Emerson Exchange 365

I am a woman in STEM.  On top of that, I am a woman in the oil and gas field. I wish I had a deep insight or electrifying revelation to share, but all I have are my experiences, so those will have to do. When I think back on these experiences, on being A Woman In Engineering, how I have been treated by my peers and (mostly male) colleagues, the summary I come to again and again is as simple as it is promising: by and large, I have been treated like a person.

Not the Good Ol’ Boys’ Club It Once Was

As the major players in oil and gas are global, diverse companies, working with women is becoming the rule rather than the exception. Chevron has even been honored with the Catalyst award for developing and advancing women in this historically male-dominated field. For example, the Designs Engineering team that I am a member of at the small refinery in Salt Lake City has 3 women on the 10 person team, with 2 more ladies on the way! Also, the new refinery manager here is a woman. I have been in meetings where people comment on the number of women in the room and what a great thing that is. While there has been a lot of progress on this front, I have also been in meetings where I look around at the other 10 or 15 faces and realize that I am the only woman in the room. And the only one under 40 years old. My silent observation is just a small bit of amusement for me, and I wouldn’t be surprised if no one else even noticed. What is important to me is that during my first 3 years in oil and gas, I have never been dismissed or disrespected for being young, female, or inexperienced. I have worked closely with engineers, operators, and maintenance techs, and every question I ask is taken seriously. When I bring up a concern, it is addressed and I have never been shamed for making a mistake. In short, I am treated as a member of the team.

It would be untrue to say that I receive no comments of any kind or that I am treated exactly the same as the men. The comments I do receive are harmless, friendly. If I’m walking down the hall peeking into offices, someone may ask, “Who are you looking for, pretty lady?” Greetings exchanged in passing are frequently about my smile. But no matter what, they are always respectful. In fact, I may even be treated with a little more dignity than some the men, who can get quite boisterous in their teasing of one another. In my experience, the majority of the time when you treat a person with respect and courtesy, even the “rough around the edges” crowd will return the favor.

Study Groups are Families, Too

Four years of studying Electrical Engineering was much the same in that regard. I remember an infamous story about a girl who, on her first day of class, was told by her professor that, “EE doesn’t stand for Elementary Education.” Whether this story is myth or fact, I’m not sure anyone knows anymore. It is true that Electrical Engineering is a male-dominated major, even as far as engineering goes.  And to risk sounding like a broken record, I was never brought down for being a woman. I know that I worked hard at my classes, always did my homework, arrived to class on time. Putting in this effort is what instructors care about, and the payoff of the effort keeps any of the less mature from making snide remarks.

Tough experiences bring people together, though, and misery loves company, so late nights in the student lounge with classmates forged the Electrical and Computer Engineering students into brothers and sisters. We weren’t That Girl or Guy #3, we were Katie and Thomas and Alex. Everyone working together to figure out tricky assignments or understand complicated concepts. A team, as well as a family. In fact, you could call the photo I shared in this blog of our Robotics team, a 'family photo'.

Do It For You

There is another article that was published in this group a few months ago that took the words right out of my brain, and that article is about being a Unicorn. While I was in school and feeling saucy, I enjoyed very much trying to get young men to guess my major. Studying Electrical Engineering was a huge point of pride for me, and even now, when people ask what I do, telling them that I am an engineer is a thrill. Young women everywhere should chase the rush of bucking expectations; seek the satisfaction of accomplishment and the freedom of wearing lipstick and also hard hats and steel toe boots, if that’s what they want to do. 

One reason that women avoid STEM majors and careers is to avoid unkind treatment. There are more than a few stories of females being mocked, being belittled, being told to act more like a man. I want so much for women to realize those experiences are not a guarantee. For the most part, people are good. If you treat them with respect and dignity, they will do the same. Whether in a study group or a refinery, we are part of a team and working towards the same goal. Be persistent, be stubborn, be kind, work hard, and let the quality of your work speak for itself.