3 answers
Emilee
Student
Anson, Maine
2
Questions
Asked
1312 views
How should I deal with discrimination in the work place?
I am a 17 year old senior female soon going for my bachelors in materials science and my top choice for college is highly male dominated (87% male). Giving STEMs track record, I’ll likely face discrimination because of my gender and I’d like insight on how to deal with discrimination while staying true to myself. #stem #nanotechnology #material-science
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3 answers
Victoria German
Sr. Mgr. Ntwrk Security & HSO Member
84
Answers
Dallas, Texas
Updated
Victoria’s Answer
Hi Emilee,
This is such a great question. Let's reframe the question a bit.
Let's look at your question in the positive. As you start your career, think about all the wonderful and new qualities you bring to the table versus discrimination. There are so many people trying to create inclusive environments in all sectors of society and you are going to play a part in this ongoing dialogue.
First of all you are a trailblazer (absolutely say this to yourself every time something seems new or daunting).
Trailblazers create paths in new fields for new people all the time. I once took a very hard exam in a huge conference center of what seemed like 500 guys and there were only 2 women. Sometimes you will feel like you stick out, but that's ok, if you love your career you will keep going and you will breakdown barriers by showing you have something to contribute. Be sure to visit the college and see if it is a good fit on a number of levels.
More and more women and minorities are entering technical fields all the time but someone's got to go first. Someone like you has to start the process, someone like you has to become the mentor, and someone like you has to pay it forward by going back to schools to show how cool STEM is, volunteering, and providing opportunities for others.
I understand how you feel and I have had many opportunities where I was the only female in the room...but here's the thing. You bring a new, fabulous point of view. You've got this. You might look at a problem in a completely new way. You have experiences and ideas that need to be heard - ok, yes, sometimes this is a challenge and it takes time and some courage - but it's so worth the hard work.
You are on a journey where you will meet many new people and discover many new ideas.
Your field will be all the richer for the cooperation and the dialogue you will create.
Here are some links from Verizon's website about diversity, careers, stem, and our corporate culture.
We have some great mentors and voices leading the discussion about some very important topics you bring up. What we have found is that we are stronger as a team and develop better solutions when we represent everyone in our society in our workplace. Every organization has a culture and many are inclusive. Use these links to benchmark the organizations you decide to join in the future.
http://www.verizon.com/about/news/lessons-learned-verizons-diversity-inclusion-conference
http://www.verizon.com/about/sites/default/files/Verizon-Credo.pdf
http://www.verizon.com/about/careers
http://www.verizon.com/about/news/she-inspired-me-role-models-who-helped-these-women-envision-career-stem
http://www.verizon.com/about/news/why-should-anyone-care-about-stem-education
STEM careers are amazing and they take hard work. If you have a setback or someone isn't willing to let you come to the table, find other opportunities and find ways to turn negatives into positives, and get a place at the table. Be sure to give back along the way so that you can inspire kids from your school, your community, and new organizations you belong to in the future.
Joining professional organizations and finding mentors can be really helpful. I guarantee you that sometimes you will have experiences that aren't great. Make a mental note about what could have been better and how you would have handled the situation. When you are managing a team or organizing a project, be inclusive. Listen to different points of view and create the culture that will bring more great ideas and talent to the table regardless of gender, class, economic status, or bias. Great communication skills and focusing on seeking solutions that improve society will help you overcome barriers and find common ground and achieve you and your team's full potential.
I am very excited about your journey, please keep us posted :)
stem, women-in-stem,
This is such a great question. Let's reframe the question a bit.
Let's look at your question in the positive. As you start your career, think about all the wonderful and new qualities you bring to the table versus discrimination. There are so many people trying to create inclusive environments in all sectors of society and you are going to play a part in this ongoing dialogue.
First of all you are a trailblazer (absolutely say this to yourself every time something seems new or daunting).
Trailblazers create paths in new fields for new people all the time. I once took a very hard exam in a huge conference center of what seemed like 500 guys and there were only 2 women. Sometimes you will feel like you stick out, but that's ok, if you love your career you will keep going and you will breakdown barriers by showing you have something to contribute. Be sure to visit the college and see if it is a good fit on a number of levels.
More and more women and minorities are entering technical fields all the time but someone's got to go first. Someone like you has to start the process, someone like you has to become the mentor, and someone like you has to pay it forward by going back to schools to show how cool STEM is, volunteering, and providing opportunities for others.
I understand how you feel and I have had many opportunities where I was the only female in the room...but here's the thing. You bring a new, fabulous point of view. You've got this. You might look at a problem in a completely new way. You have experiences and ideas that need to be heard - ok, yes, sometimes this is a challenge and it takes time and some courage - but it's so worth the hard work.
You are on a journey where you will meet many new people and discover many new ideas.
Your field will be all the richer for the cooperation and the dialogue you will create.
Here are some links from Verizon's website about diversity, careers, stem, and our corporate culture.
We have some great mentors and voices leading the discussion about some very important topics you bring up. What we have found is that we are stronger as a team and develop better solutions when we represent everyone in our society in our workplace. Every organization has a culture and many are inclusive. Use these links to benchmark the organizations you decide to join in the future.
http://www.verizon.com/about/news/lessons-learned-verizons-diversity-inclusion-conference
http://www.verizon.com/about/sites/default/files/Verizon-Credo.pdf
http://www.verizon.com/about/careers
http://www.verizon.com/about/news/she-inspired-me-role-models-who-helped-these-women-envision-career-stem
http://www.verizon.com/about/news/why-should-anyone-care-about-stem-education
STEM careers are amazing and they take hard work. If you have a setback or someone isn't willing to let you come to the table, find other opportunities and find ways to turn negatives into positives, and get a place at the table. Be sure to give back along the way so that you can inspire kids from your school, your community, and new organizations you belong to in the future.
Joining professional organizations and finding mentors can be really helpful. I guarantee you that sometimes you will have experiences that aren't great. Make a mental note about what could have been better and how you would have handled the situation. When you are managing a team or organizing a project, be inclusive. Listen to different points of view and create the culture that will bring more great ideas and talent to the table regardless of gender, class, economic status, or bias. Great communication skills and focusing on seeking solutions that improve society will help you overcome barriers and find common ground and achieve you and your team's full potential.
I am very excited about your journey, please keep us posted :)
stem, women-in-stem,
Excellent response Victoria! I value a female's opinion and fresh insight and you will find many forward thinkers in any university you should choose, so please dont lose your focus because of the closed minded. Seek out and nurture those relationships that are mutually beneficial and you will catapult your successes!
Christopher Pelley
Stephen Martina
Technical Architect
2
Answers
Piedmont, Piedmont, Italy
Updated
Stephen’s Answer
I am a white, middle-aged man working in IT, so it won't be a surprise that I can't remember ever being discriminated against at work. Maybe this means I'm not the best person to give you advice, but for what it's worth:
Think of yourself and everyone else around you as professionals, regardless of gender, sexual orientation etc. Outside of very specific physical attributes, just about anyone can do any kind of work, especially in service-led economies.
You don't have to put up with discrimination - in fact it makes things worse in the long run if, by not intervening, you let the problem become worse and it's harder to put a stop to it. Discrimination can be extremely disheartening and can make you very angry, but if you let it get to you on a personal level you might end up making mistakes in how you handle it.
The hard reality is that the behavioural "standards" and expectations are often tougher on the victim of discrimination than on perpetrators or the wider organisation - e.g. a cliched example is if a woman complains about discrimination she might in turn be accused of overreacting or acting emotionally, and these preconceptions / unconscious bias can work against her. This is not right, but it is often the case.
Try to analyse the situation, ask yourself what would happen if the roles were reversed (e.g. if you were a man), and if you do find that you're being discriminated against, find out who to go to (typically HR, although legal might also be a good bet), contact them and ideally have everything in writing (e.g. emails). Be as detailed as you can, and although you might be rightly fuming with rage, stick to the facts and stay calm.
Think of yourself and everyone else around you as professionals, regardless of gender, sexual orientation etc. Outside of very specific physical attributes, just about anyone can do any kind of work, especially in service-led economies.
You don't have to put up with discrimination - in fact it makes things worse in the long run if, by not intervening, you let the problem become worse and it's harder to put a stop to it. Discrimination can be extremely disheartening and can make you very angry, but if you let it get to you on a personal level you might end up making mistakes in how you handle it.
The hard reality is that the behavioural "standards" and expectations are often tougher on the victim of discrimination than on perpetrators or the wider organisation - e.g. a cliched example is if a woman complains about discrimination she might in turn be accused of overreacting or acting emotionally, and these preconceptions / unconscious bias can work against her. This is not right, but it is often the case.
Try to analyse the situation, ask yourself what would happen if the roles were reversed (e.g. if you were a man), and if you do find that you're being discriminated against, find out who to go to (typically HR, although legal might also be a good bet), contact them and ideally have everything in writing (e.g. emails). Be as detailed as you can, and although you might be rightly fuming with rage, stick to the facts and stay calm.
Sabrina Eldridge
Manager
3
Answers
Chicago, Illinois
Updated
Sabrina’s Answer
Wonderful question! I wish we lived in a world where this wasn’t true, but more than likely you will have to deal with discrimination. I am proud of you for continuing down the path you are for your passion and for your future! This field has led to a lot of fulfillment in my life, and I hope you excel!
In college, one of the key things for you will be to develop a network of strong women, to receive mentorship and support from and to give mentorship and support to. I cannot begin to describe how grateful I am for the WOC I have in my network that have supported and pushed me to advance my career. Everyone has a perspective that you can learn from, but often women, and especially WOC, need to take different approaches to issues to garner the same respect as their peers. They are an essential resource to navigate a lot of issues you’ll face both in college and the working world. In college my study group consisted of 3 of us, all WOC. We found each other, uplifted each other, and all did great and are at great places in our careers.
In addition to this, it is essential you develop confidence by understanding your own value and your own accomplishments. How you are performing has nothing to do with how others perceive you and take what others say with a grain of salt. Someone not respecting your input, someone not helping you where they will other males, someone speaking condescendingly when answering a question from you, this is all a reflection of them, their bias, and their jealousy.
My biggest piece of advice for micro aggressions is one that was given to me recently - for every criticism they give, understand the good that comes with it and what they are threatened by. If someone calls you aggressive, understand they are fearful and jealous of your confidence, persuasiveness, and performance. One I got earlier this year was that I was “naive” for trying to make a change. I saw it as me being relentless, and sure enough I created a positive change. You need to understand for every bad they see you are good for the other side of the coin. And hopefully your support group will also remind you of that ☺️. The best revenge for these aggressions is to excel, and you can use those strengths you identified to do just that.
You may also face security issues that may be at an even higher rate in a male dominated area. If you ever fear for your safety, get loud. Don’t question that fear or keep it to yourself. Tell your experiences to others, and if you need to, talk to who is necessary to distance yourself from anyone who may be a threat.
The best way to mitigate discrimination after college is to find a company where you see diversity/differing demographics in leadership and higher paid positions; this demonstrates to you that they value and respect people who are typically discriminated against. If there is diversity in the people who interview you, that’s a great sign.
If you do find yourself in a situation where discrimination is relentless or you know you cannot grow due to your gender, start seeking other employment. After you have left, file a complaint if necessary. One poster suggested reaching out to HR, but I do want to caution you about that. HR is there to serve the company, not you, and I have seen it go down badly for an employee who was receiving discrimination in the past. There are organizations outside of your company you can go to for advice, and if you need to take legal action, hire your own attorney.
It’s not easy being a girl in a male dominated field, but there is so much to gain if it is your passion and where you want to be. Be safe, be vigilant, be tough, and be you! STEM is super rewarding and I wish you all the best!
In college, one of the key things for you will be to develop a network of strong women, to receive mentorship and support from and to give mentorship and support to. I cannot begin to describe how grateful I am for the WOC I have in my network that have supported and pushed me to advance my career. Everyone has a perspective that you can learn from, but often women, and especially WOC, need to take different approaches to issues to garner the same respect as their peers. They are an essential resource to navigate a lot of issues you’ll face both in college and the working world. In college my study group consisted of 3 of us, all WOC. We found each other, uplifted each other, and all did great and are at great places in our careers.
In addition to this, it is essential you develop confidence by understanding your own value and your own accomplishments. How you are performing has nothing to do with how others perceive you and take what others say with a grain of salt. Someone not respecting your input, someone not helping you where they will other males, someone speaking condescendingly when answering a question from you, this is all a reflection of them, their bias, and their jealousy.
My biggest piece of advice for micro aggressions is one that was given to me recently - for every criticism they give, understand the good that comes with it and what they are threatened by. If someone calls you aggressive, understand they are fearful and jealous of your confidence, persuasiveness, and performance. One I got earlier this year was that I was “naive” for trying to make a change. I saw it as me being relentless, and sure enough I created a positive change. You need to understand for every bad they see you are good for the other side of the coin. And hopefully your support group will also remind you of that ☺️. The best revenge for these aggressions is to excel, and you can use those strengths you identified to do just that.
You may also face security issues that may be at an even higher rate in a male dominated area. If you ever fear for your safety, get loud. Don’t question that fear or keep it to yourself. Tell your experiences to others, and if you need to, talk to who is necessary to distance yourself from anyone who may be a threat.
The best way to mitigate discrimination after college is to find a company where you see diversity/differing demographics in leadership and higher paid positions; this demonstrates to you that they value and respect people who are typically discriminated against. If there is diversity in the people who interview you, that’s a great sign.
If you do find yourself in a situation where discrimination is relentless or you know you cannot grow due to your gender, start seeking other employment. After you have left, file a complaint if necessary. One poster suggested reaching out to HR, but I do want to caution you about that. HR is there to serve the company, not you, and I have seen it go down badly for an employee who was receiving discrimination in the past. There are organizations outside of your company you can go to for advice, and if you need to take legal action, hire your own attorney.
It’s not easy being a girl in a male dominated field, but there is so much to gain if it is your passion and where you want to be. Be safe, be vigilant, be tough, and be you! STEM is super rewarding and I wish you all the best!