College is a minefield of life-changing decisions. It’s a time to gain independence, get involved, and further your education. There are no two ways about it, and choosing a major has never been easy. Making a commitment to a degree is much easier for some than others, who will question their choice up until the day they graduate. Nobody knows what’s right for you except for you. In light of that, however, a little insight never hurts. So ,what’s it like being a chemical engineering major? What are some challenges women face in a male-dominated field of a STEM career? I can tell you.
STEM (an anagram for science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers are in demand. Technology is pervasive throughout modern life. What’s needed are women to bring more gender diversity to the professions—unfortunately, a number of challenges arise for women in STEM careers. One of the most ubiquitous challenges is implicit bias. The subtle cultural notion that men are more suited to these careers hinders women as they underestimate their abilities and are less likely to follow a career path that they may really enjoy and prosper from. The conditioning often begins at an early age. Jo Handelsman and Natasha Sakraney from the White House Office of Science and Technology recognized that parents tended to “rate the math abilities of their daughters lower than parents of boys with identical math performance in school” (2015). Even college women are affected: the study shows that “college faculty are less likely to respond to an email from a student inquiring about research opportunities if the email appears to come from a woman than if the identical email appears to come from a man” (2015). As more women choose STEM professions, the effect of implicit bias on their careers should disappear as gender diversity within the field increases.
Another shortfall of the current lack of women in the STEM profession is the shortage of female mentors. Mentors are proven to be critical to career success and can help provide both emotional and professional development. Despite this predicament, Minnesota State Colleges and Universities stipulate that professional organizations are available to lend their invaluable experience if a more immediate mentor is not available (2015).
A common feeling amongst women in STEM careers is a lack of acceptance and belonging in their jobs. The differing interaction styles of women and men can be a barrier to overcome. A way to mitigate these challenges is to be selective when applying. Choose companies that have female-friendly policies and programs! As for coping with gender differences, educate yourself—offer your opinion without being asked and know how to handle mistakes. Look to women such as Debbie Sterling, Sheryl Sandberg or Elizabeth Holmes for inspirational women in the STEM workforce. These women show how to be successful and manage multi-million dollar companies (a.k.a they’re bossing it). We should ask ourselves—how can we emulate the poise and follow in the footsteps of these women?
There’s no question about it: an education will arm you with required skills. Studying a STEM major is interesting to say the least. It’s difficult, both from the social and educational challenges we face. For the collegiate considering a major in engineering, prepare yourself. I suggest arming yourself with two of the fundamental skills I’ve learned so far: problem solving and teamwork. Those are the basics. If you can get those down, the challenges you face as a women in STEM are secondary. And it’s worthwhile. Technology is constantly developing and you will be in the midst of it!