Do you know you are (most probably) underpaid?

Tuesday: What to wear when asking for a promotion or pay raise?

Do you know we're earning 37%* lesser than men? Yes, this is based on MOM's most recent 2009 statistics. Some industries, such as financial services, seem to be more biased towards our male counterparts (with them earning 53% more than us!); while others, such as administrative services, still show a 12% gap.

(*Considering an annual income of SGD30k, 37% translates to a whopping 11k! Read: that's almost 1 pair of Manolos per month for a year!!!)

So what causes this gender-income divide in this day and age? Does this indicate that we're lagging far behind workforce gender equality? Before concluding that fleeing to another less biased city is my best bet to grow my wealth, I decided to delve a little deeper on this topic. I was astonished to find that this is true even in the 'land of the free' - narrower gap of 23%, but a gap nonetheless.

One of the key reasons, it seems, is this - women don't negotiate enough. Studies have shown that we typically don't negotiate our starting pay - at all. And for the brave ones amongst us who do, we don't negotiate hard enough. In fact, a whole book has been written on this topic (Women Don't Ask, by Linda Babcock & Sara Laschever).

Negotiating for a pay raise or promotion can be daunting indeed. But that doesn't mean that we should shun away from it! Can you imagine what a huge boost to your self-esteem it would be when you succeed at this quest? :)

Apart from preparing a list of your accomplishments (with specific examples), strengths (including soft skills such as people management), and aspirations for your team/organization, you need to add a visual punch with your outfit. This outfit must scream unstoppable, yet not come across as OTT or too pushy.

A shift dress is the perfect choice. It's not too over-bearing like a crisp, long-sleeved shirt or suit, nor will you get mistaken for looking too casual or not assertive enough.

I particularly love this one cos of its squarish-round neckline with thin pink trimmings (trimmings not extremely visible here), which softens the otherwise stark black dress. Sewn-on pink ribbons double up as a belt to give a sharp, sleek silhouette.

Tips:

1. Pairing this with black pumps is a safe bet, but why not try nude pumps? I personally find that nude pumps have a leg-lengthening effect :)

2. Depending on industries and seniority levels, you might like to put on a jacket to up the serious quotient.

Looking right is half the battle won, girls. Psyche yourself up by collecting your thoughts, stand up straight, steel your shoulders, and believe that you deserve this. Take a deep breath and success will be on your side! ;)

Good luck, girls!