A third of women want a career that reflects their values

A poll of 2,000 workers found more than half (51%) of women would also consider a lower salary for a job which offered a strong sense of purpose. When considering a new role, 33% also want a career that reflects their values, while three in 10 prioritise human connection in the workplace.

The modern-day dream job would also include a short commute, your birthday off, friendly colleagues and the chance to help others. Health plans (46%), mental health days (29%) and gym memberships (27%) are also among the most sought-after perks in today’s job market.

Almost a third (32%) of women also want to work in a role with opportunities to progress, while 32% value human connection and 27% want a futureproof career.

More than four in 10 (46%) of today’s workforce are the first in their family to move into a completely different career from their parents. More than a fifth (22%) say this is because they have better access to online information.

The research was commissioned by British Gas to mark International Women in Engineering Day and is committed to ensuring 50% of their apprentices are female.

Amanda Harrison, group director of talent at the company, said: “This research really underlines what we’re seeing first-hand – women want purposeful work where they can make a genuine difference, and engineering contributes to that.

“But we can’t just hope more women choose the profession – as one of the UK’s largest employers of engineers, we have a responsibility to actively make that happen.

“That means making sure there are visible, positive role models to inspire the next generation.

“Engineering needs diverse talent to solve the challenges ahead, and we need to build a pipeline of women who see themselves in this industry from the start.”

The research also found exactly a quarter of all those polled said the opportunity to use hands-on, practical skills is one of the most appealing aspects of a role today.

A further quarter of employed adults polled via OnePoll have been inspired to consider a career change after seeing someone else make the move online.

Of these, 57% of women were influenced because those making changes appeared more fulfilled and 40% thought online platforms made career changes look more achievable.

In fact, 48% of all respondents added social media has made it easier to discover careers they didn’t even know existed. It also emerged 38% of workers believe it is now more acceptable to change careers than in the past, with more than half (51%) agreeing people should feel free to pursue any job regardless of gender.

However, 32% recognised there is still work to be done to challenge stereotypes around ‘men’s’ and ‘women’s’ jobs, with 57% keen to see people like themselves represented in a role before pursuing it.

Heidi Aylen, technical repair engineer at British Gas, which has been named in The Sunday Times Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers, said: “I came into engineering through the apprenticeship programme, and what struck me most was how balanced and supported everything felt.

“My training group was 50/50 men and women, our mentors were mixed, and I never once felt like being a woman was a barrier to succeeding, if you’re considering engineering but worried it’s ‘not for people like me’ – that’s exactly why you should do it.

“Whether you’re just starting out or making a career change, apprenticeships genuinely open doors. And the work itself is really rewarding – you’re solving real problems and knowing you’ve made a genuine impact.”