Standing out from the crowd: being a woman in engineering

With International Women in Engineering Day fast approaching, I’ve been pondering the things I’ve learned being a woman in engineering for over 20 years (not dwelling for too long on how old that makes me!). I thought I’d share some reflections and advice, hopefully give you some food for thought.

So, how did I get into engineering in the first place?

I have always liked solving problems, creating order from chaos, organising people and doing things for the greater good. It was a family friend who suggested civil engineering as a career to think about, and I liked the idea of doing a job that creates infrastructure (like roads, bridges, railways, and even sewers) that would help society and people to live their lives – and leaving a lasting legacy, something concrete, that would remain for (hopefully) generations to come.

After a degree in civil/structural engineering, I started as a graduate with Atkins (an engineering consultancy) and I’ve worked there ever since. I trained as a bridge designer and qualified as a chartered engineer, before moving into project and business management roles. These days, I’m Capability Development Director for our global Oil & Gas Engineering & Consulting business. Although I don’t do much technical engineering any more, I still feel like I’m solving problems, creating order from chaos, organising people and doing things for the greater good. If I’m honest, that’s why I’ve stayed in engineering. I’ve followed a varied path of different roles exploring what I’m good at and what I’ve found interesting and challenging.

Now, engineers are a mixed and varied bunch, as in most professions, but at their heart most engineers are driven to use their skills to solve problems to make our world better. In many ways, therefore, I fit in beautifully – but in other ways I stand out from the crowd! Predominantly that’s by being female.

1. Don’t be worried about not fitting the mould

I’ve got two teenagers at home, for them life is all about fitting in. And that’s where a lot of us start off – fitting in, being part of a clique – and in many ways that makes life easier for us at work. But I don’t think we get the best out of ourselves – or the people in our teams – if we settle for that.

There’s loads of research that shows having diverse teams in business leads to a better bottom line, better innovation and better work culture. And that means surrounding yourselves with people different to you rather than same! That mirrors my own experience, I know I get better outcomes where I’m challenged by people who see things from a different perspective, bringing creative ideas and solutions that I would have missed otherwise.

So my first piece of advice: be brave, have confidence and embrace your difference!

2. Focus on your positive strengths.

It’s taken me quite a few years to properly understand what my strengths are. Like many people, I’m a perfectionist and tend to focus on what I need to do better rather than what I’m doing well. Its only recently, as I’ve been working more as a coach helping people to work this out for themselves, that I’ve really embraced this. The value in allowing myself to focus on the positives on which to build.

I’ve done quite a bit of work with my team as well, identifying the strengths of the each individual and agreeing how we can combine those strengths to work better as a team. This means we trust and lean on each other more, and value each other's differences as much as our similarities.

So be clear about your strengths, what makes you unique, and understand the value that brings at work.

3. Ask for help when you need it

Life is as much about the mistakes you make as it is about the successes. I’ve shied away from taking on challenging roles in the past, worried that I wouldn’t be able to do it. I focussed on the one thing I couldn’t do rather than the 10 things I could! I’ve also taken on some really challenging roles, that ended up taking their toll in terms of my own mental health and wellbeing. Looking back now, the difficulties I had with the more challenging roles would have been much easier if I’d been more willing to ask for help from those around me. The times I particularly regret are those that I shied away without trying.

Very few of us work in complete isolation, everyone has things that they’ve found difficult during their career, and most of us are more than happy to help others if they ask for it. For a long time I felt that asking for help was an admission of failure. And showing my own vulnerability, particularly as a woman in an office full of men, was not something that sat comfortably – if I’m honest, it still doesn’t. But I have recognised that I can be so much better at my job, and happier in myself, if I ask for help when I need it.

Most of the time, things work out better that way – if you ask for help.

Conclusion

So there you have it, my reflections, encouragement and advice for #INWED18

• Embrace what’s different about you and be willing to stand out from the crowd

• Be clear about your strengths and understand the value that brings

• Ask for help when you need it – most of the time you’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain!