Sharon Sassler (Cornell)
ANSO 134 | March 3rd, 2020 | 11:00am-12:30pm
Early Career Transitions among STEM Majors: Does Gender Matter?
Despite increases in the share of recent college graduates with STEM degrees, women’s representation in STEM professions remains low. Whereas there is no longer evidence of gender disparities in the transition from school to work for STEM majors, women remain more likely than men to exit STEM occupations within the first few years of employment. This paper examines the processes employed by men and women as they search for jobs after receiving a STEM degree and their views about work-place climate once working. Data are from longitudinal in-depth interviews from a sample of graduating seniors who completed a degree in a STEM field at a northern private university and a public southern university in the spring of 2015 and 2016. Our preliminary results suggest where gender gaps in STEM retention begins – with the transition into the first job post-college. We also show how Millennial’s views of the importance of work-life balance shape their commitment to the STEM work force.
