Interview with a Professional

A couple of weeks ago a new female engineer was hired at the place that I work. Her name is Carrie and she came to the company after working for a couple of years at a shipyard in Virginia. I decided to talk to her about her experiences with being a woman in engineering and to try to see if she has faced any struggles. Our conversation went as follows:

So Carrie, why did you want to become an engineer?

As with most rising seniors in high school, it's difficult to decide what you want to major in as well as what you want to do with the rest of your life. I really had no idea, but I knew I was good at math and science-related subjects. I was also much more of a realist than a dreamer. While having a discussion with my favorite high school teacher (who also happened to be my science teacher) about potential colleges and majors, he suggested engineering. I remember thinking "sure, why not?" Honestly I didn't really realize what engineering truly was until my sophomore year of college. I can say that once I got into my core classes, despite the long hours of studying, I really enjoyed my classes and knew I was in the right place. 

Were you aware of the lack of women in engineering while you were in school?

When I first started college I wasn't aware of the "lack of women" in engineering.  It wasn't until I got into my mechanical engineering classes that I realized I was one of  two or three girls in a class of twenty-five or thirty people. At my first job, I was one of two female engineers in the entire plant and at my second job there were only a handful of female engineers. 

What experiences or struggles have you faced as the minority in your field?

Truly, being a female engineer in a male dominated field is a double-edge sword. In some cases it is easier to get things done because you are a woman and people are much more responsive. Other times your opinions and advice are written off because you are a woman. It has been my experience that as a young female engineer it is my younger male counterparts who are less responsive. I really believe they feel threatened by the idea of a woman rising above and beyond in a role that has traditionally been occupied by men. I also believe the treatment of female engineers is dependent on the company/environment as well. Despite the fact that all companies state they have a zero tolerance policy for discrimination among it's employees, it depends on the company as to how well that is recognized and enforced. 

Have these struggles affected your decisions in your career?

Unfortunately, and this is sad to say, because of the treatment of females at my last place of employment I changed jobs. It is unfortunate that in this day and time that there are places where discrimination against females in certain job roles is still so prevalent. I have met other women in engineering along the way through both college and the work place and I can also say that I am not alone in my experiences.

My conversation with Carrie was very eye opening to exactly how hard it can be as a female in engineering. I have heard all about it but fortunately I have not experienced any struggles yet. It was interesting to hear a first hand account of how the professional world can be.