Episode Transcript
Sometimes you just need someone to tell you the rules. To give you some guidelines to live by.
This is especially true for you in your engineering career.
Women just don’t get the guidance they need.
There aren’t that many women engineers in the first place.
And even fewer who stick around to advise other women engineers.
I can’t tell you how many times I just needed some good advice.
My engineering career was very rewarding. But it wasn’t easy.
I struggled a lot.
I learned many things the hard way. And often too late.
Finding Secrets to Engineering Career Success Your Way
This is what inspired me to interview women engineers whose successful experiences have led them into high level leadership positions and more fulfilling careers.
I’m writing a book on what I’ve learned.
With the sole intent to share their insights with you.
For this episode I’ve gathered the “Top 10” pieces of career advice from the interviews I conducted.
Meaning, the insights I heard most often from these women. And the ones that will have the most impact for you.
You may have heard much of this advice before.
But listen for the nuance that goes a little deeper.
And think about all the ways you can apply this advice in your own career situation.
It’s meaningful. And it will make a difference.
Top 10 Insights for a More Fulfilling Engineering Career
Here are the Top 10 insights for a more fulfilling engineering career:
- Step Out of Your Comfort Zone and Take More Risk
The women I interviewed have learned that if you’re not taking more risk, you’re holding yourself back.
If things are easy for you, you’ve stopped growing.
So instead, they advise, don’t play it safe. Take more risk.
Getting out of your comfort zone early and often is really important for finding out what you like and don’t like.
And making it a habit builds confidence.
Get out of your own way and embrace new opportunities.
Don’t limit yourself just because something is new.
You can learn new things.
Have courage in taking on a challenge.
Men tend to take on more risk than women. They set a good example for you to follow here.
Lean in and apply your strengths and talents.
Don’t wait for someone to call on you for an opportunity.
And don’t talk yourself out of potential jobs before truly considering them.
If you’re hesitating, remember that no decision is forever.
You can always change direction. It’s never too late.
- Find Your Voice and Speak Up
So much of your advocacy and visibility depends on you speaking up.
Speak up in meetings and conversations. And get used to doing that.
It’s so important.
Experienced women engineers encourage you to ask more questions and contribute your knowledge. Because that’s what you’re there for.
People who talk a lot in meetings are assumed to be competent.
This is not always true. (I think it was Adam Grant who recently said we often mistake confidence for competence.)
But it is true that if you speak up in meetings you’re taken more seriously. And you build that confidence.
Don’t shy away from giving advice or your opinion.
This is how you add value to the organization.
Apply your expertise. Not everyone has that expertise!
Be convincing. Be visible.
Find your voice and use it. Don’t hold back.
Take a seat at the table. Be bolder. Because you’ve earned that seat.
- Leave Yourself Room to Fail
I remember when my daughter took ice skating lessons. The first thing they taught her was how to fall down.
If you didn’t fall down skating, you didn’t learn anything.
And the same is true in your engineering career. I heard this over and over again in my interviews.
You need to allow for mistakes. Allow mistakes instead of covering them up.
When – not if – you make a mistake, own it.
Be a part of fixing it.
And learn from it.
Also, when you make a mistake, figure out who can help you. And ask for help.
It’s faster than trying to work everything out yourself.
And finally, when you make a mistake, don’t be too self-critical.
Give yourself grace and move on. Don’t get stuck there.
Failure initiates learning and growth.
Failure is part of your job. It’s part of career success.
- Practice Self-Advocacy
It sounds so simple. But the consequences of advocating for yourself are huge.
This was obvious from the women I talked to.
Every interview included a discussion about self-advocacy. And it was a common thread among the insights shared.
First of all, believe in yourself.
You deserve to be there.
You deserve to be where you want to be.
You belong.
Don’t sell yourself short. Don’t settle for less. Don’t set your sights too low.
Advocate for yourself.
Tell people about you. About what you’re working on and the impact you’re having.
Tell people what you want to do next.
Go to your boss for a stretch assignment or a new role or higher pay or whatever it is you want in your career.
Inform your supervisor of all you do that they don’t know about.
Use facts. And use “I” statements, not just “we.”
Advocate for yourself because this is how you get places in your engineering career.
This is how you get to make your unique contribution. To make a difference.
Advocate for yourself because no one else will.
- Invest in Your Career
Investing in your career is part of owning it. Of being in charge.
It’s your career.
Make your own decisions. Don’t let others make them all for you.
That includes taking the time to make sure you’re on the right trajectory.
And it includes finding the resources to help you reach your goals.
Often your employer has resources you can leverage. Like training or coaching.
But sometimes you have to invest in them on your own.
Successful women engineers stay curious and keep learning.
Be open to critique. Know what you need to work on.
And invest the time to work on it.
- Network, Connect and Build Relationships
By now you’re aware of networking as an essential skill.
Your network is critical in linking you with people and opportunities.
But here’s more insight to enhance the benefit of your networking efforts:
- Don’t just meet people. Really connect with them. Build relationships.
- Approach each connection as a two-way interaction.
- Broaden your network by joining professional organizations or leading committees, etc.
- Use your network often. Never assume no one knows what you’re going through.
- Don’t burn bridges.
- Reach out to more influential people.
- Remember not all advice is good. Decide for yourself.
- Surround yourself with people who help you grow.
- Embrace Your Authentic Self
Be authentic. I get tired of hearing this. Do you?
But before you tune out, listen to what my interviewees really mean by it.
As women we need to be reminded to be who we are. Especially in engineering careers.
We often feel we’re expected to be like others. To fit the engineering mold. Which has largely been formed by men.
Women are relative newcomers here.
And being yourself as an engineer is not always easy because the work environment is tricky.
But it’s on us to change that expectation.
With that in mind, the advice of the women I interviewed has new meaning:
- Be who you are and let people know who you are.
- Be true to yourself and stay true to what you believe in.
- Come into yourself more.
- Know what you’re passionate about.
- Be authentic.
Because if you’re not, you’re holding yourself back.
And you’re making things more difficult than they need to be.
As you come into yourself more, it’s much easier to bring your talent to bear.
To build trust.
To work effectively with others. To lead people.
To make a meaningful contribution.
- Balance Life Your Way
I’m learning that, when it comes to family and community, experienced women engineers don’t let their professional lives hold them back.
I love hearing this. And it’s great insight for you.
They advise not to shy away, but to be transparent at work about family situations. This encourages others (including men) do the same.
Most women in higher level leadership emphasized setting your family boundaries and not letting work interfere with them.
Each interviewee had her own preferences when it came to her specific work-life integration.
Most agree, the years when you have young kids are the most difficult.
But they’re temporary. So hang in there.
More and more, there are resources to help you. So don’t drop out.
Whatever those boundaries need to be for you and your family, put them in place. And stay in alignment with them.
There is a way to integrate your career with what you do outside of it.
- Avoid the Victim Trap
This advice is simple and direct: Don’t get sucked into the victim trap.
It’s easy to fall victim to bias and unfairness just because you’re a woman.
Many of my interviewees have experienced this.
But it was very clear to me that women who avoid this trap enjoy more success in their engineering careers.
Their advice is to simply see bias or unfairness as a barrier and move on.
It’s in line with being the bigger person. Taking the high road.
It’s not worth ruminating or blaming. Just get on with your plan.
If you don’t have a supportive work environment, others advise creating your own.
Or at least find one that is supportive, and go there.
- Be Aware of What’s Going On
Ultimately you just want to be a really good engineer, scientist, leader.
And that’s important.
But my interviewees remind you that it’s bigger than that. You can’t just put your head down and work hard.
Instead, keep your head up. Look around and see what’s going on.
Pay attention to things outside of your job and your organization.
Participate in the broader technical community.
Stay up to date, well-read and fresh.
Be less focused on your task list and more focused on the experiences.
This will help you grow.
Be cognizant of how your work and your organization fit into the big picture. This will help you get ahead.
Know what’s going on in the world and where your next opportunity might be. So that you stay relevant and ready.
Heed the Advice of Women Engineers Who’ve Been There
There you go: Ten practical and impactful career tips.
Learn more about how these insights will help you in your current career situation. Or sign up for a strategy session with me.
This podcast was made possible by the women engineers who’ve been there.
Sharing their insights with you is their way of giving back. Of giving you the gift of their experiences.
So that you – and women engineers everywhere – can enjoy a more fulfilling career.
Next time on Her Engineering Career Podcast we’ll go a little deeper and discuss the most valuable insights for making the greatest impact and getting the most out of your engineering career.
I hope you’ll join me for Episode 175.