Sixth-form girls 'less confident of landing top jobs than boys' despite better exam results

New research shows girls want to pursue more 'worthwhile' careers while boys focus on securing bigger salaries

Sixth-form girls have lower confidence about their career compared with boys (Getty)

Girls in the sixth-form are less confident about landing a top job than boys - despite having achieving better exam results, according to new research .

The survey of 4,000 teenagers also revealed they wanted to pursue more “worthwhile” careers - such as in medicine and teaching while the top priority of boys was securing a good salary.

The research, carried out by Oxford University’s careers service and due to be published at the Girls’ School Association, revealed three-quarters of girls already believed the boys were likely to receive higher pay when they left university.

Ranked on a scale of one to six as to their level of confidence in securing a top job, girls scored 3.7 compared with boys’ 4.3

Jonathan Black, director of Oxford University’s Careers Service, said: “Our latest research has confirmed that gender-based differences in career confidence start early.

“Sixth-form girls have lower confidence about their career and, compared with boys, are more concerned about each aspect of job application and are more interested in careers that offer job security. in a cause they ‘feel good about’.”

The survey covered 3,968 pupils in 63 different schools - including 31 co-ed schools and 32 single sex institutions.