay Day, I want to share some careful advice.
As you may know, it was a long slog for me to earn my real value and learn how to communicate my value effectively. It took years. It took finding my voice, learning to use it, making mistakes, learning to press reset, failing and pressing reset again. My eventual success was based on a lot of practice, developing relationships and learning how to manage those relationships – and that takes time. Face time.
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When it is allowed and if you can, as the world begins to open up, my suggestion is to go into the office. I get that this isn’t a popular piece of advice. But if the possibility to build relationships and to use your voice in person is there, go in. Be there. Look, there are a lot of good reasons to stay at home and work, for example, if you have health issues or family obligations. I get it. So if you can’t go in, make the most of Zoom, make the most of every conversation you have and take every one seriously. Just make sure you are making every effort to stay connected and meet new people. But if you can, go into the office and build those face-to-face relationships. Build your voice in person and your ability to communicate your value. I’m thinking about the women around the world right now who are facing unbearable challenges. We are strong. We are so resilient and must stand up for those who can’t. We have to make up for a lot of lost ground. My advice is to get in the game and be in the fight for all of us when it comes to equal pay.
Mika Brzezinski is the co-host of MS NOW's Morning Joe, founder of “Know Your Value” and author of four best-selling books, including “EARN IT!: Know Your Value and Grow Your Career, in Your 20s and Beyond” (Hachette Books; May 7, 2019) with co-author Daniela Pierre-Bravo. Prior to joining MSNBC in 2007, Mika was an anchor of CBS Evening News Weekend Edition and a CBS News correspondent who frequently contributed to CBS Sunday Morning and 60 Minutes. Recommended
