Do You Really Know Why?

By Gloria Givler Speaker: Shanequah Brison, Systems Engineer at The Boeing Company

This captivating session was all about taking the time to reflect on the motivations behind our actions and decisions. Why do we do what we do, as women in engineering? All too often, we are acting based on other’s expectations of us instead of evaluating what we really want. Or we wait until after the decisions are already made to reflect, at which point we tell ourselves whatever we need to in order to justify them.

In terms of work, some important questions she posed to the audience are: Why are you a team lead or manager? Why aren’t you speaking up if you see something you think is wrong? Why haven’t you considered leaving your position or company to explore new opportunities? The lattermost question is one of the most important to seriously consider; it is easy to feel comfortable in your current role and afraid of change, but trying something new may be hugely beneficial to your personal development, work satisfaction, and quality of life. For the other two categories, the speaker posed questions such as: Why do you try to do everything? Why don’t you say no more often? Why aren’t you making time for your mental and physical health? Why are you so hard on yourself? As a student, these questions hit home on a personal level. College is a very busy time--it’s easy to try to juggle too much and end up with imbalanced priorities. It’s important to keep in mind that taking the time to rest and care for yourself is critical to long-term success and well-being. The speaker left us with two pieces of advice: invest the time to think about your whys, and most importantly, give yourself grace.

One Engineer’s Journey: Christy Lee

By Merrin Pickford

I enjoyed attending the “Is a Technical Career Path For Me? One Engineer’s Journey” given by Christy Lee, an engineering technical steward at Caterpillar Inc. Christys variety of positions in design, research, manufacturing and more allowed her to give thoughtful insight on whether a technical or management career path is a good fit for someone Throughout her career, she transitioned from technical, to management and is now back in a technical role. This transition between both roles is not very common A main point of Christy’s session was about why engineers typically do not stay technical. One reason is because management roles are more visible within the company. Also, if an engineer is organized and capable of leading then they are typically offered management positions. She then explained all the things that a technical leader can do, such as research, making technical recommendations, training people, and owning processes. The part of the session that stuck out to me the most was when she explained the qualities that a good technical leader needs. While this person should have expertise in their area and an overall broad experience in their specialty, they also need other skills. It is important to influence without authority by providing recommendations. That also takes balancing business acumen, what is technically right versus what is right for the business. Finally, Christy expressed the necessity of having a strong diverse network as a technical leader Overall, I really enjoyed learning about the transitions of roles that Christy has gone through in her career and will use her advice in my future career!

Can you have it all?

By Minakshi Thapa

The "Can you have it all?" session at the WeLocal conference organized by the Society of Women Engineers was one of my favorite sessions and it was valuable learning experience for me. The session aimed to provide insights on how to integrate career and personal life effectively, applying project management techniques, minimalism, and 5S to both areas of life. The session covered several important aspects of achieving a balanced and fulfilling life. Firstly, I learned about creating a vision, understanding their values, and what drives them. This was followed by setting career and life goals and creating a plan to achieve them, prioritizing resources and time. Asking for help and seeking mentorship were also discussed, emphasizing the importance of having multiple mentors. We were also introduced to the concept of minimalism and 5S, which they could apply to their possessions, to-do lists, and experiences, prioritizing quality over quantity. The session highlighted the importance of minimizing negativity in life.

Finally, the session emphasized that goals and plans can be adjusted as one progresses in life, similar to re-baselining in project management.

Overall, the session provided a structured approach to integrating career and personal life while prioritizing values and quality over quantity. I left with a clear understanding of the steps I need to take to achieve a balanced and fulfilling life, with practical advice that could be applied to both my professional and personal life.