Giulia, what does your work focus on?
My research interests are at the intersection of Labor and Public Economics. I study how social insurance programs affect employment choices and the welfare of individuals; the impact of minimum wages on firm behavior and on the distribution of wages; and the rise of atypical forms of work, such as zero hours contracts and independent workers, and their implications for income insecurity and inequality.

Your work sounds so interesting and varied! What first attracted you to studying economics?
The opportunity to understand how public policies can improve individual economic opportunities, make people’s lives better and lead to a more equal society.

What misconceptions do you think some young women may hold about economics as a degree option or career path?
I think young students don’t always know what economics really is about and tend to associate it entirely with the business or finance world, or with – say – macroeconomics and interest rates. Economics is much more than that. Economics studies how people and firms make choices: what to study, what to buy, how much to work, whether to have a family… And it studies how public policies can affect people’s lives. Knowing more about the wider set of topics covered by economics may induce more young students to choose economics as a degree. I don’t think that this type of misconception necessarily affects men and women differently.

Regarding choosing economics as a career, I don’t think this is related to misconceptions. Once a student understands the range of topics Economics studies, then she/he would also realize that an economics career may span different areas (e.g. consulting, academia, policy…). So, we go back to the previous points.

Other problems hold women back in pursuing an economics career in academia, and in other environments. Such aspects are due to forms of discrimination and to the lack of family-friendly practices that still characterize certain environments. Awareness of such problems is high; it has already led to change and will hopefully lead to further improvements.

Do you have any suggestions for what universities could do to encourage people from a diverse range of backgrounds to consider studying economics?
Reach out to young students in high schools and talk about what economists really do. Here are two great examples by Professor Oriana Bandeira - 'What to Economists Really Do' and 'Economists at Parties'.

Finally, what is the best part of your job as an economist?
Focusing all efforts in understanding topics that interest me and that I deem important for society. And collaborating with very talented colleagues in my institution and abroad.

Maja, what does your work focus on?
My work is about improving the living standards of people that live in low to middle income households. I work with research in a think tank, which means that in my publications and commentaries I translate academic rigour and sometimes statistically complex research into a lay person’s language as well as the fast-paced world of policymakers and civil servants.

It sounds like your work has a strong social impact. What first attracted you to studying economics?
I thought that by understanding the way money flows in the world I would be able to better understand it. With that understanding, I thought, I would be able to open doors into a variety of different fields and careers paths that I did not necessarily know about when I started. I studied economics to broaden my perspectives.

What misconceptions do you think some young women may hold about economics as a degree option or career path?
I didn’t realise it would be so male dominated until I came to university, so this didn’t weigh in on my decision to study economics. If I had known, it would have probably only increased my determination to study it as I have never liked stereotypes. I can imagine that the thought of being one of few women in a seminar group in particular can be daunting, perhaps especially for people who previously have been to single-sex schools.

One misconception I think many people hold when it comes to studying economics is that it is all about banking. Although a lot of people study economics to go into banking, finance or consulting, there is a wealth of opportunities for economists across the different sectors of the economy. I think another misconception is that it’s all about maths. I wouldn’t say this is the case either. There is a lot of maths and to have a good grasp of high school maths is a must, but far from all of the economics course is maths. Also, the applied maths in an economics course is very different from high school maths.

Thank you, it is great to clear up some of the misconceptions people might hold! Do you have any suggestions for what universities could do to encourage people from a diverse range of backgrounds to consider studying economics?
I think there are two strong arguments in favour of studying economics that are not necessarily pushed out enough: That there are some tangible career paths outside of the traditional professional city jobs, and that it is fun. Universities should find ways to use different channels to push these messages.

It may also be useful to loosen the high maths requirements that some universities have. I think maths is pushed on students that I have a lot of support from their homes and teachers, who know that maths is important for the future. However, I don’t believe that maths is the most important requirement, and getting people from more diverse backgrounds interested in economics may involve recruiting these people later in their academic life, perhaps at a point when they have decided to not pursue the highest level of maths at school.

Last, I think it would be very beneficial to jump on the train of heterodox and post-Keynesian economics, with a greater emphasis or at least option to study more economic history. This could tempt a new group of students to consider studying economics.

Economic history is fascinating and can tell us as much about the potential future as it does about the past! What is the best part of your job as an economist?
To see the numbers you crunched be reported in national news channels and to see your research reach people with influence to help make society better. The other thing I love is that I will be able to go anywhere in the world and I would most likely be able to pick up a job there. I guess in short it is the ability to help people now and to have the freedom to go anywhere I want in the future.

Rachel, what does your work focus on?
I’m a PhD student and my research is about labour economics. I research “non-standard” work, especially zero-hours contracts and part-time work. I’m interested in recent changes in the labour market, and how jobs in the future will look different to jobs today. I also have a side project at the moment about the economics of football!

Both your doctoral research and your side project sound fascinating! What first attracted you to studying economics?
I originally studied maths and then worked in the City doing consulting for a while. I found the little bit of economics that was part of my job really interesting, but it wasn’t very in depth and I wanted to find out more.

What misconceptions do you think some young women may hold about economics as a degree option or career path?
That’s a difficult question for me to answer, as I studied maths as an undergraduate. Because I was good at it, I was pushed to study maths at university. It never occurred to me when I was 18 that economics was a subject that I might enjoy, or that there was even such a thing as an “economist”.

It is great to hear even if you don’t study economics as an undergraduate, there are still plenty of opportunities at masters level and beyond. Do you have any suggestions for what universities could do to encourage people from a diverse range of backgrounds to consider studying economics?
Related to my answer above, I think that schools and universities often make an effort to encourage girls to study STEM subjects, but not economics. Perhaps part of the answer is to work with schools to make sure young people are aware of economics as a career path, and of how varied the subject is. 

Finally, what is the best part of your job as an economist?
Chatting to other economists about research, whether that’s other PhD students in the department or at seminars or conferences. The great thing about economics is that it’s such a varied discipline, and I love hearing about all the different things that people research.