Follow your dreams and find ways to earn more

We know that many young women who use Work It Out go on to make positive changes and improve their lives.

Most feel more confident, ready to try new things and move forward. Applying for a job, taking on a new challenge at work or returning to studies can seem easier steps to take when someone is on your side.

But how else does it help?

Our Services Manager, Emma, explains – with the help of comments from young women who have used our services.

Work It Out can boost your income

We wanted to find out how our free coaching and job application feedback service impacts young women’s income, so last year we started asking them. We learned that

More than half of young women (56%) who used Work It Out are earning more money.
80% of those young women said the increase was due to getting a new job
10% because they got a pay rise and
3% were working more hours.

Coaching turns hope into action

At Young Women’s Trust, young women are matched with a professional, friendly coach for up to 6 sessions of personalised, remote support.

Speaking to a coach and feeling listened to gives young women the space they need to voice their hopes and dreams out loud, sometimes for the very first time.

Working with a coach helps young women to turn these hopes into action: “It gave me the confidence to go fully self-employed. I quit my part-time employed job and increased my income by over double in 6 weeks.”

Young women tell us they wouldn’t otherwise have support like this: “I’ve never really experienced that before from like anybody not like my family or friends or like, I don’t really have a lot of like professional connections.”

This leads to a growth in their self-belief: “I believed in myself because my coach did.” And this increased self-confidence means they feel able to take chances and make changes.

I was going through a career change. And I wouldn’t have been able to do that change I don’t think without your service, I just wouldn’t have had the confidence.

Beyond finding work, the support of a coach can help young women to negotiate a pay rise: “Jenny was such an amazing coach and really helped guide me to talk out my thoughts and feelings, leading me to think about different career plans as well as have the confidence to ask for a raise.”

Job application feedback gives young women a boost

Our job application support helps young women to get the work they want. “I was unemployed before the help with my CV, which helped me get a job.”

Alongside practical advice, our team of HR experts make young women aware of their strengths and achievements, with a positive and friendly tone. This can improve a young woman’s self-image and give her conviction to take a leap: “Not only you helped me take a look at my skills and experience from a different perspective, but also improved my self-confidence. I am now ready to apply for my dream jobs thanks to you.”

Young women following their own path

We know that not all young women are able to work and some are studying, caring for someone or taking time to think about what they want. No matter which direction they take, we want young women to pursue their dreams and lead happy and fulfilled lives.

Work It Out can help women in all kinds of situations to be the best version of themselves, whatever that looks like: “I also started playing football again… I’m now playing in two teams and it’s the best thing that has happened to me in a long time. I don’t think I would have had the courage without my coach.”

Tackling the income gap

When we look at the bigger picture, we know that young women earn a fifth less than young men per year. There are many reasons for this: research shows that one of them is the ‘ask gap’ where women – and people from minoritised communities – ask for, and are offered, lower salaries than white men.

Speaking to a coach can help young women to know their worth and not be afraid to ask for more.

I wouldn’t have had the confidence or the knowledge of myself that enabled me to seize the opportunity fully, and even negotiate up.

We are thrilled that young women are improving their financial outcomes by using our services, but there are systemic issues that need to be addressed. This is why we will continue to campaign for salary transparency, improved rates of pay, more affordable childcare and flexible working and work with decision makers to ensure that young women are taken into account.

If you’d like to improve your self-confidence and even boost your income, join the thousands of young women who have taken positive steps to being the best version of themselves. Sign up for our free Coaching and CV support today and you too can be armed with the tools you need to get ahead.

BBC Worklife – How the salary ‘ask gap’ perpetuates unequal pay