Parents, don't let your kids grow up to be engineers!
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Exception Collection
Civil P.E., Washington
Not just the East Coast. I know/have dealt with exactly three other female engineers in the civil/structural track around here. Two of them work for the local jurisdiction, with the third being an EIT at a transportation engineering firm.
Since I didn't go to college, I don't think I'm particularly qualified to talk about the secondary education system and how it deals with women. But I can tell you that I've noticed more clients, contractors and owners that have issues talking to a female engineer, or accepting that she did the calculations correctly. I had one client have someone else check a calculation I performed... after I quadruple-checked it at his request. I've also been told by my boss that "women can be too emotional for engineers", and "I've never seen you break down emotionally like that before, try to maintain a professional decorum" (after I got some bad personal news, and left the office early to go weep... 3-1/2 hours after I got the news, because I had to get a new employee started on training).
knight1fox3
Jedi MASTER & Friend of Capt. Solo
Exception Collection
Civil P.E., Washington
(and about me)
This is relevant to the discussion. It's creepy when men randomly start talking about how hot women in their profession are, and it tends to scare women off - either they don't like the attention, or the fawning becomes irritating.
[SIZE=8pt]Not that I don't agree about POed Mommy.[/SIZE]
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I asked my husband to read this book...I won't post it here because no matter what I post the poopy faces around here will make fun of it...
Anyway...my husband goes, "now I know women CAN think when they are emotional." No, he's not a pig. He actually thought when I was crying/upset that I couldn't THINK straight...that my thought process was compromised...because I was "emotional."
From what I understand, that is a common MISCONCEPTION. As a matter of fact, women can be very emotional, and friggin think just fine thank you!!!
I had a terrible, traumatic experience earlier this year, and I'd throw myself into my work to forget it...I'd be on a roll...then someone would come over and say, "gosh, you're so quiet, is everything ok???"
And I had to excuse myself, go to the bathroom and cry my balls off (yes I wrote that). Then I walked to my desk while attempting to keep composure. I felt weak and stupid for not being able to control the tears.
As for all the compliments (in this post and on others) THANKS!!
Exception Collection
Civil P.E., Washington
I'd love to know which book. My boss might be able to learn from it.
As for the rest, yeah.. I was torn between wanting someone to talk to (so I could deal with the stress properly) or wanting to bottle it all up until after work. So every time someone came by, I'd start telling them and then stop as it got too personal. And yeah, the issue was about as personal as you can get.
IlPadrino
Well-known member
Or you could just want a bottle and be done with it! There's no problem so bad for a man that it can't be sufficiently drowned! Or is that a stereotype?
Exception Collection
Civil P.E., Washington
I'm somewhat intolerant of alcohol; that is, it makes me sick to drink even a little bit of most alcohols (or fruit juices) - so far, the only one I've tried that hasn't made me immediately ill was Vodka. Though when I got home I was sitting there staring at my wife's liquor cabinet wishing I could drink and trying to decide if knowing how sick I'd be it'd still be worth it.
Also, fixed it for you.
The book is called "The Male Factor." It was written for a female audience, but my husband said it was very good...I met the author at a NYC event and she is great...interviewed thousands of men for the book. I attended a presentation and an "interactive" theater performance addressing main points in the book, and actually have not read it yet...
maryannette
Wise One
Margaritas ROCK!
OMG we have a place by me that specializes in Margaritas...I've had five flavors to date and YES...they ROCK...
IlPadrino
Well-known member
I think you broke it... I've never heard of a stereotypical woman drinking her problems away. Unless you're referring to the stereotype of drowning the problem in *tears*... then, yeah, thanks for the fix!
IlPadrino
Well-known member
That's probably the healthiest way! But then there's no hangover. And without hangovers, we'd have one (or two) less blockbuster movies!
Exception Collection
Civil P.E., Washington
Maybe not stereotypical women, but I know I was severely tempted to do so. I'd already tried drowning the problem in tears, and that didn't work. I'd tried drowning the problem in conversation, and while that worked for a while it was rather harder to do when nobody I trusted was around to talk to (wife was out for the evening with friends). I tried drowning it out by working, but ran out of things I could handle by myself. I tried drowning it out by distraction (video games), but that didn't work either - not distracting enough.
In any case, I'm about as far from "stereotypical woman" as you can get as a general rule.
Road Guy
Well-known member
I'll probably get cat scrathed for saying this....but....
the succesfull women I know in engineering (& there are alot IMO) dont sit around counting how many women are at a certain conference, or how many are managers at their workplace, the ones that are sucessful seem to do what most other sucessful people do, they show up at work, do their job, dont dwell on statistics and get the job done...
the succesfull women I know in engineering (& there are alot IMO) dont sit around counting how many women are at a certain conference, or how many are managers at their workplace, the ones that are sucessful seem to do what most other sucessful people do, they show up at work, do their job, dont dwell on statistics and get the job done...
picusld
Well-known member
Stated another way
the succesfull people I know don't sit around counting how many people like them are at a certain conference, or how many managers are like them at their workplace, the people that are sucessful seem to do what most other sucessful people do, they show up at work, do their job, dont dwell on statistics and get the job done...
the succesfull people I know don't sit around counting how many people like them are at a certain conference, or how many managers are like them at their workplace, the people that are sucessful seem to do what most other sucessful people do, they show up at work, do their job, dont dwell on statistics and get the job done...
maryannette
Wise One
My claws are NOT out, but you guys really don't understand.
Even if you show up at work, do your job, don't dwell on statistics and get the job done ... when there are 50 men and 1 woman, it is noticeable and notable. It is not an excuse or a crutch or worthy of more than a passing comment. It should not contribute to or distract from success. That's the way I like it.
Maybe you can understand if you have ever gotten a great assignment and somebody accused you of sleeping with the boss;
OR if you have been asked where your children are while you are at work;
OR asked what EVER made you want to be an engineer (in a shocked/discouraging way);
OR been told that there are deserving (male) engineers who are out of work because of you ....
I'm sure it's similar for male nurses. They are probably asked why they don't wear a cute little white uniform.
Maybe one day gender and race will be "invisible" professionally. I look forward to that day.
Even if you show up at work, do your job, don't dwell on statistics and get the job done ... when there are 50 men and 1 woman, it is noticeable and notable. It is not an excuse or a crutch or worthy of more than a passing comment. It should not contribute to or distract from success. That's the way I like it.
Maybe you can understand if you have ever gotten a great assignment and somebody accused you of sleeping with the boss;
OR if you have been asked where your children are while you are at work;
OR asked what EVER made you want to be an engineer (in a shocked/discouraging way);
OR been told that there are deserving (male) engineers who are out of work because of you ....
I'm sure it's similar for male nurses. They are probably asked why they don't wear a cute little white uniform.
Maybe one day gender and race will be "invisible" professionally. I look forward to that day.
