Women now make up nearly half the workforce, yet only 23% of workers in STEM-related jobs are women. A way to combat this trend is to find support from peers in a formalized way.
“Surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals who have similar goals can help build your confidence exponentially,” says Karen Purcell, founder owner, and president an award-winning electrical engineering, design and consulting firm and author of the book Unlocking Your Brilliance: Smart Strategies for Women to Thrive in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. “In contributing valuable advice to respected peers in the forum setting, you become increasingly confident about presenting yourself as credible to your partners, clients, and superiors.”
When looking for a group, Karen advises talking to peers to find out what groups they are involved with and whether or not they might be a good fit. Karen encourages women to do research to find a group that offers support and also allows time to meet new people in the same field. When searching, she provides three tips on selecting a group:
- The Leadership: Figure out how the group is led and how committed the leaders are to the group. Make sure there is organization all the way up through the group and that steps are being taken to develop a positive, encouraging environment from the top down.
- The Fees: You can’t judge a group solely on their membership fees, but you should be able to assess what the fees cover for each group. Typical expenses include meeting space rental, outings, and recruitment efforts. The fee payment should be looked at as an investment toward advancing your career.
- The People: Consider whether or not the group is made up of people you could potentially enjoy being around. You are going to be investing your time with this network of professionals. Struggling to tolerate their company is going to be counterproductive to your goals. You need to feel that the members are approachable and trustworthy.
Karen Purcell, P.E. is the founder, owner, and president of PK Electrical, an award-winning electrical engineering, design and consulting firm, which handles public and private sector work ranging from $5000 to $76,000,000. Purcell holds a bachelor of science in electrical engineering from Widener University.
More information:
www.unlockingyourbrilliance.com
