I Knew I’d Face Certain Challenges at My Job. I Can’t Believe Who They’re Coming From.

Pay Dirt July 31, 20266:00 AM Photo illustration by Slate. Photo by Getty Images Plus. Our advice columnists have heard it all over the years—so we’re diving into the Pay Dirt archives to share classic letters with our readers. Submit your own questions about money here. (It’s anonymous!) Dear Pay Dirt, I’m a 23-year-old woman, working my first professional job. My field overall has a mix of genders, but the company I work for is very male and white. I knew this when I took the job, but it’s also the highest paying and most prestigious opportunity I had, and I need to pay off private loans from college. I knew I would face sexism, and I mostly manage to ignore it or play dumb. What I didn’t expect was who would treat me this way. There’s one other woman on my team, “Caroline.” She’s in her