Someone once said, “The study of Engineering is for those who want to dedicate their career path to it, however, everyone, that is both men and women, can use and practice Engineering.” I would say this phrase begs for some provocative deliberation. That being said, in my effort to share some of my own experiences, I decided to put down a few recommendations (there are more than these, of course, but then the article would be too long!) that I would give to a developing engineer or to someone aspiring to enter the field. So let us just get straight into it.
1. Get insight
Before you embark on a
life-defining adventure/ choice, it is prudent to do some investigation into the
terrain ahead. It, therefore, goes without saying, that when one wants to
pursue an engineering field, it would be in one’s favor to research on it. There
are loads of information about engineering that can be found in books,
articles, doing internet searches, browsing university webpages, and talking to people in the field or those who have worked in a similar field.
There are also workshops and various free technology courses that one can jump
into. Also with the online world, there is a plethora of free learning
applications and webinars where you can brush up skills in your journey to
becoming a better engineer.
My own path to the beginning and staying in engineering was partially influenced by a few people
in my life, and a lot of my insight was gained by hearing and seeing the hard-won
successes and challenges that family, colleagues, and friends in Science,
Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) faced in their professions. I
believe, in some way, this insight may have conditioned and prepared me for
when I was to face my own hurdles.
Trust me, there are
plenty of women (and men) in engineering and organizations, who give free
career guidance talks and are capable mentors on the subject.
2. Get an advocate
Everybody needs a good
dose of motivation and support, especially psychological support when you are
unsure about something or you have the dilemma of too many choices. My
definition of an advocate is someone who believes in you, encourages the best
in you, and does not have to be in your field.
So basically, they
believe you own/ were born for that field!
I admit a lot of the
motivation to become an engineer came from the persuasive encouragement of my
father. Considering my father’s closest association to the sciences was only
his skill for carpentry, I have counted myself fortunate in having him as my
advocate and thankful for his belief that women are just naturally adept for
engineering. Over the years, I have grown to share this belief as my growth and
practice in engineering has allowed me to see just how successful systems and
projects are, when they have been developed through the combined effort of male
and female engineers.
So get yourself an
advocate, a friend (doesn’t have to be family) who just believes the world is
your oyster and encourages you to go for it.
Engage with positive
thinking people (advocates), your career and life depend on it.
3. Get a mentor
Now sometimes, no
matter how well-meaning you may want to be, you are going to make mistakes.
Some of those mistakes, you will recover from quickly and others may have you
shaking your head at the mammoth task of correcting yourself. There will also
be times when you will feel stuck or scared to try something or just
overwhelmed by everything and everyone. These times are when you need a mentor
on speed dial.
A mentor is
someone who keeps things real, helps you think your own way out of scenarios, and may offer assistance to boost you to a higher level, provided they feel
they are not spoon-feeding you. Because there is nothing that disheartens mentors
more than a “child” (read mentee) who just wants to be fed!
Every child has to
live an active, giving life in order to grow. So it is very important as you
grow in the field to be a smart and hard worker, choose to be an effective
contributor wherever you are.
I have and have had a
number of mentors in my life. My earlier years of engineering was populated by
mostly male mentors who, thankfully, chose to adopt me as a surrogate daughter,
whom they were proud to help shape.
“To the older men in
my attachment years, the older men from my university years, and the men in my
working years, I say thank you. Thank you for looking out for me, telling me to
toughen up, and helping me find my own solutions.”
I’d encourage anyone
working with women, young or old, to respect women as human beings, please.
Evaluate people on what they bring to the table, not on their God-given
physical attributes.
Moving on some more
years, female mentors began to be more visible in my life, but for a long time
I thought there were none. If the visibility of female mentors was as evident
then when I was beginning, as it is now, I may have attempted more things and believed
it possible to quickly overcome some of my negative self-perception. I did
eventually learn to overcome my self-doubt, but it just took me a little longer
without a female mentor in my field.
As a mentor now, I
tell my mentees that if you are a student of life, you can always learn to
become a better version of yourself.
So be kind to yourself
and others, get feedback from people, sift through it, ignore what you cannot
do anything about, and use the rest as lessons to help you learn and improve.
After all, life
itself is a mentor, albeit hardcore.
4. Get inspired
Link up and socialize with
other engineers. If you make the study and work of engineering practice become
your life, you will be lonely and dull! A lot of inspiration can come from
several social activities, such as a braai with fellow
engineers, debating with friends on the ability to eat four pies in under a
minute, going to watch a movie, or pretending to play scrabble with friends, so
you have the excuse to meet and air whatever thoughts strike you!
We all need to gain a new perspective, be refreshed, live full lives, and take care of the social
aspects of our lives, because it is from this, that the inspiration to try an
effective method at work or create a new product design or be a more engaging
leader, comes from.
As an engineer, I have
found myself on a constant loop of working myself to the bone in order to meet
new targets and a lot of times that has put a strain on friendships and,
unfortunately, on my health too. This is not a recommended way to grow in the
field. Yes, there are periods where you will need to push limits, but it should
not become the norm.
As we grow in the
engineering practice, we, in turn, become the guiding posts and custodians of the
profession, and in order for us to live long enough to fulfill this role, we
need to look after our mental, spiritual and physical health.
So get your
recommended hours of sleep, eat right, and fill up your life with inspiring
things. Write a blog, read quotes, listen to spoken word poetry, pick a
sport, or a hobby or an activity and do it. If it is a hobby or sport, do it so
well and so often that, you can start teaching others or integrating with
others.
Having fun is a
prerequisite for being a great engineer. So get inspired, keep yourself open to
learning, and stay healthy.
So to all women in
and aspiring-to-be in engineering, happy International Women in Engineering
Day!
May your journey in
engineering, be an exciting one!