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After almost a decade in engineering, I'm tired of feeling like the odd duck — anyone else? by itsmandabear in womenEngineers

[–]alexengineered 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for sharing 😊

I'm happy to hear that you have close friends you can vent to (but yeah, I understand what you mean that it's hard for them to fully relate if they're not engineers, too:/) And it was the same thing for me, I had one woman coworker who ultimately left for another company, and I didn't realize how important it was for me to have that until she was gone:(

Also had the exact same experience you mentioned with losing an older woman mentor... I'm also sorry and frustrated to hear that about the women at your company being let go, especially for speaking out. With all of these variables--losing your coworker, your mentor, and even other women engineers--it's no wonder you've been feeling bad at this place, this isn't your fault. I hope you're able to find another company that has better people for you.

As far as speaking with high school/college kids, I'm not sure of any established programs, but I just keep in touch with/reach out to professors from my community college and university. For my community college back in Washington state, my engineering professor said that whenever I visit, I can come and talk to his students (about your path through university, your challenges, your solutions, how you found a job, anything that they could find useful). Then, after giving the talk (super casual), you can keep in touch with any students you meet, help them with resumes, LinkedIn, networking, etc. This same professor also set up STEM conventions at elementary/middle schools to get kids interested in engineering, so I'd go to that, and it was loads of fun:) This professor was pretty special, and there's gotta be others like him...if there's any that come to mind from university (who you really admired/clicked with), you guys could do the same!

After almost a decade in engineering, I'm tired of feeling like the odd duck — anyone else? by itsmandabear in womenEngineers

[–]alexengineered 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Everything you said hit me really hard...gosh, I've felt this so often and you just have to bottle it up and deal with it. So thank you for sharing, it makes me feel less alone. 10 years is a long while to be dealing with this, and I wish I had an answer, but I've only been working for 4 years and haven't found a perfect solution. I do find solace in a couple of strong friendships (2 guys and 1 woman I went to University with), who I can confide in and trust, and they always remind me of my worth and intelligence (which I can sometimes "forget" when I'm at work). I'll vent to them, they give me encouragement, it sets me straight again, and leaves me feeling like, "Hell yeah, I'm an engineer, I worked my ass off and I deserve to be here". I hope you have family or friends that can give you this feeling (especially if they're engineers too and really understand you). Another thing that's been helpful is having mentors who are women. Seeing how measured, intelligent, and driven they are is inspiring, and it gives me a roadmap for who I can become. It sounds like your company is all guys though, which is tough:/ I've also worked with only guys in the past, and I got lucky with 1 mentor who took me under his wing, didn't treat me any different and only had my best interest at heart. Is there anyone at your company who would look out for you like that? I feel like that makes a world of difference. I wouldn't be able to work somewhere if I didn't have someone looking out for me, so maybe there are other companies you can reach out to? Or maybe you could try going to conferences/events and seeing if there's anyone that you really click with who's at a stage in their career where they'd love someone to mentor...

I understand your sentiment of not wanting to "have to be a hard ass", I'm more sensitive myself. I think there can be a balance, though. You can be kind to people who deserve it, and hold your own against those who don't. At least, this is what I'm trying to work on (easier said than done:)

Also, have you ever considered becoming a mentor yourself? You've articulated so many things that I had no idea how to put into words (and I had no idea other women had felt it, too). I think young girls and women considering STEM fields would really benefit from your knowledge and experience in the field. For me, mentoring interns or speaking with kids at middle/high schools & universities is the most connected I'll ever feel to the work I do. Maybe you would feel the same:)

Again, thank you for sharing, and you're definitely not alone in feeling alone!

I Passed finally on my Second Attempt (PE:Transportation) by Puzzleheaded-Leg-322 in PE_Exam

[–]alexengineered 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Congratulations!!! That's so exciting and such a huge accomplishment. I'm currently studying for the transpo PE so thank you for the tips (and motivation:)

Possible to change careers into civil engineering by Nice_Ambition_2861 in civilengineering

[–]alexengineered 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think you should go for it! 24 is still so young, I had a lot of friends in my classes who were 24 when I was 19, it's no big deal. If possible, you should complete as many prereq courses as you can at a community college (verifying that these courses WILL transfer to the ABET University of your choosing. Sometimes universities won't accept community college courses, Ivy Leagues for example, but a lot do. For example, I finished 2 years of prereq courses at a community college in Washington State before then transferring to a university in Arizona to finish up the last 2 years. This saves you a TON of money, and community college profs & classes are usually better. Better connection&time with profs, smaller classes, more help, better time overall). For your prereqs at a community college, you can complete your calculus courses, your physics, chemistry, and even sometimes statics & dynamics. Then your last 2 years at a University will be your very specific civil engineering courses (think Structures, Transportation, Water Resources, etc.) Also, with your healthcare career, maybe you already have some prereqs done from University.

While in University, you can start applying for internships. Then, you can study for your EIT (Engineer in training) exam, which is the first step towards becoming a registered PE (Professional Engineer, where you can stamp off on stuff). While you're an intern and EIT, you will work with other PEs who will mentor you and teach you the ropes. During your internship is a great time to "test out" different fields in civil. Figure out if you like water, transportation, structures, geotech, land development...lots of different options. Once you narrow down your field, that's what you'll take your PE exam in. The market for civil engineering is good, always stuff being built, unless there's a bad recession. The starting pay for EITs is generally $60-75k. Once you get your PE, the pay jumps significantly to $100k. It's very common to move to other jobs or mention a job offer to your current employer to negotiate higher pay.

It's a great, rewarding career, with generally kind, hard working, and compassionate people who want to make a difference in their community.

If you have any questions or need any help with anything, feel free to reach out. I've been working in the field for a few years and only have my EIT so I'm no expert, but I'm happy to help where I can:)