Please stop assuming women with lower salaries are un- or under-educated

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I dunno. I don't admire those who whore themselves out then b*tch about it (some, not all, big law). What did they expect? They're no better than I am - regardless of the snifflier-than-thou attitude. Tiresome. I could buy and sell them, but I choose NOT to walk around that way. It is a life choice to be humble. Unheard of here, unfortunate for them.

Yikes. You're humble? You think these "other people" have an attitude? Try a mirror!

[Anonymous]

I'm a teacher, with a BA and MS in teaching. Since it's summer, I have to hear from ALL my friends about how lucky I am and how they wish they had summers off and they wish they were teachers. I always give them the same response: "Fine. Become a teacher then. Do what I do for the money I make." They quickly get silent. None of them would give up their jobs, either because they wouldn't want to take the paycut or they wouldn't want to do the work a teacher does. Which is fine. We all have our prerogatives. But it is so frustrating to hear that, especially since you rarely hear it the other way. I don't sit around bemoaning the fact that I'm not a lawyer. If I wanted to be a lawyer, I had every opportunity to do so (that's not to say I would have succeeded, but the chances were there). I chose not to and have to accept the consequences of that choice. Yes, I have summers off. Yes, I will probably never crack 6 figures. And, yes, I'm fine with both those matters.

People too often want to have their cake and eat it, too. Make the decisions that work for you and accept the consequences of that, positive and negative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And please stop assuming those of us with high salaries chose it only for the money. In my area, the hours that are sometimes required and the constant stress make any salary not enough unless you really love it and are good at it. People who choose my job for the money don't last long.

Who is assuming that, and where?

From the OP:

I understand that it may be difficult for lawyers and MBAs to understand, but not everyone chooses a career path based principally on money.

Thank you!! The people I know who work solely for their paycheck are miserable.

Public interest lawyer making 1/4 what I would in a firm, married to public interest lawyer making 1/4 what he would in a firm. We both went to law school to serve the public good and have done so in spite of lucrative offers to work for firms doing nothing but raking in money.

If you've been in DC long enough, you know that there are thousands of people like us in non-profits, the Hill, DOJ, PD, prosecutors, UN, State Dept, and on and on. I know at least 50 lawyers, myself included, who could make huge bucks and chose not to.

[Anonymous]

My sister (who is a SAHM) told me last year that it was a "shame" that I was "wasting my intelligence" in my chosen career. I'm a social worker, I have a master's from a great school, and my work is challenging, and yes, actually intellectually demanding! Just because a job doesn't pay big bucks doesn't mean that it is not a mentally challenging endeavor. Thanks for the thread, OP!

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the thread!

I'm a teacher, I majored in ECE and I teach at a small private nursery school. I work year round (school year than the summer program) and make about 30,000 dollars a year. I love what I do! Working with young children is a tiring yet rewarding job.

Just a pat on the back for those that receive our degrees and choose work in jobs we love for less. That includes teachers and the non-profit lawyers that posted above.

I have a lot of respect for non profit lawyers/lawyers that work in small firms. You could try to get into a big firm and make tons of money but instead you choose to lend your skills to those who need it the most *applause*

[Anonymous]

Some of us big firm lawyers also have jobs we love and do a ton of pro bono. But, please carry on with your stereotyping. Next time I'm on the phone with a pro bono client, I'll be sure to tell him or her that I'm not allowed to help because I am supposed to be in it only for the money.

I think equating salary with intellect or values is a mistake. I know some really dumb people who make a lot of money, and some very highly credentialed people who have zero common sense. I know people who make a lot of money and who donate a lot of it and their time, too, and I know people who make little money and are jerks. I also know some SAHMs who are some of the most intelligent and thoughtful women I know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some of us big firm lawyers also have jobs we love and do a ton of pro bono. But, please carry on with your stereotyping. Next time I'm on the phone with a pro bono client, I'll be sure to tell him or her that I'm not allowed to help because I am supposed to be in it only for the money.

I think equating salary with intellect or values is a mistake. I know some really dumb people who make a lot of money, and some very highly credentialed people who have zero common sense. I know people who make a lot of money and who donate a lot of it and their time, too, and I know people who make little money and are jerks. I also know some SAHMs who are some of the most intelligent and thoughtful women I know.

Not everyone was stereotyping you PP, more just giving some kudos to those that do it all of the time. And the OP I think was just trying to point out those intelligent people who don't make much money. There is nothing wrong with that, OP wasn't making a stab towards you or anyone else. No need to take it personally.

There are great lawyers who make lots of money and do pro bono and there are others who are just in it for the money. Just like any other profession.

As for the rest of your post, your right. In the long run, money really means nothing. Just some kudos to those who are intelligent and choose to make less in their jobs.

[Anonymous]

OP here. As I mentioned before, I'm sorry that I lumped ALL lawyers into the category of people who look down on lower-paid jobs and are only in their jobs for the money. Of course there are all kinds of people in every kind of job! Those posts calling lower earners "uneducated" just make me so mad I admit I was being snarky in response.

I'm so happy to hear from all my fellow highly educated yet badly paid moms out there! Often on DCUM I feel I am the only one in town earning less than $200,000. Thanks for posting, everyone!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:And please stop assuming those of us with high salaries chose it only for the money. In my area, the hours that are sometimes required and the constant stress make any salary not enough unless you really love it and are good at it. People who choose my job for the money don't last long.

Who is assuming that, and where?

From the OP:

I understand that it may be difficult for lawyers and MBAs to understand, but not everyone chooses a career path based principally on money.

OP, I am a civil rights lawyer. You can bet your @$$ that I did not choose this career path based on money. (If I had, that would have been a HUGE mistake!)

[Anonymous]

If you can't afford childcare, you can't afford childcare.

It doesn't mean you're uneducated, just not very practical lol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My sister (who is a SAHM) told me last year that it was a "shame" that I was "wasting my intelligence" in my chosen career. I'm a social worker, I have a master's from a great school, and my work is challenging, and yes, actually intellectually demanding! Just because a job doesn't pay big bucks doesn't mean that it is not a mentally challenging endeavor. Thanks for the thread, OP!

As a fellow SWer with advanced degrees and licenses, I couldn't agree more! Our line of work is intellectually, emotionally, and sometimes physically challenging despite the low salaries.

I think social workers, like teachers, go into the field truly motivated out of love of the profession. This is true of other professions and career choices, but our line of works does not offer (usually) other options to move into $100, 000/yr or more positions if we decide to change jobs. We are fully aware that while we won't be making the big bucks, we are able to contribute positively to our society by making changes in the world that improve others' lives.

[Anonymous]

So what do the people who made those stereotypical comments about low-salaried professional women have to say about this thread?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you can't afford childcare, you can't afford childcare.

It doesn't mean you're uneducated, just not very practical lol.

When I tell people I have to stay at home b/c daycare is too expensive, they say things like "I could never afford to stay at home." As a teacher, I can't afford to work! After paying for daycare for 2 plus all of the other things that go with me working (gas, another car to get to work, car insurance, clothing, etc) I would probably not even break even. But I have the same number of years of education as all of my lawyers friends. I knew I would never earn a big salary as a teacher but the world needs good teachers. I don't think we need any more lawyers though.

[Anonymous]

"When I tell people I have to stay at home b/c daycare is too expensive, they say things like "I could never afford to stay at home." As a teacher, I can't afford to work! After paying for daycare for 2 plus all of the other things that go with me working (gas, another car to get to work, car insurance, clothing, etc) I would probably not even break even. But I have the same number of years of education as all of my lawyers friends. I knew I would never earn a big salary as a teacher but the world needs good teachers. I don't think we need any more lawyers though. "

Based on your poor writing skills, I hope you indeed are not a teacher. I find it very difficult to believe that you have the same amount of education as a lawyer admitted to practice in the U.S.A.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"When I tell people I have to stay at home b/c daycare is too expensive, they say things like "I could never afford to stay at home." As a teacher, I can't afford to work! After paying for daycare for 2 plus all of the other things that go with me working (gas, another car to get to work, car insurance, clothing, etc) I would probably not even break even. But I have the same number of years of education as all of my lawyers friends. I knew I would never earn a big salary as a teacher but the world needs good teachers. I don't think we need any more lawyers though. "

Based on your poor writing skills, I hope you indeed are not a teacher. I find it very difficult to believe that you have the same amount of education as a lawyer admitted to practice in the U.S.A.

Totally new poster to this thread - but I don't see particularly poor writing skills for this context. It is a few lines on an anonymous message board for moms. Not a cover letter. So I do believe she has roughly the same amount of education (though I imagine a master's degree is likely two years, and a law degree is three).