Many public health professionals have been multitasking for years. Years before they finished their bachelor’s or master’s degree. We wear sooo many hats. We save lives and help protect the world. Yes, that is our superpower. BUT—and I know you’re not supposed to start a sentence with “but”—we have a life outside our profession.
Many of us are caregivers, mothers, fathers, or parents to something or someone. We are also brothers, sisters, friends, coworkers, volunteers, mentors, advocates—all the things that extend beyond saving the world from another disease outbreak or designing programs to reduce chronic disease.
Still, I am that old-school person who never talks about her family at work. I don’t mention my kids, my family, or my partner. People may think I don’t have a family. I do. I am something to someone. I am something to a few someones, actually.
Still, I find it hard to share my personal life in professional spaces. I’ve seen more people sharing personal things on LinkedIn. Part of me recognizes that my thinking may be outdated. Another part asks, “How could they share that on LinkedIn?!”
They do…I don’t.
LinkedIn is very, very, VERY professional to me. So sharing personal things there is a huge no-no for me. I don’t think I will ever be comfortable doing that. I also grew up being told—and witnessing—how moms could be at a disadvantage when applying for jobs simply because they were moms. Research from Cornell University explored this “motherhood penalty.” That concern has stayed with me.
Then there is the HUGE wage gap between women and men. A 2021 Pew Research Center report noted that 36% of young women had a bachelor’s or graduate degree, compared with 28% of young men.[1] However, while higher levels of education generally lead to higher wages, more education for women does not necessarily lead to the same wage gains it does for men.[2][3] White women with a college degree earn approximately 74% of what their college-educated male peers earn. Black and Latina women with a bachelor’s degree face the largest gap, earning 65% of what White, non-Hispanic male peers earn.[4]
Hiring bias and unequal pay are different issues, but both shape how I think about what I share professionally.
To those of you who, like me, are very private about your personal lives: I get it. For many of us, we do this to protect ourselves. We wear many hats. We are something to someone—to a few someones—while also working to save lives, one community at a time.
[1] Parker K. What’s behind the growing gap between men and women in college completion? Pew Research Center. 2021. Read the article.[2] Carnevale AP, Smith N, Gulish A. Women Can’t Win: Despite Making Educational Gains and Pursuing High-Wage Majors, Women Still Earn Less Than Men. Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce. 2018.[3] U.S. Census Bureau. Among the educated, women earn 74 cents for every dollar men make. 2019. Read the article.