INWED18 Q&A: Female Engineers Share Their Views on the Sector

INWED18 Q&A: Female Engineers Share Their Views on the Sector
Rigzone highlights the journeys of three female engineers to celebrate International Women in Engineering Day.

With International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) taking place June 23, Rigzone highlights the experiences of three female engineers, bringing to light their journeys into the field and the improvements they believe the sector can benefit from.

INWED is an international awareness campaign which aims to raise the profile of women in engineering. The event was launched as National Women in Engineering Day in the UK in 2014 and grew to become an international event for the first time last year. 

Catsy Lam, Material Sciences Technical Leader at Victaulic

Rigzone: How did you first get introduced to engineering?

Lam: Math and science have always been my favorite subjects, even as a child. Notably, being one of the few girls in these classes pushed me to pursue a career that provided a problem to solve, a creative outlet and a continuous learning environment.

I enjoyed the competition in my classes and the ability to see my work on paper turn into something real. My engineering degree has opened many doors for me and I have seen the benefits of making that decision as a freshman in college come to fruition time and time again.

Catsy Lam
Catsy Lam, Material Sciences Technical Leader, Victaulic
Material Sciences Technical Leader, Victaulic

I had internships for medical devices and detergent companies and I initially believed I was going to get my Ph.D. in chemical engineering to work in the healthcare industry. However, I chose to work at Victaulic because it would allow me to see the fruits of my innovation into the market sooner.

Rigzone: How has your experience been as a woman in the industry?

Lam: Women and men’s minds are very different. Women are able to bring more collaboration to teams and an entirely different point of view which is important in an environment that is constantly creating.

When I first started at Victaulic, I was the only female engineer on my team. Over the years, I’ve seen the growth in female engineers. In my personal experience, working hard to create new ideas and being a good team member has certainly served me well in my tenure as a female engineer at Victaulic.

Rigzone: How can the industry improve in getting women more involved?

Lam: Provide resources for success, encourage diverse ideas and nurture a culture that is encouraging, collaborative and team-focused.

Rigzone: What would be your advice to another aspiring female engineer?

Lam: I would recommend gaining hands-on experience as early as you can. It is truly very beneficial to the overall discipline and to problem-solving customer solutions. It also helps to accelerate new ideas.

Without hands-on learning, you cannot get a sense of how something will work. Hands-on learning provides a better understanding of why something is working and how it will work for customers in real life.

It is so valuable to have diversity in thought. Not one person can be successful without a team of good team members. Be curious and ask questions. A way to develop these qualities is through experience. Apply for internships, talk to your professors, shadow professionals to not only help you identify what industry to work in, but also begin to identify your skillsets. Identifying someone who can mentor you is also important. A mentor can support you on many levels whether it is providing advice, sharing their experience or guiding you in your career.

Melissa Morrison, Engineer at Sparrows Group

Rigzone: What was your introduction to STEM?

Morrison: One day at school, my technological studies teacher asked me if I had considered going into engineering as a career. He encouraged me to look into the sector as he knew the advantages it offered, such as good career progression and opportunities to travel. It wasn’t something I had ever considered but it suited my interests and the more I learned, the more it seemed like a perfect fit.

Rigzone: How did you get into the oil industry?

Morrison: After leaving school, I was accepted into the Robert Gordon University in 2011 and studied Electrical and Electronic Engineering. I originally applied to study mechanical as well, but after my first semester, I knew my passion lay in the electrical side.

While I was at university, there were a lot of companies offering scholarships. I was lucky enough to get to the interview stage with two different firms and was offered a position with Sparrows Group in 2013. Through the scholarship, I was able to complete three summer placements with Sparrows and gain valuable work experience in the process.

Melissa Morrison
Melissa Morrison, Engineer, Sparrows Group
Engineer, Sparrows Group

In December 2015, I graduated with a fast track MEng in Electrical and Electronic Engineering with merit and secured a full-time position at Sparrows as a graduate engineer. I started off working within one of the contract teams, primarily focused on electrical projects and maintenance work scopes.

Rigzone: What was your exposure to the industry before carving out a career in it?

Morrison: I had very little exposure to the industry as neither of my parents worked in the energy sector or in STEM related fields, so it was a completely new environment for me. Being outside of the industry, I really didn’t have an understanding of just how many opportunities there were for people like me who have an interest in STEM subjects.

Rigzone: What has your experience as a woman in STEM been like?

Morrison: I’ve had a very positive experience as a woman in STEM and I find I’m judged on my ability as opposed to my gender. Since joining Sparrows, I’ve had fantastic opportunities to continue my career development and already had exposure in managing my own projects which has been brilliant experience.

I have always received a lot of support from the various teams I have worked with at Sparrows which has been invaluable to my progression. The variety of backgrounds and experience of those around me means I am continually learning from people with a lot of knowledge.

Rigzone: How would you grade the industry in getting women involved? What could it be better at?

Morrison: In my experience, there are generally less women choosing to go into STEM-based professions and I think this can be attributed to a lack of awareness and encouragement from a younger age. Young people need to be educated about which subjects they should be choosing if they want to pursue a career in a STEM role and this isn’t highlighted enough in schools.

The oil and gas industry has an aging workforce so it’s important that we ensure another skills gap is avoided as the more experienced people leave the sector. The industry could definitely improve how it develops and educates young engineers to support this.

I really hope to see more women not just entering STEM positions in the future, but also develop further into leadership roles. Having more women in high-level positions would help encourage the younger generations to be part of this industry.

Katie Yovanovich, Project Manager at Victaulic

Rigzone: How did you first get introduced to engineering?

Yovanovich: I was introduced to engineering at a young age. My dad is an electrical engineer, so I knew about engineering as a field. I was always very good at math and science in school, so I had both my parents and teachers encouraging me to continue pursuing those subjects.

Rigzone: How has your experience been as a woman in the industry?

Katie Yovanovich
Katie Yovanovich, Project Manager, Victaulic
Project Manager, Victaulic

Yovanovich: Victaulic is very supportive of promoting diversity and has set me up with good mentors who have helped push me in the right direction of the experiences I need to learn and grow in my career. For example, I’ve gotten to get out into the field a lot and interact with customers. To me, that’s the most important thing. I’ve learned the most that way. And I’ve wouldn’t have done it without encouragement from my mentors.

Rigzone: How can the industry improve in getting women more involved?

Yovanovich: Long-term goals should include reaching out to schools, getting kids while they’re young and letting them know what opportunities are available in engineering.

Rigzone: What would be your advice to another aspiring female engineer?

Yovanovich: Number one, I’d say find a good mentor. It’s been really helpful for me to have that. Also focus on hands-on learning and getting out, making mistakes, getting dirty, talking to people … in a traditionally male-dominated industry like energy is, you can’t be afraid to speak up and tell people your opinions and ideas. You just have to get over that first hump.



WHAT DO YOU THINK?


Generated by readers, the comments included herein do not reflect the views and opinions of Rigzone. All comments are subject to editorial review. Off-topic, inappropriate or insulting comments will be removed.


Most Popular Articles