How can I be taken more seriously as a striving women engineer?

Hi,

I think your friends and teachers are wrong. I assume that the teachers you refer to are the ones you have in high school. How much do they really know about the job prospects for engineers? Talk to faculty at the school you been accepted at and I am sure you will get a far different picture of your job prospects. Geological engineers work at all sorts of companies, not just mining companies. I worked for over 30 years for the major company in the Power Generation Industry and there is still a push to hire women in engineering. It wasn't too long ago that there were very few women in engineering but that started changing about 15 or 20 years ago and is still changing. Larger companies and governments are probably the most proactive in hiring women while smaller companies with fewer employees may still be a little reluctant. If you have gotten good grades in school and don't limit yourself to a specific location or company when you look for a job, you will not have a problem. Keep an open mind while in school w/r to the various facets of <span style="color: rgb(67, 58, 83); background-color: transparent;"> geological engineer</span> to see which areas may be of most interest to you. A summer job somewhere in your field between your junior and senior year can be a tremendous help, and look really good on your resume. Something attracted you to geological engineering, go for it. There are few engineers and the demand is growing.

Hope this helps.

Hi Sarah!

Never let something like gender hold you back from pursuing anything in life! If engineering is something you love and want to do, then do it. If you succeed in classes associated with engineering, be present in various engineering clubs, and prove yourself in an internship, you will be taken seriously, no matter your gender. Go forward with your educational and career plans and work hard, just as any other gender or major, and you will get noticed.

Women engineers have increased in the past 20 years, but there is still room for improvement. Just like you, many women hear things from other people and get discouraged from pursuing a career in engineering. Saying that engineering is only for men is a myth. My sister is 27 years old and a successful industrial engineering manager for a top worldwide company. For more confidence and reassurance, here is the website for the Society of Women Engineers:

http://societyofwomenengineers.swe.org/

I would recommend joining and speaking with other women engineer to see how they dealt with struggles in their career.

Very good question. I have been the only female engineer in my last role as well as in my current role. The tips I have for you are don't make waves, be positive. Keep a can do attitude. Being male or female should not matter as much as the quality of work you do and your chosen attitude at work. With technology changing so quickly what is noticed more is how quickly a person adapts to change and if they welcome the challenge, are willing to be a leader or those who complain and do not want their job roles to change. Many organizations have groups for women. I would highly encourage you to join and keep a positive wheel house. Many companies are aware of the imbalance and looking for women. I had a friend who asked to apply for a job when they did not have any female applicants. Best of luck.