IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2014 - 22

Career Advisor

Ensuring Your Opinions
Are Valued
Tips for the female engineer

I have been a design engineer and a
Registered Professional Engineer in
Maryland and South Carolina for over
20 years. I started my career in an engineering firm right after I graduated
with a bachelor's of science degree in
electrical engineering. Over my career,
I have risen through the ranks in the
firm from entry-level engineer to electrical principal engineer, in charge of
many other professionals. My work has
taken me all over the United States
designing projects such as power plants
and new hospitals.
During college, there was only one
female in my classroom: me. It did not
take long to realize this would be typical in the field. Entering into an electrical engineering design position in the
construction industry here in the United
States effectively meant that the majority of the females I would bump into
would be either owners or architects-
but very rarely engineers. Due to the
underrepresentation of female engineers,
I have at times been judged first as a
woman and second as a registered professional engineer.
In the United States, the engineering
industry is populated with an approximately seven-to-one male-to-female ratio

Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MWIE.2014.2308762
Date of publication: 7 May 2014

IEEE women in engineering magazine

neer population will continue to expand,
creating an even larger cultural shift in
the industry.
In the meantime, here are some suggestions for workplace behavior that will
ensure your opinions are heard and valued in any room.

Remain Assertive; Do Not Shy Away
from Professional Interaction
There is no need to yell and scream, and
you should always remain firm in your
position in the face of opposition even
[National Science Foundation, National
if you feel like jelly on the inside. It may
Center for Science and Engineering Statake some deep reflection to be able to
tistics, Scientists and Engineers
stand up for yourself in a profesStatistical data System (SESsional manner, but it is worth
TAT), 2010]. As such, women
it. Over the course of my
may run into coworkers
career, I have found that
who doubt our credibility,
where women tend to find
question our understandwork-related conflict to be
ing of the industry, and
disruptive, most men find
even wonder if we will climb
it inevitable in the normal
ladders or enter confined
course of business. Holding
Beth Crutchfield
spaces such as utility tunnels.
firm in your convictions is a
I have found that many times
key to gaining respect, espethese concerns or doubts are simply a
cially once you are proven correct.
reaction to not having previous interacWith that said, sooner or later after
tion with female engineers. The good
you show some level of assertiveness,
news? The number of female engineers is
someone may say something stereotypion the rise.
cal about your role as a woman. It is
According to the Digest of Education
the age-old attempt to demean or use
Statistics, in the United States, 29% more
your gender to gain control. Be ready
females received engineering degrees in
for it with a response along the lines
the last ten years, while the total number
of "no, neither my emotions, nor your
of female engineering degrees earned
emotions, have anything to do with the
in the United States remained largely
issues/failures/problems that we are
unchanged at 20% (ASEE.org "National
dealing with here. Let us understand
Engineers Week Foundation," 2010).
that, and move forward with solutions."
Over the last 20 years, I have seen
a profound change in how firms value
Make Your Points Using a Linear,
females in the workplace. Firm leaders
Fact-Based Approach
are realizing that women add diversity
There are hundreds of books and articles
of thought, which makes teams more
on the hypothesis that men and women
well rounded and position firms to grow
work and communicate differently. In
and prosper. Over the next 20 years, I am
my experience, that has been proven,
confident that the American female engiand in analyzing those differences I have

june 2014

http://www.ASEE.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - June 2014