9.21.2010

Some Tips for Women in Engineering

Rachel Walla
  If you're a girl working in a man's field, as so many of us Montana Tech ladies are, there are a few things you may have found in your summer jobs that prove to be obstacles.
My personal favorite is working with the old men who've had their jobs for forty years and treat you like you wandered out of a candy shop and found yourself in a hard hat doing soil sampling. I'm not talking about the middle aged guy with two kids in school or the engineer who graduated five years before you, I'm talking the guys who know everything because they've seen it all. They inevitably doubt your skills, strength and practical knowledge. The worst thing you can do in this case is giggle when they mention you going to town to pick up a 14-inch frost cock for the new water spigot.
  The second worst thing you can do is flirt. I've seen the worst of this in my summer jobs. It annoys the other women in the field, causes the girl doing it to lose the respect of others and worst of all, the girl doing the flirting becomes a creepy old man magnet. So here are my tips for getting along if you encounter this particular obstacle on your internship. The best thing you can do is make fun of them. Don't ask me why but old men respond well to being given crap. Especially if you can find something to tease them about that the rest of the old men think is hilarious. Then, it's like all the sudden you're the president of their club and they're asking you to hang out with them at the coffee shop all Saturday morning. If teasing them is a no go, bring doughnuts to work. People respond well to treats and old men have an undying respect for ladies who can cook or who can manage to pick up doughnuts before work, trust me, it works every time.
  My last suggestion is to know more than them. This doesn't happen often since they've 39 years and nine months more on the job than you. But, if you can't earn their respect any other way, that's what you'll have to do. The thing is they'll respect you for it, but they'll be a little resentful too. To make up for being Ms. Know-it-All you'll have to bring doughnuts the next day. All-in-all, save yourself some hassle and just bring doughnuts and make friends. Your summer will be better for it. Plus, no one can spread rumors like guys on the job. So make sure the gossip being passed around the tailgate is making you look awesome.

No comments:

Post a Comment